February 20, 2020 by The Post

Heritage Hall to be “Gun girl” draws Tyler Harkins’ best completed in 2020...P4 crowd to Baker...P12 and last season...P16

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020

TAKING IT FOR A

SPIN Spin e-scooters arrived in Athens and at Ohio University this past week P8

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Being a student and a journalist when news breaks

ELLEN WAGNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ver the past few years, The Post reporters have covered a wide array of breaking news events. Ohio University has been well-known for students expressing their rights through activism in rallies and protests about many different topics over the years. The university and the city of Athens are not unfamiliar with being in the spotlight when it comes to both good and bad news. Some examples of breaking news stories over the past few years include the Carriage Hill Apartments ﬁre, the Baker 70 protest, an increase in sexual assault reports and a student death. Most recently, it included the coverage of the large crowd caused by the “Kent State gun girl,” Kaitlin Bennett, in Baker Center. Our audience only sees the result of our work. In any breaking news story, there is a lot that goes on in the newsroom to get that story out. There are many layers to each Post staff member, which can put us in tough positions. We are both journalists and students, which leaves us to answer a lot of questions when it comes to how we want to go about covering any breaking news. Behind the scenes of every story, there are questions to be asked about how to cover an

event and to make sure all sides of the story are being told. As journalists, we have to set aside any biases we have to give a fair and balanced report of the events. We have a lot of questions to ask ourselves: Does the story need to be rushed out so we can be the ﬁrst media outlet to report it? Do we want to take our time to see how the story can be developed to be the most accurate when reporting the events? Breaking news disrupts the everyday life of OU students. Students are texting friends and checking social media and news outlets for updates on what is going on. Meanwhile, our reporters are missing class, setting aside assignments and skipping meals to get the story published online. We want to inform students on what is going on as quickly and accurately as we can. We also have to try not to let our emotions and opinions get the best of us since we are students affected by these events as well. At the end of the day, we are just normal people. A breaking news day is ﬁlled with a wide array of emotions. We spend the day covering events, contemplating ethics and writing and editing stories. We are both physically and emotionally exhausted. Once the main breaking news story is re-

ported, we can catch a breath and go back to being students. We get calls and messages from our friends and family to get the story on what happened for the day. We have assignments to finish, exams to study for and classes to wake up for the next day. We have to eat a meal and get some sleep. As journalists, however, it’s still not over. In the days to come, there are followups on the breaking news events. The Post follows up on other angles and see how it affects the people on campus and in Athens. We have to find ways to handle the responses on social media and our email inboxes from our audience, both positive and negative. This does not mean The Post covers every breaking news story perfectly every time. We have made mistakes and learned from them. Every breaking news story is an opportunity to find ways to be better journalists. As students, journalists and normal people, we are going to continue to work hard to do what we can to learn and be the best we can be. Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19. COVER PHOTO BY TANNER PEARSON

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

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Athens City School District ranks better when adjusted for poverty EMMA SKIDMORE STAFF WRITER Athens City School District has seen discrepancies in the rankings of its district based on whether the scale is adjusted for poverty or not. Last year, ACSD received a C grading overall, and it also received a D in the Prepared for Success category and the Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers category. However, when adjusted for poverty, ACSD ranks 41 out of the 600 schools in the state. “It’s not a system that really judges the efﬁcacy of students learning,” Sean Parsons, president of the ACSD school board, said. “The truth is, our teachers in our schools are the ones that know how our students are learning, how well they’re doing, how they meet certain things like progress. Our teachers know that, and a test is — no matter what the test is — is not going to show that.” Parsons said because tests are altered yearly, it isn’t a fair comparison. Factors such as whether the test is taken online or not can also affect scores. “A couple years ago, the system went down while they were taking a test. Or they have things like they have to use a computer

to take a test, and the kids don’t know how to type,” Parsons said. “They don’t get a lot of functional computer training at that age level and then we don’t get a provision to provide that level of education. It’s like you were asked to take a test using a tool, but you’re not given the opportunity, the support to learn how to use that tool.” Parsons also said he relies on the teachers to know their students the best in a way a singular test cannot. He said they are the ones who are aware of the factors that may affect a child’s learning. “They know their families. They know their ... home situation. They know the kind of social emotional challenges that those kids have,” Parsons said. “And a test ... does not consider those things, and we’re educating young kids who have a whole host of challenges, and their teachers know what those are. They’re getting our students where they need to go.” A number of students within Athens City School District qualify for free and reduced lunches, which is one of the ways poverty can be measured in the area, Parsons said. He also said parents often express concern about the district report cards, but it is often a ﬂawed ranking.

“Yeah, I’d love to have high scores across the board ... But how could so many schools in the state be getting Cs and Ds?” Parsons said. “Why is there such a high rate of everybody doing poorly, right? Like if everybody’s doing poorly, then again, this comes back to me as a professor, a teacher. All my students are failing a test. I probably have a problem with the test.” Tom Gibbs, superintendent of ACSD, has said on multiple occasions that he disagrees with how the schools are ranked by the state. “When you have segments of any report card where 80% or more of districts receive a ‘D’ or ‘F,’ there’s an obvious problem,” Gibbs said in an email. Gibbs said there are many things beyond the report card ranking that ACSD is accomplishing. “Athens High School was a National AP Honor Roll recipient again this year, our graduates continue to have average ACT scores that outpace the state of Ohio and the national averages, and we offer educational opportunities for advanced study that many other high schools in the state of Ohio do not offer,” he said in an email. Gibbs also said over 200 students grades seven to 12 take college level coursework, and an increasing number of students are earning college credit before graduation. “As a parent, community member and Superintendent, I am proud of our students, our staff, and the support we have in our community,” he said in an email.

CORY RICHARDS

Heather Skinner, principal of The Plains Elementary School, has the highest level of poverty in Athens County at her school. She also sees a lot of differences in the children at her school. “First, we are dealing with children,” Skinner said in an email. “There is nothing standard about that. All students develop physically, mentally, emotionally and academically at different levels. There are so many factors with teaching that a standardized test cannot measure.” Skinner also said not all students start from the same place, as they each come from different backgrounds and upbringings. Skinner sees little beneﬁt to standardized testing and believes the results can have negative impacts on the community. “I see no beneﬁt unless you are wanting to see how schools perform in different areas of the state,” she said in an email. “Unfortunately, these types of reports can sway people and businesses from wanting to move to an area, where schools are ranked low due to the poverty level.” Skinner agrees the focus should be on the students. “I am more concerned with growth,” she said in an email. “If our students are continuing to grow academically and at a pace of a year’s growth or better every year that is what is most important to my teachers and me.” @E_SKIDMOREGS ES320518@OHIO.EDU

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Serving up Heart Ornery Vets cafe to open in spring 2020

TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST A cafe that provides a space for veterans and people with developmental differences is set to open in spring 2020. Ornery Vets Cafe, which is to be located at 30 E. State St., hopes to cater to multiple populations that may not otherwise have a space that they are able to easily interact in, including veterans, those who experience PTSD and those with developmental differences, founders Joel Laufman, Patty Mitchell and Thomas Stevenson said. Ornery Vets will serve smoothies made from locally-sourced ingredients and soups, salads and pastries made at other local businesses. It will also feature events like a yoga group, a meditation group and a PTSD support group regularly throughout the week. Stevenson, an Ohio University professor involved with Passion Works Studio, said the types of smoothies will be determined by what fresh, local produce is in season. “Our focus is really smoothies, but it’s not the smoothies where you add protein. It is smoothies where you use all lo-

cal, healthy food,” Stevenson said. “Some of the food products will come from the farmers market, and some will come from our student farm on campus.” The soups, salads and pastries will come from restaurants like Casa Nueva Restaurant & Cantina, Purple Chopstix and Zoe. This allows the cafe to advertise for and “tell the story” of local businesses, Mitchell, director of Passion Works, said. Mitchell said the studio’s team had hoped to found an establishment that was accessible to their artists and other visitors, but setting up a business entirely on their own was not feasible. Laufman, a Vietnam War veteran involved with Passion Works, heard about this and wanted to help open an cafe that would cater to veterans as well as the artists he cares about at the studio. “We just kept talking and thinking, ‘Well, what if we had this cafe that would involve veterans, people with developmental differences, community members, and we’re all in the mix together and then have good food?’” Mitchell said. Laufman said the business aims to be financially accessible for many members

of the community. “(Prices) are going to be very reasonable because part of what we plan on doing is having healthy food for these people without breaking the bank,” Laufman said. The founders of Ornery Vets do not intend to make a profit from the cafe, though the team hopes to employ a manager, Laufman said. “It has to make enough money to keep yourself open, obviously,” Laufman said. “That’s all that we want. I will never take a dime out of it, Thomas will never take a dime out of it and Patty will never take the dime out of it.” The space will have an emphasis on healthy eating for all members of the community. “We started conversations last year with hopes this will provide healthy food options for people with developmental differences,” Stevenson said. “Many times, the food offerings are not healthy for that population.” The cafe also has a goal of opening up a space for connection, Mitchell said. “The intention of it is to have a social space really welcoming veterans and the entire community but to have like a dry bar or like alcohol-free zone,” Mitchell said. “It’s social and will have music and poetry readings and however it unfolds, so that there are options for people to be able to come in and connect.” Ornery Vets also has a goal of acces-

sibility to those of all abilities, both for workers and those visiting. The founders are working with OU students from many different departments to make the cafe as accessible as possible. “We’re in collaboration with mechanical engineering students who are designing equipment to accommodate people with a lot more differences,” Stevenson said. “Also, there’s universal design to make it better for all persons in the space.” The project brings together the team’s interests, including Laufman’s experience as a Vietnam veteran and the struggles he faced when returning home. “I don’t want to let that happen in any way, shape or form to the men and women who are coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq,” Laufman said. During a test run before opening Ornery Vets, Steveson said he had an individual with developmental differences tell him about their experience. “(We) walked around with notepads taking requests from individuals of the community to order and … one individual from the space came over to me and said, ‘This is the first time anyone has ever come to me and took an order for what I wanted to eat in that moment,’” Stevenson said. “Honestly, that is a thing we take for granted.”

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

ON TIME

Airline in America for September and October

4 / FEB. 20, 2020

New Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine building to be completed in December

An artistic rendering of the prospective Heritage Hall. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OHIO HERITAGE COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE WEBSITE)

The building will foster team-based learning and promote research BEKAH BOSTICK FOR THE POST The new Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine building has been in the works for over six years, and the end is in sight. In December 2020, the new HCOM building will be ﬁnished at 191 W. Union Street. The new facility makes innovative, purpose-built spaces for medical education possible, fundamental changes to the way HCOM works and improvements to its research and community outreach initiatives, according to the HCOM website. According to a video made by Ohio University Communications, the purpose of this new HCOM building is to provide a new space for students to work together in a team-based fashion. The new building has a very strong push for more team-based learning, including rooms that can be transformed from large group learning to team-based learning. Traditional lecture style seating is not an ideal way for students to interact with each oth-

er, according to the video. By building a new facility for students to learn in, the future and the new ways students learn today with technology are being considered. The new building and curriculum will have fewer lecture style classes and more collaboration between students and faculty, according to the video. Typically, when students go to meet with professors, there is a desk separating them, and there is a known presence of power or intellectual walls. In the new curriculum, there is a new approach of faculty and students working side by side with each other on the same goals. The new building wants to promote a sense of unity, Larry Witmer, a professor of paleontology, said in the video. The building will be known as Heritage Hall and will be honoring the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and osteopathic medicine as a whole, Terri Donlin Huesman, president and CEO of Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, said. The new hall will continue to create new and innovative ways to empathetically heal and help the people who

future physicians will serve. Heritage Hall will be the only WELL Certified Medical Education Building on OU’s campus as well as one of the first in the nation, Noel Davis, a project manager in HCOM, said. That WELL certificate means every space in Heritage Hall will have wellness linked to it. The WELL Standard looks at features of the new building that will impact human wellness and well-being. There are certain elements of the building that are featured because of it being a WELL certified building, including a fresh food in-house cafe, fitness room, abundance of natural light from skylights, adjustable desk and seating options, non-toxic construction materials, filtered water at every faucet and more. Heritage Hall will also be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified, according to the HCOM website. LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Having all new buildings be LEED-certified is a university standard for all new construction projects.

Heritage Hall will be three stories and 120,000 square feet as well as $65 million to construct. Previous to the Board of Trustees meeting in January, the board was going to give $9 million toward the new building. Now the board will be giving another $56 million. The Heritage College gave $5 million, and $6 million came from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, according to a statement released by HCOM. The cafe will be named after the OU HCOM’s Society of Alumni & Friends. That group donated $150,000 to the college’s general support fund. At the end of 2019, the Society of Alumni & Friends, or SoAF, gave $25,000 and will continue to give that same amount each year for the next ﬁve years. In honor of the generosity that this group has given to the college, the cafe will be called the Heritage College Society of Alumni & Friends Cafe at Factory Street.

@BEKAHBOSTICK RB442218@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

NEWS BRIEFS

Graduate Student Senate addresses health care concerns; OUPD hires two officers EMMA SKIDMORE STAFF WRITER GRADUATE STUDENT SENATE: HEALTH CARE CONCERNS ADDRESSED, DEBATE FOR ELECTION HELD International students attended Tuesday’s Graduate Student Senate meeting to protest a 14% increase in health care. The cost of health insurance increased 29% last year, according to International Student Affairs Commissioner Viktoria Marinova. International students are especially affected, as they can only work 20 hours a week legally. Students not only protested the hike in cost, but the lack of other insurance options available to them due to the criteria set by the university. Dale Burns, senior vice president of United Healthcare Student Resources, said it is required to justify cost increases to the state and that we live in an age when medical care is continually going up. He also said the price increases because the student health care plan is being utilized. A debate was also held for next year’s executive positions, and many candidates said the issue of health insurance would

be one of the first addressed. Kaelyn Ferris, a third-year graduate student and department representative for physics and astronomy running for GSS president, said getting feedback and working together to find a solution for health care is her top priority. Uchenna Okwara, a graduate student studying international development and also running for president, said in addition to health insurance, he wants to improve research funding for graduate students. Brett Frederickson, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate and environment and plant biology department representative running for vice president, said he plans to improve training for members and communications with administrators. He said he has already done work with health insurance and plans to continue. Amal Shimir, a first-year graduate student studying international development and running for vice president, said she plans to design a strategic communication plan within and outside of the organization. Shimir also said she believes her best qualities stem from her time working in Iraq as she knows how to mobilize teams and work with few resources. Amid Vahedi, a fourth-year Ph.D. stu-

dent, is running unopposed for treasurer and said his best qualities include strengths in delegating and his ability to see the big picture. OUPD HIRES TWO NEW POLICE OFFICERS Two new officers have recently joined the OUPD police department. Darren “DJ” Olexa and Evan Wilkof are on track to graduate from the police academy this summer and were sworn into the department in early February. Wilkof has been employed by event services, and Olexa is currently in the National Guard. OUPD Lt. Tim Ryan said the training process at the police academy is about five months and includes self-defense, firearms and other basic skills. After graduation, OUPD holds a 10-week field training where graduates are paired with other offices, Ryan said. The new officers will also get a slight pay raise once they graduate as well as beginning to earn vacation time. ATHENS MIDDLE SCHOOL CLUB ESTABLISHES ANDREW JACKSON DAVISON DAY Tuesday was Athens Middle School’s very first Andrew Jackson Davison Day,

dedicated to the first African American attorney in Athens. The A ndrew Jackson Davison club was organized at the middle school to bring attention to this piece of Athens histor y. Jessie Roberson, an Ohio University business professor, said Davison was excluded from a 1876 composite BAR photo. Demetra Zaros, a member of the club, said it’s part of everyone’s history and decided to host an event for the community. Athens County Mayor Steve Patterson said he thinks the impact will be big as they pay honor to someone who was previously forgotten in history. Ada Woodsen Adams, an Athens County resident, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for African American history research. The ADJ club made a documentary about Davison and also revealed a portrait of him will be hung next to the 1876 composite photo in the Athens County courtroom.

@E_SKIDMOREGS ES320518@OHIO.EDU

POLICE BLOTTER

Bicycle stolen from garage; license plate stolen from vehicle KIRSTEN THOMAS FOR THE POST

everything was OK. No further action was taken.

WHERE DID YOU GO? A man reported Friday to the Ohio University Police Department that his bicycle was stolen from the Adams Hall garage. An investigation is underway.

KEEP IT DOWN Deputies were dispatched to Millfield on Tuesday due to a loud vehicle complaint. Upon arriving on the scene, deputies identified and arrested a man who had an active warrant.

WHO SET OFF THE ALARM? Deputies were dispatched to Mill School Road on Tuesday due to a panic alarm going off. Deputies contacted the homeowners, who said it was a false alarm, and

6 / FEB. 20, 2020

WHY WON’T YOU PICK UP? Deputies responded to The Plains on Tuesday to a report of a phone stolen from a vehicle. There were no signs of forced entry

or damage done to the vehicle, according to the report. The case is still under investigation.

The caller said a man stole a box of Skittles without paying for them. The case is still under investigation.

NOT SO FAST Deputies took a theft report on Tuesday relating to a license plate. The caller said his license plate was stolen off his vehicle. The case is still under investigation.

I’M GOING TO BED! Deputies were called to Euclid Avenue on Monday for a domestic dispute. The caller said he and his adult daughter were in an argument, but the daughter agreed to go to bed for the evening, and no further action was needed.

STOLEN SKITTLES Deputies were dispatched to Piggly Wiggly in The Plains on Tuesday for a theft report.

@KIRSTENTHOMAS36 KT531818@OHIO.EDU

GAMES

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Spin e-scooters released for use in Athens

Grace Gold takes advantage of the sunshine after class and readies her stance on one of the new e-scooters that have been supplied around campus on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. (NATE SWANSON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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

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MAYA MORITA FOR THE POST Ohio University and the city of Athens partnered for the Feb. 18 launch of an e-scooter transportation option Uptown and on campus. Spin, a company owned by Ford Motor Co., held an event on the ﬁrst ﬂoor of Baker Center on Tuesday where it offered safety information, handed out helmets and answered questions about the scooters that were placed around campus. Like with bicycles and skateboards, e-scooters are not permitted in certain areas Uptown and on campus, like College Green and Court Street. These zones will be designated as “no ride” or “slow ride” zones on the Spin-Electric Scooters app, according to a university press release. While riders can park the e-scooters on bike racks around campus, OU encourages riders to park them in designated e-scooter parking areas to avoid congestion and allow room for bicycles, according to the release. The city does not have designated e-scooter parking areas but asks that riders park them in “a neat and orderly fashion along sidewalks” so as not to block entrances to buildings. The e-scooters will be operational from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily — depending on the weather — and can be rented for

$1 per ride and 29 cents per minute. Spin has also provided a discount code for $5 off the first ride when riders use the code BOBCATSPIN on the app, according to the release. Jace Johnston, a junior studying business management, tested out the scooters the day they were released. He believes they will definitely help students get to where they’re trying to go, he said. “I think they benefit our campus because people will be able to get places faster, and they are really fun,” Johnston said. Despite that, he won’t use the e-scooters often, he said. “I’ll probably just use it just for a novelty ride right now,” Johnston said. Tyler Devault, a junior studying political science, believes the scooters will become a hobby for students. “I feel like people are going to get really good with them,” Devault said. “They can start doing tricks and stuff … I think a lot of people are just gonna have a really good time.”

@MAYACATEMORITA MM294318@OHIO.EDU

Break the Stigma Mental Health Awareness Wall works to end stigma through art LAUREN SERGE FOR THE POST Ohio University students are working together to disband the negative associations surrounding mental health through an art project entitled “Break the Stigma.” The project was formulated by Stephanie Weigel, a visiting assistant professor for the psychology department, who had previously introduced it to other universities during her time at graduate school and in pursuing her Ph.D. Mental health refers to someone’s emotional and psychological well-being, while mental illness refers to disorders that affect one’s mood, thinking and behavior. Weigel decided to bring the project to OU, where it is being displayed in Porter Hall. Weigel offered the assignment as an extra credit opportunity for her students. It consists of various posters created by the students, all of which illustrate aspects of mental health and drawing awareness to it. The artwork is composed of symbolic drawings and digital infographics with positive affirmations, statistics and resources for students to utilize. Weigel emphasized that the artistic nature of the project allowed for her students to creatively express their feelings about mental health. “It’s about them being able to put all of these things we’ve talked about into a creative outlet,” Weigel said. “There’s a lot of differences in each piece, and you can see for some individuals, the things that have directly impacted them because it’s reflected in the artwork that they created.”

The bulletin in Porter Hall is dedicated to mental health awareness with inspirational quotes and phrases drawn on many different posters on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES / FOR THE POST)

“

One in four people have some form of mental illness, so bringing awareness to it and normalizing it is so important so people can get the help they need without being ostracized by society.” - Megan Gale, a freshman studying special education and contributor to the Mental Health Awareness Wall

The intention for the project, Weigel said, is to provide a support system among the students who created the artwork and those who will see it in the hallway. “We recognize that there’s a stigma surrounding mental health, and it’s something that we need to work together to dismantle,” Weigel said. “Nevertheless, knowing that there’s at least this group of individuals at your school who are here to support you is so important.” Alexis Frantz, a freshman studying special education, was one of the students who participated in the project. Frantz said her poster was representative of the complexities present in mental health topics. “I made a puzzle piece and put a word related to mental health on each one, and it all just represented how not every puzzle is going to be perfect,” Frantz said. “I thought it was important to say that not everyone is going to have the exact same puzzle or the exact same pieces, but if you reach out, you never know if somebody can help you.” The idea for her piece was inspired by

a personal tragedy, something that encouraged Frantz to advocate for mental health awareness. “I actually lost a friend this year to mental health, and it was really hard,” Frantz said. “So my inspiration was based on her and trying to understand someone else’s struggles.” For Weigel, the significance in bringing attention to mental health is rooted in the societal misunderstandings of mental illness. She emphasized how the inability to directly visualize someone else’s problems creates a barrier in how individuals perceive mental health issues. “If you came into class with your bone sticking out of your arm, we would take you to the hospital and not assume you’re being dramatic,” Weigel said. “Unfortunately, when it comes to mental health, oftentimes the symptoms are not as physical, so we have to be trusting of these individuals and recognize that if they’re not doing OK, they need to get help.” Megan Gale, a freshman studying special education, was another student who created

artwork for the project. Gale stressed that the integration of mental health discussions in daily life is imperative in diminishing these misunderstandings of the topic. “Mental health and mental illness is so stigmatized, and it really shouldn’t be because it’s such a normal thing,” Gale said. “One in four people have some form of mental illness, so bringing awareness to it and normalizing it is so important so people can get the help they need without being ostracized by society.” In the effort to normalize mental health discussions, Weigel said she finds it important to be candid with her students about her own struggles with mental illness and make herself available as a resource to them. “During graduate school, I experienced a lot of depression and anxiety, and I think saying that is a good thing to talk about,” Weigel said. “It helps students realize that you can have all of these things happen, and you can come out on the other side and be successful.” Despite the prevalent stigmatization of mental illness, Weigel believes the enthusiastic endeavors from students at OU highlight the potential to decrease the negative connotations and raise the awareness of mental health on campus. “I get a feeling that there is at least some community here wanting to break the stigma on this campus,” Weigel said. “I hope that is something I continue to see here going forward.”

@LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

The story behind Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca LILY ROBY FOR THE POST Driving into Athens from Nelsonville, it’s impossible to miss the massive billboard sitting on the right side of Route 33. The sign is loud, yellow and black, its text practically shouting at motorists, “WE ONLY SERVE MEATLOAF AND STRAWBERRY MILK.” This is the now-famous sign for Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca, a restaurant that doesn’t and will never exist. The iconic billboard has been up since October, advertising succulent meatloaf and claiming that Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca is coming soon to Athens. However, in the four months that it has been up, nothing has opened at 8 N. Court St, the address mentioned on succulentmeatloaf.com. Over time, it has become almost common knowledge in Athens that the advertisement is a prank, but many Ohio University students and residents of Athens are just curious about why exactly the billboard exists. OU alumni John Sammon and Steve Dimatteo are the geniuses behind this enormous prank. According to Sammon, his friend, Margie Pandora, got married in December, and he decided he wanted to

surprise her when she came to her bachelor party in Athens. “I do marketing, and a couple of my other friends who were in on this are in marketing as well,” Sammon said, adding he is now an owner of an advertising agency. “So we basically created a fake business and put up a billboard to kind of just have some fun with her ahead of the wedding because she’s our good friend.” Sammon and Dimatteo worked together to come up with the most ridiculous business they could think of, and they decided on Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca, a restaurant that only sells ‘moist,’ ‘dry,’ and ‘drier’ meatloaf alongside strawberry milk. “Because it’s in Athens, it’s like … it’s gotta be fake, but there’s also an element to it where it could be real, so that’s the fun of all of it,” Sammon said. “We have statistics on the website. We’re actually watching the website trafﬁc, and we get form submissions from people who have seen the billboard.” Pandora was completely shocked when she learned about the billboard. She said she had a feeling something would happen because Sammon is known for his pranks, but she had no idea that it

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A billboard for the fake “Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca” business sits off Route 33. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

would be something as big as this. “My fiance was in on it. All my friends were in on it, and a couple days before we went down to Athens, John texted me this picture of the billboard, and I thought it was just something he photoshopped,” Pandora said. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of funny and random.’ And, like, two minutes after he texted me, he called me, and I answered the phone, and it was just him laughing. I was like, ‘What’s so funny?’ And he was like, ‘If that looks too good to be real, it’s because it is.’” Excitement and anticipation built up as the day of Pandora’s bachelor party in Athens got closer. Pandora learned the billboard had been up for almost a month before she’d heard of it, and that almost everyone she knew, including her fiance’s dad, had seen it. Sammon marked the coordinates of the billboard on Pandora’s GPS the day she headed back to OU. “We pulled over, and we saw it in all its glory, and it was so funny,” Pandora said, recalling when she first saw the billboard. “That’s a picture of me, and it’s so big. He said it’s like 16 or 18 feet. To see your face on a billboard is pretty wild.” According to Nauman Outdoor Advertising Co., the company that was paid to put up the billboard, approximately 15,000 people drive by the billboard each day. Sammon said only a month of the billboard was paid for, but the company hasn’t had a reason to take it down yet. At the moment, the prank seems almost never-ending. “It’s been amazing that the billboard is

still up, and you can still ﬁnd people that are tweeting about it in utter confusion,” Dimatteo said. “The best part of it is that you see tweets go up by people that are absolutely bafﬂed that they saw that billboard.” Numerous people have reached out through the website, which gets about 60 to 80 visits a day. Whether they think it’s real or know it’s a prank, Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca certainly has fans. Sammon is now selling shirts and hoodies through the website for those who want Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca merchandise, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Athens County Food Pantry. “I can’t wait to wear my Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca hoodie down in Athens and see the reaction,” Sammon said. “My ultimate dream is for Margie to go to Athens and be recognized. That’s the pinnacle of the prank, is for somebody to say, ‘Aren’t you that girl from the meatloaf place?’” Both Pandora and Sammon hope that everyone in Athens gets a big kick out of the billboard for however long it’s up. “I think it’s hysterical,” Sammon said. “It’s kind of sappy, but … There’s so many crappy things that go on in the world, and if you drive by the billboard, it just brings a laugh. It kind of just makes my day.” More information can be found at succulentmeatloaf.com.

@THELILYROBY LR158117@OHIO.EDU

‘Looking at Appalachia’ exhibition empowers the region’s people KERI JOHNSON STAFF WRITER Think about Appalachia. Think about the region and its connotations. Picture the images that come to mind: gardening, bluegrass, living off the land. This is what Evan Shaw, a documentary filmmaker at WOUB, is reminded of when he thinks about Appalachia. Shaw, who is from Meigs County, realizes that his conception of Appalachia isn’t what comes to mind for everyone. He knows exploitation of natural resources, drugs and poverty are what may come to mind for other people. Appalachia is often subject to the clashes between reality, history and stereotypes. The people of the region are subject to the clash between media narratives and crafting their own. “Looking at Appalachia,” a visiting photo exhibition, takes a region-wide, collective approach to Appalachian storytelling. “Looking at Appalachia” is a project founded by West Virginia-based photographer Roger May. “Looking at Appalachia” is a crowd-sourced photo project made by and for Appalachian people. The project aims to “complicate the visual narrative of Appalachia” by showcasing visual stories told by Appalachian people. People can submit their photos to “Looking at Appalachia” on its website. Photographs must be original, taken in the current calendar year and be a part of the Appalachian Regional Commissions geographical definition of Appalachia, which includes 13 states, encompasses 205,000 square miles and has a population of over 25 million people. The idea for “Looking at Appalachia” came from the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty in 2014, May said. “I was looking around online, trying to see if there was going to be a project to mark that milestone,” May said. “I thought it was a significant event and a good opportunity to do a project of something like this.” The War on Poverty was government legislation passed in the 1960s with the goal of helping impoverished people, Tiffany Arnold, an assistant professor and associate director of Appalachian Rural Health Institute, said. “The War on Poverty was very impact-

ful on this region,” Arnold said. “In a lot of ways, it solidified the view of this region in the minds of the rest of the country, for better or worse.” Following the legislation, the media flocked to Appalachia to do stories on Appalachian people. Arnold said most of the images captured were black-and-white photographs of white, sad-looking and coal dust-covered people. “Looking at Appalachia” is a democratic way for Appalachian people to represent modern Appalachia and photography, May said. For him, it’s been in the making for a while. “I think (‘Looking at Appalachia’) gave some framework to what a lot of people have been feeling for a long time,” May said. Though May founded the project, he stressed that it’s been a true collaborative effort by those who submit photos. “I hope that the project is a collective of voices that is part of conversation rather than the project trying to singlehandedly reframe that,” May said. “For me, as an Appalachian, as a photographer ... it means a great deal to me that people feel like they can participate in representing themselves in their own spaces.” May also said though “Looking at Appalachia” has received national media attention, from the likes of National Geographic and The New York Times, the project truly relies on crowdsourcing. “We don’t buy advertising,” May said. “It’s really a grassroots project, spread by word of mouth by sharing online.” May estimates that there are about 600 images in the “Looking at Appalachia” archive, and that the project has probably received 8,000 to 10,000 submissions. Shaw, as a filmmaker, helps reshape the visual narrative that has followed Appalachia for the past 50 years, too. He said his films are built on a sense of positivity and regional pride. “Looking at Appalachia” is on display in the School of Visual Communication Gallery, Schoonover Center, 20 E. Union St., and will be up until Feb. 28. There is no admission to the gallery.

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Crowd gathers in protest of “Ken NOLAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

fter being accosted on campus by several hundred protesters, Kaitlin Bennett tweeted that she would be returning to Ohio University with “an army of gun owners for an open carry walk through campus.” Her tweet comes about seven hours after Bennett left campus as protesters yelled, held up middle fingers and threw water into the open window of the truck that she left in. “I will absolutely be returning to @ohiou’s campus again, and next time I’ll bring an army of gun owners for an open carry walk through campus. You can’t keep us away and you can’t keep us silent. Just like Donald Trump, we will always win,” Bennett said in a tweet. Ohio law permits the open carry of firearms in all outside public areas. However, possession of weapons is prohibited by the OU Student Code of Conduct. That means non-OU students are permitted to carry guns on campus grounds. Hundreds of students flocked to Baker Center on Monday to see Bennett, also known as the “Kent State Gun Girl,” who came to campus to film a video for her conservative group, Liberty Hangout. About 400 people gathered in front of Baker Center to see Bennett, a viral gun rights activist turned conservative media figure and provocateur. She stood in front of a camera asking students trivia questions about President’s Day. Bennett first went viral on social media in 2018 when she posed with an assault rifle for graduation photos on Kent State’s campus. Since then, Bennett has toured colleges and cities across the country, advocating for conservative voices on campus. Bennett arrived at OU at about 1:30 p.m. with several members of Liberty Hangout, a libertarian media outlet that is affiliated with the conservative news outlet Infowars, and a bodyguard that towered over the growing crowd of students. After having been accosted by the crowd, Bennett and her group headed for the escalators in Baker Center at about 2:15 p.m. The crowd of students followed down the escalators as others leaned over the railings on the third and fourth floors, chanting for Bennett to “go home.” After stopping to talk to several students, Bennett was carried by her body12 / FEB. 20, 2020

guard toward the Baker Center parking lot at about 2:45 p.m., where she and her group climbed into a bright orange Ford pickup truck with a rear bumper emblazoned with Iron Crosses and an Ohio license plate that said “TRUMKIN.” Ohio University Police Department Lt. Tim Ryan said his department did not tell her to leave. “Speaking about ideas that people in the vicinity disagree with is not a crime,” Ryan said in an email. Shortly after she left, Bennett posted a video on her Twitter that shows students shouting, holding up middle fingers and throwing drinks into the open window of the truck. Bennett later tweeted, “I went to @ohiou to ask President’s Day trivia questions like ‘who were the first 3 presidents’. It’s not my fault the students there are a bunch of whiny children that have to throw temper tantrums because someone they disagree with shows up.” OUPD released a statement on Twitter addressing rumors on social media that OUPD asked Bennett to leave campus. “Contrary to allegations circulating on social media, the incident did not rise to the level of a riot,” the press release said. “There was strong language, and allegations that some unknown person(s) in the crowd splashed water, but there were no reported injuries or violence, and no one was arrested during the event.” The statement said while prior notice of Bennett’s arrival was not required, it would have allowed for officers to prepare for the crowd. “As a result, the officers on duty had to prioritize their response to the events as they unfolded, rightly putting everyone’s personal safety ahead of all other concerns,” the press release said. Bennett arrived at OU on the same day as the first OHIO Up Close campus tours. Jackson Hughes, a junior studying strategic communications, said some tours had to be rerouted to avoid the crowd at Baker Center. Carly Leatherwood, a university spokeswoman, said in an email that the university values the “free and peaceful exchange of diverse thoughts and ideas.” “The University urges its community to respect the rights guaranteed to all under the state and federal constitutions,” Leatherwood said in an email.

@NOLANSIMMONS37 NS622217@OHIO.EDU

nt State Gun Girl” Kaitlin Bennett 3

Gun rights advocate Kaitlin Bennett is picked up by her security guard to move her through the swarm of students protesting her presence on Ohio University’s campus. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Gun rights advocate Kaitlin Bennett is swarmed by Ohio University students during her visit to campus on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Gun rights advocate Kaitlin Bennett is picked up by her security guard to move her through the swarm of students protesting her presence on Ohio University’s campus as she continues to speak into her microphone and look back at her cameraman as part of her controversial Liberty Hangout show. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

An enormous crowd of Ohio University students swarm far-right gun rights advocate Kaitlin Bennett as she is guided through the campus by her security guard on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. Bennett has gained popularity for her controversial Liberty Hangout show. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Vintage performance from Jordan Dartis leads Ohio past Central Michigan

Ohio guard Jordan Dartis (No. 35) looks for a pass during a conference game held at The Convo on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR Jordan Dartis cocked his head back and threw up his right hand in the air with three fingers prominently, proudly displaying for all of the fans in The Convo to see. The redshirt senior pulled up from between the 3-point-line and half court, watching the ball swish into the net. Ohio’s 3-point leader, now with 305 made in his career, put on a vintage performance. It was a game where if there was even just a fraction of space, he caught the ball and shot it with no hesitation. It didn’t matter the difference, nor the defender with a hand in his face in a last-second effort to close in on him. 14 / FEB. 20, 2020

When Dartis gets the space, he more often than not makes the basket. His 27-point performance headlined the Bobcats’ 77-69 win Tuesday night over Central Michigan. “After a big shot like that, it’s more like ‘OK, let’s get a stop. Let’s seal the deal,’” Dartis said. “When you make 3s like that, they just feel really good. I just like when the crowd gets into it like that.” His night got off to a strong start after he opened the game 2-for-2 and established an early rhythm. The Chippewas’ 3-2 zone defense gave the Bobcats fits in the first half, and it showed. They forced nine turnovers, uncomfortable shots and plenty of bad looks, but in the second half, Dartis took over. In the span of one minute and 24 sec-

onds, the Newark native made three 3-pointers, and the last one put Ohio within one point of tying the game with 14:21 left. His 3-point shooting garnered the attention of that zone to swing into his direction, but simple swing passes around the perimeter and off-ball screens opened the floor for him. “We ran some plays for him, and he hit some big 3s,” coach Jeff Boals said. “People have to game plan for him, number one. Two, they’ve got to pay attention to him, and when he’s shooting 3s like that, it opens driving lanes, post feeds.” It’s been a commonality for Dartis to have hot shooting nights against teams that offer a zone defense rather than a man-to-man scheme. Against the 2-3

zone that Eastern Michigan runs, he had eight 3-pointers. To Boals’ credit, Dartis’ 3-point shooting ability did open up the inside game for the Bobcats. Ben Vander Plas, Jason Preston and Sylvester Ogbonda all found ways to reach the hoop, stemming from Dartis’ game. Not only did it give Ohio the energy it needed offensively, but it allowed it to take control of the game and force the Chippewas to play its style. While the Bobcats eventually took control of the game, the first half presented itself with its challenges. The aforementioned turnovers and passive play resulted in just 27 points at half time – 12 of which belonged to Dartis. The Bobcats shot under 40% both from the field and from beyond-the-arc as a result of the indecision and pass-first, shoot-second mentality. The shift from the first half to the second came as a result from Boals’ adjustments and his calm demeanor in the locker room. He opted to swap out the small ball lineup in favor of his starting five, and it paid off. Ogbonda’s defensive presence on the court in the second half limited the Chippewas’ opportunities, particularly in the paint as the 6 feet, 10 inch center guarded a 6 feet, 5 inch guard. His 20 minutes ended sooner than expected because he fouled out, but he did so after an important defensive stop where he forced a shot clock violation and gave Ohio another possession. More importantly, he gave Ohio another opportunity. “I just wanted to play defense, play tough,” Ogbonda said. “I was just fortunate to get the block.” Of those opportunities he gave, Dartis took and shot his “dagger” 3-pointer. Dartis made note that he doesn’t have much time left. He has a guaranteed five regular season games left and at least one game in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in the beginning of March to keep hoisting his hand in the air and nodding his head. “I finally beat everybody in the MAC, so that’s a cool accomplishment,” he said. “The main focus is onto the next one.” The “next one” soon enough will be just one. But for now, Dartis will keep shooting and celebrating.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Erica Johnson explodes for 31 in the Bobcats’ revenge win over Toledo Erica Johnson again showed Wednesday why she could be a candidate to win Mid-American Conference Player of the Year J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER

n the locker room minutes before Ohio was set to tip off against Toledo, Erica Johnson delivered a pregame history lesson about the last time the Bobcats faced the Golden Rockets. “I think they beat us by 26 (points),“ Johnson said, “so my pregame speech was to beat them by 27.” Johnson may have set the mark, but the Bobcats exceeded it. Behind a 31-point performance from its star guard, Ohio defeated Toledo 86-58 Wednesday night at The Convo. The 28-point blowout gave the Bobcats (17-7, 10-3 Mid-American Conference) their fourth straight win. Wednesday’s night showed that Ohio is one of the hottest teams in the MAC. The Bobcats have won eight of their last nine games, and they feel like this incline will continue to rise. “We know it’s coming down to

crunch time,” Johnson said. “Things are getting involved like a (first round) bye, so we’re just locked in and doing what we need to do.” Ohio did what it needed to do to take down the Rockets (11-13, 6-7 MAC). The Bobcats responded well to Toledo’s physical play with efficient 3-point shooting (45.2% from 3-point range) and a stingy defense. Coach Bob Boldon felt like it was one of the more complete games the Bobcats have played this season, even though they didn’t start the game as dominantly as they ended it. In the first half, Ohio didn’t shoot well. The Bobcats missed their first four 3-point attempts and, for the third game in a row, Cece Hooks was in early foul trouble. “The refs just keep bailing me out. They’re coming for me,” Hooks said while laughing. Despite the lightheartedness after the game, Ohio’s slim 35-31 lead at the

half wasn’t funny. Ohio took over in the second half. Hooks and Johnson took the reins of the offense and took it to the Golden Rockets defensively. With 3:50 remaining in the third quarter, Ohio led Toledo by two points. Hooks hit a 3-pointer from the near corner to extend the lead. That shot ended up sparking the run that decided the game. After Hooks’ 3-pointer, Ohio went on a 14-0 run to end the quarter. Up 16 points entering the fourth, Ohio in past games has tended to ease off the pressure. With Toledo, however, a mix of last year’s blowout loss and some ill-advised trash talk only made things worse for the Golden Rockets. “They were talking stuff while they were getting smacked,” Hooks said. Fourth quarter mercy was not on the pair of guard’s minds in the fourth. Johnson continued to shoot 3-pointers — she finished 8-for-11 from 3-point

range — and hunted for a triple-double, while Hooks drove to the lane and finished with defenders draped around her back. By the time the duo stepped off the cour t with 4:16 remaining, Hooks (20 points) and Johnson (31 points) had shown once again why they should be considered the best backcour t in the conference. “At some point, there’s a story to be told about how well those two coexist with each other,” Bob Boldon, Ohio women’s basktball coach, said. “You’ve seen plenty of professionals not able to coexist with another person who’s really good on his or her team, and we’re watching two 20-year-olds coexist — not only coexist but excel.” Ohio will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to Akron. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.

@JL_KIRVEN JK810916@OHIO.EDU

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HOCKEY

Tyler Harkins’ greatest season is also his last JACK GLECKLER SLOT EDITOR

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

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Tyler Harkins is near the end of his best season for the Bobcats. It’s also his final season. The senior forward is one of the highest-scoring players for Ohio in the past six seasons. Harkins has scored 53 points this season and is within arm’s reach of surpassing Tyler Pilmore’s program-best 58-point senior season in 2012-13. A high-scoring season isn’t strange to the Rocky River native. Harkins has routinely been in Ohio’s top lines following a 24-point freshman season. He’s always been a reliable asset to the Bobcats offense. He said it all began to click, however, during his sophomore year when he earned 17 goals and 24 assists. “In the end, it all comes down mentally to myself,” Harkins said. “After a couple years, I have the confidence that I’ll go out there and put up those numbers to help the team.” His skills are notorious around the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Robert Morris-Illinois’ head coach had his players pay special attention to Harkins during the Bobcats and Cyclones’ series. Harkins still earned five total points in four games against the Eagles. When coach Cole Bell first stepped into the head coaching position, he knew what kind of player Harkins was and how his offensive capabilities could be utilized. Bell saw Harkins as the one who can score a bulk of Ohio’s goals and be a driving force in the offense. “He’s a great goal scorer and is great at finding dead areas in the ice,” Bell said. “He can get himself open and knows exactly where the puck is going to end up.” Bell has been trying to help Harkins adjust to a more independent play style to suit his abilities. The primary focus has been helping the senior force turnovers more often and create offensive opportunities. Bell wants to round out Harkins’ game and give him additional threats beyond being just a goal scorer. These adjustments combined with his innate ability to find openings on the ice cemented Harkins as Ohio’s leading goal scorer. “I’ve had this opportunity for a couple years,” Harkins said. “I’ve been a top player and expected to produce, so being in that position for consecutive years helps me

out. It’s nothing I’m not used to.” Harkins isn’t the only one at the top. Fellow senior Gianni Evangelisti is ahead of Harkins by two points with 55. Although Evangelisti has more points, the majority of them come from his 38 assists. Harkins’ stats are more balanced with 25 goals and 28 assists. Defenseman Jake Houston has also been one of Ohio’s top scorers with 5 goals and 31 assists. Harkins admits there’s a friendly competition between the three to outscore one another. The race to the top has never been explicitly stated, but the forward admits he pushes himself to keep pace with Evangelisti and Houston. “I don’t think there’s a spoken competition, but we’d all love to finish on top in the end,” Harkins said. Harkins and his fellow seniors have taken to their roles as leaders for Ohio in earnest. Their biggest responsibility has been to help acclimate the freshmen to college, and many of the underclassmen are now some of Ohio’s most dependable players. “A lot of the freshmen have made leaps and bounds in learning to play college hockey,” Bell said. “I think a big part of that is due to what Harkins and the others bring to the table. They lead by example and take the guys under their wing.” Now that his final season is coming to a close, Harkins is beginning to reflect on his time at Ohio. The forward knew he needed to step into a more important role this season. What he didn’t expect was to break 50 points and be one of the highest scoring Bobcats since 2012-13. “It’s an honor,” Harkins said. “If you had told me freshman year what I thought I was going to do here, I wouldn’t have guessed this. It all just comes down to playing with the right guys.” Ohio’s last road series of the season was its visit to Iowa State. Harkins said it felt strange after coming back to Athens. It hadn’t sunk in until then that Iowa State was his final regular season road trip with the Bobcats. “I’ve had unbelievable memories here,” Harkins said. “It’s been a wild ride, and I’m just thankful I’ve been able to be here and do all of this.”

@THEJACKGLECKLER JG011517@OHIO.EDU

GEIGER COUNTER

Ohio legislators, protect our state’s youth. Ban conversion therapy. holding hands, hugDespite recent ging and having sex. strides, there is still a I was supposed to giant elephant in the associate those imroom when discussages with the pain I ing LGBT freedoms. was feeling to once A practice that is leand for all turn into gal in 30 states has a straight boy. In the taken numerous lives end it didn’t work. I and traumatized would say that it did, many more. The eljust to make the pain ephant is LGBT congo away.” version therapy, and, Beyond Brinmore specifically, its ton, hundreds of remaining legality thousands of othfor minors. ers have undergone On Feb. 12, 23 MATTHEW GEIGER similar barbaric and Ohio state represenbackward practicis a freshman studying tatives, two Repubeconomics at Ohio University. es. According to a licans and 21 Demrecent study by the ocrats, introduced Williams Institute, House Bill 503. The bill would “protect minors by prohib- nearly 350,000 adults underwent coniting certain licensed health care pro- version therapy as a minor. Some of their experiences are local fessionals from engaging in conversion … and deadly. therapy when treating minor patients.” Take Leelah Alcorn for example, HB 503 is separate from the “Protect Vulnerable Children Act,” which seeks who I wrote about in November of last to prevent doctors from performing year. Alcorn was an Ohio native who was born male but identified as female. gender identity procedures. Conversely, HB 503 focuses on prac- Her parents stifled her gender exprestices that coerce individuals to alter sion and sent her to the same type of and change expressions of their sexual conversion therapy outlined above. As a result, Alcorn tragically took her own and gender identities. It is imperative that the Ohio govern- life at the young age of 17. There are no words that I can write ment does its part and enacts this legislation. Doing so would protect the many to adequately summarize the pain young LGBT individuals across the Buck- Brinton, Alcorn and so many others eye State from the torment and trauma have felt as a result of this practice. And while it’s understandable that that conversion therapy induces. The experiences of those who have the science behind gender and sexual undergone conversion therapy are bru- expression is still in its infancy, that tal and barbaric. Some, like Sam Brin- shouldn’t stop us from seeing the huton, the head of advocacy and govern- manity in one another. We are a free people in a free ment affairs at the Trevor Project, had experiences so extreme, his counselor countr y, and HB 503 is an extension told him “that I was the abomination we of such. If you’re an Ohio state leghad heard about in Sunday school; that islator, pass this bill. Please do it for I was the only gay person in the world; your constituents and for people like that it was inevitable I would get H.I.V. Brinton and A lcorn. and AIDS.” “But it didn’t stop with these hurtful talk-therapy sessions,” Brinton wrote. “The therapist ordered me bound to Please note that the views and opinions of a table to have ice, heat and electrici- the columnists do not reﬂect those of The ty applied to my body. I was forced to Post. Want to talk to Matthew? Tweet him watch clips on a television of gay men @Mattg444.

EXISTENTIAL BINGE-WATCHING

We still and will always need ‘Sex Education’ They’re in it for so much more Yes, I’ve written about Sex than just the acting or the money Education before. But if any teleor even the entertainment value, vision series deserves to be writand the commitment shows in ten about twice, it’s this one. The every scene of the series. Netflix series came back louder, The show is fantastic not only larger and with a lot left to say for JACKSON HORVAT for its technical brilliance and its sophomore season. is a sophomore amazing plot lines and cast. It’s The plot, while still keeping its raunchy reputation, has taken studying journalism a fantastic show because it has at Ohio University. a stake in reality and a clear goal the topics and issues covered in season one and doubled down on them and to normalize acceptance and open discussion new ones alike. Relationships, family dynam- about topics that are so often misconstrued ics, stress and school pressures, sexualities, as taboo or awkward. The best part is it’s coneverything plaguing young adults or anything veyed in a neatly wrapped gem of a TV series about sex — it’s are all there. It’s all in your face that will make you laugh as much as it will in a way that is all too needed in a world that make you cry, as it hits that perfect medium between shows like Big Mouth and Euphoria. tries to be open. Sure, the ending to season two may have Not to mention, Sex Education is certainly living up to its name when it comes to the angered some at a certain character for docharacters involved in all of the plot threads. ing something to prevent the relationship of a The core group remains and is expanded on, certain other couple of characters, but all that but new characters are also introduced as means is there’s a lot left to come from this exwell, covering those who are asexual, bisexual plicit, yet oh-so-needed masterpiece. Plus, it’s and pansexual. Representation is a pillar of this officially been renewed for season three, so if series, and it wants to educate viewers on it all. you haven’t invested in this Netflix original yet, From sex to any other topic an adult or young it’s not going anywhere any time soon, which adult may face, Sex Education doesn’t shy gives anyone the perfect opportunity to get away from anything and clearly wants viewers some Sex Education in while they binge-watch. to know no one is alone. Of course, the characters cannot be dis- Please note that the views and opinions cussed without the cast. Those involved on- of the columnists do not reflect those of screen for the show are one of the most fun, The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by lovable casts to ever hit TV or movie screens. tweeting him at @horvatjackson.

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Tame Impala’s ‘The Slow Rush’ is satisfying but not as memorable as ‘Currents’ Kevin Parker is changing the psychedelic-rock game one album at a time nerism. The track features a variety of sound textures that make it a top track on The Slow Rush, including blown-out drums that are brilliantly mixed with ’70s psych-rock keyboard sequences. “It Might Be Time” covers how time passes. Lyrically, Parker explains the struggles he endures as an artist in the spotlight — having to always compete with the past. The chorus, “It might be time to face it,” explains the reality of time constantly evolving and that people must choose to evolve along with it. Parker, along with his musical career, must move with the times and release himself from the past: “It might be time to face it / It ain’t as fun as it used to be / You’re going under / You ain’t as young as you used to be / It might be time to face it / You ain’t as cool as you used to be.”

MADYSON LEWELLYN ASST. BEAT EDITOR Tame Impala’s opening line on “Patience” perfectly captures the long endured wait for the band’s fourth studio album: “Has it really been that long?” After the 2015 release of Currents, Kevin Parker took a strategic ﬁve-year hiatus to craft and perfect the next project, while also releasing singles, such as “Borderline” and “It Might Be Time,” in 2019 to heighten anticipation for the album. Tame Impala has made psychedelic-rock history once again with The Slow Rush. The hiatus was worth the wait, as Tame Impala’s disco-funk essence is pushed forward as Parker looks to the past — focusing on the element of time as the overarching album inspiration. The introspective lyrics on the album touch on the existential meaning of life and past experiences, while Parker also attempts to make sense of the death of his father. Compared to Currents, Tame Impala’s overall sound on The Slow Rush is not quite as memorable and hard-hitting. Tracks such as “On Track” and “Tomorrow’s Dust” are duller in sound texture while songs such as “Instant Destiny” and “One More Year” carry the psych-rock legacy onward. Nonetheless, Parker’s musical genius manifests into twelve tracks of smooth electronic sound with beautiful synth melodies. Here are the top tracks from The Slow Rush: “LOST IN YESTERDAY” Out of all the teasers released for the album, “Lost in Yesterday” was the last single in succession and the shortest in length. During the four-minute track, Parker dwells upon the past as he plays with the meaning of nostalgia as a drug. The song harps upon the dangers of over-romanticizing and over-regretting the past and being locked within the prison that is yesterday. “The Less I Know The Better’’ singer references Groundhog Day to further the consistent theme of time throughout the album. The 1993 comedy is used as a symbol to represent that people hold onto things connected to the past that keep them from moving on in life: “’Cause it has to be lost in yesterday / And you’re gonna have to let it go someday / You’ve been 18 / FEB. 20, 2020

Tame Impala’s ‘The Slow Rush’ is a satisfying follow-up to ‘Currents,‘ despite being less memorable. (PHOTO PROVIDED VIA @POPCRAVE ON TWITTER)

RATING: diggin’ it up like Groundhog Day / ’Cause it might’ve been somethin’; don’t say.” Parker chronicles his own inability to make amends with the past with the grief and loss of his father on “Posthumous Forgiveness.” “INSTANT DESTINY” While The Slow Rush vastly departs from previous albums in terms of guitar riffs and upbeat-pop synthesizers, “Instant Destiny” is the only track that closely embodies the vibes of Currents. Throughout past albums like Lonerism, Parker addresses his feelings of solitude and loneliness — using music as his coping mechanism. However, the second track on the album is delivered with potent upbeat pulses and lyrical work that represents Parker’s relationship with his wife, Sophie Lawerence. After all this time, Parker thinks the idea of marriage and settling down seems “crazy,” but he can’t

delay it any further. “BORDERLINE” (ALBUM VERSION) The album version of “Borderline” is a rework of the single that was released in April 2019. Initially, the track had a 4:34 runtime, and the album version shaved off about 30 seconds of the overall length. Parker decided to rework the song in December 2019 to make the bassline more prominent in the ears of the listener. The percussion-heavy track touches on the dark sides that come along with the glory of Los Angeles. The cynical beat embraces meaninglessness and pushes drugs, money and sex to the forefront of a motionless life. “IT MIGHT BE TIME” Out of all the singles released prior to the album, “It Might Be Time” made the wait all the less patient. Parker dropped the single in October 2019, and it dials back to the merits of 2012’s Lo-

“ONE MORE HOUR” Eight years later, “One More Hour” is a track that perfectly details Parker’s personal and stylistic growth since Lonerism. The closing song on The Slow Rush parallels the song “Keep On Lying” that speaks about unrequited love and describes the dead end of a relationship: “I guess I’ll go and tell you just as soon as I get to the end of this song.” “One More Hour” addresses the unfinished business by ending the song looping on lyrics of love and hope: “Just a minute, baby, right before we go through here / All these people said we wouldn’t last a minute, dear / I’m with you, and I can roll into another year.” Before the album closes, Parker uses the last track as a vehicle to confess his intentions with music. He claims it was for “love,” “fun” and “fame,” while denouncing his intentions for money, houses or for his future children. However, Parker ends the first verse with the words “until now,” which may allude to the fact that his intentions may be taking a turn. Overall, ending the album on a hopeful note suggests that Parker is embracing a new chapter of his life that is no longer drowned in the loneliness of the past, but filled with optimism in looking to the future.

@MAADILEWELLYN ML203417@OHIO.EDU

‘To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You’ lacks first film’s charm, character development Jordan Fisher as John Ambrose is the only real saving grace RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR When Netflix released the film adaptation of Jenny Han’s fabulous novel To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, fans were nothing short of obsessed. The book series has three stories about Lara Jean, including To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. Now, Netflix has released the second installment of film adaptations for the series: To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, and though it is still fun to watch, it lacks the excitement and charm that the original film brought to the story. By far the biggest issue with the film is the lack of time to provide character development. There are several instances where the screenplay strays away from specific plot points of the novel, and it detracts from the overall quality of the film. The biggest example of this is the relationship between Stormy (Holland Taylor) and John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher). In the book, Stormy is John Ambrose’s grandmother, and that relationship is completely non-existent in the film. This was part of the character development issue because we only got to see John Ambrose in relation to his feelings with Lara Jean, which weren’t explored nearly as in depth as they should’ve been. It would’ve added a lot to John Ambrose’s character if we could’ve seen that dynamic. The first film worked for Peter (Noah Centineo) and Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) character developments because they had a lot of time to showcase their dynamic. However, the first film completely misrepresented Josh (Israel Broussard) and took no time to develop his character or the dynamic between him and Lara Jean.

Netflix has released the second installment of Jenny Han’s novel, ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You.’ (PHOTO PROVIDED VIA @TOALLTHEBOYSIVELOVEDBEFORE ON INSTAGRAM)

History repeats itself with this ﬁlm where John Ambrose is concerned because even though he isn’t exactly misrepresented, the integrity of his character arc is severely lacking. Even the relationship between Peter and Lara Jean isn’t developed as much as it could’ve been. The lack of development in the screenplay really took away from the viewing experience. The writers aren’t solely to blame for the lack of relationship development. The returning cast, other than Anna Cathcart’s performance as Kitty Covey and John Corbett as Dr. Covey, doesn’t bring anywhere near the same type of energy as they did in

the first film. Condor’s performance as Lara Jean was so charmingly awkward and fun to watch in the first film, but in this film, she seemed to lack all of the charm and bring all of the awkward. Centineo was extremely dry as Peter, and even Lara Jean’s sidekick, Chrissy, (Madeleine Arthur) seemed tired. The whole film seems like the cast was just off their game during filming. Two consistencies of the first film and the sequel are the quality of the film production and the music. The score and the soundtrack are incredibly well done, and each shot throughout the film is beautiful and adds to the aesthetic. The only issue with the music

is when Lara Jean begins to mouth the words along with the song “Moral of the Story” by Ashe playing in the background of that scene because it totally detracts from the situation at hand and reads as childish. Overall, there was simply an aura of charm missing from the sequel that radiated off the first film. Though Jordan Fisher’s performance in To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is truly a saving grace, it’s not enough for the film to reach the standard set by its predecessor.

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

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S T U D Y PAYOUT How to tell if that survey or study inquiry in your inbox is real TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST here are many academic studies and surveys going on around campus, but in an age of online scams and schemes, students might not know which ones are legitimate academic studies and which ones are put out by third parties. All research studies done through Ohio University must ﬁrst be approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board, or IRB, to be approved for participant safety and ethics, said Jeffrey Vancouver, a professor and Byham chair of industrial and organizational psychology. These surveys must be approved by the respective IRB, which varies based on the type of study. Legitimate surveys will have an IRB number associated with them. “If they’ve gone through the IRB, the IRB will require that you put the IRB number on the ﬂyer so (the prospective participant) can contact research compliance and say ‘Is this a real study?’” Vancouver said. ”(Researchers) should not be collecting data from such human subjects for generalizable purposes without having gone to the IRB.” Compensation being paid to participants from the studies is also monitored by the IRB for participant protection and legitimacy. “What the IRB is concerned about would be that the compensation is so high as to coerce people into engaging to be participants as opposed to

merely providing compensation,” Vancouver said. Many studies find offering compensation helps finding research participants. That money often comes from grants or the researcher’s own funds, Vancouver said. The IRB monitors compensation for coercion, so that participants are not being part of something they would not normally do because they are in desperate need of money. “You’re walking a very fine line between … coercion, which is paying people, so you’re ‘coercing’ them to participate when they might not normally if you weren’t offering such a high reward,” Hillman said. Despite being compensated, some students find themselves too busy to participate in studies, especially if the students have to travel somewhere to complete it. “I just don’t have the time, really,” Rachel Stroup, a graduate studying English, said. “I’m a graduate student, and I have lots of stuff to do.” Bobby Lindsey, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, said he usually just deletes the emails but would consider doing a survey in the future if compensated and if he had time. “It doesn’t really bug me. I’m not gonna do it,” Lindsey said. “I’m just gonna delete it.” Although the IRB monitors compensation levels, there are no specific

BOBCAT BARBELLES PING RECREATION CENTER February 10 – April 20

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guidelines for how a study should pay its participants, Angela Hillman, a professor of exercise physiology, said. “If I’m taking any kind of sample from you, like a bodily fluids sample, or if it’s something that’s invasive, I think that people should be compensated for that,” Hillman said. “I kind of think of it as ‘What kind of things would you do yourself without compensation?’” Hillman said she knows of no official standard or compensation requirement for research studies, and it is usually up to the researcher’s discretion. “There’s actually, as far as I’m aware, no standard. I don’t think the research office says ‘Well, you have to pay people this much’ or ‘If they do this much work for you, you need to compensate them,’” Hillman said. “I don’t think that exists. It’s really up to the researcher’s discretion.” The main reason why most studies use compensation is because researchers also want to make it worth the student’s time, too, said Christie Thiessen, the project coordinator of the alcohol and couples study and a graduate student studying psychology. “We all make self-benefit decisions with our time every day of whether it’s worth it or not,” Thiessen said. “When we’re trying to get participants to answer questions, especially personal questions about themselves or come in and do weird stuff in the

Ohio University’s notice board in Gordy Hall on Feb. 19, 2020. (MADDIE BRYANT / FOR THE POST)

lab, being able to say, ‘Hey, this will help make it worth your time’ really helps with that recruitment process.” In Hillman’s study of the effects of tart cherry supplements on inﬂammation and

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the gut microbiome, she said she wrote her grant with the compensation of participants in mind. “I speciﬁcally wrote in how much competence I wanted to pay participants —

$100 per (participant),” Hillman said. “That’s pretty typical. If you’re writing a grant, you know that you want to pay participants. You’ll obviously work that into your budget in the planning stage.” All safety and validity within legitimate university studies that are submitted must be approved by the IRB, Vancouver said. “A big part of it is that participants are made aware of what the risks are and what’s being done to mitigate it and as well as what the beneﬁts potentially are, so that participants can make informed decisions regarding whether to consent or not to the research,” Vancouver said. Alicia Burdette, a junior studying creative writing, said she is wary of completing surveys despite any monetary compensation. “I have never done that,” Burdette said. “I just don’t want to. I feel like it’s annoying.” The beneﬁts for participants are not only limited to monetary compensation, Thiessen said. “(In some studies) that have people do daily diaries, each day they’ll do a brief review of their day and a phone response for weeks. People don’t want to do that for no reason,” Thiessen said. “Some of these could be a really important and useful tool for research, and participants certainly get a lot out of it as well.”

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

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the weekender Outdoor Pursuits to host rock wall climbing competition The event is $30 registration and is open to all skill levels RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Judd Walker prides himself on his hands-off approach with Ohio University Outdoor Pursuits events. As assistant director of Outdoor Pursuits, Walker loves throwing fun events for students and Athens residents to come and enjoy, but what he loves more is watching his graduate and undergraduate students take the lead on these events. One such event is the 21st annual Rockstars Climbing Competition on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This all-day event at the Ping Recreation Center is an opportunity for people to have fun with their friends while strengthening rock wall climbing skills. Walker believes that after 20 years of hosting the competition, it’s now embedded within Athens culture. “It’s been around longer than most of our students, you know,” Walker said. “To me, it’s an important part of our campus culture and has been for a really long time.” There are three different skill levels: recreational, intermediate and advanced, and there will be a different competition within each of the skill levels. Each division has four routes that people have to climb, and their scores are based on how well they climb in each route. As the route progresses, it will become increasingly harder. In climbing terms, a recreational division climber will start off at around a 5.8 and, by the last round, be around a 5.10. Throughout the day, when they aren’t climbing, people can enjoy food from various sponsors and some Rockstar Energy drinks. Winners of the competition will get to choose their prize from a table full 22 / FEB. 20, 2020

of prizes, such as a Black Diamond helmet and pilot, a tent from Recreational Equipment Inc., a few other big ticket items as well as gift cards to various stores and restaurants. There will also be other games like corn hole and can jam for people to enjoy while waiting for their turn to compete. Walker’s hands-off approach with OU Outdoor Pursuits events leaves the opportunity for students like Kelsey Gallagher, a senior studying marketing, to step up and help lead the event. Gallagher has a minor in outdoor recreation and education and is the climbing wall supervisor for the rock wall at Ping. She coordinates the competitions by reaching out to corporate sponsors, setting up the wall for the climbers and trying out the routes herself to make sure they work for the competitors. “I’m usually around to help manage and make sure everything’s OK,” Gallagher said. “This year, I’m actually climbing in the competition because it’s my last one, so I wanted to climb in it for fun.” Registration for the Rockstars Climbing Competition is $30 and is open to not only students, but anyone who wants to come and take part in the competition. Walker and Gallagher encourage people of all skill levels to come and participate. Frannie Cornett, a freshman studying undecided business, appreciates the fact that Ping hosts events like these for all people but specifically for students. “It’s a good opportunity for students to get away from their studies,” Cornett said. More than just her excitement for the event to go well, Gallagher feels a special connection with the climbing competition because she’s been involved with it since her freshman

IF YOU GO WHAT: Rockstars Climbing Competition Anna Monarchini, a junior studying biological sciences, resets a route on the climbing wall on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 in preparation for the upcoming climbing competition on Saturday, Feb 22, 2020 at Ping Recreation Center. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES / FOR THE POST)

year, even before she was promoted to climbing wall supervisor. In her last year of participating, she’s starting to feel the melancholy of saying goodbye to something that has been so important to her for so long. She has loved seeing the event blossom over the years from a handful of participants to now having to turn people away. However, she feels content graduating because she knows the event will be left in good hands. “It’s been really neat seeing the climb-

WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m. WHERE: Ping Recreation Center rock wall ADMISSION: $30 registration fee ing community grow,” Gallagher said. “Also just seeing the staff take on various roles and being involved in teaching the next wave of climbers, route setters and staff members that will be here after I graduate, I think has been really fun and has helped me realize the impact of the work that I’ve been doing.”

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S GOING ON? TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST

FRIDAY

topics of familial loss and Dungeons & Dragons as the main character gets to know her dead sister through a D&D campaign she designed before she died. Admission: Free for OU students; $10 for general admission Deuces Wild: Brother Hill and Lindsay Jordan at 9 p.m. at Casa Nueva

Restaurant & Cantina, 6 W. State St. Join “Athens lads” for a “straight hoedown.” Admission: Free

Winter Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. at MemAud, 47 E. Union St. The performance features works by the Ohio University School of Dance faculty and guest artists Trezon Dancy and Alexandra Beller. Admission: $12

Ladies Intro to Welding at 10 a.m. at Athens Makerspace, 751 W. Union St. At the ladies-only class, participants will learn basic MIG welding techniques and basic troubleshooting. Admission: $50

Settling Ohio: First Nations and Beyond conference at 1 p.m. at Baker

SUNDAY

Ballroom, 1 Park Place. Academic experts from around the country come together to discuss the settling of Southeastern Ohio. Admission: Free Euchre Night at 5 p.m at West End

Distillery, 237 W. State St. The evening will feature Blueberry Cider Collins on tap. The Distillery invites you to bring a partner and a pack of cards. Admission: Free

SATURDAY BareFuzz and Freak Mythology with Velvet Green at 9 p.m. at The

Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. BareFuzz and Freak Mythology co-headline at The Union, featuring local band Velvet green as well. Admission: $5

Game Night at 3 p.m. at Little Fish

Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road. Every game night features and demos a new type of game that will then become available for open play. All game types are welcome. Admission: Free Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop at 3:30

p.m. at Highland Park, Highland Avenue. Join Badger Johnson as he leads a hands-on workshop pruning fruit trees. Learn how to help your fruit tree. Admission: Free 48-Hour Film Screening at 6 p.m. at

MemAud, 47 E. Union St. The films from the 48-hour student film competition will be screened for the first time. Admission: Free

CLOTHING SWAP

Stop by and browse potential additions and upgrades to your wardrobe. All items will be priced between $2 and $4. Receive 50% discount if you bring clothes to swap! All proceeds support your host student media groups The Post, The New Political, SPJ, Thread, and Variant.

TODAY

Thursday, Feb. 20th 3-7 pm Baker Center 3rd Floor Atrium OU Gallery • Seigfred Hall AS, NOT FOR: AFRICAN AMERICAN POSTERS

Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

WINTER DANCE CONCERT

ERTH’S PREHISTORIC AQUARIUM ADVENTURE

A presentation of creative and collaborative efforts of faculty, students, and guest artists working together to create and perform new and existing choreography. Featuring guest artists Trezon Dancy and Alexandra Beller

Friday, Feb. 21st & Saturday, Feb 22nd 7:30 pm $12 general admission; $9 Student

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

OPEN MIC NIGHT

OPEN STAGE

Forum Theater • RTV Building

Donkey Coffee

Feb. 20th - 22nd & Feb. 25th - 29th Feb. 27 (ASL inter. perf.) th

8:00 pm

$7 Ohio University Student / Senior $10 general admission

The Front Room • Baker Univ. Ctr

OPEN STAGE

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

EVERY FRIDAY 8:00 pm

$15 general admission

West End Ciderhouse

THEATER By Qui Nguyen (Alumnus, 2002) Dir. by Brian Evans In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Tuesday, Feb. 25th 7:00 pm ohio.edu/performing-arts

7-10 pm

SHE KILLS MONSTERS

Join us for an immersive experience that invites you to jump in and explore unknown ocean depths where prehistoric marine reptiles lived eons ago and maybe live still today! Connecting the audience through technology, actors and puppets to the real science of paleontology.

ohio.edu/event-tickets

Through Feb. 22nd

OPEN STAGE @THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

An incomplete historical survey Join Chris Monday for Open of work by African-American Mic Night. $1 off most house & draft taps graphic designers. Curated by Jerome Harris EVERY MONDAY

ohio.edu/fine-arts/theater/

She Kills Monsters at 8 p.m. at the

Forum Theater in Kantner Hall, 35 N. College St. The play covers

Baker Univ. Ctr 3rd Floor Atrium

DESIGNATED SPACE

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

Through Mar. 22nd

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Poetry, prose and spokenword open stage.

EVERY TUESDAY 9-11 pm donkeycoffee.com

The Athena Cinema

WOMEN PIONEERS:

MANKILLER

Wilma Mankiller took office as the Cherokee Nation’s first female principal chief in 1985. During her decadelong tenure, Mankiller’s leadership enabled the Cherokee Nation to become one of the most economically and culturally successful tribes in America.

Feb. 25th 7:00 pm

FREE ADMISSION Tickets Required

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Market on State

ATHENS FARMERS MARKET: THE HANDS THAT FEED US The exhibit features a body of work created through a partnership between the Athens Photo Project and the Athens Farmers Market. The exhibition features work from 22 APP artists who spent six weeks exploring and documenting many of the local farms and businesses that comprise the Athens Farmers Market.

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Here are the best 5 tracks from Justin Bieber’s humdrum ‘Changes’ BRE OFFENBERGER COPY CHIEF

After undergoing a life-altering past couple years, which included his marriage to Hailey Baldwin and being diagnosed with Lyme disease, Justin Bieber surprised no one by titling his latest album Changes. It’s also no surprise the teenage heartthrob’s first album in half a decade makes listeners forget why they ever fell in love with him in the first place. With the 17-track Changes, the pop singer immediately forged a spot for himself on the list of artists trying to be something they’re not with the release of the repulsive single “Yummy.” Bieber sounds like he’s trying to be a chill hiphop artist with no bars on “Second Emotion (feat. Travis Scott).” Getting your eyes gouged out would be more enjoyable than anything, especially Lil Dicky’s verse, on “Running Over.” It’s quite clear prime Bieber is long gone because, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end eventually. Here are the best five tracks from Changes:

5. “AT LEAST FOR NOW” “At Least For Now” is Bieber’s way of telling the world he’s done with immaturity. Backed by a soothing bass and keys, Bieber reveals he knows his wife isn’t entirely content with his actions. He pledges to better himself in the coming days, though he could still change his mind: “At least for now, trying to avoid disappointment / At least for now, one finger at a time, I turn the pages.” Bieber’s falsetto in the outro is executed perfectly, and it shows a flash of the flair we’re used to from him. 4. “AVAILABLE” Most of the instrumentation on Changes sounds like a bad video game, but “Available” is an exception. Surrounded by a trap beat and manipulated background vocals from producer Poo Bear, Bieber promises to cancel his plans any time, any day for his wife. He wants to be with her 24/7, and he gets anxious when she’s busy: “It’s like, do you even miss me? / Feelin’ less than priority / You got me convinced, convinced I’m the only one trippin’ in my head.” He sounds as genuine

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as ever, lyrically and vocally, here.

3. “INTENTIONS (FEAT. QUAVO)” Though “Intentions” includes one of the worst lyrics ever written, “Shoutout to your mom and dad for makin’ you,” its overall catchiness and pure theme earned it a spot on this list. Bieber is letting his wife know she’s ﬂawless, dishing out wholesome compliment after wholesome compliment: “When I create, you’re my muse / The kind of smile that makes the news.” Quavo’s verse is unnecessary, and the instrumentation possesses the same irritating video game vibe as the majority of the album, but it’s still a lovely song through and through. 2. “COME AROUND ME” “Come Around Me” is pretty straightforward: Bieber wants his wife to have such passionate sex with him that it’s like she hasn’t seen him in years. Alongside breath-like harmonies, Bieber doesn’t hold back at all: “Let’s not miss out on each other / Let’s get it in expeditiously / All that I want for you is perfection / Pull me down

aggressively.” In the bridge, he reuses lyrics from his 2017 track “Stress,” and the outro sounds like an outgoing FaceTime call, but Bieber’s infectious vocals are some of his best work to date.

1. “ALL AROUND ME” Sasha Sirota does wonders on the guitar, blending with Bieber’s gorgeous vocals in an absurdly perfect fashion on the album opener “All Around Me.” Bieber confesses he didn’t know how he lived before meeting his wife, and she’s the reason he’s a changed man: “Never thought I could be loyal to someone other than myself / I never thought I could ever be a spoiler / Guess anything is possible with your help.” The track ends with a baby making noise, possibly hinting at an impending announcement that Bieber’s going to be a dad. The track is as soothing as can be, and it’s the best on Changes.

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