March 3, 2022

Panel on Ukraine-Russia conflict draws hundreds PG 6 OU students celebrate Green Beer Day PG 12-13 Hockey coach Lionel Mauron's journey to Ohio PG 17 THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2022

All eyes on

Ukraine

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Being student journalists in the 24-hour news cycle

ABBY MILLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Both locally and nationally, the news cycle has been especially busy lately for Posties.

While The Post is a publication that focuses on the Ohio University and Athens communities, we are always looking for ways to localize national and international news.

Most recently, our news and photo staffs have been looking for ways to tell stories about the Ukraine-Russia conflict through the eyes of OU students and the greater community.

On Monday, The Post covered the department of history, department of political science and the Contemporary History Institute’s panel discussion and Q&A on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We had several photographers there to capture the event as well, and the photo staff as a whole has carried their cameras around campus for the past week in order to capture students raising awareness and showing solidarity with Ukraine across Athens.

Aside from localizing national and international stories, campus itself has had no shortage of news lately.

When news breaks on campus or we’re digging deep into an investigative story, it’s not uncommon to find Posties hunched over their laptops in the newsroom until 2 a.m.

Reporting on campus events is a team effort,

with reporters and editors both dedicating a lot of their time — specifically, sleep time — to best inform our campus community.

I’d like to give special thanks to Emma Skidmore and Ryan Maxin, our current news editors, in addition to Molly Wilson, our assistant news editor. Collectively, these three are an absolute powerhouse. They are always asking important questions of our university and city officials, great mentors for our young news staff and, overall, bright reporters who make me excited about the future of The Post.

I’d also like to give shoutouts to Sophie Young, our fantastic news staff writer, and Payton Daugherty, a news reporter. Both Young and Daugherty have provided excellent coverage of campus news and politics lately. Young has worked tirelessly alongside Wilson and Maxin to provide context and coverage of OU’s Student Senate and the events that have taken place since the voided removal of Treasurer Simar Kalkat.

Daugherty has proved herself to be a reliable reporter who excels at covering important meetings and events, such as the Russia-Ukraine panel and City Council’s meeting Monday. During that meeting, Council tabled an ordinance that would extend the city’s

mask mandate, which means effective Monday, the mandate has ended. This comes a day before OU announced it was altering its own face covering mandate, which now no longer requires masks in most Athens campus spaces.

As student journalists, we wear a lot of hats. Most of our days are spent in classrooms, and most evenings are spent in our newsroom attending meetings, filing stories and putting together the weekly tabloid.

While, oftentimes, only a single name appears on the byline for a story, there are countless individuals who help each article get in front of our readers’ eyes. I’m especially grateful for the steadfast, dedicated reporting of our news staff when the news cycle seems to get even more hectic than usual, and I hope our continued reporting helps inform our campus of our world in Athens and beyond.

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

COVER PHOTO BY JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Abby Miller MANAGING EDITOR Bre Offenberger DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Geiger EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Emma Skidmore, Ryan Maxin ASST. NEWS EDITOR Molly Wilson PROJECTS EDITOR Taylor Burnette SPORTS EDITOR Jack Gleckler ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Ashley Beach CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Kayla Bennett OPINION EDITOR Mikayla Rochelle ASST. OPINION EDITOR Hannah Campbell THE BEAT EDITOR Madyson Lewellyn ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer COPY CHIEF Anna Garnai SLOT EDITORS Anastasia Carter, Will Cunningham, Bekah Bostick, Isabel Nissley ART ART DIRECTOR Olivia Juenger ASST. ART DIRECTOR Trevor Brighton DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nate Swanson PHOTO EDITOR Jesse Jarrold-Grapes DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Brianna Lender AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jack Hiltner ASST. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Claire Schiopota DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Noah DeSantis BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan, Jamyson Butler 2 / MARCH 3, 2022

POST THE

ISSUE 22, VOLUME 112

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OU’s newly awarded R1 classification brings global attention to university research projects MADALYN BLAIR FOR THE POST Ohio University’s recent classification as a “Research 1” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has the potential to significantly increase the university’s visibility on a national scale.

With the accomplishment, OU will be recognized alongside 141 other institutions with the highest level of research recognition under the Carnegie classification, according to a previous Post report.

Nathaniel Szewczyk, a professor of molecular medicine at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, said the classification may improve how students and professors interested in research view OU as an institution.

In the past, some people may have overlooked OU because of its location in rural Ohio, Szewczyk said. However, its prestigious research status shows people that the university is “capable of doing world-class research.”

Steven Evans, a professor of psychology, said the R1 status enhances the out-

look of the university. Being known as one of the highest research institutions in the nation helps build a strong reputation for not only the university, but also the students, faculty and staff.

“The move to ‘very high research activity’ (i.e., R1) increases our ability to attract top students into our doctoral programs and exceptional researchers to join our faculty,” Evans said in an email.

Since the advancement of the newly appointed classification status, the university has pushed forward in offering more resources to partake in research. Recently, there has been a number of grants offered to different departments at the university to undergo specific research, according to a previous Post report.

Jason Trembly, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, or ISEE, said the institute was allotted over $5 million in federal funding throughout 2021 to boost an expansive range of research support, even before the university was classified with the R1 status.

Trembly is unsure if the R1 designation will raise ISEE’s research funds because it

is fairly early to determine how the classification will affect new grant-funded research activities.

However, Trembly said the designation should increase interest and recruitment toward upcoming research activities.

In order for research grant proposals to get accepted, Evans said, any federal funding agency must go through several steps to decide if it can be accepted. One of the factors that agencies consider is the “research infrastructure and expertise at the university,” Evans said in an email.

With the contribution of the R1 designation, it will likely amplify reviewers’ scores to the university’s proposals and increase the probability that a proposal gets funded.

Since OU is now classified as one of the highest research institutions in the nation, moving forward, there may be an upward trend in the amount of undergraduate and graduate students wanting to attend the university.

According to a previous Post report, many students wanted to come to OU because they knew they would be given multiple opportunities after graduating. The

students explained they can obtain success at OU because the university upholds respected resources to make it possible.

For graduate students wanting to obtain a doctoral degree, the R1 status would provide them with a higher demand for jobs after receiving a degree from a top-tier college, Trembly said.

Overall, the designation demonstrates the university has a clear standard for “positive societal impacts to external stakeholders, including prospective students, industry and government funding agencies,” Trembly said in an email.

@MADALYNTBLAIR MB682120@OHIO.EDU

KENNEDY LECTURE SERIES Presents

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MARCH 1, 2022 | Lecture begins at 7:30pm. | Baker Center Ballroom Doors open at 6:30pm | Event will be livestreamed at www.ohio.edu/kennedylecture

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

NEWS BRIEFS

City mask mandate ends; ‘The Athens NEWS’ editor fired EMMA SKIDMORE NEWS EDITOR Masks no longer required in most campus spaces Ohio University announced Tuesday that masks are no longer required in the majority of non-classroom buildings, with the exception of Chillicothe and Southern branches, effective March 1.

Masks are required in classrooms, labs, studios, clinical settings and campus transportation. On-campus events may also require masks depending on the policies of the organization or group.

OU’s decision comes from updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, which recently implemented COVID-19 community level spread measurement. With ranges low through high, the measurement is based on community hospitalization rates, local health system and case rates.

The university’s Chillicothe and Southern campuses maintain a high level of community spread, but Athens County’s community level was medium as of Tuesday.

‘The Athens NEWS’ editor fired for violating social media policy Corinne Colbert, former editor of The Athens NEWS, was fired by the Ohio branch of the paper’s publishing company Friday.

Colbert said the reason for her termination was “fail-

ure to follow instructions (and) violation of company policy.” Adams Publishing Group, or APG, determined Colbert violated the social media policy after a series of since-deleted tweets warning readers of deceptive advertisements selling “high-value collectible coins.”

Colbert said under the terms of the current social media policy, anything that was not speaking positively or retweeting their own content would be a violation. She said nothing she said was offensive and was targeted for expressing opinions.

After she posted tweets on The Athens NEWS’s Twitter account warning readers of the ads, she was ordered to delete the posts and subsequently fired Friday morning. She announced her termination in a tweet, garnering almost 30,000 likes.

Colbert then began a fundraiser for an independent nonprofit newspaper called the Athens County Independent. She has since raised over $15,000.

APG declined to comment.

recommendations through Dec. 31.

However, other Council members expressed that this would cause confusion among residents.

The motion to amend failed, and City Law Director Lisa Eliason said if no action was taken on the ordinance during the session, it would become null.

@E_SKIDMOREGS ES320518@OHIO.EDU

City Council: Mask mandate expires without renewal City Council met Monday evening and subsequently ended the mask mandate after tabling an ordinance that would have extended it.

The most recent version of the ordinance, introduced

by Councilwoman Sarah Grace, D-At Large, would have extended the mandate to March 31. Grace proposed an amendment that would require the city to follow CDC

POLICE BLOTTER

Stolen identity, burglary on Alderman Road reported MOLLY WILSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR Stolen identity Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office spoke to a woman who was complaining of identity fraud.

The woman said someone had opened bank accounts in her name through PNC bank.

A report was taken.

Alderman Road burglary A report of burglary was reported to the sheriff’s office at a residence on Alderman Road in Millfield.

Deputies responded to the residence and took a report of the incident.

‘My car is gone’ Deputies from the sheriff’s office took a report of a stolen vehicle on Salem Road in Athens.

The case is still under investigation.

‘I think that’s my card’ Deputies spoke on the phone with a man who 4 / MARCH 3, 2022

reported that somebody used his mom’s debit card at local stores in Athens.

A report was taken.

Road rage The sheriff’s office received a report of an incident of road rage, which reportedly occurred in North Plains Road in The Plains A report was subsequently taken.

‘Your music is too loud’ The sheriff’s office responded to a loud music complaint on Gun Club Road in New Marshfield, but deputies were unable to locate any loud music.

Trash trespasser The sheriff’s office dispatched deputies to Oak Street in The Plains after receiving a report of possible trespassers.

When they arrived at the scene, deputies spoke with a man who was authorized to be cleaning up trash.

Deputies subsequently returned to patrol.

Verbal dispute

Deputies responded to an active dispute report at a business on South Plains Road in The Plains.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies discovered that the dispute was verbal. One of the involved persons was issued a trespass warning at the request of the business, according to the sheriff’s office.

Out of control Deputies received a report of a reckless driver and subsequently responded to Lafollette Road in Millfield.

Deputies did not make any contact with the described vehicle when patrolling the area.

False alarm Deputies from the sheriff’s office responded to a home located on Connett Road in The Plains on a report of an activated alarm.

Deputies spoke with the homeowner, who advised everything was alright, when they arrived on scene. @MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU

Referrals and resignations: An explainer of recent Student Senate events RYAN MAXIN NEWS EDITOR MOLLY WILSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA YOUNG STAFF WRITER Simar Kalkat, treasurer of Ohio University Student Senate, was removed from her position in a vote of no confidence Feb. 16. Since then, Kalkat’s removal has been voided by Senate, and multiple members of the body — including former Chief Justice Hannah Fleming and former Director of Public Relations Emily Ertle — have resigned from their positions.

Since Kalkat’s removal was voided Feb. 23, there has been increased confusion about what led to the vote of no confidence and what will happen following Senate members’ resignations. Though those events were seen in public, much has happened behind the scenes.

KALKAT’S REFERRALS According to Senate’s Rules and Procedures, any student has the ability to refer any member of Senate to the Senate Judicial Panel, and the panel should consider all referrals it receives. If the panel believes the referral is without merit, it may decide to dismiss the referral.

Between October 2021 and January 2022, Kalkat was referred to the judicial panel five times for various reasons, a frequency Fleming said was very unusual. Though she was able to provide the referrals, Fleming said she could not release the identities of those who referred Kalkat.

On Oct. 26, 2021, the panel received the first referral made against Kalkat, which claimed she had posted a racist video to her Snapchat story and, in doing so, violated her oath of office. According to a timeline document compiled by Fleming, the video allegedly contained racial stereotypes about people from Mexico eating chicken and rice and Black people eating coneys and chili dogs.

Though Kalkat admits to posting the nine-second clip to her story, she denies the allegation that the video was racist. She posted the video in reference to her upbringing in Cincinnati, she said, which is known for the Skyline Chili restaurant chain.

Kalkat’s second referral referenced a disagreement she had with members of Senate’s Budget Committee about the purchase of a computer for the Senate offices. According to screenshots of a con-

versation among the Budget Committee members, Kalkat thought the price of the computer was too high to justify its purchase and threatened to “filibuster” Senate’s general body meeting because of it.

Fleming, in her timeline document, said it was clear to her that Kalkat’s messages constituted an abuse of her power.

Kalkat said although she used the word “filibuster” in those texts, she didn’t mean for it to be taken literally.

Instead, she said she wanted to voice her opinion in the general body meeting and make sure Senate money was being spent properly, which she feels is the reason she was elected.

On Dec. 2, 2021, a third referral against Kalkat was made to the panel. In an email to the panel, the person making the referral alleged Kalkat did not uphold her duties as treasurer when she failed to present a budget expenditure report during one of Senate’s general body meetings.

Though Kalkat did not present a report as the person who referred her alleged, Nathaniel Padilla, Senate’s graduate adviser, responded to the initial email to say they had misinformed Kalkat that she did not have to give an expenditure report update. Padilla took full responsibility for the mistake in the email.

Days later, on Dec. 11, 2021, Fleming received a fourth referral against Kalkat, which outlined a mistake Kalkat had made in writing an expenditure report. In response to the referral, Kalkat said she had wrongly categorized purchases of an HDMI cable and a USB-C cable for Senate by accident. As a result, Kalkat’s access to her discretionary funds was temporarily revoked, but after talking with her, the judicial panel returned her discretionary privileges and advised her to be more attentive to the reports she wrote.

Kalkat’s last referral came Jan. 30, when someone wrote to the judicial panel to say they felt Kalkat had abused her authority and made them feel “intimidated” during a Senate Appropriations Commission, or SAC, leadership meeting. The person who submitted the report alleged Kalkat said members should “‘be adults’ and handle things offline rather than utilizing the panel by reporting things,” according to the referral.

Kalkat said she was irritated with people within the SAC leadership meeting and confirmed she told members to “be adults.” However, she did not mean for it to be intimidating, she said.

In response to all of her referrals, Kalkat said she felt they were reported in an effort to get her kicked out of her position.

“The fact is I was borderline being harassed because every time I was referred, I was guilty until I was proven innocent,” Kalkat said. “The judicial panel took action on each one of those referrals; they didn’t use their own judgment on what was normal to pursue and what wasn’t.

They took every single referral and went with it, and if people are trying to get me out of power, obviously they’re going to refer me over and over and over again to … break my morale.”

EXECUTIVE SESSION RESULTING IN KALKAT’S VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE At Senate’s general body meeting Feb. 16, its executive officers — President Becky “Eliza” Ivan, Vice President Elaina Tartal and Kalkat — were evaluated in an executive session. In that session, a regularly scheduled vote on the officers’ ability to perform their jobs took place.

In a vote of no confidence, Senate’s voting members are asked if the performance and conduct of Senate’s executive members is such that they are unfit and shall be removed from office. The vote takes place in an executive session. Kalkat received 11 “yea” votes and four “nay,” meaning that members who voted “yea” had no confidence in Kalkat to perform her job.

Fleming said discussions prior to an evaluation and vote of no confidence are normal procedure. As part of that discussion, Fleming read an anonymous statement from a member of Senate who did not feel comfortable sharing that information themselves, she said.

Fleming said she made it clear in the executive session she was not reading the statement as part of her beliefs as chief

justice or on behalf of the opinion of the judicial panel. She also said she told the body prior to reading the statement the information had not yet been verified.

In the statement, it was alleged that Kalkat had used her Student Senate purchasing card on a $328.70 plane ticket to Austin, Texas. Kalkat reached out to Finance Customer Care through OU in January, when she initially noticed the charge, to notify the department that she had not bought the ticket.

CONTINUE READING AT THEPOSTATHENS.COM

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

OU’s department of history, political science, Contemporary History Institute host panel to discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict PAYTON DAUGHERTY FOR THE POST Ohio University’s departments of history and political science and the Contemporary History Institute sponsored a panel Monday to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the international community.

The panel consisted of six people: David Curp, associate professor of history; Steve Miner, professor of history; James Mosher, associate professor of political science; Nukhet Sandal, associate professor and chair of political science and faculty fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences; Ingo Trauschweizer, professor of history and director of the Contemporary History In-

stitute; and Mirna Zakic, associate professor of history.

In regard to a question about the future of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Miner said he believes Putin has made a mess of the situation.

“This is not going to end well for the Ukrainians. The Russian army is big, and it can crush, eventually, conventional forces in Ukraine — that much I’ll predict,” he said.

“But after that, I liken it to a dog chasing a car. What does the dog do with the car once it gets it? What is Putin going to do with Ukraine once he actually occupies it or smashes its army?”

Zakic also said she is not going to try to predict the future, except that she believes things are going to continue to be really bad for people in Ukraine.

When asked about Ukraine’s defensive stance, Curp cited the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, which was a security commitment the United States, Great Britain and Russia made to Ukraine in return for the country giving up its stockpile of nuclear weapons. He said though Ukraine expressed deep reservations about lack of security guarantees in the agreement, the international community insisted it give up those weapons.

“Because in the words of (former) Secretary of State Baker in the United States, ‘We do not want a Yugoslavia with nukes.’

Ergo, even in 1994, an American Secretary of State was envisioning a time that the Ukrainians also were envisioning, which was that in possible conflict, the nuclear weapons could be used if the Ukrainians

had them,” he said. “We were encouraging Ukrainians to disarm, understanding conflict was a real possibility.”

In response to a question about Ukrainian motives for hatred of Russia, Miner said one of the things at the core of that distaste is memory of the Holodomor, an expansive famine resulting from the policies of Joseph Stalin, longtime leader of the Soviet Union, in 1932, in which 3 to 4 million Ukrainians were starved to death.

Zakic said it is important for everybody to keep Ukrainians who are “huddling in compact spaces and basements” in their thoughts as the conflict continues.

@PAYTONDAUG PD162120@OHIO.EDU

Nukhet Sandal, Associate Professor and Chair of Political Science at OU, shares how Turkey is involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine based on her expertise in Middle Eastern political science on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (CARRIE LEGG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

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Building Co-op Community ISABEL NISSLEY SLOT EDITOR The Firehouse Co-op’s “plant room” has more windows than it has walls.

Even as rain is loosened from the winter sky, light seeps into the space on three sides, nourishing the dozens of plants that live within it. The plant room is Sarah Benton’s favorite part of the home, but half a year ago, Sarah Benton did not know about the Firehouse and what cooperative living entailed.

When Sarah and Shane Benton were preparing to move to Athens in August 2021, the couple could not find housing in the city that fit their budget. Both had accepted positions with Rural Action as AmeriCorps members, roles that allowed them to engage with their passion for environmental stewardship but also compensated them modestly for their work.

It wasn’t until a conversation with a fellow Rural Action employee and an Instagram direct message to the Firehouse Co-op that the couple felt they had found a feasible housing option.

For $470 per month, the Bentons could rent a room in the Firehouse Co-op on North Lancaster Street.

Housing cooperatives are not owned or controlled by landlords. Instead, they operate under a group equity homeownership model. At the Firehouse, residents make monthly payments to North American Students of Cooperation, the non-profit “co-op of co-ops” that owns the Firehouse property. Without profit-minded oversight, housing cooperatives are able to ask for rents that are often lower than market value.

The cooperative housing model was relatively unfamiliar to Sarah and Shane Benton, but they applied to live in the Firehouse regardless because of the cost.

“I was a little nervous at first just because I didn’t know what to expect,” Shane Benton said.

After moving in, Sarah Benton saw principles of cooperative living manifest in the absence of a landlord at the Firehouse as well as through impromptu conversations with housemates about everything from maintenance projects to board games.

“It’s not any different really than having a roommate situation,” Sarah Benton said.

“I think that that almost makes it better because you’re just like, ‘Oh, you’re another person. And we’re just gonna respect each other because we like share house, and we’re both members of this cooperative and this collective good.’”

8 / MARCH 3, 2022

The rental market locally, nationally The Benton’s struggle to find affordable, appropriate housing mirrors a national phenomenon: high-rent costs are straining tenants’ budgets and causing some to look for non-traditional options.

In 2019, average Americans spent approximately 20.3% of their monthly income on rent, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That rate was noticeably higher in Athens; during the same year, the city’s residents spent 28.3% of their monthly income on rent.

Athens offers a number of traditional, government-subsidized, affordable housing options for low-income residents, though some groups, like the United Athens County Tenants, believe there are not enough. For Athens residents who do not qualify for government-subsidized housing, many residents have struggled finding rental properties with affordable prices, especially because of the effects of student housing on the local market.

“I think Athens runs into the same situation that a lot of other cities are experiencing, which is that we can’t get change to happen quick enough to address affordability, both at the owner-occupied and at the renter level, at all price points, for all income and economic situations,” Paul Logue, the Athens city planner, said.

Cooperative housing endeavors like the Firehouse Co-op have the potential to alleviate the financial burden of high rent for some Athens residents. The co-op housing model offers members affordably priced rooms, a role in maintaining the house and unique relationships with housemates.

What is the Firehouse Co-op?

The exterior of the Firehouse is coated in a thick layer of reddish-brown paint, making the three-story home stand out among surrounding tan buildings and seasonally parched yards. A strand of string lights is draped on the porch, next to a bird feeder and a few potted plants. Inside of the maroon North Lancaster Street house, eight residents are living cooperatively.

Each co-op member has a chore and a role within the house, duties that often align with individuals’ strengths. Shane Benton, who works with Rural Action’s zero waste program, has the chores of washing and putting away dishes as well as taking recycling, trash and compost to the curb. His “big responsibilities” include serving as the house’s landscaper, taking care of the yard and planting garden beds and assisting a fellow Firehouse resident with house maintenance projects.

“This thing works so cheaply because we all contribute a little bit,” Shane Ben-

Shane Benton stands on the back porch of the co-op housing unit that he is a part of while he talks about the garden he is growing food in on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. The garden is in plots in the backyard of the Firehouse Co-op.

(CARRIE LEGG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

ton said.

The Firehouse is currently the only active housing co-op in the city of Athens. It was established in 2015 to provide affordable housing for OU students and Athens residents, according to the North American Students of Cooperation, or NASCO, the organization that oversees Firehouse Co-op operations.

Long-term affordability with high startup costs The goal of making housing financially feasible for a broader population is reminiscent of early movements for housing cooperatives. In the early 1900s, immigrant associations and labor unions established housing co-ops in New York City to provide affordable housing for members, according to a 2019 article written by Anna Carlsson, who worked for the Harvard Law School Tenant Advocacy Project.

More than 75% of housing in Athens is rental properties, according to the City of Athens 2040 Comprehensive Plan, a decision-making guide for the city government. Traditional rentals are owned by landlords, who rent out units of their property to tenants with the intention of turning a profit. Conversely, housing cooperatives are owned directly by residents or by a non-profit organization like NASCO, operating under a limited, or group, equity homeownership model.

“Co-ops are permanently affordable if they’re set up that way,” Brel Hutton-Ok-

palaeke, director of development services at NASCO, said.

Despite the long-term financial benefits of co-op housing, initial costs can be a barrier to the creation of new cooperatives.

“A co-op is not going to be able to buy a building with 3% down like a normal human would be able to buy a building,” Hutton-Okpalaeke said. “They’re going to have to usually come up with like 25% down.”

Nonprofits and other organizations provide financial assistance to aid the startup of new housing cooperatives.

As a “co-op of co-ops,” NASCO Properties is able to utilize its existing cooperative properties to purchase more properties that will be operated under the co-op model.

Zoning limitations, possibilities for change In Athens and other cities, zoning regulations also limit the development of new housing cooperatives.

“That’s often a really major hurdle because zoning just functionally prevents co-ops from being started — often, legally — which then causes the model to not be able to be effectively used to deal with affordable housing concerns, even though it’s a pretty well-documented, functional way to do it,” Hutton-Okpalaeke said.

Zoning is not unchangeable, however. The 2040 Athens Comprehensive Plan includes discussion of expanding housing

options. Acknowledging the role of cooperatives in affordable housing development, the plan proposes that Athens permit co-ops in all residential zones by amending the current zoning code.

Though he has not been approached by residents interested in forming a housing cooperative yet, Logue is open to advocating for revisions to the code if he sees the need arise.

“I don’t know of anybody really pushing for it,” Logue said. “But I think it’s interesting. I think it’s worth exploring for sure.”

Living experience: How Firehouse members view cooperation The Firehouse is filled with remnants of former Athens cooperators. An ornate, unicorn-shaped, ceramic clock sits on the house’s mantle, framed by pollinator wall art and a sign for the now-defunct ACME co-op. Current residents have added their mark to the house, too, painting rooms and making the space their own.

Without a landlord, Firehouse members have more autonomy to alter the house. However, they also must deal with maintenance independently.

different group of people to kind of compliment (each other),” Sarah Benton said.

“Each of us has a different thing that we bring, and it’s all really important.”

Because each resident has a role in the house and a vested interest in the structure’s well-being, they all collaborate to maintain it. On Jan. 31, the home was inspected by the Athens City Office of Code Enforcement, who observed no violations.

“The home inspector (came) and walked through, and he’s like, ‘Man, I’ve inspected this house a number of times, and it’s looking great,’” Shane Benton said. “‘You guys are doing good stuff with it.

It’s coming together really well.’ I was like, ‘That feels good, man’ because we’ve been trying to spruce up things.”

Monthly house payments also contain a $20 charge for “Blammo” — a Seinfeld-inspired phrase — that Firehouse members use to purchase a shared supply of staple items for all to utilize. Paper towels, milk and peanut butter frequently are purchased for the Blammo supply. Firehouse residents can request specific items to be purchased with Blammo funds, too.

Sarah Benton, Shane Benton and Jacob

Shane Benton shares how the term “blammo” is used to describe anything that is available to anyone in the Firehouse Co-op instead of someone’s personal property. Benton said this often includes leftovers or anything that someone is willing to share.

(CARRIE LEGG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

The co-op often has money for maintenance factored into rent costs and its budget, Jacob Richard, Firehouse resident and treasurer, said. Because of the diversity of the Firehouse’s residents, repairs are often able to be made in-house as well.

Recently, co-op members noticed their water bill was getting higher. One of the roommates began to look at sink faucets and found that many were leaking.

“It’s been really, really nice to have a

Richard have lived in the Firehouse Coop for less than a year and, along with their other housemates, are learning cooperative practices as they go. But, for the most part, people living at the Firehouse Co-op do not feel that cooperative housing is drastically different from other living arrangements.

“I would say that it’s just like living normally — like, when I was in college at Miami, living with three of (my) friends —

Shane Benton said the internet and other house passwords are written on the chalkboard in the dining room of the Firehouse Co-op where everyone can find them on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (CARRIE LEGG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

except that it’s way cheaper because we’re not trying to turn a profit,” Richard said.

“It’s nothing too out of the ordinary.”

Flexibility in the Firehouse Unlike most student rentals, the Firehouse offers variation in the length and nature of members’ time at the co-op.

There is no requirement for cooperators to sign a May-to-May lease, and rooms are available at a range of price points, attracting diverse residents to the Firehouse Co-op.

A smaller room is available for $380 per month and the largest room, much like a loft apartment, is priced at approximately $600 per month. The other rooms cost $470 a month.

“It’s affordable, and I think that everyone’s thankful to have that, but we also realize that ‘Hey, this works and exists because we all kind of cooperate together and work together,’” Shane Benton said.

“We’re all from different walks of life and look at things differently in the world, but when it comes to the house, we all have vested interest in maintaining it and keeping it in working order so that we can continue to live here in a safe, affordable way.”

Many of the residents are AmeriCorps members or otherwise employed in Athens County. One undergraduate student and one graduate student at Ohio University also live at the co-op. Members are currently making plans to open a room for an international student to rent short-term.

the co-op housing model is not widely prevalent in Athens or other U.S. towns.

The Firehouse is the only housing cooperative in the city of Athens, but some residents still feel that its existence remains relatively unknown.

“I think that there might be a disconnect between the people who need the service … and the house itself,” Sarah Benton said.

The Firehouse envisions expanding community outreach, collaborating with OU student organizations and hosting a spring yard sale to publicize the co-op to a wider population. Although most current inhabitants of the Firehouse do not see themselves staying involved in the co-op long-term, they have gained appreciation for the cooperative model and believe it can serve as an affordable housing option in Athens.

“I absolutely do see it as a solution,” Shane Benton said. “And, I think that 50 years ago, people might have scoffed at it or been like, ‘That’s kind of weird,’ but I think that younger generations are a little more hip to it. There’s more of this world community mentality. It’s not as big of a deal to live with a group of friends or a group of people and a housing situation.”

@ISABELNISSLEY IN566119@OHIO.EDU

The future of co-op housing in Athens Despite financial and social benefits, THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Sarah Ladipo uses her background to create change ALYSSA CRUZ FOR THE POST Sarah Ladipo, a junior studying philosophy and computer science, came to Ohio University knowing she wanted to make a difference.

Originally from Pickerington, Ohio, Ladipo is one of the appointed student trustees on the OU Board of Trustees. In order to receive this position, students are appointed by the Ohio governor after interviews with the governor’s office.

The position of student trustee is the highest position a student at OU can hold.

There are always two students on the board, and these trustees are the voices for the nearly 30,000 students who attend the university during their staggered two-year terms.

A daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Ladipo knows the value of education and the gravity of the opportunities to which she had access.

“They definitely instilled in me the power of education and the importance of that,” Ladipo said. “My mom literally had to fight for her education, and that was something that she always raised me being like, ‘Education: that’s where your power lies.’”

When Ladipo arrived at OU, she hit the ground running. As the recipient of the Claire O. and Charles J. Ping Cutler Scholars Award, her tuition was covered, and she was able to engage in other opportunities.

As a freshman, Ladipo applied to the Capitol Internship Program, an experience usually reserved for upperclassmen. Thanks to her interest in politics and advocacy, she was accepted despite her age.

The internship was originally scheduled to take place the spring of 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. Although the rescheduling was unfortunate, Ladipo said she was able to witness many monumental events during the spring of 2021.

“It was a month after the insurrection, during the impeachment trial. All of these important historical moments were happening a couple feet away from me,” Ladipo said.

In addition to witnessing major decisions being made, Ladipo also was able to have a front seat to experience American democracy.

“I learned so many things, but I would say I learned how your voice, like the people that I was talking to on a day-to-day basis, like the constituents, their voice truly matters,” Ladipo said. “The corny or generic saying,

‘Oh, this government is for the people, by the people’ — it really is.”

After her internship in Washington, D.C., Ladipo continued to take advantage of all the opportunities she could.

“Since sophomore year, so each semester, I’ve always had an internship,” Ladipo said.

Ladipo has varied her experience fields, from serving as an intern for the United States Agency for International Development to completing an apprenticeship as a Harvard University research apprentice under Myrna Perez Sheldon.

For her role as student trustee, Ladipo feels the need to bring a voice centered on advocacy and inclusion. As a Black woman, specifically, she knows her role is unique and valuable due to the lack of diversity the board has shown in the past.

“I genuinely care to represent a diverse mind to the board,” Ladipo said. “I love breaking glass ceilings for more people to come.”

Additionally, Ladipo wants to ensure she represents the population well by communicating with a variety of students from different backgrounds.

“As a student trustee, I make sure that I’m talking to a lot of different groups and going out, asking questions,” Ladipo said. “I can’t say

my experience is everyone’s experience, so you want to make sure you’re getting different perspectives, not just being biased.”

Although Ladipo is not the first Black woman to sit as a student trustee, she is still trying to pave the way for other students from similar backgrounds to come after her.

Ladipo is working on interviewing candidates to fill student trustee Ellen Gill-Franks’ position, and she wants to keep diversifying the board in mind.

“I just want to always see more diversity in the application pool,” Ladipo said. “I make sure to tell people about it because I think on any committee or board, you want to have diversity.”

Although Ladipo has yielded herself an impressive resume, she is adamant that every opportunity she has participated in has been because of genuine interest and a desire to learn. From all of Ladipo’s experiences, she has learned a key lesson: “It’s taught me to be goal-oriented and shoot high, have high ambitions,” Ladipo said.

@ALYSSA_DANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU

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College of Fine Arts Graduate Certificate showcases arts in health LAUREN SERGE STAFF WRITER Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts is merging the gap between fine arts and health studies. Through the implementation of a new certificate by the college, graduate students will be able to forge their experience in the arts with their passion for health and well-being.

The Graduate Arts in Health Graduate Certificate, which officially began this semester, requires two arts in health courses as well as two electives chosen from pre-approved graduate courses in arts administration, public health and integrated health sciences disciplines.

The certificate, despite its niche focus, is open to all graduate majors.

Angela Sprunger, professor in the School of Art and Design, is the community liaison for the arts in health program. Sprunger said the certificate was inspired by the emerging, transdisciplinary field of arts in health.

“We started to think about potential for the collaborations that were already happening and ways to formalize those collaborations to be part of this new field,” Sprunger said. “This program re-

ally came as a way to highlight the work we’re already doing and invest more completely in that work.”

Kamile Geist, a professor in the School of Music, is the director of the arts in health program. Geist said the focus of the certificate is to enable students, several of which are in the arts, to utilize their skills and recognize the benefit they can have on a larger scale.

“We have passionate undergrads who’ve been through a lot, especially these past few years, and they are looking for a way to make a difference with their art,” Geist said. “Some of them are very interested (and ask), ‘What can I do to impact health? How can my art change and help communities?’”

Geist said the push to create a certificate surrounding these themes is due to increased research demonstrating that people who engage with the variety of art forms experience positive and lasting health outcomes.

“There’s something about creating these things through art that just makes you feel so good,” Geist said. “The graduate certificate is actually for any graduate student at Ohio University who wants to learn more about fine arts and

how it impacts health.”

Anita Dzikunu, a graduate student studying community dance, recently submitted her application for the arts in health graduate certificate. Dzikunu, who is an international student from Ghana, said this intersection of the arts with health studies is not present in her country, which was one of the reasons she was influenced to apply.

“I’m here to equip myself to get more knowledge and then go back to my country and then also add that to our health activities,” Dzikunu said.

“I know that when art is involved in health care, people are able to distress (and) find a secure environment to express themselves.”

With the unique convergence of these two fields, Sprunger hopes it will inspire students to step outside of the confines of their particular majors or professions. “(The certificate) opens their ideas to break down this fallacy that everybody in their discipline has of ‘Well, I’m an artist. I don’t do that.’ That’s not true. Or, ‘I’m a nurse, I’m not creative,’ also not true,” Sprunger said. “This is a program that I think helps folks to

come together and realize how their different interests complement each other and serve each other.” @LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU

@LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

Athens residents stand inside of Stephen’s while they celebrate Green Beer Day on March 2, 2022, in Athens, Ohio.

PHOTOS BY ALAINA DACKERMANN FOR THE POST

Students crowd Athens bars to participate in Green Beer Day ADDIE HEDGES AND MAYA MORITA FOR THE POST Ohio University students started preparing for Green Beer Day early Wednesday, and Court Street bars were eventually overflowing with students excited to participate in the festivities.

Bars Uptown advertised their Green Beer Day specials, and a few businesses sold Green Beer Day themed clothing and accessories.

“Today we’ve had a ton of sales specifically just for Green Beer Day,” Drew Humphreys, a junior studying marketing and a 12 / MARCH 3, 2022

10 West Clothing Co. sales associate, said.

“We’ve mostly (sold) the Green Beer Day green shirts and we had some beads in here too, but they’ve all kind of gone.”

Jordanne Krajewski, a sophomore studying child and family studies, searched through 10 West Clothing Co.’s Green Beer Day merchandise in preparation to celebrate with her friends.

“Last year (Green Beer Day) felt controlled still, so I’m hoping this year will be a little bit more like the real experience,” Krajewski said.

Last year’s Green Beer Day had been altered to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. However, with the recent lift of Ath-

ens’ mask mandate and the elimination of carrying capacities in establishments this past summer, students were able to enjoy Green Beer Day without limitations.

“There are definitely many more people out this year because there were still COVID-19 restrictions last year,” Colton Jones, a fifth-year studying health services administration, said.

In addition to stores preparing for the celebration, bars also prepared for Green Beer Day with music and themed drinks.

“We actually have a DJ; they’re going to start at nine o’clock,” Ali Cutshall, the front house manager at The Pigskin, said. “And then pretty much, I got green beer in so I

have kegs of Bud Light that have been already dyed green.”

By 1:45 p.m., OU students had already started celebrating, but participation was limited, and only a few Uptown bars had more than a handful of people in them.

Despite the slow start, Cutshall said she expected the bar to get busy later in the day and for the crowd to last well into the night.

“It’ll probably (get busy at) about 6 o’clock, and then if students can pace themselves enough, then hopefully it will last until about midnight,” Cutshall said.

As the day continued, more students made their rounds on Court Street and by

Kate St. Leger smiles for a photo while waiting outside of North End during the Green Beer.

Members of the Phi Chi Theta, a business fraternity at Ohio University, sell Taco Bell outside of Hangover Easy during the Green Beer Day celebrations on March 2, 2022.

Patrons line up outside of Courtside Pizza as they wait to get it during the Green Beer Day celebrations on March 2, 2022, in Athens, Ohio.

7 p.m., many had already visited a multitude of bars. Kate St. Leger, a junior studying outdoor education, said she had already been to four bars before stopping at North End. As many students attended the bars, others were making use of the increased pedestrian traffic by selling food on the side of the street.

Andie Miller, a freshman studying special education, sold Taco Bell outside of the bars alongside other members of Phi Chi Theta in order to raise money for their

business fraternity.

“Previous potential member classes came up with this idea when they were fundraising,” Ella Pegher, a freshman studying international business, said. “So we just took it and we figured Green Beer Day would be the perfect day.”

Students said this Green Beer Day was better than last year’s due to the nice weather and relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, which encouraged more people to celebrate.

Elizabeth Blazer, a junior studying psychology, said this year felt different in comparison to previous Green

Beer Days.

“I feel like everyone’s a little more wild this year; we’re all ready to take the world again,” Blazer said.

@ADDIEHEDGES AH766719@OHIO.EDU MM294318@OHIO.EDU @MAYACATEMORITA THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

A Day in the Life: OU Survivor Advocacy Program RILEY RUNNELLS CULTURE EDITOR Within the comforting walls of Lindley Hall suite 032-038 lies an environment for all to feel welcome, share their experience and for survivors to gain power and control in a space where they’ll receive nothing but support and assistance.

The Survivor Advocacy Program, or SAP, exists as a space to provide confidential support and advocacy services to student survivors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence and stalking.

“Survivor Advocacy Program is one of the more clinical offices on campus,” Kimberly Rouse, director of SAP, said. “Most of our day-to-day work is related to our direct oneon-one interactions with clients. Most of our staff, throughout the day, they might be working on presentations and outreach. But for the most part, a lot of their time is spent face-to-face with survivors in a clinical session in their office or going through different systems with them.”

The clinical work, Rouse explained, comes from attention to mental health through one-on-one sessions that are client-led in terms of language, what’s talked about and what steps are taken moving forward.

In addition to mental health services, SAP also offers legal services like walking survivors through different processes of taking legal action following any sexual violence, other physical violence or stalking. SAP advocates can also act as a support system to be with survivors through court appointments, and can provide supplies necessary like clothes and sheets to survivors in need.

“We also have a 24-hour on-call operation,” Rouse said. “If the phone rang right now and it was the hospital saying that we had a student down there that is there for a sexual assault exam and would like an advocate with them, we’ll go down to the hospital and be with them – right now, just the same as we will be at (2 a.m.). We’re really grateful that we have the ability to be on call and to have that resource for students, because that can be a really difficult process to go through and they often have a lot of questions.”

SAP also works with other groups on campus to make sure its efforts are reaching a wide range of people. There are services for co-survivors, or family, friends and partners of survivors who have been impacted by the trauma that their loved one experienced.

There are also faculty training sessions and presentations to help expand university knowledge about the program, as well as large events like the annual Take Back the Night, where participants are encouraged to take back the night from sexual and domestic violence. The event is funded by OU’s Student Senate and Women’s Center. It is 14 / MARCH 3, 2022

co-sponsored by My Sister’s Place, Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program and a number of other campus offices.

But Rouse isn’t alone in her efforts. There are five employees in the SAP office: Rouse, the director and advocate; Kristin “KC” Waltz, a full time advocate; Yejin Sohn, another full time advocate; Morgan Dick, a graduate assistant; and Kaitlyn Urbaniak, another graduate assistant.

All five of the women working in the SAP office are trained to advocate for any survivors that may need the program’s services.

Apart from their daily work, the women also are working on larger projects that they’re very excited to share with everyone.

“One thing that we’ve started recently is a survivor support group,” Waltz said. “That had been something that people we had worked with for a long time had asked for. We kicked it around, the thoughts of it, for a while, and before the pandemic started, we had decided that we were going to do that. And then of course, everything shut down. And so after the pandemic, or during it, I guess, we started getting ready to do our support group and started it virtually … which was really good for people who were maybe feeling isolated and needed to have someone to touch base with and share their story and their healing with.”

The group, dubbed TEAL for Together we Empower And Liberate – which is also the color of sexual assault awareness and prevention – meets regularly, and people can contact Waltz via email to join the group and attend as little or often as they want.

Though SAP is funded through the university, which means students pay no additional charge for its services, the team is always looking for ways to collect donations to have as much support and supplies as possible for clients.

“I’m actively right now working on building a few different programs,” Rouse said. “As we have grown and evolved during the last five to six years, we’ve been able to identify some new needs that have come about. One of those programs is our Survivor Emergency Fund. I’ve been working alongside our friends in the foundation office to create a fund that will allow us to be able to better support survivors financially when they have needs that come up related to their victimization. This fund is just getting started; we aren’t able to fund anyone at this point. But we are accepting donations and we are going to be starting fundraising for that.”

A portion of SAP’s funding goes toward keeping the office space looking comforting and welcoming to anyone who comes in. As the staff says, survivors making the decision to be vulnerable and share their stories is hard enough, so they want the environment to be filled with warm lighting, fidget toys,

empowering artwork and validating affirmations.

“The age of people getting into college is so hard; maybe this is the first time they are living apart from their family or their hometown, the friends they used to hang out with, this is a totally new chapter of their life,” Sohn said. “So they are in the phase of the time that they have to figure out, ‘OK, how can I live by myself, but also maintain my life here?’ So that can be one challenge. But also, unfortunately, people have talked about how college years or college life can be dangerous and have a lot of sexual assault also happen within the woman’s life or another gender population. So overall, the college year and thinking about their harsh positioning in their life path, I think overall having this specific support for this topic is really important.”

Sohn also talked about how some people who experienced sexual or emotional violence as a child could be experiencing their first time out of the space where the trauma happened, so they could just be getting started in the healing process. This is another area the advocates are equipped to help with: processing abuse from any time of the survivor’s life, not just abuse throughout the duration of college.

For the graduate student advocates working in the center, every time they help someone is not only emotionally gratifying, but a step toward their careers as well.

“After doing everything I did in my undergrad, I got a lot of training and I got to observe a lot, but I didn’t get a lot of hands-on experience,” Dick said. “So moving here and getting the more clinical setting of working with clients and getting to see their growth from start to finish has been really good. I’ve dealt with a lot of survivors in my life like

friends and family members, so it’s always been something that’s been heavy on my heart, but I didn’t realize what aspect that I could intertwine it with social work until I started looking for places in my senior year of undergrad.”

Further than career development, each member of the staff has a very deep emotional connection with the work they do in the program. They are all very passionate and proud to be able to serve students this way and are always looking to raise awareness of SAP through new ideas for programming or simply word of mouth through clients or loved ones of clients who feel the program made a difference.

More than anything, though, the SAP staff wants people to know they never have to go through sexual violence or abuse of any kind alone.

“Being a student can be really hard, but especially when you’re trying to navigate a recent trauma,” Urbaniak said. “You don’t have to go through that alone. By reaching out to the Survivor Advocacy Program, you know that you’re always going to have someone there every step of the way with you. It can really just help you take things day by day and figure them out as you go. It’s also a great place to recommend for any friends or loved ones that you know who may be struggling with some other trauma. It’s nice for them to know that they are believed, that they’re supported and that they have someone they can talk to about these things.”

For more information on the Survivor Advocacy Program, to make a donation or to book an appointment, visit its website.

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

Bar owners, bartenders talk Green Beer Day

HANNAH CAMPBELL ASST. OPINION EDITOR Athens’ annual Green Beer Day returned Wednesday, March 2. After almost a year of anticipation, bar owners and bartenders were excited to see Ohio University students continue the longtime tradition.

The tradition began when OU was on a quarter system instead of semesters, and St. Patrick’s Day fell during spring break.

The students decided to celebrate early and cheer with green beer.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, local bars still saw crowds line up last year to commemorate the day. Bar owners and workers expected large crowds for this year, especially with fewer COVID-19 restrictions for attendees.

David Cornwell, owner of The J Bar, 41 N. Court St.; Courtside Pizza, 85 N. Court St.; and North End Kitchen and Bar 77 N. Court St., remembered how Green Beer Day initially started and how students celebrated prior to COVID-19. He said the atmosphere really set the mood of

the tradition.

“So, kind of the (fun) of it is the weather starting to get nice … so that plays a part into it,” Cornwell said. “People are more in the mood to go have some fun when the sun’s out.”

Cornwell also predicted the celebration this year would look similar to celebrations of year’s past, especially with the end of the Athens mask mandate.

“There’s not a lot of consistency on how different businesses were running their operation around COVID … We’re as close to normal as we’ve been in two years,” Cornwell said.

The J Bar opened Wednesday at noon, and North End Kitchen and Bar opened at 2 p.m. The latter also offered a special food menu, including starters, burritos, quesadillas and churros.

Shawn Ritchie, one of the owners of Lucky’s Sports Tavern, 11 N. Court St., described Green Beer Day as a “knock off St. Patrick’s Day” and said students go all out for this tradition.

“There’s going to be plenty of green beer of different varieties flowing, and ev-

eryone gets out early,” Ritchie said. “So, usually by noon, there are many people out. It’s just similar to a Saturday night in town.”

Ritchie predicted it would be a normal Green Beer Day despite falling on Ash Wednesday. He also said this year’s celebration would be similar to last year’s, as many students still went to the bars during the pandemic.

“Last year, we were back to full capacity for Green Beer Day,” Ritchie said.

“Masks were supposed to be worn, but … the (case) numbers were good.”

Besides the regular Green Beer, the special item Lucky’s Sport Tavern featured was a green liquor pitcher.

The C.I., 32 N. Court St., offered specials such as $1 green jello shots, modifying any drink to be made green and even passing out special Green Beer Day merchandise. The C.I. opened at 2 p.m.

Hunter Antritt, a bartender at the C.I., said he expected the bar to be extremely busy like past celebrations. He did not work at C.I. for past Green Beer Days, but he said he always had fun in the past.

“It’s always a really fun time,” Antritt said. “The energy’s really great. People are just always in a good mood.”

Antritt also said the weather might have been a factor in bringing in a later crowd for the day, as students wanted to be outside in the warm weather. He also said the removal of COVID-19 might have brought in a later crowd since there is not a curfew.

“People aren’t coming out as early as they did during COVID,” Antritt said. “I think things are getting back to the 2018, 2019 era, where it’s really busy at night instead of earlier in the day.”

@HANNAHCMPBELL HC895819@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

WRESTLING

How Alec and Kyran Hagan came to Ohio CHRISTO SIEGEL FOR THE POST In wrestling, nothing comes easy, and the journey is different for everyone. Ohio’s duo of Alec and Kyran Hagan is a two-man wrecking crew, one that’s taken time to create.

Neither brother has had an easy collegiate career. The 2021-22 season was Kyran’s first full year competing after he dealt with a slew of injuries throughout his career. On the other hand, Alec experienced some tribulations as well. Alec qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2019-20, before they were canceled due to COVID-19. Alec tried to repeat his success the next season but couldn’t compete due to a torn ligament in his elbow.

The pair’s story goes far back, though. The two have been together longer than most college teammates have — since birth.

The brothers began their careers in St. Louis, Missouri, at Bonhomme Wrestling Club. After some time, the sport stuck. Over the years, Alec and Kyran trained with many different wrestlers but always found their way back together. They’ve been training partners for the majority of their careers. The two still train together to this day, and they work out twice a week together.

It wasn’t always that way, though. It took maturity for them to realize they were stron-

ger as a pair.

“We didn’t wrestle each other all the time because we’d get in fights and stuff, but as we got older and more mature, we were able to,” Alec said.

Their interest in wrestling was sparked by their parents, as their father, Michael, was a wrestler at Ohio State University for a season.

Michael got the twins interested in wrestling at a young age, although he did not want them to compete at first. He had seen the harsher sides of wrestling and didn’t want the boys to burn out. However, their mom, Jennifer, wanted them to explore the sport.

Since then, it’s become clear that the twins were meant to wrestle.

Their father has said the twins have the “unteachables,“ and colleges soon realized that, too.

As they began to gain traction and receive collegiate offers, the Hagans made it clear they were a package deal from the get-go.

They wanted to continue their journey as a duo. Kyran claims they even looked at every school together.

“I mean, some of the schools wanted one of us or the other, but in the end, we told them we’re not going to go there,” Alec said.

“So, we established that we were going to go together and be a package deal.”

The twins were courted by Virginia, California Polytechnic and Wisconsin but ulti-

mately chose Ohio. Although it hadn’t always been on the Hagans’ radar, they visited Ohio after they were noticed at a tournament.

The visit set their decision in stone. Nowhere else fit the bill like Athens. It felt like home to them. Their connection to the campus was deeper than any other they had visited, partly because their mother is an Ohio alumna.

But, that wasn’t the only thing that made the Hagan brothers want to become Bobcats.

“We just kind of whittled it down and took on our official visits, fell in love with the coaching staff,” Alec said. “Coach Greenlee’s awesome. Had a great time with the guys on our visit, so just decided it was the right place.”

The Hagans are in the midst of their fifth years with Ohio. Both are redshirt seniors, and the Hagans have used this season as a way to make their mark. The twins have been dominant this year with Kyran going 15-4 and Alec 23-6. Furthermore, Alec was ranked as the No. 27 wrestler in the 149-pound weight class nationally. He is one of three nationally-ranked Ohio wrestlers.

But it isn’t quite the end of their journeys.

The two have one year of eligibility left. However, they’ve both experienced almost a full collegiate career and have gained insight on the life lessons of wrestling. The Hagans have learned from their coaches that there is

nothing more important than holding themselves accountable to achieve their goals because nothing is guaranteed.

“If you say you’re going to do something, do it,” Kyran said. “I always make goals and tell them to (Coach) Greenlee, and I say I’m going to do it. I try to hold myself accountable.”

Alec shared a similar sentiment.

“The big one for me is nothing’s guaranteed,” Alec said. “No matter what you do and what preparation you go into, nothing is really guaranteed. No one’s just going to give you a MAC championship.”

Now, the two have the chance to complete their collegiate careers at the place they feel most connected to, and they have an opportunity to do so with the people who have been there since they were growing up in Eureka, Missouri.

“I’m just looking forward to hopefully winning the championship in front of our home crowd in Athens with my family being there, “ Alec said. “It’s a super exciting time for not only us but our team and our coaches, Ohio wrestling as a whole.”

The Hagans have always had close ties.

Wrestling isn’t just a pastime for them. It’s a way of life.

@IMCHRISTOSIEGEL CS093219@OHIO.EDU

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HOCKEY

How head coach Lionel Mauron found Ohio MOLLY BURCHARD FOR THE POST Lionel Mauron was thrown into the spotlight during his first season as Ohio’s head coach. However, the young coach took it all in stride because his past experiences taught him to not only play the game of hockey but also the game of life.

Mauron grew up in a small Switzerland village with around 300 people. Many people within the village played hockey, including some of Mauron’s family friends.

As a kid, he would go to the rink to watch them compete.

He was instantly hooked.

Watching his friends glide on the small patch of ice tucked away in the mountains inspired him to take his own steps out on the ice. When he was 6 years old, he started playing the sport himself.

From there, Mauron’s love of hockey grew. To his family’s surprise, Mauron was pretty good at it. When he was just 12 years old, Mauron was recruited to play hockey at a professional training academy in Switzerland.

At that time, each of the 12 pro-hockey teams in Switzerland had an institute where it trains prospects and helps them prepare for the big leagues. Playing for one was an opportunity Mauron couldn’t pass up.

Mauron packed up his bags and moved to pursue his dreams of playing hockey professionally. He played for the academy until his dream was achieved.

At 18, he signed his first pro-hockey contract with Lausanne Hockey Club in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Mauron played for Lausanne for two years before traveling to the U.S., playing a handful of years for multiple other teams.

However, it was his years at Curry College in Massachusetts that prepared him for life after playing.

It was there that Mauron first heard about Ohio. One of his coaches at Curry College, David Nies, was previously a graduate assistant with Ohio. Nies told Mauron all about Ohio’s successful program, and when his career as a player ended after a severe injury, Mauron didn’t forget about what Nies had said.

Even though he couldn’t play anymore, Mauron wanted to stay connected to the game. He had always known he wanted to be a coach, and now was the perfect time

ed in a program.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Mauron said.

“The rink and the atmosphere here is unique. You don’t find that in college hockey very often. The academics are through the roof, so it really checks all the boxes.”

After working as a graduate assistant for a year and finishing his master’s degree, Mauron got the opportunity to become the head coach of Ohio. He was officially announced as head coach Sept.

14, 2021, just 10 days before the start of the season.

It was semi-hectic trying to transition from graduate assistant to head coach in such little time, but Mauron wasn’t alone.

The support of his team and the department helped make his first season as head coach successful.

Reflecting on his first season, there are many great moments that pop into Mauron’s head. Beating Liberty and Iowa State, two big Central States Collegiate Hockey League opponents, on the road were some of his favorite ones. However, Mauron said it was his team that made his first season special.

“Honestly, I have so much fun just showing up to the rink every day with this group of guys,” Mauron said. “They’re really coachable. They want to learn. They’re always working hard and trying their best.”

The team sees something special in him as well. Ohio has extended Mauron’s contract through the 2022-2023 season.

Mauron has seen the many sides of life and hockey. Now that he has the chance to lead Ohio for another season, there’s no telling what he’ll do next.

@MOLLY_BURCHARD8 MB712319@OHIO.EDU

to try it out.

There was only one problem. Mauron did not have a degree in coaching. Being a graduate assistant allowed him to obtain his master’s in coaching education while also getting practical experience.

“I didn’t know there was a possibility to do your studies and get your school paid for and make some money coaching,” Mauron said. “So, (in) my situation, it was a great deal. It all worked out. (Nies) helped

introduce me to some people, and I met Cole Bell, who was the coach here. We had a good relationship, so he hired me. The rest is history.”

From the moment he stepped foot onto campus, Mauron knew Ohio was a right fit for him. He was drawn to the feel of Athens and loved the success of Ohio’s program.

He had seen multiple players go through Ohio and come out with professional contracts. Ohio was everything Mauron wantTHEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

Ohio falls behind early in upset loss to Bowling Green JACK GLECKLER SPORTS EDITOR BOWLING GREEN — Jeff Boals stood in the hall leading toward Ohio’s locker room inside the Stroh Center and tried to stand tall.

The coach felt the weight of Ohio’s past four games weigh on him. Ohio had lost three of those games, and each loss felt more redundant than the last.

The same recurring issues that frustrated Ohio throughout February have bled into March and are pooling up as the Mid-American Conference Tournament draws ever closer. Unsound first halves riddled with inaccurate shooting, slow play and mediocre defense often doom Ohio before it reaches halftime.

Boals has been keen to these shortcomings, and they reached a fever pitch Tuesday when Ohio fell to Bowling Green 80-77, and its hopes of reclaiming first place in the MAC went up in smoke.

“I think if you look at the common denominators, it’s been slow starts,” Boals said. “When you give teams confidence, they’re going to play better. They’re going to play well.”

The Bobcats faltered from the get-go.

A string of missed jumpers in the paint knocked them off balance after tipoff, and the Falcons seized an early lead. Even while Ben Vander Plas pelted Bowling Green with four 3-pointers before halftime, Ohio couldn’t get a leg up. It never established a stable lead, and it never led by more than six points all night.

Vander Plas was the lone bright spot in a dim first half. While the rest of the Bobcats’ shots clanged off the rim, the forward drilled 3s and established a cool command of the floor. The only other Bobcat to break double figures before the break was Mark Sears, but eight of his points came from free throws. None of the other Bobcats scored more than five points before halftime.

The four-point lead Ohio carried into the second half wasn’t built to last. Bowling Green was on a roll. It buried Ohio with a 20-4 run soon after the break and all but set its win in stone. The most Ohio could muster in response was a late scoring run 18 / MARCH 3, 2022

Ohio University guard Mark Sears (1) goes up for a layup while being contested by Bowling Green’s defense in the second half of the game at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green Ohio on March 1st, 2022. (CLAY STARK | FOR THE POST)

that brought it within a point of erasing its deficit.

It wasn’t enough.

“I thought we lost the game probably the first four minutes of the first half and the first five minutes of the second half,” Boals said. “When you give a team confidence, you’re going to be in for a dogfight.”

The Falcons had hovered near the bottom of the MAC for much of the season and seemed to bottom out as the year carried on. Before Tuesday, they’d been on a six-game losing streak and were in danger of losing a slot in the MAC Tournament.

Ohio hadn’t had the same worries. Even for all of its frustrations during the final full month of conference play, it never carried the weight of missing the postseason.

Ohio was playing for better seeding Tuesday. Bowling Green was fighting for its chance to play in the postseason.

“We’ve got to get back to our DNA offensively,” Boals said. “Ball reversals, paint touches, post touches, even defensively ball pressure and disruption. I don’t think we did that on either end.”

Ohio hasn’t been able to find a solution to the problem that has plagued it during the back half of its conference schedule.

Whether it is facing teams in the top half of the rankings or those that are a loss away from missing the postseason, the issues remain. It can’t get ahead in the first half, and it wastes time after the break making up for lost time.

Boals hasn’t lost faith in the Bobcats. He

knows the potential they harbor, but he’s often the first to acknowledge their shortcomings. The Bobcats have exposed their own faults over the past four games, and they need to mend them before they reach the MAC Tournament.

“If we would have won the game, it might have been fool’s gold,” Boals said.

“We’ve got to be better moving forward.”

@THEJACKGLECKLER JG011517@OHIO.EDU

HADDY THE HEBREW

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is improving Europe’s Perception of Jews HADASS GALILI is a junior studying political science pre-law at Ohio University.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made waves over the past week for his courage in the face of the Russian invasion. His effort in joining the combat and his rejection of an offer to evacuate has become the face of the pro-Ukraine movement. Zelenskyy’s “I need ammunition, not a ride” has become a rallying cry, and he has garnered a sort of influencer-esque status online. This has glorified the war and has grown the international support for Ukraine, but Zelenskyy’s bravery has had another interesting effect: It has changed the perception of Jewish people in Eastern Europe.

Jewish people have not enjoyed a lot of popularity in Eastern Europe. The Holocaust was preceded by a long campaign led by the Nazi party to convince the public that Jewish people were an inferior class of human beings. Jews were portrayed as having almost every negative trait under the sun. To the Nazis, Jews were both powerful and power-hungry — conspiring to control governments and invoke crises — as well as spineless and weak, unable to rule themselves or be ruled at all, parasitic, lazy and powerful but, above all, a problem.

In addition to the conspiracies of the Nazis, antisemitic sentiment has continued, pushing Jewish people to emigrate from Eastern Europe. In Ukraine, specifically, the country is

largely seen as being a place that has long-held radical antisemitic beliefs, with Bogdan Chmielniki, a Cossack hetman credited with beginning an uprising for Ukraine’s independence, killing 100,000+ Jewish people in 1648 and Symon Petlyur, supreme commander of Ukraine’s army and the president of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, killing 35,000+ in 1917-21.

Also, around the time of World War I, more than 1,000 pogroms, which are violent riots against Jews, were carried out in the country. Chmielniki, Petlyura and Stepan Bandera, a Nazi collaborator who murdered 40,000 Jews, are all celebrated as heroes in Ukraine to this day.

Clearly, Ukraine has had a long history of antisemitism.

However, the Eastern European nation has one of the lowest rates of antisemitism compared to its other Eastern European neighbors, but this is still compared to the area that it is in, an area of the world with a long and public history of antisemitism.

During this past Hanukkah, three menorahs that were set up by the local Chabad centers were knocked over, and some were tossed in the river. The Jewish communities of Ukraine experience similar incidents like this frequently, incidents that are not necessarily violent, but they are extremely unpleasant. Issues such as swastikas defacing memorials for famous Ukrainian Jews and Holocaust victims are among some of these unpleasant incidents as well, making Ukraine “safe” but not enjoyable for Jewish people to live in.

But President Zelenskyy is changing this narrative that Jews are weak, parasitic and can easily be preyed on.

In response to Putin’s claim that he is participating in the “denazification” of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “How can I be a

Nazi? Explain it to my grandfather, who went through the entire war in the infantry of the Soviet army and died a colonel in an independent Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy lost three great-uncles in the Holocaust as well.

The Ukrainian president has not shied away from embracing his Jewish heritage, and his outrage at Putin’s remarks is just one example.

The Ukrainian president seems to embody the Jewish concept of “kiddush HaShem,” which means that every action that a Jew does is representative of Judaism as a whole.

Zelenskyy is making a kiddush HaShem because of his newfound hero status. In the face of adversity, the proud Jewish president is showing his bravery.

Despite common antisemitic incidents in addition to the long history of murderous antisemitism, Ukraine has a Jewish president. President Zelenskyy has altered the narrative of Ukraine as a victim and has made the country into a beacon of resistance to imperialism.

Ultimately, Zelenskyy’s Jewishness and bravery provides a strong push that will quash Eastern European antisemitism.

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

SORREL’S SIDE QUESTS

For a game that wants you dead, ‘Elden Ring’ is quite pleasant Sorrel Kerr-Jung is a freshman studying games and animation at Ohio University.

Hidetaka Miyazaki’s considerable catalog has garnered a pretty ruthless reputation for its extravagantly high difficulty.

The gaming auteur, who has been responsible for directing most of the studio FromSoftware’s most recognizable games since 2009’s Demon’s Souls, is known for including unfair traps, massive difficulty spikes and unrelenting boss fights in his games. All of that is present in his newest title, Elden Ring, but somehow it all feels very … nice.

Elden Ring is tough as nails. Every boss fight I’ve encountered so far has taken me at least five attempts to beat and usually more. Often, when I stumble across a small group of enemies in the game’s open world and make the arrogant mistake of trying to fight them, I am quickly met with the iconic “You Died” screen and kicked back to the last checkpoint (called, in this game, “Sites of Grace”). Elden Ring wipes the floor with me constantly, yet I never feel like it wants to beat me down.

Unlike some of Miyazaki’s previous titles, Elden Ring is generous with checkpoints. A longstanding mechanic in these games is that, when a player dies, they lose all of their

currency, which they can regain only by returning to the place where they died. In previous games, due to the scarcity of checkpoints, this felt like a dare, as though the game was taunting you into retreading the same enormous length to get your resources back. In Elden Ring, though, you rarely die more than a few seconds away from a Site of Grace, which considerably changes the tone. When I die in Elden Ring, it doesn’t feel like the game is forcing me to do the same grueling challenge as much as it feels like it’s inviting me to dust myself off and try again.

Elden Ring’s world also seems friendlier than those of previous Miyazaki games. NPCs, or non-player characters, are less threatening: some of them will still chuckle ominously, but most of them give helpful tips or even share resources with you. Some of these NPCs can be summoned to help out with fights, and nearly all of them eventually end up in a non-hostile meeting place called the Roundtable Hold. Seeing these characters in an environment without combat gives the player the sense that they’re really forming bonds and relationships and, as scary as the game can be, there are friends in its expansive and challenging world. There’s even an NPC in Roundtable Hold who will literally give the player a hug.

Speaking of friends, Elden Ring also has a rather robust online system that makes it more approachable. Players — either friends or strangers — can visit each other’s games for brief periods of time to help out with particularly challenging

encounters. Players can also leave helpful messages around the world that anyone can read, and while these are usually used for crude sex jokes, they’re frequently genuinely useful or at least funny.

Elden Ring is tough. There’s no getting around it. But it’s also surprisingly inviting and friendly, with a robust online community and a world that’s designed to encourage the player to never despair entirely. Most players will struggle — I certainly have — but if they can overcome that barrier, what’s on the other side is far from mean-spirited. It’s actually quite nice.

Sorrel Kerr-Jung is a freshman studying games and animation at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Sorrel by tweeting her at @gendertoad.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Inexpensive dresses perfect for spring events

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER

MARISSA VENNETTI FOR THE POST With spring on its way and a lot of school organizations holding date parties and events, there’s no better time than now to update and upgrade your wardrobe with some new dresses. Spring is the best time of year to wear plenty of light, bright and pastel colors, flowy dresses, dotted patterns and, of course, a lot of floral. Even if you’ve spent all your money on spring break expenditures, we’ve got you covered. Here are six cute, affordable dresses for spring: QUINN TIE A-LINE DRESS IN YELLOW DOTS Yellow is the color for spring. This dotted, flowy mini dress with an adjustable tie in the front and back from Lucy in the Sky ($48.75) — a site currently having an ongo20 / MARCH 3, 2022

ing storewide sale — comes in the perfect shade of yellow for the season. Since yellow might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this style is available in multiple other colors as well.

SWEET LIKE CANDY RUFFLE MINI DRESS Lavender is by far one of the best spring colors and deserves more appreciation. This V-neck ruffled mini dress from Windsor ($33.90) is in the perfect shade of lavender for spring. If you’re going for a classier look, this dress is definitely for you.

ASOS DESIGN SHIRRED WRAP TIERED SKIRT MAXI DRESS IN MUSTARD FLORAL PRINT With the flowers beginning to bloom once again, there’s no better time to wear floral. This flowy, long-sleeved maxi dress from ASOS ($60) comes in a unique multi-

colored, floral pattern that’s very reminiscent of the 1970s. You could wear this on a slightly chilly or rainy day in the spring given its longer fit.

ELVIA MINI DRESS IN BLUE Is there a better combination for spring than baby blue and floral? This baby blue spaghetti strap mini dress from Princess Polly ($50) has a ruffled center at the bust and is patterned with white flowers and dark blue leaves. It’s the perfect dress for any and every spring occasion.

PETITE PEACH PRINTED WRAP MIDI DRESS Peach is the perfect light color for springtime. This peach-colored midi dress from Missguided ($22) has a V-neckline and a tie at the center. This dress is classy but also super casual. You could wear this if it was chilly or warm outside, and you’d be comfortable both ways.

KAIA WHITE FLORAL SATIN JACQUARD SHIFT DRESS White is such an underrated color for spring — it’s elegant and simple and works for every occasion. This white satin mini dress from Tobi ($54) has a gorgeous floral pattern when you look closely and, as a plus, satin has also been super trendy lately.

@MARISSAVENNETTI MV323920@OHIO.EDU

5 of the best music videos of 2022 so far GRACE KOENNECKE FOR THE POST Plenty of new music has dropped within the first two months of 2022, signaling a trend in accompanying music videos to go along with the release of debut singles.

With interesting visuals and storylines, 2022 has been a year for artists’ creativity to constantly be on full display and prove the significance of their visions.

So far, here are some of the best music videos of the year: “THE JOKER AND THE QUEEN” - ED SHEERAN FT. TAYLOR SWIFT Nine years after their first collaboration, “Everything Has Changed,” Sheeran and Swift surprised fans everywhere with this new duet, serenading one another yet again about the way love can allow for someone to open up to the one they love, even if it is a treacherous and frightening prospect. “The Joker and The Queen” music video puts an emphasis on this theme, showing the evolution of a relationship, ironically the exact same one from their previous music video, and how a bond between two people can withstand even the hardest of challenges.

“SHE’S ALL I WANNA BE” - TATE MCRAE This homage to Chorus Line shows McRae as a struggling dancer trying to fit in among the crowd at an audition, comparing herself to the other girls around her. In a metallic navy blue workout outfit paired with fishnet tights and leg warmers, McRae looks as if she’s actually from the 1980s. With winged eye-liner and a high ponytail, the singer wishes to be the girl that everyone admires and wants to be, giving listeners insight into her insecurities.

“COCONUTS” - KIM PETRAS Petras’ viral Tik Tok anthem finally got the music video listeners had been waiting for, with the exquisite and light-hearted choreography the singer promised to reveal. The video itself shows Petras in an orange corset and a bright blue metallic mini skirt in front of a ‘70s-inspired green screen of flowers, and of course, coconuts.

Her background dancers complete the overall vibe of the video, making viewers

want to bob their heads up and down the whole time as she sings of summer days and warm temperatures.

reography, this is by far one of the most captivating videos to be seen so far this year.

“KING” - FLORENCE + THE MACHINE After the release of High as Hope in 2018, Florence + The Machine is back with the lead single “King,” which seems to be the precursor for a forthcoming album.

The music video dropped Feb. 23 and portrays Florence Welch herself as a healing goddess who is aware of her own faults and past failed relationships. With an exquisite use of colors, symbolism and cho-

“OH MY GOD” - ADELE Of course, Adele had to give us the black and white classic music video look for “Oh My God,” which was a striking track off her recent album 30. In this music video, Adele is seen in what almost looks like a parallel to the video for her smash-hit “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” as she is seen in a similar ballgown and pin-up hairdo.

This may be the singer at her most laid-

back and carefree, as she sways to the beat and stares at her reflection with a smile on her face.

GRACE_KOE GK011320@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender ‘The Van Gogh Affect’ encapsulates the artist’s influence on current-day artists TATE RAUB FOR THE POST

Award-winning photographers Lynn Johnson and Patricia Lanza created the photo exhibition titled “The Van Gogh Affect” that is currently on display at the Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle.

Vincent Van Gogh has long been an influence on artists in every sense of the word. Painters, actors, authors and, in this case, photographers, have felt the impact of his art over 131 years after his death.

Johnson, who received a masters degree from Ohio University in 2004, and Lanza put together the exhibit over the past few years by retracing the steps of not only Van Gogh himself, but also the influence he has had on others.

“A lot of people are attracted to the color photographs, and then other people are attracted to the black and white portraits,” Lisa Quinn, the registrar of the Kennedy Museum, said. “It really has two different elements that people are intrigued by and interested in.”

“The Van Gogh Affect” both analyzes and reasserts the everlasting posthumous influence of Van Gogh on 19th, 20th and 21st century culture and art.

Johnson and Lanza were able to insightfully capture the resounding emotion of Van Gogh’s particularly interesting life experience.

Some of the photos in the exhibit are from a story Johnson did for National Geographic 25 years ago, which was titled “Lullaby in Color.” She described the collection of images as “a meditation on why we, as humans, need creativity in our core — why the art spirit is a life force that can fuel both wonder and addiction.”

Naturally, the photos in the exhibit that were more recently taken by Johnson are black and white portraits of women who currently explore their 22 / MARCH 3, 2022

own creativity in the same gardens and rooms that inspired Van Gogh. Lanza’s photos, which are in color, capture the exterior and interior spaces of the women’s artistic journeys.

“It’s one woman to another that made a connection,” Quinn said. “I do feel like there is a strong connection between the photographer who is a woman and the subjects who are women.”

Johnson’s work is a big part of why staff were inspired to showcase “The Van Gogh Affect” at the Kennedy Museum. She has donated a lot of her work to Alden Library, so it felt like a logical step to showcase her work. The museum staff worked with the library to start a cross-campus conversation that ultimately led to the exhibit finding a temporary home on Ridges Circle.

The exhibit creates a strong bridge between the lives of famous artists who were alive almost 200 years ago and those who are working on their craft in the modern day. In a way, Johnson and Lanza were able to photograph both the legendary artist who has passed on and the current day artist who is trying to create their own legacy. By bringing the history of the past to the present, it keeps the work of past artists alive with modern ones as the vessel to do so.

Paul Nern, a sophomore studying communication studies, understands the significance of Van Gogh’s work and why he is still such a distinguished figure so many years after his death.

Aside from his super famous paintings like “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” the dark nature of some of his self portraits showcase the self-loathing that likely resulted in the removal of his own ear and his suicide.

“Part of why I think he’s great is because of the awareness — at least posthumously — his story has given to people who are creative and artists,” Nern said. “Also being human and having really severe problems along the way.”

People like Josephine Stafford, a sophomore studying interior architecture, have been able to see the exhibit and interpret Johnson and Lanza’s work for themselves.

“I thought it was really neat,” Stafford said. “I just walked through the space and noticed that there’s a bunch of images and they correlated in different

ways. It was a really neat experience.”

The exhibit has been at the Kennedy Museum of Art since Sept. 24 and will be there until March 27. @TATERTOT1310 TR602819@OHIO.EDU

IF YOU GO WHAT: “The Van Gogh Affect” Exhibit WHERE: The Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle WHEN: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. until March 27 ADMISSION: Free

WHAT’S GOING ON? Experience drawing exhibit, watch musical performance

ANASTASIA CARTER SLOT EDITOR FRIDAY, MARCH 4 “Drawn Out: How Artists Break Through Creative Ruts” will be exhibited in room 327 of Seigfred Hall, 20 Church St. This exhibition shares how drawing is used to reinvigorate creative practice and is together by early career art professors from nearby Ohio institutions. A presentation by Kate Hampel of Ohio University will be hosted at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The exhibit will be available until March 13.

Admission: Free Namen Namen, In Flow and Rent Free will be performing at The Union, 18 W. Union St. It’s hosted by Blackout Booking, and doors open at 7 p.m. Jam out with Athens garage rock, punk rock and a band from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Admission: $8 for 21+, $10 for those under 21 SATURDAY, MARCH 5 Athens Farmers Market at 9 a.m., hosted by Athens Farmers Market, 1002 E. State St. Shop for locally grown and locally made foods and goods at the farmers’ market. The market accepts SNAP and credit cards. Masks are recommended, and social distancing protocols are in place.

Admission: Free TVZ Night: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt at 7 p.m., a fundraiser event for WOUB, will be hosted at The Union.

Catch your favorite local artists playing

the music of TVZ. Admission: $8 for 21+, $10 for those under 21 Public Telescope Night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the OU Observatory, 174 Water Tower Drive. The event is dependent on clear weather. Look to the stars and search for lunar craters, planets and distant galaxies.

Admission: Free SUNDAY, MARCH 6 Nevertheless, She Persisted Through Time is open to the public on the fourth floor of Alden Library, 30 Park Place.

Visit this collection put together by students of the Margaret Boyd Scholars Program Freshman Seminar. Explore and address issues around gender, sexuality and society. This exhibit will be on display until March 12.

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

Saturdays 9 am - Noon

Admission: Free Beginners Joy of Movement for Adults begins at 6:30 p.m. at Village Productions, 16 State St., in Amesville, Ohio. Learn to not shy away from dance and explore what you’re able to do. It is recommended to bring water, wear a bandanna or something similar and to wear non-slip shoes or socks.

Admission: $5 suggested donation; email damselfy18@yahoo.com to RSVP

@ACARTER3602 AC732319@OHIO.EDU

FRIDAY NIGHT 6PM: BILL FOLEY

The perfect place to gather ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK! we have 32 Beers on Tap & Don’t Miss Tuesday night trivia.

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Space is limited For more Music, Arts, and Events scan

The Union

LAST DISCO

WITH DJ BARTICUS Thursday, March 3rd Doors open at 8:00

Stuarts Opera House

THE PAJAMA PARTY MURDERS

Put on your pajamas and join Athens Sunrise Rotary for The Pajama Party Murders, an audience participation mystery at Stuart’s Opera House!

Bartholomew T. Cosmo, creator of the world famous Various locations Cosmo Inflatable Neck Pillow, has died. He leaves The need is constant, the behind five family heirs and a need is urgent, sign up and fortune worth millions... or is give today. it billions?

Cosmo’s trusty attorney, Harvey T. Pettibone has been tasked to collect the true heirs with the help from Lola McMartin, the housekeeper.

In order to inherit the Cosmo fortune the heirs must be visit the Red Cross online. prepared to survive the Enter your zip code to search night at Cosmo Manor. But for an available drive. Times for those who do not make availble each week it through the night we scan to schedule your need your help to figure out whodunit! donation

BLOOD DRIVE

Stuarts Opera House

LATE 20TH CENTURY

DANCE PARTY

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

There will be food provided

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

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

ALL PROCEEDS benefit the anti-racism book club.

▼▼EVENT DATE▼▼ Friday, MAR 11th 7 pm- 11 pm

TICKETS & DONATION HERE: linktr.ee/djbfunk $15 Donation and proof of vaccination required to attend

Scan the QR code for details

▼▼EVENT DATE▼▼ Saturday, April 1st 6:30 pm- 10 pm

Dairy Barn Arts Center

OH+5: CONTEMPORARY ART OF OUR REGION The Dairy Barn Arts Center presents OH+5: Contemporary Art of our Region. This exhibition features artwork from 62 artists living in Ohio and the five surrounding states.

Visitors will enjoy a variety of artworks including sculpture, painting, photography, fiber art and mixed-media art.

Through March 13th $7 general / $5 seniors and studnets Members FREE

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