April 13, 2023

Embracing Origins

Finish the year strong with ‘The Post’

The end of the semester is quickly approaching; there is light at the end of the tunnel! Final assignments are being handed out, students are watching their GPAs closely and plans are being made for the summer. Through it all, we’ll still be here to deliver the content you love to your inbox, on our website and in our weekly print edition.

Though things are wrapping up for a few months, Post staffers are still hard at work cranking out stories, videos, podcasts and more. We have a few more exciting projects we’re working on before we all go our separate ways for the summer, and I’d like to detail those here.

First, the annual Post Salary Guide is coming back in all its glory and better than ever. We’re currently working on publishing updated salary data for 202223 in a conveniently searchable database, including the $600,000 base salary of Ohio University’s President-elect, Lori Stewart Gonzalez.

Ever wonder what your professor makes? What about the head Ohio basketball coach, Jeff Boals? Well, that’s what the Salary Guide is for! The 2022-23 iteration will be coming out soon, so keep an eye

out! In the meantime, check The Post’s 2021 Salary Guide for the most recent salary information.

Second, we have a special edition slated to come out on April 20 this year. I can’t say much about its contents just yet, so I’ll leave the speculation up to you. Make sure to pick up next week’s special edition in our newsracks placed all throughout campus and in the Athens community.

Third, we’re debuting a Graduation Guide this year during finals week! We love our graduating Bobcats and we’re sad to see them go, so we decided to dedicate an entire edition to content that best serves them.

To soon-to-be graduates: If you or your relatives are interested in seeing your face in the paper, head to our website (thepostathens.com) and click on the green banner at the top to advertise. We’re also collecting data on the graduation plans of OU students, so please help us out by scanning the QR code at the end of this column and taking a few seconds to fill out our one-question survey.

Lastly, OHIO Giving Day is Tuesday. If you’re interested in giving to The Post to support our editorial and operational

costs, please check out our social media accounts that day. More information can be found here. We appreciate any help; thank you!

That’s all for now! Finish out the year strong, Bobbies, and know The Post has a lot coming your way in the remaining weeks.

Scan here if you’re graduating!

HEADSHOT BY HANNAH

Editor-in-Chief | Ryan Maxin

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EDITORIAL

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ART

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Volume 113, Issue 27

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RYAN MAXIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

City Council ordinance seeks to restrict single-use plastic bags

MADALYN BLAIR FOR THE POST

OnApril 3, Athens City Council met to discuss an ordinance introduced by Councilmember Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, concerning reducing single-use plastic bags by commercial establishments in Athens.

The ordinance would restrict restaurants and businesses from offering customers clothing, food and personal items in non-compostable bags. If the ordinance passes, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Gene Armes, the general manager of College Book Store, said that if the ordinance were to pass, it would negatively impact his business.

“If this ordinance passes as it is written, it will cost our store more than $8,500 per year extra, every year into the future, to replace our current heavy weight plastic bag with the least expensive comparable paper bag I can find,” Armes wrote in an email.

A $5,000 fund is available to local businesses to help transition to paper bags; however, it would not pay for College Book Store’s initial cost increase, so the business plans to give its money to other small, struggling businesses, Armes wrote in an email.

Swank got the idea to create the ordi-

nance from a previous council member, Jennifer Cochran, back in 2016, he said. The previous ordinance stated that if a store provided customers with an alternative form of bag that wasn’t plastic, then they would be charged 10 cents, Swank said. He added that some people viewed the 10 cents as a tax, so the ordinance never made it through the Council.

“You cannot enact the plastic bag ban if there is a fee associated with it,” Swank said. “That’s how we get around this. There is no fee.”

A lobbyist group reached out to Council stating its concerns with the potential banning of single-use plastic bags; however, Swank said Law Director Lisa Eliason assured him that the ordinance follows the Ohio Revised Code.

“What the lobbyist was saying wasn’t based on environmental fact, it was based on the economic situation for the businesses that they represent,” Swank said.

If a business violates this ordinance, it would be fined $150, and a failure to pay the fee within 30 days would result in a minor misdemeanor citation in court.

Originally, the ordinance stated that all stores must discard their plastic bags by Aug. 1; however, the date was changed to make it

easier for businesses to make the switch, Swank said.

“There are businesses in town that have a stockpile of bags, which they’ll never be able to get rid of by Aug. 1,” Swank said. “Even though it’s still plastic bags, we felt that that was an unfair financial burden on those folks just to throw those away and replace them with some other kind of bag.”

Armes said he advocated for the pushback date because he orders his bags $50,000 at a time to ensure he gets the best price. The store just received its last shipment late last October, so thousands of plastic bags are still in stock.

Swank said that pushing back the date the ordinance would go into effect would give Council enough time to educate the public on what they are doing and why they are doing it.

“There may be a little grumbling to start with for people to get used to it … but before you know it, people are gonna say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we used all those plastic bags,’” Swank said.

Athens ReThink Plastics, a volunteer-based committee, has played an important role in creating the ordinance, Swank said.

Nancy Pierce, a volunteer for the group,

said Athens Rethink Plastics serves to educate community members about plastic and its role in environmental pollution. Pierce said single-use plastic carryout bags are a huge problem in Ohio because they can’t be easily recycled.

Pierce said Athens ReThink Plastics wants to encourage businesses to start charging a small fee to customers for using their paper bags. By doing this, Pierce said, people will be discouraged from using paper bags altogether. Once people learn to bring their own reusable bags, it won’t be a big deal to customers, Pierce said.

Student Senate's next leaders discuss goals, responsibilities

MADISON KENNEDY FOR THE POST

Ohio University's Student Senate for the 2023-24 academic year was announced on Friday. Megan Handle won the presidency along with her Vice President-Elect Isaac Davis and Treasurer-Elect Reagan Farmer.

According to a previous Post report, 1,158 undergraduate students voted in this year's election, which was a significant increase in turnout compared to the 638 students who voted in last year's election.

Megan Handle, a junior studying social work in the Honors Tutorial College, received 507 of the 1,158 votes, defeating presidential opponents Trinity Robinson and Clay Lewis.

Next year will be Handle's fourth year as a member of the Senate. She currently serves as the Women's Affairs Commissioner and works to empower women on campus.

President Handle will communicate with the OU administration and future OU President Lori Stewart Gonzalez.

Isaac Davis, a sophomore studying history and political science, is a recent transfer student from Ashland University, where he also held student government positions. Davis said he has years of experience in student government dating back to high school.

"Freshman year of high school, I was freshman class president; for (my) junior and senior years, I was student body president. At Ashland University for my freshman year, I was involved in student government there," Davis said. "I was in Student Senate leading up to the election as the Greek Life Senator. My parents just always raised me to live a life in service to others."

Reagan Farmer, a sophomore studying political science in the Honors Tutorial College, ran independently for the treasurer position, hoping to take on a higher leadership role to bridge the gap between the general student population and student-athletes. Farmer currently serves as the Senate representative for student-athletes and is also a member of OU's women's softball team.

Farmer will work closely with the Senate Appropriations Committee to determine which student organizations on campus need funding and the amount of money they will receive. She will also be in charge of keeping Senate members informed about

the Senate's finances.

Some of the issues Handle and Davis said they would like to focus on are campus accessibility and academic support.

Handle would like email notifications to be sent to students when services affecting accessibility are down, which would function similarly to the emails students receive regarding IT services.

"I want to create an opt-in email service for accessibility purposes. If you optin, you'll get an email if the escalators (are) down or the elevators (are) down," Handle said.

In addition to campus accessibility improvements, Handle said she would also

like to make fentanyl test strips, Narcan and safe-sex products more accessible.

Davis said his previous leadership positions in student government have allowed him to see how other schools operate. He plans to use those strategies and implement versions of them at OU.

His ideas include a "dead week," prohibiting homework from being assigned during the week leading up to finals week and a textbook exchange program.

All three electees would also like to increase student engagement with the Senate this upcoming year.

Handle said she, Davis and Farmer feel prepared to take on their new roles because

of what they've learned from the current Senate leaders.

"We have a great executive team right now so I think all of our transitions will go pretty smoothly, and they'll lead us into our roles well," Handle said. "I'm just excited for the next year. We have lots and lots of ideas."

Handle, Davis and Farmer will be sworn in and assume their new roles during Senate's last general body meeting this semester on Wednesday, April 26, at 7:15 p.m. in Walter Hall 235.

New Student Senate-elects Isaac Davis, left, Megan Handle, middle, and Reagan Farmer, right, pose for a photo in Baker University Center in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2023. Handle was elected as president, Davis as vice president and Farmer as treasurer.

(MADELINE LYNCH | FOR THE POST)

Earth Month encourages Athens beautification projects

April is Earth Month – a time to celebrate and protect our planet’s beauty. To commemorate the occasion, Athens residents are rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. From planting flowers to picking up litter, eight organizations are seeking volunteers to keep our community clean, beautiful and sustainable in the name of Athens Beautification Month.

America in Bloom is a national organization that works with cities to improve their urban landscapes. The local committee, Athens in Bloom, will host a beautification event on April 18 to prepare flower beds for spring plantings.

Roxanne Male-Brune, lead coordinator for Athens in Bloom, explained that gardeners and volunteers would prep sites by fluffing mulch and pulling weeds– a simple yet symbolic process for gardeners like herself.

“It means the beginning of the gardening season, which is amazing,” said Male-Brune. “It means the soil is getting warm enough, and I can put my hands in it again.”

Susie Huser, Director of Outreach for Community Food Initiatives, said CFI would host community garden spring-clean-up events.

According to CFI’s website, community gardens provide tools, water and seeds to foster local gardening practices. The organization manages five community gardens, serving as a source of locally grown and sustainable produce.

Volunteers will prepare two of CFI’s community gardens for spring by pulling weeds, moving mulch and compost and tidying up plot edges.

“When we talk about beautification, we’re literally making a beautiful space with the gardens,” said Huser. “But there’s also the beauty that happens when you’re cultivating a space where people can grow and share together.”

Mike Harrington, the secretary of the Athens Ohio Lions Club, a service club organization, explained that on Earth Day, April 22, the club will be holding a litter pickup service project as part of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Adopt-AHighway program. Harrington said the proj-

ect would take place along State Route 682.

According to ODOT’s website, Adopt-AHighway volunteers, like the Lions Club, pick up an average of 25,000 bags of litter each year, saving taxpayers $280,000.

“That’s where we pick up litter, for about a two mile stretch, just to help keep the area nice and clean,” says Harrington.

Volunteers will pick up plastic bottles, napkins and other trash to help beautify Athens and reduce the harmful impact of litter on the community and the environment.

Tenderfoot Learning Lab is a community organization providing sustainability education in Southeast Ohio. On April 16, the organization will be hosting a volunteer day and lunch. Volunteers will be given a locally-sourced, sustainable and homemade meal before planting garden beds, sprucing up campsites and even working to build a new campsite.

The campsites hosted by Tenderfoot create revenue that supports their mission of spreading awareness about sustainability practices in everyday lives and careers.

“That’s part of sustainability, keeping the outdoors, keeping nature safe for everyone

and beautiful for everyone,” said Lindsey Rudibaugh, co-founder of Tenderfoot.

Other organizations hosting events for Athens Beautification Month include the Athens Arbor Day Committee, UCM Center: For Spiritual Growth and Social Justice and the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia. Specific dates, times, events and volunteer registration can be found on the GivePulse page.

All these projects and events were created with key causes in mind: placemaking, conservation, environmental education, sustainability, civic engagement and community. These organizations are working together to formulate a greener, cleaner and more beautiful planet, starting with the place they call home: Athens.

“People think about nature and the outdoors as places of beauty,” said Rudibaugh. “But it actually takes all of us contributing to that to keep it that way.”

AB532721@OHIO.EDU

ABREANNA BLOSE FOR THE POST

International Street Fair celebrates global humanity

MCKENNA CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER

Keamogetse Khudu, the president of the International Student Union at Ohio University, was surprised but grateful for the large crowd of people filling the space across from the Class Gateway and on the corner of East Union Street and South College Street throughout the day Saturday.

The 2023 International Street Fair brought students, faculty and community members to the 110 flags representing the home countries of OU students lined around College Green.

“I know the previous street fairs we’ve had had a huge turn up, but because it is the holidays I’m so surprised and I’m so grateful that (the) Athens community and OU community … (are) on campus celebrating,” Khudu said. “Our theme this year is celebrating our global humanity and I was saying in part of my speech earlier that it is so good to see that we all can actually show up for one another.”

The International Street Fair is the final event of OU’s International Week. From April 3 to April 8, celebrations of cultures from all over the world occur, with the street fair being one of the most popular each year. According to OU’s website, International Week became an annual celebration in 1979 and the street fair has been held on Court Street since 1982.

The ISU serves as the umbrella organization for international student organizations on campus. Khudu said the street fair hosted 12 of the organizations under ISU.

Although people such as Khudu did not expect such a large turnout throughout the entirety of the street fair’s 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, the support from attendees made for a satisfactory day of learning about different countries and their cultures. Khudu said after the flag parade at 10:30 a.m., which was a walk that kicked off the street fair, people were already in the street meeting vendors and engaging with organizations.

“We walked here with the flag parade and then it was already filled,” Khudu said. “I’m sure organizations are very, very happy. To be honest, without our international organizations, there’s no street fair. People come to see them.”

Similarly, Tithi Patel, the vice president of ISU and a sophomore studying nursing,

said it was just great to watch people learn and interact with international organizations and vendors, especially because Patel also did not expect such a large crowd.

“I feel so good because I did not expect this many people,” Patel said. “It’s just

been so great. People want to know more about international culture and a lot of people are showing up and trying all kinds of different culture. So yeah, it feels really great.”

Patel’s favorite part of the street fair

was eating food from Nepal. The Nepalese Student Association, or NEPSA, had a few tables at the fair. One of them was for selling momos and the other was for sharing traditional Nepali items with others.

Saurav Prasai, a first-year graduate student studying transportation engineering and a member of NEPSA, said the organization sold out of momos within a few hours of the street fair. Momos are a type of steamed dumplings filled with vegetables or meat. Patel’s favorite momo sold by NEPSA was the chicken dumpling.

“We had one difficulty,” Prasai said. “We were hiding the food in the kitchen and we were bringing (it) back and forth so people would have hot food.”

After the momos were gone, the attention was directed to the symbols and items representing Nepali tradition and culture on the other table. One item on the table was a khukuri – a traditional recurved knife, which originated in Nepal, according to Nepal Traveller.

“This is a symbol of our bravery,” Prasai said. “Our ancestors fought using this. We didn’t have a lot of weapons or other things. We saved ourselves in crisis using this.”

Also according to Nepal Traveller, the khukuri carries religious values as “the blade’s shape represents the trinity symbols of ‘Brahma,’ ‘Vishnu’ and ‘Shiva,’ the three major Hindu Gods.”

The one out of many items on NEPSA’s table at the street fair contained significant cultural importance and deep history. With all of the other organizations involved, the amount one person could learn at the street fair seemed infinite, which is maybe why each year, as Patel said, people anticipate the event.

“Everyone is looking forward for the street fair every year, which is our event most people come to,” Patel said. “That’s always been successful.”

A man holds the flag of Ghana as he walks down Court Street with the parade of the flags as part of the International Street Fair on April 8, 2023, in Athens.

(MEGAN VAN VLACK | FOR THE POST)

The benefits, downsides to the junior college route for baseball

ASHLEY BEACH ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

When it comes time to decide where to go after high school, many students set their eyes on four-year institutions. However, a lot of baseball players turn their attention to junior colleges.

Junior colleges aren’t socially accepted among some groups, but they benefi t bright-eyed baseball players who aren’t quite ready to take the next step. A junior college is a place for players to become something great. Although, the path isn’t always understood from the outside. There are a lot of myths surrounding the junior college route.

“I think over the years, we’ve broken a lot of those myths. There’s so many more well documented instances of the rewards from a junior college and using them as a stepping stone for something greater,” Tom Arrington, head coach of San Jacinto College, said.

Over the past 10 years, the junior college route, or the “JUCO route,” has become increasingly popular for baseball players who aspire to play at the next level. In the Mid-American Conference alone, over 60 active baseball players played at a junior college before their current institution. Ohio has 10 on its 2023 roster.

Hundreds of MLB players walked the halls of a junior college before they graced the dugouts of professional stadiums. Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, fan-favorite Bryce Harper and even Albert Pujols all played for junior colleges at some point.

There are over 300 junior colleges to choose from in the U.S. for baseball over three divisions, according to the NJCAA. Junior college baseball is not popular in certain regions, though.

Of those 300, there are 10 junior colleges in Ohio that field a baseball team.

“I think depending on where

you live in different parts of the country, I think that people look at junior college baseball in a lot of different ways,” Ohio coach Craig Moore said. “In Texas, a lot of kids go to the junior college route because they feel that maybe they were overlooked as they want to go to a two-year school and then maybe get recruited by a Division I school. Now, I know as you get more northeast with some junior colleges, kids aren’t necessarily going there with the idea of getting recruited by a Division I.”

The recruiting process is similar across the board for four-year institutions and junior colleges. Athletes attend showcases and post their accomplishments online in hopes of catching a college coach’s eye.

One of the leading sources for junior college recruiting is JucoRoute, a showcase and social-media-based company that helps educate athletes on junior college baseball while connecting them to different schools across the U.S.

Bob Hlavac started JucoRoute (@JucoRoute) as a side hustle, but the platform has quickly taken off. JucoRoute has hosted recruiting showcases across nine different states with top junior colleges in attendance.

The showcases begin with a pro-style event, where athletes’ information is recorded for coaches to access during and after the showcase, along with a digital resume that allows the athletes to post videos to build a recruiting profile. From there, the showcase breaks into traditional recruiting and scouting activities, such as individual defense evaluations and batting practice.

Spring and summer showcases are a great way for uncommitted high school athletes to get in front of coaches, especially if they want to go through the junior college route.

“Typically, junior colleges really start their process a little bit later than the four year schools because they don’t want to invest a ton of time and then have a kid decide to go to a four year school,” Hlavac said.

Most athletes who attend a junior college will commit to a school sometime between March and when school starts in the fall. It is not as intense of a recruiting process as NCAA Division I, but it is still just as important.

In recent years, the number of junior college baseball players has spiked because more athletes are going through the recruiting process with junior college on their minds.

Ohio head coach Craig Moore has recruited several junior college student-athletes for his team. He’s seen a rise in the number of athletes coming from junior colleges, partially due to the extra year of eligibility that was granted to athletes affected by COVID-19, which has jammed roster spots.

Moore’s first job as a head coach was at Western Texas College, a junior college located in Snyder, Texas. Western Texas is a member of Region 5, one of the largest sectors of NJCAA Division I.

Moore has also found that part of the reason more athletes have turned to but also due to the shortened MLB Draft. The MLB Draft shrunk from 40 rounds to 20 rounds, which caused more athletes to hang around at their respective schools to try to raise their stock.

In turn, that has forced underclassmen who aren’t ready for the big time to search for a place to develop elsewhere because the roles they were set to slide into are still filled. However, that is what junior colleges are there for: growth.

Arrington has been the head coach at San Jacinto for over 20 seasons, where he has taken 11 trips to the NJCAA JUCO World Series. A member of the NJCAA baseball hall of fame, Arrington began his playing career at the College of Marin, a junior college located in Kentfield, California.

Arrington chose the junior college route despite having offers from California and UCLA because it is what made the most sense for him out of high school.

“There are many reasons and I think they’re well-documented for why student-athletes choose to go junior college as opposed to a four-year institution,” Arrington said. “I think mainly mine was based on there was a coach that was moving in there. There were my friends that were there and I wanted to remain connected to them.”

There are many reasons to attend a junior college to play a sport. Some, like Arrington, also choose to go because they want to stay closer to home for a little while. Others do because they’re not ready for an academic jump, or the cost of a four-year institution is troublesome. However, the main reason is to develop as a player and a person.

Junior college rosters are composed mostly of first and second-year students. With the COVID-19 eligibility bump, a few third-year members are on junior college teams, but that is rare otherwise. It allows

an 18-year-old freshman to face other athletes close to their age with similar physicalities.

Moore and Arrington both find there is value in the reps that athletes receive at the junior college level. They are able to see more playing time off-the-bat than they might at a four-year school. If a player isn’t ready to be thrown into the fire, time at a junior college can help ease them into collegiate baseball.

There are no rules regarding play/practice time at the NJCAA level; however, teams are recommended to stay under 20 hours a week. There are also looser stipulations on fall practices and games as compared to the NCAA that allow athletes more time on the field.

Arrington’s goal as a junior college coach is to suit the needs of his student-athletes in order to develop them for the next step, whether it be a four-year institution or the start of their life after baseball. Not every junior college baseball player is going to continue on to the next level and that is OK. There is still space for those student-athletes.

“Junior college is a great stepping stone. It’s a great transitional piece to something larger down the line,” Arrington said. “Over the last 15 years or so, there are more career paths, two-year career paths.”

Ohio’s Will Sturek experienced the development side of the junior college route. Sturek didn’t receive much playing time in high school and wasn’t sure if college baseball was in the cards for him.

Rather than retire his cleats at the end of his high school career, Sturek found himself at Northern Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, after taking a tour with his twin brother, Michael.

Sturek used his time at Northern Iowa wisely. He was an immature freshman who didn’t quite have the chops to make the starting lineup, but he continued to show up to practice each day. Eventually, Sturek’s time in the sun arrived.

“I just thought about redshirting my freshman year. I didn’t play for I think 25 games, but I got shoved into a pinch-hit role

in the bottom of the seventh inning down 3-2 and I hit a home run. Then I just never left the lineup after that,” Sturek said.

COVID-19 hit right as Sturek’s time at Northern Iowa ended and he found himself among those junior college players who debated whether to continue their careers. Sturek was tempted to return home to Minnesota and attend a university his friends were at.

His dad encouraged him to search for other opportunities, which led him to a Zoom call with the Ohio staff. Sturek liked the staff and thought that Ohio could be the place for him. He never saw himself as a Division I baseball player, but the opportunity was in front of him.

It took three months for Sturek to hear back from Ohio, but he’s glad he did.

“I was actually playing golf. I think it was after hole nine, I’d just made a birdie, and I see in the cart that my phone’s ringing,” Sturek said.

The Minnetonka, Minnesota, native took the offer and packed his bags for Athens. Once he settled into his new lifestyle, it didn’t take long for Sturek to realize the differences between junior college and NCAA Division I baseball.

One of the main differences is the money invested and cultivated among the levels.

Four-year institutions, especially those in large conferences such as the Southeastern Conference, earn a large chunk of revenue from television deals, among other things. A junior college is often solely based on the finances of the tax base in the community in which the school is placed.

Finances bleed into smaller things. Moore and Arrington have had to perform field maintenance on their respective junior college fields as coaches because there isn’t a full-time staff to take care of the field. Another area that is affected is equipment. There are no large equipment hauls for junior college athletes. They have to pitch in to get the gear they want.

“San Jacinto is one of the finest institutions when it comes to supporting our needs, whether it’s through scholarships or supporting our student-athletes or our budget costs, but as a whole, there is a large separation between the two when it comes to those facets,” Arrington said.

Sturek recalled that one of the biggest differences between junior college and Division I life is that equipment doesn’t just arrive. The athletes have to work for it, not just on the field.

“We didn’t get much. We had to fundraise for all of it,” Sturek said. “I worked Minnesota Vikings games, Minnesota Golden Gophers games and concerts just to get a glove.”

Recent developments in Name, Image and Likeness have also begun to separate junior colleges from NCAA Division I schools, too. The financial accommodations from the deal are likely to pique student-athletes’ interest in transferring to and playing for schools that have more financial options.

Despite the differences, there’s still fierce competition at the junior college level. There’s a lot of heart in those programs because everyone is fighting for something. Every trip on the junior college route is different, and it can be an extremely humbling experience for some depending on how they landed at a junior college.

“You’re creating a trust. You want to build up their inner feelings that they have a worth. They are valuable,” Arrington said. “That transition that I see in those kids all of a sudden develops and they get better and better because they use it as something that has encouraged them to get stronger rather than something that has taken away their joy or who they are.”

“Juco Bandits” have seen it all. Sturek and Ohio’s other junior college veterans have a special bond because they went through

similar experiences. They’ve got a unique work ethic that only a junior college veteran could have.

Moore sees the appreciation that comes from the former junior college players when it comes to the little things. He also appreciates what junior college players have brought to the program and what it taught him as a coach. Moore is still a fan of developing players from freshman year to graduation, but a few junior college athletes are always welcome.

“It’s a grind. That’s the bottom line,” Moore said. “It’s a grind for everybody. It’s a grind for coaches. It’s a grind for players, but for whatever reason, it’s fun. I think nothing but positive things about junior college baseball because I think it’s helped our program.”

Junior college baseball is on the rise. The NJCAA JUCO World Series sells out almost every year and games are starting to be broadcast online. More student-athletes are seeing junior college as a good thing, rather than something to shy away from. Only the strong survive the JUCO route, but the lessons learned and intangibles gained along the way are worth it.

@ASHLEYBEACHY_ AB026319@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ABBIE KINNEY

Ohio sends four players to World Cup of University Hockey

EMMA ERION AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR

For four Ohio players, the season is not quite over yet. Laker Aldridge, Luc Reeve, Jack Glen and Hollander Thompson are headed to the World Cup of University Hockey in Carta, Romania. Aldridge will represent Team USA and is excited to compete against his Canadian teammates.

"It's pretty awesome to get the chance to play against my teammates and hopefully take it to the Canadians, that would bring a big smile to my face," Aldridge said.

Glen and Thompson share the sentiment that it is a true honor to be able to represent their country through hockey.

"It's a huge honor to be selected for our country, and we are going to try to represent them the best we can," Thompson said. Of course, Aldridge was not the only

one hungry for victory.

"We're going to go there and take it as seriously as we can and try to beat the Americans," Glen said.

If there's one thing the Bobcats will be bringing from home, it's their competitiveness. Luc Reeve is ready to take on any of his teammates head-to-head and looks forward to the vacation aspect.

"It is going to be fun to actually visit Romania; I've wanted to go there!" Reeve said.

The first matches start on April 14, with Team USA playing Sweden at 4:30 p.m. and Team Canada playing Romania at 8 p.m. @ERIONEMMA

Bobcats celebrate a goal scored by senior Andrew Wells (20) during the Bobcats' last home game in Bird Ice Arena on Feb. 25, 2023 in Athens. (ALAINA DACKERMANN | FOR THE POST)

Ohio, Kent State split doubleheader, Ohio wins series

JAKE COLLINS FOR THE POST

Ohio and Kent State clashed in a double header on Wednesday and came out with a split, with Ohio winning game one 16-2 and Kent State winning game two 9-3.

Game One

After a comeback win on Tuesday, Ohio built off the victory by scoring 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning, its most in a single inning this year. Eight of the runs came consecutively without recording an out.

Each member of Ohio’s starting lineup had at least one hit or one RBI in the game, and Emma Hoffner went 3-for3 with two RBI, while Belle Hummel and Alexis Dawe went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI each.

The strong offensive performance allowed the Bobcats to play multiple underclassmen as they held a 13-0 lead after two innings of play.

“I think it’s great for the depth of this program, “Ohio coach Jenna Hall said. “We talk about that a lot, so whenever your time is coming it’s about being ready and every person that came into today I think was ready to compete, I was really proud of the effort.”

The underclassmen didn’t disappoint either, as Austy Miller and Lauren Yuhas each had an RBI to help extend Ohio’s lead to 16-0 after three innings.

Kent State attempted to begin the tough comeback in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring two runs in the fifth after getting a few runners aboard in the fourth. Miller then caught a lineout and turned it into an unassisted double play to end the game after five innings. Kylie Coffelt earned the win after recording all but one out.

Game Two

Game two went back and forth from the start, with Ohio and Kent State trading runs in the first three innings of the game until Ohio came out of the third up 3-2.

Kent State took control as Julia Mazanec’s single bounced off Skipp Miller’s leg, allowing a runner to score and tie the game at three. Delaney Robeson continued the push and cleared the bases with a three-run double to give Kent State its first lead at 6-3. Robeson finished the game 2-for-4 with 4 RBI.

Kent State tacked on three more runs in the final three innings to extend the lead to 9-3, and Ohio was unable to mount a comeback in the bottom seventh.

Despite the loss, Ohio won the series 2-1 to improve to 23-17 overall and 13-5 in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats also held on to first place in the conference.

Ohio let game three slip out of their reach, but the series as a whole left many players feeling positive about the future of a MAC Championship possibly being brought to Athens.

“Our one thing that we want to do is win a MAC championship. So, we are all really excited, we all want to get there,” Emma Hoffner said.

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Jenna Hall celebrates during a game against Kent State at Ohio Softball Field on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (MEGAN VAN VLACK | FOR THE POST)

Ohio comeback bid falls short, loses 8-6

After falling into a seven-run deficit after an explosive second inning by Marshall, Ohio (13-16, 11-4 Mid-American Conference) rallied its way back to a two-run deficit entering the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and no one on, Will Sturek was hit by Eddie Leon’s pitch, which sent him to first. Colin Kasperbauer then worked a walk to put the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate.

There were two outs and two runners on base as Cole Williams stepped to the plate. After a couple of foul balls, he knocked a soft grounder towards second base and Marshall (14-16, 4-8 Conference USA) beat him to the bag for a Tuesday night victory at Bob Wren Stadium 8-6. The Thundering Herd jumped on Bob -

cat starter Colin Sells after a scoreless first. He recorded one out, and then Marshall scored seven runs off of six hits before he got a chance to get a second out. Sophomore Tyler Peck replaced him on the mound and escaped the inning. Sells took the loss to drop his record to 1-1.

First baseman Daniel Carinci hit a three-run home run for one of his three hits on the night. Kyle Schaefer, Luke Edwards, Owen Ayers, Kebler Peralta and Gio Ferraro joined Carinci as members of the Thundering Herd to knock multiple hits.

“We ran into some trouble there in the second; we didn’t make a play that we probably could have made, and that led to some other things after that. We have to continue to work and talk to our guys about ‘hey if a play is not made or a call is not made, you still have an opportunity with the next pitch to get yourself out of

that situation.’ Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen that way,” Ohio coach Craig Moore said.

Peck, along with Zach Weber and Dillon Masters, threw a total of 7 and 2/3 innings while allowing only a run. Their only blemish was in the sixth inning when Schaefer knocked a home run off of Weber. Peck threw 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings while Masters came into the game for the ninth and kept Marshall’s lead at two runs. Weber pitched three full innings and allowed five hits, including Schafer’s home run.

“All three of those guys came in and did what our relief pitching has been doing for the last three weeks, and that’s throwing up zeros to give our offense a chance to get it back,” Moore said.

Ohio scored three runs in both the third and fourth inning. In the third, Mason Minzey singled in Alec Patino before

he scored on a home run by Sturek, his sixth of the season. In the fourth, Nick Dolan recorded a sacrifice fly to score one and then Patino doubled in Harrison Johnson. Ohio added another run when Minzey scored A.J. Rausch on an infield groundout.

“We had some opportunities there to add on some runs, but, it’s the game of baseball and sometimes it just doesn’t go your way,” Moore said.

Thundering Herd starter Chad Heiner threw 3 and 1/3 innings, allowing all six Bobcat runs. Cole Agemy, Drew Harlow, and Leon finished out the rest of the game, with Leon coming in for the save.

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Tyler Peck (36) pitches at the Ohio vs. Marshall baseball game in Athens on April 11, 2023. (ZOE CRANFILL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

MATT BUTCHER FOR THE POST

Four awesome vacation destinations to visit this summer

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBIE KINNEY

ADAM VINCE FOR THE POST

Students are stuck in school from fall to spring, so summer is arguably the best season to go on vacation. College enrollees might also have a budget restriction because of the high costs of college, so this list will include locations that vary in price. Without further ado, here are some awesome vacation destinations to visit this summer:

Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)

Cedar Point is definitely a highlight for Ohio-

based amusement parks, being a well-known place to go with its unique roller coasters and scenery. Because of its location, Ohio residents won’t need to spend a lot of money buying plane tickets to travel outside of the state.

Kings Island (Cincinnati, OH)

Kings Island amusement park is similar to Cedar Point but offers a more relaxed experience in terms of attractions. There are also plenty of water-themed attractions available in case you want to cool off on a hot summer day. Kings Island is also local to Ohio, as it’s located in Cincinnati. It is a perfect choice for an

amusement park experience without traveling out of state.

Myrtle Beach (Myrtle Beach, SC)

If you fear roller coasters, you might want something a little more laid-back, like a beach experience. There are many beaches college students can visit, but Myrtle Beach has many tourist destinations on its shoreline. Depending on how many attractions you want to experience, the price point may vary.

Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando, FL)

Disney World is a classic vacation destina-

tion because of its unique layout. It features many different “worlds” with fun rides and Disney characters. Because of the light-hearted theme, Disney World can be a wonderful place to go with kids or family as it has many recognizable characters.

Everything to know about the new ‘Barbie’ movie coming out this summer

GRACE KOENNECKE FOR THE POST

On April 4, a new trailer for the upcoming “Barbie” movie dropped, giving viewers more clues about what to expect when it hits theaters this July. Starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll and Ryan Gosling as her love interest Ken, the trailer has already turned the internet upside down.

While many can probably assume what this movie will entail after seeing the trailer, much information is still being released about “Barbie.” With this in mind, here is everything to know about the new “Barbie” movie coming out this summer:

The star-studded cast

Besides Robbie and Gosling serving as the lead roles in “Barbie,” there’s also an impressive cast list alongside them. Comedians and actors Issa Rae and Michael Cera made cameos in the trailer, as well as others such as Simu Liu, Will Ferrell and America Ferrera. Additionally, a few stars outside of the film will make appearances, including singer Dua Lipa as a mermaid. Obviously, with a cast this good, many fans of Gerwig’s previous works are excited to see how each character gets along throughout the film, which will definitely be something on everyone’s minds this July.

The plot

Outside of the trailer, Robbie and Gosling have mentioned previously that “Barbie” will tell the unconventional story of the famous doll, shining a light on a side of her that people didn’t realize was possible to convey.

“The IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ but our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, we’re going to give you something totally different — the thing you didn’t know you wanted,’” Robbie said in an interview with Collider. “Now, can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders.”

Additionally, Ferrell hinted that the film is highly satirical but also serves as an homage to the brand “Barbie.”

In an interview with Variety Australia, the actor said, “It is, in my humble opinion, the ultimate example of high art and low art. It’s a loving homage to the brand and, at the same time, couldn’t be more

satirical—just an amazing comment on male patriarchy and women in society and why Barbie’s criticized and yet why every little girl still wants to play with Barbie.”

The trailer

Initially, Warner Bros. dropped the first teaser trailer for “Barbie” back in December, which was only one minute and 14 seconds long. In the video, Robbie is seen towering over little girls playing with baby dolls in a striped black and white bathing suit, black heels and white sunglasses. Infatuated with Barbie, the little girls smash

their baby dolls.

Flash-forward four months later and the new trailer for the film sees more of the cast of “Barbie” and their interactions. Set in the hot-pink Barbie Land, viewers instantly see Robbie and Gosling interact with one another at a beach, as well as Rae and Liu and other actors sitting nearby.

In another clip, Gosling is trying to ask Robbie if he can stay over for the night, but Barbie clearly does not understand his coded message. Instantly, a quick set of clips flash from one to another, including

some dance and fight scenes, as well as Barbie singing by herself in her pink convertible.

Overall, the two trailers released so far have shown audiences worldwide that “Barbie” is about to take viewers on a wild ride, one that nobody can seem to guess the plot of until this July.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN ADAMS

What are the origins of some of your favorite Mexican foods?

ALYSSA CRUZ

Mexican food has been popular in the U.S. for decades. Particularly among college students, tacos and margaritas are often coveted meals. However, what are the origins of these staples?

According to the National Museum of American History, Mexican-inspired food has influenced American cuisine for centuries, but it was only in the last few decades that these foods became a part of mainstream American cuisine.

Of course, Mexican food in the U.S. looks much different than Mexican food in Mexico. Mexican-American food, or Tex-Mex, is a combination of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo influences, according to the JSTOR Daily. Many of these foods are not exclusively “Mexican,” but in the U.S., they are usually associated with the country of Mexico. These foods have many variations, but I will specifically talk about the “Mexican” versions.

Tacos

Perhaps the most famous Mexican food, the taco, has somewhat of an unknown history. There are many theories of how the tasty, portable food came to be, with the most common attributing the invention to Mexican silver miners in the 18th century. The gunpowder the miners used was wrapped in a paper that they called a “taquito.”

Since tacos were known as the food of the working class, the name caught on, specifically a type called “tacos de minero,” or miner’s tacos, that still exist today. The tacos back then, of course, were not loaded with lettuce and sour cream but were rather a simple corn tortilla with a spicy filling. The taco was introduced to the U.S. in 1905 by Mexican migrant workers working on the railroads. Taco stands in cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio were run by women, known as the “Chili Queens.”

Burritos

First, it should be acknowledged that “burrito” literally translates to “little donkey.” Of course, then not called a burrito, there are accounts that Mesoamerican cultures have consumed this concoction for centuries. However, tacos and burritos are not that different, so it is hard to say which is which. More recently, a theory states that a man named Juan Méndez was the inventor of the burrito, as he sold tacos in Chihuahua during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s. Méndez supposedly rode around on a donkey and wrapped his tacos in larger flour tortillas to keep the tasty food warm. Hence, the burrito was born, also known as “the food of the donkey.”

However, there is a slightly altered version of the origin story of the burrito. Allegedly, another street vendor in Ciudad Juárez would sell the nameless burrito to schoolchildren on their way to school. The unnamed vendor would affectionately refer to the children as “burritos,” slang for words such as “dimwitted.”

The final theory is that burritos were invented in Sonora, a region in northwest Mexico. The food was created for travelers and named after their travel companions. According to Gustavo Arellano, the author of “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America,” this theory is the most plausible since Sonora is known for growing wheat, the key ingredient for flour tortillas.

Enchiladas

Enchiladas were invented by the Aztecs, as told in an account written by Spanish conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo. Díaz recorded his amazement at the richness of Aztec cuisine in his book, “Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España.” In this book, he chronicled the earliest description of an enchilada. Although new to Díaz, they were not new to the region, with corn tortillas, or “tlaxcalli,” having been made for thousands of years.

A variation of the enchilada could have been found in another

Meso-Amrerican Civilization: the Maya of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Mayans would dip corn tortillas in pumpkin seeds, roll them around in diced hard-boiled eggs and cover them in a rich tomato sauce.

However, it is said the Aztecs developed the first “true” enchilada, then called “chīllapīzzali,” which can be translated to “chiliflute.” In this dish, the chili peppers were ground up into a spicy paste then tortillas filled with fish, squash, game, eggs or beans were dipped into it.

According to Díaz, the early enchiladas were enjoyed by everyone, including nobility and common people of the civilization. As time went on, the enchilada evolved, eventually including meat such as beef and chicken and being eaten with a tomato sauce rather than chili.

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A troubling update on the East Palestine train derailment

MEGAN DIEHL

The East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment shook the lives of 4,800 people living in the city near the Pennsylvania border. In an article from NPR, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, was quoted as saying that the DOH has taken every step possible to ensure the safety of the people came first and foremost.

Still, fear and suspicion toward the government persist across Ohio due to the response of various institutions throughout the state. Some residents have felt EPA Administrator Michael Regan has danced around questions. Others have been frustrated with the flippant and condescending dismissal of concerns by Gov. Mike DeWine and other government leaders when they drank tap water from an East Palestine woman’s home to prove its safety. Although they intended to reassure East Palestine residents, this display came off as insensitive toward people who were, and still are, struggling with the effects of drinking and bathing in contaminated water.

Throughout the impact zone of the derailment, those living

in East Palestine and nearby have complained of headaches and irritated eyes. Thousands of fish and even wildlife and pets have been found dead.

Another error has been made in the East Palestine train derailment saga. On Monday, a truck carrying over 40,000 pounds of soil soaked in toxic chemicals from the spill overturned on the highway, spilling 20,000 pounds onto the road and the berm in Unity Township. The driver only sustained minor injuries and was cited for operating a vehicle without reasonable control.

On top of all this, representatives of Norfolk Southern, the company that owned the train that began this whole fiasco in the first place, were conveniently absent from a public meeting held earlier this year. The reason was out of an apparent concern for the safety of their workers.

If so many lives were not at risk, and the public wasn’t waiting to see what illnesses would arise in those from the area in the coming years, the situation would almost be laughable. It’s a mess. Norfolk Southern is cowering from people who only want answers, and the government has failed to reassure anyone.

However, it is not only Ohio leaders who have failed the people of East Palestine. Although Gov. DeWine’s approach has been

questionable at times, he was trying. DeWine requested federal disaster assistance, which the Biden administration rejected, as FEMA did not believe this was a “traditional disaster” such as an earthquake or hurricane.

Thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals were spilled and released into the atmosphere during a “controlled” burn. Residents complained of physical ailments and dead fish, as the water was contaminated. This not being a “traditional disaster” is a weak excuse not to provide aid to people who desperately need it.

As the derailment is swept up into the news stream, a lack of trust continues to plague affected areas in and around East Palestine. The people of East Palestine deserve better. It is our responsibility as Ohioans to push federal and local groups to do better.

Megan Diehl is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Megan? Email her md396520@ohio.edu.