April 6, 2023

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023

On the Diamond

Ohio softball is on a 10-game win streak

Find out the details of the Athens International Film & Video Festival…PG 4

Meet couples who married right after college graduation…PG 7

Your April horoscope…PG 14

‘The Post’ named best collegiate newspaper in Ohio

The people of a publication truly make it what it is. This is no different at The Post. Last week, The Post attended the Ohio News Media and Collegiate Fellowship Day hosted by the Ohio News Media Association, or ONMA. While there, The Post was given a plethora of awards, including the Frank E. Deaner Award for Excellence in Collegiate Journalism Division

A. That award is given to the best collegiate newspaper in the state of Ohio, and it’s all thanks to our people.

Other awards The Post received included fi rst place for Arts and Entertainment coverage by The Post’s Culture staff, fi rst place for Best Multimedia Package by Riley Runnells, third place for Best Website, fi rst place for News Coverage by The Post’s News staff, second place for Photojournalism by Nate Swanson and fi rst place for Photojournalism by Jesse Jarrold-Grapes.

The last time The Post won the Frank E. Deaner Award was in 2020, so we are excited to be the recipient once again and hopefully for years to come. I, Kayla, had the opportunity to receive the award on behalf of The Post, and it was such an exciting moment to be a part of. We are thankful for the opportunity to showcase

our staff’s work and will take any opportunity to appreciate their hard work.

College is a time of growth and fi nding out what you want to do in the future, so winning those awards only reassures us as journalists that we picked the right career. It’s a team effort, and it couldn’t have been done without every individual Postie. For each person or staff recognized and awarded by the ONMA, hundreds of other Posties are putting in the work day in and day out to deliver the best content possible to our audiences.

As editor-in-chief, I, Ryan, am extremely proud to lead such a talented and recognized group of young journalists. By no means am I taking credit for their successes, but I want to point out how rewarding it is to know the students I work with each day have produced content that will go down in Post history. And it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our readers.

The only reason we are here is because of the people who pick up our weekly printed newspaper and interact with our content online. Over the years, The Post has garnered an impressive following on social media and a dedicated readership

on Ohio University’s campus and in the Athens community. Knowing that inspires all of us at the publication to put forth our best, award-winning work.

As this academic year comes to a close, I’m confi dent The Post will be able to bring home the hardware next year, too. We’ve had a lot of interesting and innovative content this year, which puts us in an excellent position moving forward.

In closing, it’s not about the awards The Post wins or the recognition it gets. We do what we do because we love it, and we have a passion for journalistic endeavors of all kinds. And we do it for our readers. It’s still nice, though, to be reminded of our quality of work along the way.

Ryan Maxin is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Want to chat with him? Email Ryan at rm554219@ohio.edu or fi nd him on Twitter at @ryanmaxin.

Kayla Bennett is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the managing editor of The Post. Want to chat with her? Tweet her at @kkayyben.

Editor-in-Chief | Ryan Maxin

Managing Editor | Kayla Bennett

Digital Director | Anastasia Carter

Equity Director | Alesha Davis

EDITORIAL

News Editors | Molly Wilson, Addie Hedges

Asst. News Editor | Maya Morita

Culture Editor | Katie Millard

Asst. Culture Editor | Alyssa Cruz

Sports Editor | Will Cunningham

Asst. Sports Editor | Ashley Beach

Opinion Editor | Tate Raub

Asst. Opinion Editor | Meg Diehl

The Beat Editor | Emma Dollenmayer

Asst. The Beat Editor | Grace Brezine

Projects Editor | Hannah Campbell

Investigative Editor | Alex Imwalle

Copy Chief | Aya Cathey

Slot Editors | Bekah Bostick, Katie Trott, Lydia Colvin, Arielle Lyons

ART

Art Director | Trevor Brighton

Asst. Art Director | Lauren Adams

Director of Photography | Jesse Jarrold-Grapes

Photo Editor | Carrie Legg

DIGITAL

Audience Engagement Editor | Emma Erion

Asst. Audience Engagement Editor | Molly Burchard

Director of Multimedia | Cole Patterson

Asst. Director of Multimedia | Donovan Hunt

BUSINESS

Media Sales | Grace Vannan, Gia Sammons

Director of Student Media | Andrea Lewis

Volume 113, Issue 26

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COVER PHOTO BY JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES

RYAN MAXIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KAYLA BENNETT MANAGING EDITOR

Fire fee bill fails, sponsor attempts to revise it

PAIGE FISHER FOR THE POST

Ohio University’s undergraduate Student Senate failed to pass legislation that would have allowed the Senate to present an optional semesterly fire fee for students to the OU Board of Trustees.

If students opted to pay the semesterly fee, which would be $50, the proceeds would be allocated toward staffing and training resources for the Athens Fire Department, or AFD, as well as fire education for OU students.

The Senate’s primary sponsor of the legislation, Governmental Affairs Commissioner Dan Gordillo, a freshman studying political science and linguistics, presented the bill to the Senate on March 22.

“This optional fire fee bill is an attempt to support the Athens Fire Department through an opt-in opt-out fire fee that nears how the student legal fee is done,” Gordillo said.

Athens Fire Chief Robert Rymer brought the bill’s necessity to Gordillo’s attention.

Rymer has tried implementing legislation supporting a fire fee within the university for almost eight years. Rymer said

he got the original idea from a former Athens City Council member.

“The original idea was not mine, I believe it was Councilman Kent Butler at the time that had brought this idea forward,” Rymer said. “The university said if the students want it … the students have to come to us and say ‘Yes, we want to help the community to help provide more firefighters.’”

Gordillo said he believes the bill would benefit the community and aid in supplementing the current firefighter shortage at the AFD.

“The National Fire Protection Association … states a minimum of 15 firefighters should respond to a two-story house fire within four to eight minutes,” Gordillo said. “Whereas the Athens Fire Department can only respond with four to six firefighters in the same time frame due to extremely low staffing.”

According to a previous Post report, only 23 employees, including the fire chief and administration staff, are employed between the AFD’s two stations, one of which is located on Richland Avenue and the other on Columbus Road in Athens.

“Our staffing has gone up and down, but never to the point that it truly needs

to be (at). Our minimum staffing as of today is four people on duty,” Rymer said.

Following the bill’s failure, Gordillo discussed improvements to the bill with Senate members.

There were grammatical mistakes and repeated lines within the bill that were missed, and the lack of surveying students to get a feeling of how many would be willing to pay the fee was among the critiques Gordillo received.

“Our testimonies were just not powerful and coordinated enough,” Gordillo said. “Senate requires us to give a short little speech if you’re a primary or secondary sponsor, so they are powerful rhetorical tools, and maybe we underutilized that.”

Rees Morris, a freshman studying political science, is a senator on the Minority Affairs Commission in the Senate.

After asking for other students’ opinions on the bill and finding out that very few supported it or would not be willing to pay the fee that came with it, Morris said he could not support it.

“If (students) are just going to waive it anyway, and the affiliate fees are just there and the fire department’s not even getting the funding they want, it’s not advantageous for them either if they’re not

going to end up with the funding that they really wanted,” Morris said.

Morris said he voted against the legislation due to the amount of money students would have to pay under the bill.

“I just couldn’t in good conscience support it because of the financial burden on students like me personally,” Morris said. “I have tuition still left over after my loans and after my scholarships, everything, and a lot of it is fees and I wouldn’t want that (fee).”

Rymer said he is confident that once students are educated about the need for AFD firefighters, they will want to give back to the community through the fee.

“If it’s involved with a new Senate next year, then I’ll be back next year, provide the education and see what we can do,” Rymer said. “It would not only help just the Athens Fire Department but the surrounding community.”

Gordillo said the revised version of the bill might be presented to the Senate again prior to or at its last general body meeting on April 26. @PAIGEMAFISHER

Athens International Film & Video Festival returns for 50th year

demonstrates similar elements within the films, they still may vary in differing execution, Mohammad Younus Nomani, a second-year MFA student in graphic design and in charge of the festival’s program layout, wrote in an email.

“I think these categories add so much value and interesting element in helping us wonder what kind of film we may see if we decide to give a time of our day to watch them,” Nomani wrote in an email.

Soheil Goharipour, a second-year MFA student, had his short film, “Solar Eclipse,” shown at the 49th annual festival. Goharipour was the director of photography for the film and he said it was great to have the film shown at the festival because of its high competitiveness.

“There are other filmmakers who you can watch their film and you can talk about your feelings,” Goharipour said. “It’s a great experience. I think you only have these kinds of conversations with filmmakers and artists in these kinds of festivals. That’s a real great opportunity for me to discuss further on my experience.”

MADALYN BLAIR FOR THE POST

The 50th annual Athens International Film and Video Festival will take place from April 10 to April 16, showcasing an array of experimental films for unrepresented artists on a global level.

Since the first festival in 1973, artists in the documentary, experimental, narrative and animation categories have entered their work to be reviewed by guest jurors to win a cash prize. Artists around the world are encouraged to enter their work into the competition.

David Colagiovanni, associate professor of film and director of the festival, said there are around 260 films from over 60 countries competing in the festival. A pre-screening committee selected the films from over 2,100 entries.

The festival will kickstart at 1 p.m. on April 10, and showings will run all day until 9:15 p.m. The films will be shown at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., and all Ohio University student tickets will be free of charge while quantities last, and adult prices will vary between $5 and $6.50 for individual screenings, as well as $50 for all you can watch passes.

To celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary, there will be an outdoor screening of adult-themed animated short films on Fri -

day, April 15, at 9 p.m. All of Court Street will be shut down, with the screen facing toward the Athena Cinema. Chairs will be set up and provided, Colagiovanni said.

The festival has a budget of $100,000 and it typically doesn’t exceed that amount due to sponsors, merchandise and ticket sales and an entry fee that artists pay, Colagiovanni said. He said there is a hospitality program set up for the artists with the help of some sponsors to give food for lunch, too. Big sponsorships like Jackie O’s and Braddock Films and Kleinpenny Rentals have played a big role in helping fund the festival to get the outdoor screening, Colagiovanni said.

Brian MacNeel, an OU film school alum, will have his third film, “Weekend in Brazil,” shown at the festival. Macneel’s short film will be played under the “Fountain of Youth” block on April 12 at 3:15 p.m. The film is mostly driven by the setting, not the plot, and its imagery to immerse the viewers, MacNeel wrote in an email.

“AIFVF has always been a hub for films that don’t fit into the mainstream, and I am thrilled to be premiering “Weekend in Brazil” at the fest,” MacNeel wrote in an email.

Over the weeklong festival, there will be various themed blocks for each day the films are shown, representing the similar styles, categories and genres those films have in common. Though the block

Josh Vieth, a Ph.D. student studying interdisciplinary arts and the co-assistant programmer for the festival, said since moving toward pre-pandemic, he hopes the festival can bring the community of Athens together. Vieth also encourages all students to come to the festival because there is bound to be something for everyone.

“Just the chance to make it hopefully as big of an event as it’s ever been,” Vieth said. “Getting students involved in watching films, getting people to the community, or even outside of Athens, a lot of people have family coming in to attend and participate. So making it into a big celebration for the past century, this was a milestone for a film festival.”

A big part of programming the festival is pre-screening the films and deciding which films get placed in the festival, Terra Talamh, a Ph.D. student studying interdisciplinary arts and the co-assistant programmer, said. Colagiovanni teaches a practicum course to undergraduate and graduate students related to the film festival. They watch the films and decide what gets through as a group, Talamh said.

“I know we’re a little bit ahead of schedule this year,” Talamh said. “It’s kind of nice to be feeling kind of ready two weeks out. I mean, there’s still a lot to do but feeling more ready and less running around last minute.”

Melissa Haviland, area chair, professor of printmaking and co-creator of the festi-

val’s printmaking, anticipates a high turnout rate of participants to come to the weeklong festival.

“Last year we ended up being heavily attended, and what I think having that it felt like a really fun ramping up to the 50th,” Haviland said. “I assume it will be very heavily attended. Now we have sort of a word of mouth. I think that’s really productive.”

Kat Fraizer, a sophomore studying film and one of the people in charge of social media for the festival, said the festival’s presence on social media has helped promote the event. She said the goal is to attract as many people as possible by displaying the festival on varying platforms for all generations.

Jaquelee Chit Yu Chao, a second-year MFA printmaking student and co-creator of the festival’s printmaking, said many people play roles in the production of the film festival that will all come together at the end.

“I think it’s just recognizing the pieces,” Chao said. “’Oh, yeah, this person was really good at that. This person was involved in that process,’ and kind of being able to place (and) know a little bit of the behind the scenes and be able to see it all together, and just recognizing the small stuff coming together it’s really cool.”

Another new addition to the festival for its 50th anniversary is its 50 different-looking dogs as its logo, Vieth said. Dogs have been implemented in the festival for years, and Vieth said it might be because dogs demonstrate an inviting nature within them.

“They’re all different styles,” Vieth said. “They’re all weird. They’re all strange. All the dogs are doing something odd. In a way, that kind of represents our festival I think, strange, odd, different styles, and it kind of works perfectly.”

The film festival allows creators to display their art on a big screen to be shown to a large audience and there may be only a few other places that would show such films, Vieth said.

“Just knowing that there is an audience out there, what we do, what we’re making, as a purpose for people who want to see the films we make as weird as they may be, as different as they may be,” Vieth said. “That’s certainly gratifying I think for for all the students who are going to get a chance to see their films on the big screen.”

The Athena Cinema located on Court Street on March 21, 2023, in Athens. The theater is hosting the Athens International Film & Video Festival in April.

(

MEGAN VAN VLACK | FOR THE POST)

Barbie is taken out of ‘Barbie World’ in upcoming movie

MCKENNA CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER

Maybe life in plastic is not as fantastic as “Barbie Girl” by Aqua originally claims. The upcoming live-action “Barbie” film, directed by Greta Gerwig, may reveal the harsh reality of living in a “perfect” world with “perfect” peers.

The PG-13-rated film is set to be released on July 21 and will tell the story of how Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, is kicked out of Barbieland for her imperfections. After Barbie’s expulsion from Barbieland, she embarks on an adventure to the real world in search of a happier life.

The Barbie doll, which debuted in 1959, had a blonde ponytail and wore a black and white striped bathing suit. Barbie’s creation is credited to Ruth Handler, the first president and co-founder of Mattel, Inc.– the toy company that manufactures Barbie.

Handler recognized the limited toy options her daughter had to play with, according to Barbie Media, and was then inspired “to create a doll that showed girls they had choices” and “that they could be anything.”

Throughout the years, Barbie has wit-

nessed major historical events and has had many careers – the first being her time as an astronaut. Barbie became an astronaut four years before anyone landed on the moon, according to Barbie Media, which means the history books need some updating.

Barbie has also starred in 41 movies. The first Barbie movie was “Barbie in the Nutcracker” (2001) and “Barbie: Mermaid Power” (2022) is the most recent. Some students at Ohio University remember growing up with Barbie movies and dolls.

Hannah Scholes, a freshman studying nursing, said, “Barbie and the Diamond Castle” (2008) was always one of her favorites.

“I heard a rumor that they were going to put them on Netflix,” Scholes said. “I don’t know when it’s happening. I don’t know if it’s true.”

Netflix currently has some of the newer Barbie movies and TV series. If the older ones were to be put on Netflix, Sienna Podraski, a freshman studying marketing, said it would be a “good strategy” before a new one gets released. “The Hunger Games” film series was put on Netflix as people anticipate the series’ prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” release on Nov. 17. Af-

ter putting the original movies on Netflix on March 1, the service has already taken them off.

While some people are looking forward to the live-action “Barbie,” the doll’s past has been “the subject of protests, usually because of her unachievable figure,” according to Time Magazine, but the company has also evolved.

“There was just one Barbie and her friend was still white,” Scholes said. “I think there was a Black (Barbie) in the show, she’s still skinny.”

In 1968, Barbie released Christie – the first Black doll. Christie had a ‘60s hairstyle and wore a mod-inspired swimsuit, according to Barbie Media. Until the 1980s, non-white dolls were not named “Barbie.” During that decade, the first Black and Hispanic dolls became known as Barbie.

On Barbie’s website today, the company listed that they have dolls of 35 skin tones, 97 hairstyles, nine body types “and counting.”

Barbie’s boyfriend, Kenneth Sean Carson, known as Ken, was first introduced in 1961. In the live-action “Barbie,” Ken is played by Ryan Gosling. Some other members of the star-studded cast include Emma Mackey, who plays a Nobel-prize-winning Barbie, Dua

Lipa, a Barbie mermaid, Issa Rae, the president Barbie, Kate McKinnon, the Barbie always in the splits and Nicola Coughlan, a diplomatic Barbie.

Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa play some of the other “Kens” in the movie, and Ken’s best friend, Allan, is played by Michael Cera. Will Ferrell will play the CEO of Mattel Inc. Anna Skapoulas, a junior studying anthropology, criminology and forensic studies, said the film could be more of a comedy with actors such as Cera.

“I think it’ll be really funny if (Cera’s) in it,” Skapoulas said. “They’re making it funny.”

The production and directing of the new movie are important to people such as Podraski. Gerwig has been responsible for women-centered movies in the past, having directed the seventh “Little Women” adaptation in 2019. Handler created Barbie to empower young girls, and a women director for the live-action movie may carry on that role.

“I think if a man directed that movie, it would be way different,” Podraski said. “It would be so different.”

College seniors discuss marriage proposals, engagements, wedding plans

ABREANNA BLOSE FOR THE POST

As seniors get ready to turn tassels and receive diplomas, there are difficult decisions to be made– from accepting a job offer to finding a place to live. However, some lovebirds have already made the most important decision of their lives: whom they plan to marry. These engaged college students are graduating with a cap, gown and a ring this spring.

According to the Wedding Report, there are expected to be 2.24 million weddings this year alone. However, the average age of marriage in America has steadily increased since 1998, making the median age about 29 years old. Students who choose to get married during or shortly after college have become counter-cultural.

Kylie Duncan, a senior studying social work, met Cole Kinker in middle school. The couple dated on and off until high school, eventually parting ways. Eventually, they crossed paths again at Ohio University.

“We saw each other on Welcome Weekend and started hanging out,” said Duncan. “And then now, we’re here, engaged.”

About two years ago, while on a date with Kinker, Duncan walked to Emeriti Park. There, she was met with friends and family. Each person held a rose, leading to a romantic marriage proposal from Kinker.

“I saw my friends and family and the videographer. I was like, ‘okay, this is happening,’” said Duncan.

The couple’s wedding date is set for April 22, just two weeks before Duncan’s graduation date.

Between financial strain and balancing school work, Duncan explained that planning a wedding as a student can be challenging.

“There’s a lot of boundaries that you have to put up with wedding planning,” said Duncan. “Putting yourself first and making it all about you is the most important thing.”

Grace Kessler, a senior studying wildlife and conservation biology, met her fiancé Luke Vannest in sixth grade and began dating in high school. Now, they both attend Ohio University and have been together for five years. Kessler explained that being in a long-term relationship throughout school has provided a positive but atypical college experience.

“I definitely saw how my college experience was probably really different from

other people who weren’t in a long-term relationship at the start of college,” said Kessler. “I think it has given me a lot of stability, and it’s really guided my life a lot more than I thought it would.”

Kessler and Vannest are both seniors, making major life decisions while considering their “other halves.” They both decided they wanted to live close to their families.

“I think that decision can be a lot harder when you’re both from different places,” said Kessler

Vannest proposed to Kessler in February 2023.

“We’re both really casual, laid-back people,” said Kessler. “It was just over dinner he proposed, and he had written it in a card actually, because he told me he wouldn’t be able to get the words out otherwise, so it was really sweet.”

Although they do not have a date yet, the pair hopes to marry in June 2024.

Jessalyn Cruz, a senior studying fashion design at Kent State, met Grant Rawlins in August 2020 through the H2O Church organization. In February 2021, the two finally made it official.

On July 23, 2022, Rawlins gathered friends at a local park, gave a speech, and bent down to ‘tie his shoe.’ Once down on one knee, he asked Cruz to marry him.

“It was just really simple and cute and intentional,” said Cruz.

The couple plans to be married exactly one year after their engagement– July 23.

Cruz is from Toledo, while Rawlins is from Cincinnati. The two decided on a wedding venue in between both locations to accommodate traveling family and friends.

“The in-person appointments have been the most challenging,” said Cruz. “Like these past couple of weeks, I’ve had to come back home for dress alterations and dessert testing.”

Despite any stress she may face, Cruz explained the importance of enjoying every little moment of her engagement and not worrying about what others have to say.

“Everyone’s going to insert their opinion– whether we’re too young to get married, whether we have too long of an engagement,” said Cruz. “At the end of the day, you just have to do what’s best for you and your partner. And I think that’s the most important thing.”

Grace Kessler, a senior studying enviromental conservation, poses with her fiancé, Luke , a senior studying mechanical engineering, by the cherry blossoms on April 4, 2023. (ZOE CRANFILL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Greener on the other side

LIZ PARTSCH FOR THE POST

From its efforts toward diversifying wildlife in the area, adopting electric scooters around town and creating a lucrative composting system as highlighted in The Washington Post, Ohio University displays a clear prioritization of sustainability on campus.

However, some students and faculty think OU could widen its sustainability approach with a Green Fee: a designated funding stream attached to tuition that provides a revolving fund to finance sustainability projects on campus.

Caden Hibbs, a sophomore studying economics and the environmental affairs commissioner on the Student Senate, is a major proponent for the initiative. Since arriving on campus, Hibbs has been trying to push a Green Fee at OU through his role in the Student Senate and involvement with the Office of Sustainability at OU.

“That money would go towards sustainability initiatives on campus,” Hibbs said. “Overall, it would really be able to provide more interactive activities for students (to) really engage with sustainability on campus.”

One of the biggest reasons a Green Fee is important is because of the lack of funding for sustainability projects at OU, Hibbs said. The Office of Sustainability has zero funding in its budget for sustainability projects on campus.

However, Hibbs is not the first person who has attempted to add a Green Fee.

Back in time

Kirsteena Blazer, OU alumni and current sustainability coordinator at Oklahoma State University, first proposed a Green Fee to the Ohio University Board of Regions back in 2016.

As a former graduate assistant at the Office of Sustainability, Blazer contributed to numerous sustainability initiatives at OU, implementing special projects such as waste management, food waste recycling and landscaping.

However, Blazer, like many other environmental study students, felt limited when it came to producing projects.

“At the time, the issue was that the Office of Sustainability had limited funding, and the funding that we did have was already spoken for,” Blazer said. “A lot of the projects that we wanted to do, like creating a standardized recycling bin for all of campus, we would either have to apply for grant money or wait multiple years to when our budget allowed for it.”

Blazer said grants were not helpful because of the long time it would take to acquire the money. She said if a student wanted to apply for a grant, they had to convince a permanent employee in the Office of Sustainability to apply, as the students would have limited time on campus.

“By the time I applied for it and the funds

were released to me, I would have already been gone; I would have graduated,” Blazer said. “It’s usually about a two to three year period of time from application to (the) release of funds for something like a grant.”

In an effort to acquire funding more easily, the idea of a Green Fee was born, acting as a revolving fund to finance sustainability efforts on campus.

Blazer envisioned the green fee working in one of two ways. In one scenario, a committee would hold a public meeting where students propose projects and the committee votes on which one to finance. In the second case, students would apply for a select amount of money for their project to be financed. This way, she predicted the green fee would fund three to five projects every year.

Despite both graduate and undergraduate Student Senates’ supporting the fee, when it came to getting the Board of Regions to vote on it, it came to a standstill.

Blazer said the Board was extremely hesitant in adding an additional fee, as they had already faced a lot of pushback from already existing fees and were in the process of increasing tuition prices.

To ease the Board’s concerns, Blazer proposed the opt-in, opt-out Green Fee, which would give students a choice to buy into funding sustainability projects, similar to waivable fees such as OU’s student legal service fee or the student health insurance fee. She envisioned an optional $5 fee every semester, which, based on the student population at the time, would produce $50,000 to $100,000 a year if faculty and staff also contributed.

However, the Board of regions was still hesitant about the fee.

“Even if it was optional, they didn’t like the word ‘fee’ associated with it,” Blazer said. “We did try and change it to ‘Green Fund’ which was a bit more I think palatable for them because it’s not then having the negative connotation that fee would have with it, but it sort of just ended there.”

At Oklahoma State University, there is something called a “Green Student Initiative,” which is essentially a Green Fee funded by the vice president of the research office, Blazer said.

The Green Student Initiative sets aside $40,000 every year for student-funded projects. The way it works is that students apply

for the funding with a project proposal and itemized budget and give a presentation in front of the Sustainability Board; the Board then votes on whether or not to fund the project.

In recent years, Blazer said the initiative funded projects such as the Greenhouse Learning Center, a soil sterilizer that develops a closed loop system to reuse soil, a biodiversity garden and a pocket prairie, a former piece of land damaged by pesticide and fertilizer use that now acts as a butterfly and bee habitat.

Blazer said the green student initiative at Oklahoma State supports both student sustainability projects and education.

“We want to give students the professional development experience of having to apply for something like a grant, put together a project proposal with an itemized budget and then give a presentation to a formalized committee,” Blazer said. “It sort of serves dual purposes.”

Other universities

In recent years, colleges across the country have implemented Green Fees or Green adjacent funds to finance sustainability projects and make their campuses more environmentally friendly.

One of those campuses is Miami University, one of OU’s next-door neighbors.

Jules Jefferson, a junior studying biochemistry, nutrition and environmental science at Miami University and the president of the Student Sustainability Council said a majority of financing for green initiatives on campus comes from Associated Student Government funding.

Jefferson mentioned several different sustainability initiatives at Miami including solar panels achieved through Engineers Without Border and “trash audits,” for residential halls, in which students go through trash to see what could’ve been recycled.

Most importantly, Miami is one of the only universities in the country to transition completely to geothermal energy.

Miami estimates by 2026, 43 buildings on campus will be powered by geothermal energy, accounting for 39% of Miami’s on-campus facilities. After transitioning to less carbon-intensive power in 2008, their total energy use decreased by 39% when measured again in 2019, and they project in the future geothermal energy will reduce water usage by 43%.

Alongside Miami, another OU neighbor, Dayton University, has also successfully implemented a “Green Revolving Fund” to support student sustainability projects on campus through an open application process, according to the university website.

Outside of Ohio, other universities throughout the country have taken initiatives to fund sustainability efforts on campus through means such as green fees or sustainability funds.

In the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges 2023 report, 7 out of the top 10 most

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TREVOR BRIGHTON

green colleges in the United States advertise either a Green Fee implemented or a sustainability revolving fund established to finance sustainability efforts.

OU at a glance

Currently, OU’s Office of Sustainability has no sustainability fund established.

Its current budget in the 2023 fiscal year is $270,511.18, 95-96% of which goes toward salaries for its 12-14 positions: including the director, associate director, three faculty affiliates, three graduate students and four to six undergraduate students, Samantha Pelham, OU media relations specialist, said.

The remaining 4-5% of the budget goes toward membership renewals for sustainability commitments, recognitions, databases and professional organizations (2%) as well as various supplies, sponsorships, awards and training (2.5%).

The 2.5% of various supplies funds annual events and awards such as the Sustainability Film Series at the Athena Cinema, student sustainability awards at the OHIO Student EXPO and Earth Day events, Pelham said.

Since 2021, the Office of Sustainability’s budget has increased from $261,397.89 in 2021 to the current budget of $270,511.18.

Despite the increase of roughly $9,113 in the budget, the Office of Sustainability still has yet to establish a revolving fund.

However, the 2021 OHIO Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Goals List states the department’s hope to “Create funding mechanisms for sustainability initiatives outside of General Funds.” It also lists creating a sustainability revolving loan fund as a potential strategy to accomplish its funding goals.

Sam Crowl, associate director of the Office of Sustainability, said Elaine Goetz, the director of energy management and sustainability, has been looking at rebate programs through some of OU’s gas and electric utilities, which could provide funding to establish a revolving fund.

Crowl said savings created from the ECO Impact Challenge, an annual student-run challenge to implement cost-efficient sustainability projects on campus, could eventually be used to support a revolving fund.

However, without a Green Fee or sustainability revolving fund, the current method

for students to propose sustainability projects at OU is through a project initiation form, or PIF.

After a student or faculty member fills out a PIF, OU’s Work Coordination Committee either approves or denies the project. However, once a proposal gets approved, funding has to be found for the project.

For example, one winning ECO Impact Challenge project focused on upgrading the Convocation Center’s outdoor lighting to LEDs which could, over time, be more sustainable and cost-effective. The project was granted funding through a PIF, Crowl said. However, the project was only allocated funding years later when a PIF was put in to renovate the Convocation Center.

“They decided at that time it makes sense to go ahead and change those fixtures to LEDs based on the students’ model,” Crowl said. “There isn’t a pool of money unless somebody within a department has that money and wants to do the project.”

Lily Schaefer, a junior studying environmental studies, is currently enrolled in Crowl’s sustainability implementation course and working on a project of her own. Her project entails establishing a pollinator garden on campus by Bingham House, a historic log cabin at OU home to the Office of Sustainability.

After OU became a Bee Campus USA in 2021, a recognition given to colleges who support pollination conservation, Crowl feels this is the perfect project to encourage biodiversity on campus.

However, like individual projects outside of classes, there is still no pool of money for students to utilize for funding, so Schaefer is struggling to weigh her options.

Already, she has looked into applying for grant funding at the Honors Tutorial College through the dean’s funding. The funding distributes $50,000 annually to a plethora of students who apply, and alumni provide the money.

Despite the dean’s funding being a potential source of financial support, it has no sustainability affiliation and can be granted to any genre of project. Nevertheless, Schaefer said she felt as if the fund was her only available option on campus, and she worries about what would happen if she is not lucky

enough to acquire the funding.

Schaefer looked into other grant funding, but all of the deadlines were in March. Even if she had applied by the deadline, she explained they don’t refund you for the money you already spent on the project, and the money wouldn’t come through until the end of the semester in May — when her project would already need to be done.

With all her efforts nearly exhausted, Schaefer concluded she may have to fund the project on her own. She equates her problems to a lack of accessible resources for students who want to implement projects independently and not through organizations on campus.

“I loved the idea of this project,” Schaefer said. “I’m just starting to fall back a little because it’s hard to do it on my own. I think the university has great sustainability options, and we’re working toward a better future, but there’s just that student aspect that’s lacking.”

Next steps

Hibbs’ next steps toward implementing a Green Fee are focused on student involvement. At the moment, he is working on creating a survey for students to fill out in an effort to gauge how students on campus would feel about the fee.

“The overall goal is going to be to take that data, and if it’s favorable, use that in an argument to support a recommendation to bring a Green Fee to OU as a revolving sustainability fund,” Hibbs said.

Despite all the positives a Green Fee would bring, Hibbs said he is cognizant that some students may

have concerns about raising tuition costs. However, his idea of a Green Fee accommodates those concerns.

“A big thing you have to look at is the optin or opt-out plan,” Hibbs said. “It allows students to decide whether or not they want to pay for this. It’s not just a cost that’s going to be pushed on to students without their consent. They have a decision, they have a say in this.”

As Hibbs continues his fight for a Green Fee at OU, for now, it seems Schaefer and other students will need to rely on restrictive grant money, PIFs or their own bank account to fund sustainability projects on campus.

Moving forward, Crowl said the Office of Sustainability is comfortable utilizing the budget they currently have and funding projects in the small way they can, but they will always accept more to do more.

“What department wouldn’t say that they would like to see more money being used for sustainability,” Crowl said. “I’m not going to say that we wouldn’t be able to utilize additional money, but we are very happy with the way we can support our students and support sustainability on campus.”

Ohio pulls out thrilling extra-inning victory over Ohio State, wins 10th straight

MARC GOLDSTEIN FOR THE POST

In one of its most entertaining games of the season, Ohio was able to best its in-state rival, Ohio State, to pick up a 1-0 victory on the road. The game was a pitcher’s duel throughout the nine innings of play, and in the end, Ohio also picked up its first win over Ohio State since 2018 and the third since 2012.

The game was the Skipp Miller show from the start. She went all nine innings, allowing just eight hits and three walks in that time.

Miller’s dominance should come as no surprise, as she has thrown a complete game in six of her last seven starts. After a shaky stretch in the middle of the nonconference slate, Miller has found a different groove. After not playing at all in 2022 due to injury, Miller has cemented herself as a future ace for Ohio, taking the reins from Coffelt, a graduate student in her final year of eligibility.

For as good as Miller was, Ohio State’s Allison Smith was just as dominant. Smith struggled with command, surrendering eight walks, but did enough to keep Ohio’s batters off balance.

Although the first inning did not yield a run, a pair of walks perhaps gave the Bobcats confidence, as Miller weathered two hits by the Buckeyes to escape with a scoreless inning. The game wore on to the fourth inning when Ohio loaded the bases with no outs, but two pop ups and a lineout ended the scoring threat.

As Miller kept mowing down Ohio State without giving up many scoring opportunities, Ohio attempted to break the scoreless tie. In the eighth inning, Ohio loaded the bases again, hoping to reward Miller for keeping the game scoreless. However, Smith wiggled out of the jam again.

In the bottom half of the frame, Ohio State looked like it would make Ohio pay for the wasted opportunity as it led off the inning with a double and eventually moved the runner to third with one out. Miller only picked up four strikeouts on the night but induced the biggest one when it mattered to get the second out of the inning before eventually stranding the runner.

Ohio made it a mission to make Ohio State pay for its wasted scoring chance as Belle Hummel led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by MAC Player of the Week Yasmine Logan. Annalia Paoli subsequently hit an infield single, bringing Alexis Dawe to the plate. Dawe drove in Hummel to score the first run of the game. Ohio would continue to threaten as it loaded the bases, but an umpire injury delayed the

game and Ohio was unable to add any more runs. Miller then skirted around some trouble after walking two batters in the bottom of the ninth to retire the side and give Ohio the victory.

Not only did Ohio compete and prove it belonged on the same field as Ohio State, it outplayed its opponent in almost every statistical category. Ohio was threatening to score in virtually every frame, stranding 15 runners. As the game wore on, there was a growing sense that Ohio could come away with the win.

For Jenna Hall, in her first year at the helm for Ohio, this win is massive. Not only did Ohio prove to itself that it can beat any team at any venue, but it validated the feeling that this team is going to make some noise as the season goes on, in both MAC play and possibly beyond. @MBGOLDSTEIN1107

Junior Sydney Grein (33) makes contact with the ball at a game against Ball State on April 2, 2023, in Athens. (MEGAN VANVLACK | FOR THE POST)

Skipp Miller’s resiliency makes her one of Ohio’s best

BOBBY GORBETT FOR THE POST

On a lazy afternoon when Ohio pitcher Skipp Miller isn’t striking out opponents on the diamond, she can be found hanging out with friends, watching movies or crocheting. Most people, including Miller’s teammates, would only expect the elderly to pass their time creating textiles with hooks, but Miller has made an impressive career out of defying expectations.

Miller was one of only 259 students enrolled at Bradford High School in Bradford, Ohio, but she was unique. From an early age, Miller has only known competing at the highest level. Even in the days of specializing in a specific sport, Miller couldn’t resist playing in four varsity sports a year.

“I just couldn’t sit around and do nothing,” Miller said. “I feel like playing multiple sports helped with my athleticism.”

In her freshman year with the Railroaders, Miller blew the competition away. She had an ERA of 0.70, threw for 303 strikeouts, and had a record of 23-2. Miller was her conference’s player of the year and finished First-Team All-State.

However, Miller didn’t have the opportunity to back up perhaps the best season in Bradford softball history. She tore her ACL playing basketball in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic robbed Miller of her junior season. Her senior season was the first time she pitched for Bradford in three years. Miller’s senior season was worth the wait, though. She led Bradford High to its first state championship in any sport in school history.

After her historic senior season, Miller committed to Ohio. Unfortunately, Miller faced another severe injury, which meant she couldn’t play at all during her freshman season. Having only played for her school team in one of her last four seasons, it was difficult for Miller not to be discouraged.

“I was hard on myself mentally because I felt like I could be out there even though I couldn’t,” Miller said. “ But I was sitting out for a reason, to get better.”

Miller’s resiliency through the recovery process enabled her to get better quickly and be prepared for the 2023 season. A year that probably wasn’t what she’d hoped it would be improved when she received the news that her younger sister, Austy, was joining the team.

“I love (that she’s on the team),” Miller said. “It’s so much fun, we’re roommates too, so it’s a double whammy.”

Despite a tremendous jump in competition from a school as small as Bradford to Division I softball, Miller looked like a

seasoned pro rather than a pitcher making her first start as a Bobcat in the early part of the season. Miller didn’t allow an earned run in her first seven innings pitched and recorded her first complete-game shutout in her fourth start.

Miller had her first bad outing against Miami when she gave up seven runs in two innings in an ugly 14-1 loss, but she quickly bounced back with three-straight complete games. And as Miller bounced back from the ugly loss, so did the team. Miller’s dominant pitching performances against Bowling Green and Akron were a key part of Ohio’s then six-game winning streak.

Coming back home, the Bobcats continued their winning ways behind a high-octane offense and more solid pitching from Miller. When the Bobcats’ offense slowed down in the third game of the series against Ball State, Miller saved the day, only giving up two runs in another complete game.

Ohio’s winning streak was up to nine,

but its next game at Ohio State was its toughest test in months. From the first pitch, Ohio State’s pitching was as good as advertised; Ohio didn’t record a hit through the first three innings.

The Bobcats needed her more than ever, and Miller delivered every single inning. In the second and third innings, Miller bobbed and weaved with Buckeyes in scoring position to keep the game tied at zero. Buckeye pitcher Allison Smith continued to match Miller with zeros, and when the Bobcats still failed to break through in the sixth and seventh inning, Miller sent the game to extras after retiring three straight Buckeyes.

The Bobcats couldn’t capitalize in the eighth inning with bases loaded, and the winning streak looked like it was coming to an end when the Buckeyes had a runner on third and only one out in the bottom of the eighth. Miller came through with a game-saving strikeout and retired the next Buckeye batter to send the game into the ninth.

The Bobcats finally scored the game’s first run, meaning Miller had a chance to win it with a scoreless ninth inning. Miller didn’t make it easy for herself, though, when she walked the lead-off hitter. To fix the mistake, Miller forced two straight Buckeyes into weak contact, resulting in two straight outs. An out away from one of the greatest single-game pitching performances in Ohio softball history, Miller calmly forced Ohio State hitter Kaitlyn Farley to line out, winning the game for the Bobcats 1-0.

Nobody would have expected the Bobcats to beat the Buckeyes without scoring a run until the ninth inning. Still, as she showed in Bradford High’s first State Championship, Miller doesn’t care about anyone’s expectations. She will do her own thing and throw gems while doing it.

Ohio’s Skipp Miller pitches against Ball State on Friday, March 31, 2023. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Don't doubt Dillon Masters

ROBERT KEEGAN III FOR THE POST

Dillon Masters has proven himself to be a trusted reliever out of Ohio's bullpen; however, it took some time for him to earn that trust. As a transfer who had limited innings over the past few years, Masters was a risk. However, it was one Ohio is glad it took.

The sophomore from New Albany, Ohio, had to overcome an uphill mental battle with an injury that kept him from exploring his full potential in high school. However, after a few tries, Masters found himself a spot in Ohio's bullpen.

"My junior year (of high school) I was only throwing 72 mph, it was a big jump from 72-90 in two years," Masters said.

Masters could not play his senior year of high school baseball due to an ACL tear he endured while playing basketball. Nothing was worse for Masters than the feeling of being unable to play his final season with his teammates.

The rehab process took a mental toll on Masters' trust in his own ability to return to the game. But through it all, he overcame the injury and returned to the diamond a year later.

"Mentally, you can't land on your leg through rehab and that was tough," Masters said. "It was quite the wake-up call."

The second wake-up call for Masters was that he needed to take a prep year. He wasn't quite ready for Division I baseball, so he packed his bags for the Inspiration Academy in Florida. The lefty took a prep year at Inspiration Academy, where he worked to improve his pitches to get onto a Division I team.

Masters began his collegiate career at Murray State, where he saw five innings of work during his freshman year. He was still unsatisfied with where he was at in his career and looked to pitch at a higher level. Masters wanted to test the waters again and see what else was out there.

"Out of high school I was (throwing) 82-84 (mph). I felt like I hadn't reached my peak potential yet," Masters said. "I jumped up to 90 that year, so I felt like I was betting on myself once again."

After his season at Murray State, Masters took the field with the Lima Locos of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate

League. With the Locos, Masters put up a 5.55 ERA through 35 and ⅔ innings pitched, where the lefty struck out 36 batters.

"I had to play summer ball. I was in the transfer portal and then I had to pitch my way (to Ohio) and just put faith in myself and bet on myself," Masters said.

Masters' stint with the Locos was successful, and it caught the attention of the Ohio staff. They wanted to see what the lefty was all about. On July 1, 2022, Masters announced he was headed to Ohio.

"Nobody had ever taken a chance on me like that before," Masters said.

Masters has settled into a role as one of Ohio's primary options out of the bullpen, sometimes twice in the same weekend.

"It was good to find out that we were

able to utilize him on Fridays, then bring him back on Sundays," head coach Craig Moore said after the series with Central Michigan, where Masters pitched three scoreless innings. "He did an outstanding job with both appearances this weekend."

So far, in his first season for the Bobcats, Masters has posted a 4.09 ERA over 11 innings. Over his last seven appearances, Masters has only surrendered two earned runs.

While having one of the best offenses in the Mid American Conference, Ohio's pitching has left a lot to be desired over the course of the year. Masters has proved to be an anchor to settle to the pitching unit and keep the offense in the game.

"I wanna keep playing as long as I can,"

Masters said. "I couldn't see myself anywhere else than here at Ohio University."

Now that Masters is fully rehabilitated and has reached heights that no one ever thought he could, he plans to continue pitching for Ohio University and be the anchor that the bullpen needs.

The Bobcats got the arm they needed in Masters. He's ready for any situation and throws with no fear. Masters has the same confidence in himself that the Bobcats had the day they offered him a spot on the team.

@ROBERTKEEGAN_

Ohio’s Dillon Masters (13) pitches against Eastern Michigan during the Bobcats’ weekend sweep of the Eagles at Bob Wren Stadium on April 2, 2023. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

The pitcher has always had to bet on himself in order to find his way into the Ohio bullpen

Trans people aren’t the issue, guns are

BRIANNA TASSIELLO

A few weeks ago, Tennessee legislators passed a ban on drag shows in public places, claiming they are supposedly “harmful to minors.” On March 27, a gunman took six lives at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, the very state in which this ban was passed. The shooter happened to be a transgender individual, leading some to believe the person who killed three children is reflective of drag shows and the transgender community as a whole.

Donald Trump Jr. claimed via Twitter that there is an “incredible rise” in transgender individuals committing mass shootings, yet hardly any evidence supports this. In fact, out of the 3,561 mass shootings committed since 2016, approximately 99% of them were perpetrated by a cisgender person. To make a baseless claim that specifically targets a minority community is disingenuous, but I

We

In recent years, animated films have received more live-action remakes — especially from Disney. After remake releases for properties such as “The Lion King,” “Mulan” and “Aladdin,” the industry giant just announced a live-action remake of “Moana.” And “Moana” isn’t the only live-action remake set to release in the near future. Disney is also producing a live-action version of the 2002 animated classic “Lilo & Stitch,” and “Hunchback,” a remake of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The original movies are all fantastic films with gorgeous art and heartwarming storylines, and there’s no real need for live-action remakes of them. In fact, there’s no need for this overabundance of live-action remakes at all.

Live-action remakes don’t do anything par-

think that was the goal.

The only support to validate Trump Jr.’s claim is three other examples of mass shootings throughout the past five years in which the perpetrator was transgender or nonbinary. Among these is the 2019 shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, in which there were two assailants, one transgender person and one cisgender person. The other examples are the 2022 Colorado Springs nightclub shooting, in which a nonbinary individual killed five people, and the Maryland Rite Aid massacre committed by a transgender person in 2018. While tragic, these three instances are outliers that hold no weight compared to the number of mass shootings committed by cisgender individuals. Considering the sheer number of mass shootings in the U.S., these four cases are hardly a pattern.

The only true commonality among those who commit mass shootings is the use of a

gun. Trump Jr.’s social media posts about the Nashville shooting are being read by thousands of people who are now placing blame on the transgender community. It is taking away from the actual issue at hand, gun violence.

It’s also important to note that many people speaking up about the shooting, including Trump Jr., did not speak up on Feb. 13 after the shooting at Michigan State University. I can’t help but wonder if they actually care about ending gun violence or if they are just looking for a reason to condemn transgender people. In fact, last month, many Republican members of Congress were photographed wearing AR-15 lapel pins on their shirts, which is an interesting choice considering the AR-15 is an extremely common weapon of choice among mass shooters.

Following what happened in Nashville, these members of Congress are rightfully being criticized for their decision to wear

these pins. Still, it doesn’t take away from its message to the public: they don’t care about ending gun violence.

It baffles me that lawmakers in Tennessee are so focused on banning drag shows when guns are the obvious threat to their children. In the past 20 years, more than 30,000 children under the age of 18 have died from gun violence, while zero children have died from drag shows.

Considering Tennessee has the 12th highest rate of preventable gun deaths in the U.S., its main focus should be lowering that number rather than banning something completely harmless and harmful to a minority community.

Brianna Tassiello is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Brianna? Email her at bt977520@ohio.edu.

any more live-action remakes

ticularly new. Most of them just rehash the same story and add little improvement, if anything. Still, there’s a reason people like live-action remakes. They like to see their favorite actors playing their favorite characters. They like the novelty of seeing animation brought to life. They like the nostalgia of watching a slightly new spin on something they loved when they were kids — the comfort of knowing that they already like it and know how it ends. But that excitement begins to wear off when remake after remake is announced, flooding theaters with films that everyone has seen before.

The worst part is that the films are always doomed to disappoint due to the nature of remakes. To a large extent, these remakes aren’t terrible films. Many of them are enjoyable. But classics become classics because people love the original, and remakes can never quite emu-

late that. The audience is expecting to recapture the feeling of seeing their favorite movie for the first time, and when the remake inevitably fails to do that, they’re going to leave unsatisfied.

So why does Disney keep remaking films?

The most likely answer is it makes a lot of money. “The Lion King” remake grossed $1.6 billion worldwide. The live-action “Beauty and The Beast” earned a gross of $1.2 billion worldwide. The “Aladdin” remake brought in a gross of over $1 billion worldwide. Live-action remakes are a profitable business because nostalgia is a powerful motivator. Despite their success at the box office, remaking the same films over and over again provides less room for creativity and originality. Instead of rebooting movies that were already good, perhaps Disney, as well as the rest of Hollywood, should invest in making more original animated films.

Seeing what feels like thousands of announcements for live-action remakes of already beloved films has become tiring. Classic stories don’t go bad with age — they’re classics because they’ve withstood the test of time. There’s no reason to revive them if they’re not dead. Besides, we’ve had enough remakes to last a lifetime, and audiences are ready to see new and original stories again. Hopefully, this trend of remaking animated movies into live-action versions will soon come to an end. At this point, I think everyone wants something fresh.

Lillian Barry is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Lillian know by tweeting her at @ lillianbarry_.

LILLIAN BARRY

don’t need

LILLIAN’S LOWDOWN

Here’s your April 2023 horoscope

bring calming energy. This is a great time to lead into self-prioritizing, even if that means temporarily neglecting others.

Keep an eye out for the Aries solar eclipse on April 19. This can shine a light on underlying relational issues you may have been avoiding.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23- Nov. 21)

Aries season activates the sector of your chart that governs servitude. You may be feeling inspired to lift up those around you, making you a great person to be in company with.

Grounding energy will appear for you towards the end of this month once the Taurus season kicks off. This time will bring forth an era of harmony, especially in your relationships. Text that friend you have been meaning to catch up with.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22- Dec. 21)

Welcome to April and Aries season, Sag. This season will have an empowering effect on you, elevating your inner fire. Don’t be afraid to make bold moves, as now is the best time to make confident decisions.

The sector of your chart that governs your heart will be blossoming when Venus enters Gemini on April 10. Emotions are high during this time as the Aries sun may push passion into your life. Love is on the horizon for you, Sagittarius, even if that means self-love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 19)

JILLIAN BULLOCK FOR THE POST

Welcome to April! Spring represents a time of growing and flourishing; this month will reflect that astrologically and bring introspection to every star sign. Buckle up and keep reading to see what the stars have in store for you this month.

Aries (March 21- April 19)

Happy birthday, Aries! This month, you’ll feel your best self as the sun continues its journey through your sign. Be mindful that on April 3, as Mercury enters Taurus, you may begin to feel overwhelmed. It is all about balance during this time and remembering that taking it slow is sometimes the best option.

Along with this theme, the Libra full moon on April 5 will urge you to take a break. This time will encourage themes of personal balance. If it has been a while since you have taken time for yourself, now is the time. You can return to your grind during the Aries solar eclipse on April 19, which will encourage you to ignite your goals.

Taurus (April 20- May 20)

Hi, Taurus. This Aries season will activate the parts of your chart that may make you feel insecure about your capabilities. Make sure to take the time to understand these emotions and move forward from them; periods of reflection are necessary for growth.

You will feel more like your most confident self once the sun enters your sign on April 20. This will elevate your aura as your special day nears. Now is the time to celebrate yourself and not feel guilty about it.

Gemini (May 21- June 20)

The Libra full moon on April 5 will trigger your creativity, artistic vision and daring Gemini energy. Now is the time to switch up your vibe, wear that outfit you haven’t been sure about or text someone you’ve been meaning to. After all, life is too short not to make bold moves.

After this period of extroverted energy, you can expect to feel more reserved once Taurus season ignites on April 20. This time will ask you to reflect on the past and acknowledge how it has shaped you.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)

The season of the Aries ram will push you to become more assertive. Forget boundaries this month. Now is the time to push past them and embrace your most fierce self.

Don’t forget to devote time to self-care. The stars beckon you to touch base with your work-life balance during the Libra full moon on April 5. This full moon will activate the sector of your chart that involves the home. Once Venus enters Gemini on April 10, it will bring forth energy of self-love and solitude, allowing you comfort in making time for yourself.

Leo (July 23- Aug. 22)

Happy spring, Leo. Pay extra close attention this month to the signs around you. This Aries season activates the sector of your chart that governs luck and spirituality. Now is a great time to pick up your journal, meditate and manifest. Take note of any angel numbers or coincidences you may be seeing.

Following the theme of the ram, a burst of fire excitement will rise during the Aries solar eclipse on April 19. This is the time to set goals and reflect on what you want your future to look like. Manifestation and visualization is more effective than you might think.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sept. 22)

Aries season will bring you, Virgo, rushed and intense energy. Your emotions may be high, so be careful not to act out of emotion or feel overwhelmed.

Once Taurus season arrives, the energy will feel much lighter and mark the most spiritually consequential time of the year for you. Dive into your spiritual side and dream big. Honoring the law of attraction and manifestation will be especially useful for you during this time. Trust your intuition.

Libra (Sept. 23- Oct. 22)

Welcome to April, Libra. It’s time to put yourself first, as Aries seasons ask you to take charge. Be like the ram: strong, assertive and bold. The full moon in your sign on April 5 can

Capricorn, Aries season aids you in leading with your nurturing side. Helping others can bring you joy, but try not to spread yourself too thin. Once Venus enters Gemini on April 10, it will activate the sector of your chart that governs health and routine. If you have been putting too much time into others, now is a good time to reflect on how you can dedicate time to yourself. The Aries solar eclipse on April 19 can help you implement new patterns that will benefit you in the long run.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 18)

This month will bring no shortage of creativity, as Aries season ignites a fire on your creative side. Follow through on every idea; you never know where it may lead. The Libra full moon on April 5 will be an extra special day, as it will activate the sector of your chart that governs luck and spirituality. You can expect to feel more aligned with the universe and things might feel more coincidental. You should use this full moon to manifest your deepest desires and journal your innermost thoughts.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)

Hi, Pisces. Direct your attention to your home and space once Venus enters Gemini on April 10. This will push you to organize and tidy up your home. A clean space and a clean mind will allow you to feel more in control.

You should feel more grounded and focused once Taurus season begins on April 20. The sun being in Taurus will activate your sector of security. Lean into this energy to sort through anything you have been putting off.

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON

Exploring the solo work of The Beatles

ALICIA SZCZESNIAK FOR THE POST

After the messy breakup of The Beatles in 1970, all four artists continued to create music, each branching off into their own style.

Here’s how each member fared outside the band:

George Harrison

George Harrison found the most success of any of The Beatles right out of the gate. Shortly after the breakup, he released the triple album “All Things Must Pass,” with smash hits such as “My Sweet Lord,” showcasing his new musical style, one dominated by guitars and Indian influence, with phrases like “Hare Krishna” popping up in songs. This quickly established Harrison as a major player to watch, continuing throughout the early ‘70s with the release of the live album “Concert For Bangladesh” and “Living in the Material World,” which effectively cemented him in music history a successful solo artist.

In the mid-’70s, though, Harrison plateaued with the release of “Dark Horse.” This plateau, though, did not last long, with Harrison quickly coming back into the limelight with the release of the album “Thirty Three and a Third,” with songs such as “Crackerbox Palace” and the single “This Song,” putting him back on the charts. Furthermore, “All Those Years Ago,” a song for his murdered former bandmate John Lennon, pushed his 1981 album “Somewhere in England” back into the public consciousness.

However, he soon disappeared again from the music scene, staying relatively quiet until his album “Cloud Nine” was released in 1987. More notably, though, he began to work with the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, consisting of Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. After just two albums, the band dissolved partly due to Orbison’s death. After this, Harrison receded again from the limelight, instead working on an anthology album with the surviving Beatles and producing his friend and influence Ravi Shankur’s album “Chants of India.”

Shortly after, Harrison, unfortunately, passed from throat cancer in 2001, leaving a massive mark on the music scene both in his time with the Beatles and with his distinct Indian-influenced and guitar-driven solo work.

John

Lennon

Despite a very short run outside The Beatles, John Lennon boasts an impressive repertoire of solo work, both on his own and with his wife, Yoko Ono’s group, the Plastic Ono Band. Shortly after The Beatles’ breakup, Lennon worked on the 1970 album “Plastic Ono Band,” which received mixed reviews due to the piece’s vulgarity in songs like “Working Class Hero.” The album’s controversial sentiments were not received well by many, aside from the emerging New Left of the 1960s and

‘70s. As a result, the album’s success paled compared to the reception of Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and McCartney’s self-titled album.

However, the album put Lennon on track for a politically-charged musical style, which continued with the iconic “Imagine” album of 1971, embracing a more conventional sound while maintaining the raw catharsis and political lyricism of his previous work. Furthermore, the album also included the track “How Do You Sleep?” written as a response to McCartney’s “Too Many People” and the legal dissolution of their songwriting partnership. As a result of the more digestible sound and the hit title track, Lennon found more success, with the album reaching number one on the charts in multiple countries.

After the release of “Imagine,” Lennon worked with his wife’s band on its album “Sometime in New York City,” which received harsh reviews for the extremely political lyrics, use of the N-word, and controversial cover art, which featured a nude Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong dancing. His next solo album, “Mind Games,” didn’t fare extremely well either; it was slightly better received, likely for its much less politically charged lyrics.

Shortly after, Lennon and Ono ran into marital problems, leading to an 18-month separation. However, this solitude allowed Lennon to make a comeback with his 1974 album “Walls and Bridges,” which quickly made its way up the charts and thrust the single “Whatever Gets You Through The Night” to number one.

However, after this, Lennon opted to record an album composed of older songs, notably “Stand by Me,” by Ben E. King. The album “Rock N’ Roll” received modest success but would be the last bit of music put out by Lennon for several years, as he reunited with Ono, who gave birth to their son Sean later that year, which the two took significant time off to raise. They then returned five years later with the album “Double Fantasy,” which was meant to be the start of their next comeback. Just a few weeks after the album’s release, Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on Dec. 8, 1980, putting a tragic end to his career.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney arguably found the most success as a solo artist outside The Beatles. However, it did not start that way, as his first solo album, “McCartney” (which was released before the official breakup of The Beatles), was negatively received aside from the ballad “Maybe I’m Amazed.” His 1971 album, co-created with his wife Linda, “Ram,” was similarly received, especially with songs like “Too Many People” containing not-so-subtle digs at his former bandmates, particularly John Lennon. However, things soon changed. Paul and Linda McCartney, guitarists Denny Laine and Henry McCullough, and drummer Denny Sei-

well formed a new band that quickly got to work. After a somewhat average reception of the band’s first album, “Wild Life,” it quickly shot up the charts in both the UK and the U.S. with its 1973 album “Red Rose Speedway.” It continued its streak of success with “Band on the Run,” notably for its title track and the quirky rock-orchestra style single “Jet.” Furthermore, its 1975 album “Venus and Mars” also peaked at number one in several countries, and its 1976 album “Wings at the Speed of Sound” found similar success. However, the band soon stagnated with its 1978 album “London Town,” which was unfavorably reviewed by critics. The band’s 1979 album “Back to the Egg” found a similar fate, and the band dissolved shortly after.

After the dissolution of Wings, McCartney returned home and began work on “McCartney II,” which also was not a critical success. However, the streak of poor reception changed with the release of 1982’s “Tug of War,” which took a much different approach than McCartney’s first two solo albums. Rather than doing most, if not all, of the music himself, he worked with several musicians, most notably former bandmates Ringo Starr and Stevie Wonder. The album also contained the song “Here Today,” which was a tribute to John Lennon after his murder in 1980. It quickly shot up the charts again and thrust McCartney back into the limelight. This marked the beginning of a very consistent output of music from McCartney. Today, he has collaborated with many artists, including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Kanye West, Dominic Fike and Phoebe Bridgers.

Ringo Starr

While his discography may not have had the immense staying power that his former bandmates had, Ringo Starr put out 20 studio albums and several hit singles at a rather

consistent rate since the band’s dissolution. He started with his 1970 album “Sentimental Journey,” which was unfortunately overshadowed by McCartney’s self-titled album being released shortly after. Starr then pivoted to a less poppy and more country style in “Beaucoups of Blues,” which was received more positively.

In 1973, though, Starr released his own self-titled album “Ringo,” which notably featured all four Beatles on different tracks, multiple guest musicians, and the hits “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Photograph.” It soared to the tops of multiple charts very quickly and thrust Starr back into the limelight as a capable musician. The next year, he released “Goodnight Vienna,” packed with even more guest musicians, notably Elton John and Billy Preston. While it did not receive the same commercial success as his previous album, it was still well-received. However, this was the end of Starr’s hot streak, as his next albums failed to chart in Britain, and he encountered a slew of health issues and accidents that nearly took his life.

His luck changed in the late ‘80s with the formation of the All-Starr Band, a supergroup composed of a shifting cast of musicians, most notably Billy Preston, Joe Walsh and his son Zak. The band toured several times (and are still touring in 2023). Furthermore, his album “Vertical Man” charted in Britain in 1998, making it the first time he made it on the charts in his home country in over 20 years.

Since then, Starr has been putting out albums every few years and continues to do so today.

Best ways to declutter mind, life for spring

OLIVIA ROHLING FOR THE POST

It’s officially springtime, and with that comes the potential annual spring cleaning. Spring is the perfect time to declutter your space, mind and life. Everyone wants to live their best life, and with the weather getting warmer, the birds chirping, the wind blowing and the cherry blossoms blossoming, what better time to start than now? Here are some tips and tricks to live your best life this spring:

Write out your morning and night routine

Waking up early for class and going home late at night can be tiring when figuring out what must be done to prepare for the next day or unwind from the present one. Writing down both your morning and night tasks will ensure you won’t miss anything and make the mornings and nights run smoother and quicker.

Write down three good things from the day

After a long day, it can be easy to dwell on the things that went wrong. Failed a quiz? Had no time to eat? Got into an argument? It’s easy to focus on what went wrong. Try to sit down at the end of the day and write down at least three good things that happened in the day. Did someone compliment your shirt? Did you have a good meal with friends? Was your class canceled? Being grateful for the little things can help you start to notice them more in your everyday life and leave you feeling happy and grateful for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t.

Keep, throw out, donate

Purge your house. Make three piles: keep, throw out and donate. Go through room by room and sort things into their respective pile. Card from grandma? Keep. Apple core? Trash. A sweater that’s too small? Donate.

Spend time with nature

Nature is a beautiful thing, and it can also be soothing. Taking a few minutes to immerse yourself in nature, either by simply sitting in the grass on a picnic blanket while listening to your favorite song or taking a quick walk, can be healing. Things to do in nature include having a picnic, going on a run or walk, playing a friendly game of some sort and so much more.

Limit phone time

Phones are great tools, but too much time on them can do more harm than good. It’s not a bad idea to limit your phone time or designate certain times to go on with a certain time limit.

Get a good night’s sleep

Sleep is important! Sleep allows your body to rest from a long day’s work. Without sleep, you can start to lag in everyday activities, which can prohibit you from living your best life this spring!

Make time for leisure activities

It’s important to have a healthy balance of work and play. Working hard allows you to play hard. And playing hard allows you to work hard. It’s a win-win. Find a hobby

you enjoy– whether it be knitting, running, painting or reading, and allow yourself time to do it every day. Setting aside time for leisure activities allows us to take our brains off of work or school stressors.

There’s no other time like spring to take a deep dive into your life and mind and see how you can improve it to be the best it can be.

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON