April 19, 2018

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

UNCERTAIN FREEDOMS P14

Updates on Union explosion P9

Land of opportunity P12

A dazzling history P20

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELIZABETH BACKO MANAGING EDITOR Kaitlin Coward DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Hayley Harding SENIOR EDITOR Marisa Fernandez

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITORS Maddie Capron, Bailey Gallion SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Gillis CULTURE EDITORS Georgia Davis, Mae Yen Yap OPINION EDITOR Chuck Greenlee COPY CHIEF Alex McCann

ART

ART DIRECTORS Abby Gordon, Sarah Olivieri PHOTO EDITORS Carl Fonticella, Meagan Hall, McKinley Law, Blake Nissen, Hannah Schroeder SPECIAL PROJECTS DESIGNER Abby Day

DIGITAL

DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR Taylor Johnston SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kate Ansel BLOGS EDITOR Alex Darus MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Andy Hamilton INTERIM BUSINESS MANAGER Lily Perdomo Demorejon

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Editor reflects on year, says thank you and goodbye

N

ext week, The Post will print a special photo issue that will sit on newsstands all summer long. In that edition, a note from all the graduating seniors will replace my weekly column. We have more than 20 people graduating, so we’ll have a lot of great memories to share and a lot of thank-you’s to say.

But because this is my last official column as editor-in-chief of The Post, I want to take the time to say thank you to everyone who picked up a copy of The Post this year, clicked on a social media post from us or simply visited our website.

The Post is more than just an independent, student-run media outlet on campus. It is a place of learning, which includes making mistakes and working hard to fix them. We discuss the best ledes, what makes a good story and how to improve. We frequently reach out to our readers to ask what they want to see more of, and we ask other journalists what ELIZABETH BACKO / we can be doing better.

The Post is a place we go to spend EDITOR-IN-CHIEF time with friends, watch TV and eat microwavable meals. I’ve spent thousands of hours in the newsroom or working on Post projects in the last four years. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead and work alongside some of the most talented people I know.

The Post news staff took the lead on producing our first special edition of the year, which was dedicated to the university’s new president, Duane Nellis. Our sports staff created a special football edition for Homecoming and a basketball edition in the spring. Our culture staff produced dozens of features about international students, women, music, film, dogs and more.

Our blogs team produced a wide range of content, both local and national.

And our opinion writers shared some clever thoughts about music, politics and podcasting.

Next year’s editor, Lauren Fisher, will pick up where we left off with a new team of talented Posties. They are going to produce some stellar content and make even more great memories together. In the meantime, read The Post online, like us on social media and pick up the next print edition that you see.

Thank you for sticking with us this academic year.

Elizabeth Backo is a senior studying journalism and the editor-in-chief of The Post.

Want to talk to her? Email her at eb823313@ohio.edu or send her a tweet @liz_backo.

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Cover illustration by Claire Hanna

Bar violations at MAC schools in Ohio

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN KNAPP

Bars near Ohio University led in violations when compared to other Ohio universities in the Mid-American Conference for the last 20 years.

Bars within a 2-mile radius of OU had 308 violations, ranging from underage drinking to taxation issues, according to The Post’s analysis of permit holder violation records. That is the most compared to bars within 2 miles of the University of Akron, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo and Kent State University.

OU has 23 establishments that serve alcohol within a 2-mile radius of the campus.

A total of 98 bars in the MAC were analyzed. Akron had the second highest number of bars with a total of 17 bars near its campus and a total of 276 violations.

With 10 underage drinking violations in the last five years, bars near OU make up nearly half of the 23 underage drinking violations issued near Ohio universities within the MAC. Courtside Pizza, at 85 N. Court St., was cited for selling alcohol to underage people most often — four times in the last five years. Courtside declined to comment.

Bars and establishments that serve alcohol are monitored by the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control. The division is responsible for controlling the manufacture, distribution, licensing, regulation and merchandising of

beer, wine, mixed beverages and liquor, according to its website.

Other departments, such as the Department of Public Safety, also have access to the database.

The Ohio Investigative Unit under the Ohio State Highway Patrol is the only law enforcement agency in Ohio that can issue a violation notice or a citation to a bar, but other departments can arrest someone in a bar, Michelle Thourot, investigative unit agent-in-charge, said.

The Department of Liquor Control does not require a minimum number of citations before shutting down a bar.

“A liquor license can be revoked on one incident, or it could not be revoked on 20,” Thourot said. “It is depending on the history and it is depending on the severity (of the violation).”

When issuing violations, there is not a set protocol about the timing of undercover investigations, Thourot said. Investigators do not conduct yearly checks on businesses with liquor permits.

“We do respond to complaints that can be anonymous, that can come from citizens and that can come from law enforcement agencies stating that this place has a lot of underage people drinking on-premise,” Thourot said.

From 2013 to 2017, OUPD responded to a total of 445 cases involving underage drinking. 2013 had the most cases with 135, according to records from the OU Police Department. Those arrests correspond to underage drinking on campus and not

necessarily underage drinking at bars, because OUPD primarily patrols on campus.

Janelle Wilkins, a sophomore studying world religions, is surprised with the number of violations at OU because she thinks it means bar owners are involved with

“

A liquor license can be revoked on one incident or it could not be revoked on 20.

It is depending on the history and it is depending on the severity (of the violation).

“

TAYLOR JOHNSTON DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR

- Michelle Thourot Ohio Investigative Unit agent-in-charge

campus drinking culture.

“I’m surprised because it’s people not involved with OU,” she said. “So, bar owners should have better standards.”

Liana Powell, a sophomore studying

music therapy, said she is not surprised by the students’ actions.

“I’m surprised how bars don’t enforce it as much,” she said. “They could do better with bouncers enforcing rules. But I think every campus has this issue.”

R.I.S.E, OU’s collegiate recovery program, is a support group that is open to anyone recovering from any type of addiction or addictive behavior, Ann Addington, OU’s assistant director of health promotion, said.

“We cover a wide range of different things in the group, from seeking recovery to early recovery to long-term recovery, we have a mixture,” she said. “Our meetings are very open, and we check in with each person individually during every meeting to see if anybody is struggling with anything.”

If students are arrested for underage drinking, they are not obligated to attend the meetings, but it is encouraged.

The Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility provides information about the program and may require students sanctioned for violating the student code of conduct to attend meetings.

“They can make a suggestion, but it cannot be mandated to come into our office,” Addington said.

@TF_JOHNSTON TJ369915@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

BETWEEN THE LINES

Sports editor says bye to Athens

I never liked telling people that I went to Ohio University.

It wasn’t that I was embarrassed about it or anything. It’s just that I ANDREW knew the inevitable folGILLIS low-up question: is a senior “Wait, don’t you mean studying Ohio State?” journalism No. No, I don’t. at Ohio I’m from Virginia, University. meaning my trips back home usually consist of at least one person thinking I attend OSU, or at least making a joke about it. I admit thinking about it was petty, but it was infuriating nonetheless.

When I set out for a school none of my friends could find on a map four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. I knew I wanted to do something in sports. That was the extent of it.

Writing, broadcasting, public relations — all of them sounded equally enticing because all of them were equally new to me.

Sports was the only answer I had for people.

But, as my friends assured me, I would be fine because of the many opportunities that Ohio State’s athletics program presented.

Over the last few years, though, I’ve completely lived out the college cliche: I’ve had the best time of my life.

I’ve made friends that would make the best of us blush at simply being associated with. I became the sports editor of this publication. With The Post, I’ve covered football and men’s basketball games at Tennessee, Purdue and in Ford Field and Quicken Loans Arena. If you would have told me that four years ago I would have politely thanked you for the kind words, then walked away with a head shake and an “I don’t believe you” smile.

The most vivid memories of The Post, however, come when I talk about the people behind those beats. The co-beat writers that I worked with were always excellent and were probably nicer to me than they should have been. Almost every player I ever talked to was gracious with their time, even when they didn’t have to be.

I saw players cry, I saw them win, I saw them lose and I saw them start and end careers. I just hope that I told their stories as best as I could.

This wouldn’t be complete, though, without thanking Spencer Holbrook, who had the thankless job of assistant sports editor this year. Or former sports editors Chad Lindskog, Luke O’Roark and Charlie Hatch, who taught me how to carry yourself as an editor. I could go on, but it would be a list of names and memories far too long to list.

Wait, and thanks to everyone that let me stand in their front yard during a fest. I appreciate it.

As for the future, I head into the next however many years of my life unsure of what’s next. I guess that’s the fun part.

But now, wherever I end up, I’m going to tell people about Ohio University. They might think I went to Ohio State, but part of me wishes for that to be the case. The memories of Court Street, The Post and my friends’ apartment at 310 Palmer Place will come flooding back.

To those who have never had the good fortune of spending time in Athens, there’s no explanation that will suffice. You just have to take our word for it — there’s not a place like this anywhere else.

I’ve visited a lot of schools in the last few years, and though they all had their own things that made them unique, I kept coming back to the fact that OU was just different. Every time I went elsewhere, I couldn’t wait to come back to Athens. To me, that’s the coolest thing in the world.

Someone though, eventually, will ask whether I went to Ohio State. But I feel like I’ll have an answer now.

“No, it’s Ohio University,” I’ll say with a smile. “And let me tell you about my favorite place in the world.”

Come to think of it, the question can’t be that bad at all.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do people confuse OU and OSU around you? Let Andrew know by tweeting at him @Andrew_Gillis70.

AMPLIFIED OBSERVATIONS

Percussive guitar adds flair to songs Learning how to play guitar — the multiple scales, the esoteric chords and the endless fingerpicking — takes a great deal of practice to LUKE perfect or even just get FURMAN to sound good. is a senior But not every song studying calls for classicaljournalism ly-trained, virtuosic at Ohio complex playing. SomeUniversity. times you just have to beat the hell out of a guitar and hope you don’t break a string in the process.

Employing the acoustic guitar as a percussion instrument — although rare in genres beside folk rock and punk — can add a clean, surprising rhythm to a song’s mix. Take Tom Petty’s 1989 single “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” as a fine example.

After each of Petty’s declarations in the chorus, an acoustic guitar cuts through the mix, alternating between repeated E and A chord sequences. The guitar not only emphasizes Petty’s lyrics but also 4 / APRIL 19, 2018

mirrors his cadence musically and makes the song more dancey.

Although the acoustic guitar originated in popular music as an instrument in the rhythm section, most listeners nowadays consider it essential to a song’s melody, especially with its prominence in soloing.

So when the acoustic’s percussive effect is played up over its melody, it creates an unexpected yet absorbing rhythm.

Anarcho-folk punk artist Pat the Bunny (of Ramshackle Glory and Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains) makes good use of his guitar as a steady complement to his rugged voice. The chords he plays are audible, but their faint ring is overshadowed by his vocal melody and simply how hard he is striking the strings.

In a more subtle, American primitivist guitarists, such as John Fahey and Leo Kottke, tend to create rhythmic compositions by continuously striking a low note on the E-string that adds less to the melody than it does to ground the song in some sort of beat. Fahey and Kottke were all about treating the guitar like an

orchestra, drums included. The absence of accompanying instruments led to unconventional adaptations.

If you’ve ever seen Talking Heads’ concert film, Stop Making Sense, David Byrnes opens the show solo and strumming “Psycho Killer” in a way that emphasizes the rhythm while creating a sense of liveliness and nervousness. That makes sense since “Psycho Killer” is an introvert’s anthem.

And, appropriately, percussive acoustic guitar with staccatoed notes creates a sense of uneasiness and instability just like the character the song evokes.

Even though detractors of this kind of guitar playing might say it takes no real talent or merit, musicians such as Pat the Bunny, Mumford & Sons and AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad) have still crafter works of art that heavily leaned on it.

Banging on a sweet-sounding fretted instrument with as little concern for melody as Sid Vicious or using it to throw a curveball to listener expectations prove the worth of percussive acoustic guitar playing, if for psychological effects alone.

After all, it’s natural for babies to want to bang on stuff until it breaks, so why would that tendency disappear give or take 20 years later? Although, there is a big difference between wooden blocks and a Martin D Series.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What do you think about percussive guitar? Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.

Correction: An article from the April 5 issue with the headline “The pressure to succeed” misstated who brought in $100,000 in sales. That number reflects Che Hung Wang’s personal earnings, not his company’s.

EDITORIAL

The university should be disappointed with new ‘Freedom of Expression’ policies In September, students and faculty began asking questions about Ohio University’s interim “Freedom of Expression” policies. As the academic year comes to a close, we now have a formal policy, but everyone still has questions.

The new policies have brought with them even blurrier lines and continued confusion about freedom of expression at OU. The policies are partnered with a preamble that reaffirms OU’s commitment to speech.

But coupled with that are two separate documents that demonstrate the opposite. The language for the new policies remains vague and not digestible by the average person. There are portions — such as the definition of what is considered disruption — that are still unclear.

After following this ordeal for a year and the university having a year to develop

the new policies, what we were presented has let us down. It’s disappointing that it has taken this long to get policies that are difficult to understand and still deny students their right to express themselves.

For example, one section of the policies outlines how the OU Police Department would have final say in “resolving issues of public safety,” and academic and administrative managers would determine whether an activity is disruptive.

But what goes into that process? How will each situation being weighed on a scale of disruptiveness? Given what happened with the Baker 70 last year, is OUPD alone the best group to make those decisions? Those are just some of the questions we’re left with and had hoped would be answered by the end of this year.

We do not think these policies are necessary at all, as we are a public university

and our students have the right to speech and protest. If OU insists on keeping this policy in place, it needs to be reworked and clarified. Students should not have to bend over backward to understand their rights on campus — it is entirely on the university to make this clear.

It’s important to understand the climate of OU. Protesting has been a way for students to have their voices heard when they feel as if no one is listening. Protests bring awareness and can bring change as well, and it’s important that students have the opportunity to publicly express what they think.

By creating a policy and continuing to fine-tune a policy about “Freedom of Expression,” those voices are continuing to be silenced. The university is actively choosing to let those voices go unheard if it keeps the policies in place, especially if

they are so hazy.

In addition to expressing thoughts and ideas, hearing differing opinions is just as important. We should welcome diverse thoughts, and we should have every opportunity to share them.

Everyone should have conversations about the importance of listening to opposing views, and we all need to learn the best way to articulate a message. It’s valuable to have those conversations, but a policy to regulate “Freedom of Expression” is anything but productive.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors: editor-in-chief Elizabeth Backo, managing editor Kaitlin Coward, digital managing editor Hayley Harding and senior editor Marisa Fernandez. Post editorials are independent of the publication’s news coverage.

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POLICE BLOTTER

Man runs around house nude; safe found in creek ASHTON NICHOLS STAFF WRITER Running around naked will not always solve problems.

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from Guysville on April 13 in reference to a nude male running around a house. Deputies patrolled the area but could not find the man, according to the sheriff’s report.

THE BRUSH BLAZE The sheriff’s office responded to East First Street on April 12 due to a report of a suspicious man.

The caller stated the man was seen running in the area about the time a brush fire had started, according to the sheriff’s report. Once in the area, deputies found several people running in the area but none fitting the description given by the caller.

DRUNKEN MOTHER The Athens County Sheriff’s Office re-

sponded on April 16 to Converse Street about a complaint of a drunken women being uncooperative.

Deputies made contact with the complainant, who said she had picked her mother up to give her a ride, and her mother was being obnoxious and uncooperative and refusing to exit the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s report. The drunken women agreed to be taken to her home in Trimble Township.

A SAFE CREEK The sheriff’s office met with a Lodi Township trustee on April 13 about a safe the trustee had located in a creek.

The safe appeared to have been there for some time because it was in poor condition, according to the sheriff’s report.

SLEEPY WOMAN The sheriff’s office responded to Scott Road on April 12 due to a female lying in the road.

Deputies searched the entire road and

could not find the women, according to the sheriff’s report.

THE TIRED DAD The Athens County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Fruth Pharmacy parking lot at United Lane on April 11. The caller stated a man appeared to be passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle with a child in a car seat up front.

The driver was the father of the child and had pulled over to take a quick nap before continuing home which was further south, according to the police report. The father was not under the influence, and, after speaking with him, the deputy was comfortable allowing him to continue home.

A CAUSE OF EVENTS The sheriff’s office received a call April 11 during an after-hours public event at the Alexander Local School District.

The call reported a man with a large knife walking around the school, according to the police report. There were no reports

that the man brandished or threatened anyone with the knife. The man had the knife unconcealed in a sheath on his belt.

The man said he carries the knife on his belt everyday and he never thought to remove it before heading to the school to pick up his child.

The man’s information was checked through dispatch, and he was found to have multiple warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and transported to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.

WAITING FOR THE BUS The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded April 11 to the Fruth Pharmacy on United Lane following a report of suspicious people lying in the grass outside of the store, according to the sheriff’s report.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the people and learned they were waiting for a ride home.

@ASHTONNICHOLS_ AN614816@OHIO.EDU

NEWS BRIEFS

Dogs may soon be welcomed at outdoor restaurant areas; Scripps celebrates 50th anniversary KAITLYN MCGARVEY FOR THE POST Spring Semester is coming to a close, but news in and around Ohio University is hardly slowing down. Here is some of what has been happening: YOU COULD SOON BRING YOUR DOG TO OUTDOOR RESTAURANT AREAS

You may be allowed to bring your dog to an outdoor restaurant area thanks to a new bill passed by a 79-9 vote in the Ohio House. Now, the bill will make its way to the state senate.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, there are a few requirements for dogs to be allowed in outdoor dining areas.

House Bill 263 says employees couldn’t intentionally touch the dog, so food for any dogs would need to be served on a single-use plate or container.

Also, the restaurants would need to 6 / APRIL 19, 2018

post signs informing people dogs are allowed. Also, dogs would need to be on a leash while dining, and businesses would need “cleanup and sanitary-waste-disposal kits available outside.”

SCRIPPS COLLEGE FOCUSED ON SERVICE FOR ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

OU’s Scripps College of Communication celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.

Scripps College Director of Communication Erin Roberts, an OU alumna, has seen changes within the school since she began working there 15 years ago.

“While I was in school, newspapers and other businesses and organizations were trying to figure out the World Wide Web and what their presence should be and really how to keep up with that kind of news cycle,” Roberts said.

To lead up to the celebration, Roberts started a social media campaign about 50 stories of service on Scripps’ Facebook,

Twitter and Instagram pages. Roberts said this perfectly coincided with OU’s 214th birthday Feb. 18.

“We are an extremely engaged college so the way that we teach communication education and practice ... is a very engaged type of pedagogy that most of our courses have a project that is mostly applicable to the student outside of that class,” Scott Titsworth, dean of Scripps, said.

COUNCIL MEMBERS DISCUSS GUN LEGISLATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

On Monday, Athens City Council members passed a resolution supporting increased gun legislation with a 7-2 vote.

Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said the resolution was created in support of young activists. The resolution included encouraging gun owners to use gun safes and locks.

Two city council members, Pat McGee, I-At Large, and Peter Kotses, D-At Large,

opposed the resolution because it supported raising the minimum legal age to buy a gun.

“I believe citizens who are 18 should have the same rights as any other citizen whether it be to drink alcohol, to vote or to marry,” McGee said.

Additionally, city council passed two ordinances that will allow the mayor to apply for grants through the Ohio Development Services that will fund a dewatering system and repairs to the Kimes Reservoir.

@KTLYNMCGRVY KM451814@OHIO.EDU

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City investigates cause of explosion that left one person injured

An explosion occurred at 104 West Union Street on Sunday. One person was injured. (MIJANA MAZUR | FILE)

ASHTON NICHOLS STAFF WRITER A man in his early 20s was injured after an explosion Sunday evening in the 100 block of West Union Street.

As of press time, there is no update on his condition, Athens Fire Chief Rob Rymer said.

A portion of Cycle Path Bicycles of Athens Ohio, 104 W. Union St., appeared to have crumbled. There are at least seven apartments above Cycle Path Bicycles, Bennis Pavisan, who lives in Apartment 5, said.

At about 5 p.m., a loud bang was audible from several houses away, according to people at the scene.

Rymer said the building could collapse further and officials are not allowing anyone to enter the upstairs area of the building. The area around the building has also been taped off to keep people away.

“The people currently do not have access to their belongings inside,” Rymer said. “We may be able to work out some-

thing in the future, but, right now, due to safety and the stability to the actual structure, they do not.”

Reann Lung saw the explosion occur.

Lung, who lives next to Thai Paradise, said she was sitting on her bed doing homework when her window was open, and she heard a noise.

“I heard something, and I looked out the window (to) my left and the building was expanding — it literally collapsed,” Lung, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student, said. “And then, maybe 15 seconds later, a guy came running out the window and then laid down on the roof and did not move.”

Lung said the man was the only person she saw come out of the building. She said her roommate called 911, and Athens County Emergency Medical Services showed up in about four to five minutes.

Pavisan said two people who lived in the apartments were gone for the weekend, and he had walked out of the apartments earlier this morning.

“I was going to stay home, but I decided to go out and do stuff,” Pavisan said.

“Thank God I made that decision.”

Deputy Service Safety Director Ron Lucas said the city is investigating the cause of the explosion.

“It’s too early to tell what happened,” Lucas said. “We will be doing an active investigation.”

Rymer said the Ohio State Fire Marshal is working with Columbia Gas of Ohio to determine the cause.

Dave Rau, communication manager of Columbia Gas of Ohio, said Columbia Gas checked the two lines surrounding the building, and they still “hold pressure.”

“From what we can see at this point, our facilities are not involved,” Rau said.

“Our facilities run up to and include the meter. Everything after that is owned and maintained by the customer.”

Rau said Columbia Gas is going to do further testing but does not see any involvement from its facilities.

“We are going to do tests around the neighborhood just to be sure, but again, we have no reason to think that our facilities were involved at all,” Rau said.

Ohio University Spokesman Dan Pittman said OU is aware of four students affected by the explosion. He said the university does not know of any hospitalized OU students.

“The university is in the process of reaching out to all known affected students and will assist with providing essentials (food, clothing, shelter) if desired,” Pittman said in an email.

Pittman said any affected students who have not already connected with the university and would like assistance are welcome to contact the dean of students at 740-593-1800.

@ASHTONNICHOLS_ AN614816@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

The price of partying

HOW MUCH ATHENS SPENDS ON POLICE FOR FESTS

Police and emergency medical services tend to a partygoer who fell and hit his head during High Fest on March 24. (HANNAH RUHOFF / FILE)

ASHTON NICHOLS STAFF WRITER While students attend fest during the spring, local police bring in additional officers to ensure the safety of students, but that comes with a cost.

Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said mutual aid — which is when the department brings in additional officers from local departments such as Ohio University Police Department and the Athens County Sheriff's Office — does not cost anything. The department uses mutual aid for fests and pays additional officers to work.

“Mutual aid is just that,” Pyle said.

“It’s, 'we help you, you help us.' We don’t use mutual aid for fests. We hire people for fests. It’s a semantics thing.”

10 / APRIL 19, 2018

Pyle said APD’s mutual aid agreement with OUPD allows them to trade officers for special events or situations.

The City of Athens pays for extra officers and mounted patrol officers from other cities in Ohio.

Actual costs vary between fests because different fests require different numbers of officers to be brought in.

APD can pay up to $350 per officer per event. The department is authorized to hire up to 50 additional officers per event outside of mutual aid. That means APD could pay up to $17,500 in additional officers per fest.

Including mutual aid, there are about 150 to 175 officers at events such as fests. APD also pays for food, overtime and “logistical supplies,” Pyle said.

That totals $10,000-$13,000 of taxpay-

er money per event.

"That’s just for police, and that’s probably just for an eight hour operation," Pyle said. "Pricey.”

All of those fees are covered in department's budget, Pyle said, with about $80,000 a year dedicated to fests and other large events.

Athens City Auditor Kathy Hecht said that in 2017, auxiliary officer costs were about $146,000. She said APD paid about $12,000 in 2017 for “special events costs,” which includes food, drinks and portable toilets.

“As a reference, the total gross payroll for reserve and fest officers for Millfest 2018 comes to $8,996.50,” Hecht said in an email. “The additional costs for APD were $3,252.”

She said those amounts do not include additional personnel costs in other de-

partments such as code enforcement, fire department, the mayor’s office and court.

OUPD Lt. Tim Ryan said OUPD has spent about $17,000 so far this year on overtime for fests. Last year, OUPD spent about $52,000 in total.

Overtime pay for outside officers comes out of OUPD’s budget, Ryan said.

“The city and our department work very closely together in a lot of aspects,” Ryan said. "Especially when these fest are happening, you know, adjacent to campus, it’s … shared problem-solving."

— Bailey Gallion contributed to this report.

@ASHTONNICHOLS_ AN614816@OHIO.EDU

Student Senate president gets fulltuition scholarship HAYLEY HARDING DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Landen Lama, the president of Student Senate, works 20 to 25 hours a week on senate tasks. He earns a full-tuition scholarship for that work.

Lama is an in-state student, but Jenny Hall-Jones, the dean of students, said that scholarship would also include the non-resident fee if he were not. The vice president and treasurer get a half-tuition scholarship plus the non-resident fee, if applicable.

Those scholarships come from the university's central scholarship pool, Ohio University Spokesperson Jim Sabin said.

Lama said though he doesn’t see why the scholarship would make it easier to be senate president because it’s applied only to his academics, it does help take away from the concern of how he will pay for tuition.

“Yes, it would be nice to have a stipend as well because of the amount of work I do compared to what is the breakdown of what (the scholarship is worth),” Lama said. “I would not adequately be able to have a parttime or full-time job because of my academic course load and my senate course load, so I can’t take a job. This is what I have.”

It’s not uncommon for student government officials to be compensated in some way, Lama said, be it through scholarships, stipends or both. Other schools throughout the state also compensate some of those involved in student government.

Hannah Cubberley, the president of student government at Bowling Green State University, confirmed over email that “the Student Government President at Bowling Green State University receives a scholarship valued at the cost of In-State Tuition.” At the University of Akron, Student Body President Taylor Bennington said he gets an $8,000 stipend.

That is approximately 70 percent of the instate tuition amount the University of Akron reports on its website. Bennington said that stipend will rise to $9,490 next year, or about 83 percent of the in-state tuition amount.

Maddie Sloat, the president-elect of Student Senate and current East Green senator, didn’t realize she would be compensated as president until after she was already running.

“I think the way I view it is that the university is viewing it as a job, to a certain extent, and kind of a level of accountability,”

Sloat said. “In order to actually have executives that are able to, you know, put the time in that you would want them to into it and not have to be working also 25 hours a week … that’s definitely a factor.”

Sloat is also enrolled in the Honors Tutorial College, and she said the full-tuition scholarship she gets from that “can be moved around some” to help cover other expenses while she serves as president. She said she may have to take on another job to pay for meals and part of her rent.

“By taking this position, I want to be able to dedicate the fullest amount of time — I want to be able to take every meeting with students I possibly can. I want to be in all the rooms with all the administrators,” she said.

“I think it’s hard sometimes to do that when you also have to balance that with a job, but I also understand that that’s how these things work. Lots of students on our campus do that in various positions.”

Sloat said she had never really considered the idea of other senate members being compensated. She said she saw benefits and drawbacks both to compensating members and to maintaining the current system.

“If you’re treating it like a job, then sometimes that makes people more accountable,” Sloat said. “On the other hand, you don’t want people to only be invested because I feel like we would be having students that are in senate for the wrong reasons in the sense that they’re looking for compensation as opposed to wanting to do the work.”

She added that though it’s an interesting thought, she isn’t sure that senate would be bringing that up given “the current state of the university’s financing.” She also said if members were compensated, there would have to be fewer representatives, which would be “negative in a lot of ways.”

For Kay Jurma, a junior studying media and social change, those working on Student Senate should only get such benefits if they’re following through on the promises they make to the student body.

“I don’t know what all being in Student Senate entails,” Jurma said. “I just know that I work 40-plus hours a week when I’m at home, and I don’t make enough to cover my college expenses.”

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Valley Reality

Virtual Views of Appalachia valleyreality.org

Athens County Library Wednesday, April 23 6-8 pm Valley Reality will be featuring its VR community profiles about towns from around Appalachia Towns including: Coolville, OH: Small Town, Smaller Church Pomeroy, OH: Natural Wonders of Pomeroy, Ohio Lesage, WV: Wacky West Virginia Delicious Hidden Gem Stewart, OH: Dirt Track Dynasty

Free food and VR Headsets

@HAYLEY__HARDING HH102614@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

REVOLUTION TO EDUCATION As the sun set over Yahya Jammeh’s dictatorship, one Gambian packed his bag to come and study in the U.S. BHARBI HAZARIKA / SENIOR WRITER

hen Musa Dampha walked the streets of Bansang, Gambia, he couldn’t stop looking over his shoulder.

The poorly lit roads did little to curb his anxiety.

Tales of unfamiliar silhouettes and sounds of calculated steps culminating in a ceaseless list of missing persons haunted people’s minds. Dampha feared at any moment he could be arrested by the government’s National Intelligence Agency, or NIA, notorious for enforcing disappearances.

“Where you’ll be taken, no one knows,” Dampha, a graduate student studying African Studies, said, about his time in Gambia.

The freshly elected president of Ohio University’s African Student Union arrived in the U.S. on New Year’s Eve. He stayed at his cousin’s place in Columbus, and as fireworks exploded in the sky, for the first time, he slept a good night’s sleep.

Dampha is one of the six Gambian students who immigrated to the U.S. 12 / APRIL 19, 2018

to pursue their graduate studies at OU. The idea of a “democratic education” compelled Dampha and fellow Gambian students to travel 5,135 miles from his home to Athens.

LIFE IN THE TRENCHES Under former President Yahya Jammeh, sleep didn’t come easy for most Gambians, Dampha said.

“It was crazy,” he said.

“People would go to bed thinking whether they will make it to the following morning without getting arrested.”

Jammeh came to power through a coup in 1994 and became infamous for atrocities that included gross human rights violations, such as threats to decapitate LGBT people and arrests of opposition party members and journalists who critiqued him.

At first, Dampha said, Gambians thought Jammeh had a vision, evidenced by the surprisingly peaceful transition.

Since seizing power, Jammeh ruled the nation for 22 years. He initiated programs to build more schools and develop national infrastructure, and

ILLUSTRATION

BY CLAIRE HANNA

“An educated mind ... does not just benefit that individual but every other person around him, the globe at large.”

- Musa Dampha, Ohio University graduate student

people witnessed a change after a long time of political inaction.

“Power corrupts and power intoxicates people,” Dampha said. “In the long run, we’ve seen that Jammeh, at some point, turned out to be a monster.”

His government prosecuted and imprisoned critics, some of whom mysteriously wound up dead. In 2006, about one-third of the Gambian population lived below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. Amid unemployment and meager civil liberties, thousands of people left the country. Under Jammeh’s rule, Gambia was paralyzed.

Fear of expressing his thoughts plagued Dampha who slept with one eye open. Threats of imprisonment have been a fact of life for years. Defamatory comments against the dictator were met with abduction and arrests.

The knocks rattled the wooden doors at night, Dampha recalled. Men in ordinary clothes marched in, kidnapped the defamers and vanished into the night, leaving no trace behind.

Under the circumstances, it seemed entirely reasonable that people would refrain from questioning the clandestine activities carried out by the badgeless NIA men. Minimal scrutiny meant more leeway for Jammeh to implement his power.

While life was difficult for most Gambians, those that Jammeh shunned were openly discriminated against by officials.

Dampha belonged to the same village as Jammeh’s opponent Ousainou Darboe, which meant limited access to electricity and deplorable living conditions.

In fact, quenching one’s thirst was a predicament that Gambians faced every morning. When Dampha would turn on the faucet, a suspicious flow of water would gush out of the pipes. He would fill his glass and watch it turn a rusty red. Nonetheless, he would gulp it down, knowing there was no other option.

UPHILL BATTLE Dampha’s decision to come to OU culminated at the same time the country was preparing to let go of the autocrat’s emblematic white garbs and prayer beads.

The protests were concentrated in the capital, Banjul, and the largest city, Serekunda. The NIA officers emerged out of the shelter of the night and performed their draconian agendas in broad daylight. Women were raped; men were put behind bars.

“One thing I’ve realized,” Dampha said.

“It’s better to kill them rather than take away people’s right to expression.”

Resistance had the potential to cost many Gambians their lives. Among those who were directly affected was Dampha. His uncle Darboe, who was an opposition leader, was incarcerated and beaten. Being arrested in Jammeh’s Gambia was equivalent to have

received a death sentence, Dampha said.

“Most people were never found,” he lamented.

Dampha lived in the outskirts of the cities and couldn’t take part in everyday protests.

For Samba Bah, a graduate student from Busumbala, Gambia, studying international development studies, not participating in the revolution wasn’t a choice.

Bah started as a member of the non-governmental organization Saama Sang Youth and Children Development Association and later went on to serve as a speaker for the National Youth Parliament of Gambia.

As a youth activist, Bah was involved in organizing sit-ins and meetings to advocate for youth-friendly laws and to protest unfair policies installed by Jammeh’s government, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction.

“It wasn’t easy. Advocating for human rights and democracy is never easy in any setting,” Bah said. “And Jammeh’s administration was no exception in this.”

Finally, the protests paved the way for an electoral reform. The reform is designed to prohibit electoral manipulation, a tactic that Jammeh frequently used to keep himself in power.

As democracy eclipsed Jammeh’s rule, Dampha and his Gambian peers were in search of a way to make their lives and those of others better. The only way he saw out of the debris was through education.

Adama Barrow, the nominated candidate for the coalescing seven opposition parties, stepped up as the president-elect in January 2017. The new government brought plans to undo Jammeh’s infractions. Barrow began by introducing the National Development Plan, or NDP, in 2018, which aims to “revitalize and transform the economy for the wellbeing of all Gambians.”

Assan Sarr, an assistant professor of history, was visiting Gambia around the same time when he met Dampha and Bah. They planned out their education, and a few weeks later, both the students were boarding a flight to Columbus.

The students realized that a regime change wasn’t enough to transform the state of their country. But the fear of leaving loved ones haunted them. Rather than feeling anxious about his new life, he was afraid of the unknown that he was leaving behind.

“I was scared to death,” Dampha said.

“Not only for my sisters, but for every soul in the nation.”

Fatou Kineh Ndow, a graduate student studying mathematics, was always hesitant to talk over the phone. People suspected that the government was tapping their phones. Ndow said since the dictator’s exodus, she isn’t scared to call home.

“Now, people can express themselves,” Ndow, who is from Banjul, Gambia, said. “It wasn’t possible before.”

Musa Dampha walks around the grocery store looking for his favorite American snack: cereal. (BHARBI HAZARIKA / SENIOR WRITER)

ON AMERICAN SOIL The autocrat’s departure has helped Dampha feel a little more secure about leaving his family in Gambia, and it has helped him enjoy his experience in the states. His daily routine consists of working on his graduate thesis, navigating the aisles of American grocery stores for cereal and drinking clear water that, for once, doesn’t change its shade.

Dampha immersed himself in education and finished his two-year graduate program in a year and a half. His academic pace indicates his desire to go back to Gambia and help his community.

Under Jammeh, Gambian colleges were heavily mandated by the government. The instruction of any material that did not align with the dictator’s views meant persecution for the teacher. A stunted education system stabbed holes in their understanding of the world.

An American education has given Ndow a greater access to many resources she said she didn’t have back home. She considers the convenience of accessing the internet at any time of the day a privilege. Ndow said social science education suffered significantly because of the dictator’s anti-democratic agenda. Dampha believes an American education will help fill those gaps and mend his fabric of knowledge.

“An educated mind — if it is put into productive use — it does not just benefit that individual but every other person around

him, the globe at large,” Dampha said.

Last month, Dampha was elected as president of OU’s African Student Union.

He plans to increase member participation and reach out to other African students he describes as “friends of Africa.”

Since coming to the U.S., the only challenge that Dampha said he has faced — the cold — is a sizable departure from the problems at home. Still, Dampha remembers home with affection.

“I know if I now go back to Gambia, it will feel like heaven,” Dampha said.

He ravenously consumes Gambian media and cherishes the sight of leadership critique. He said two years ago he could have never imagined a defamatory tweet or a Facebook post about the Gambian government without consequences following suit. In those civilian objections, he sees a new Gambia, one where democracy is fundamental to the society.

Now, Dampha wakes up every morning rested. While slipping into his plaid jacket to fight the midwestern winter, a smiling Dampha is grateful above all for “one key thing” in America.

“Being able to walk on the street without having to look over my shoulders,” Dampha said.

@BHARBI97 BH136715@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

A YEARLONG

DIVIDE

A year after being announced, the interim “Freedom of Expression” policies are still in flux LAUREN FISHER ASST. NEWS EDITOR SARAH M. PENIX FOR THE POST

J

ust near the Civil War monument, along a walkway on College Green, a bronze plaque sits embedded within the bricks. Titled “Student Voices,” the plaque proclaims the

green as “a forum for the voice of Ohio University students” throughout the university’s history.

“Whether supporting civil rights, advocating for the abolishment of women’s curfews, or in protest, students have and will continue to play a vital role in shaping Ohio University,” it reads.

Under the university’s newly proposed policies governing free expression and use of space, however, College Green is not designated as a space that can be used for protest.

The newly proposed policies are the latest in a yearlong saga that has pitted university administration against those who believe there should be no restriction on free expression.

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE HANNA 14 / APRIL 19, 2018

THE NEWLY PROPOSED POLICIES

After months of feedback and numerous calls for administrators to rescind the policy, the Executive Staff Policy Committee, which is composed of the three vice presidents and General Counsel John Biancamano, created a new set of guidelines for protesting and gathering in areas on campus.

J. Bennett Guess, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, said the new proposed policies are significant improvements from the previous policies.

“It appears that under these policies, members of the OU community will be able to express themselves robustly and meaningfully in many spaces on the campus, both outdoors and indoors,” Guess said in an email.

The ACLU of Ohio, however, remains concerned about the availability of indoor public spaces for students to “gather and use their voices.”

In both indoor and outdoor proposed policies, if expression “substantially and materially” interferes with or disrupts university activity, it is not permitted.

Associate General Counsel Grant Garber said the spaces designated in the new policies are “fairly centrally located,” and he emphasized students’ ability to reserve spaces.

Spontaneous demonstrations are allowed in Baker Center atrium spaces, empty classrooms, reservable conference rooms and meeting rooms in Baker Center when participants “are permitted to be present.”

Demonstrations would be prohibited in certain indoor spaces, including hallways and lobbies in academic and administrative buildings, such as Cutler Hall and the Baker Center rotunda.

Both spaces have been used for sit-ins in recent years. And in both instances, the OU Police Department advised demonstrators they could either leave or risk arrest.

Under the new proposed policies,

OUPD would have the final authority in “resolving issues of public safety,” while academic and administrative managers will be responsible for determining whether an activity is disruptive.

Garber stressed that the policy does not ban indoor demonstrations and said “it really does the opposite.”

Only in extraordinary circumstances would “appropriate university leadership” be able to grant special exceptions to provisions of the policies. Those exemptions cannot be based on the content, message or viewpoints of the activities in question.

“There shouldn’t be any reserved spaces,” Courtney Robinson, a senior studying psychology, said. “It’s like they’re taking away freedom of speech.”

“

I’d really like to hear some rationale beyond waving the protests elsewhere that are dangerous and could come here too. Do we really have a need? Is ther an actual need other than highly preventive thinking? Is there an actual need for a policy on that?

“

After months of feedback and deliberation, OU’s Executive Staff Policy Committee announced a new set of proposed policies April 12.

Administrators’ policy decisions about expression have largely defined the past year, prompting a fierce debate over the freedom to voice dissent at OU.

- Bernhard Debatin, faculty senator ‘THE CAMPUS UNANIMOUSLY’

HAS

SPOKEN

Conversations surrounding the policies began in September, when OU President Duane Nellis, just three months into his term, signed two interim policies governing the use of space for demonstrations.

That was seven months after 70 people were arrested during a Baker Center protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Trespassing charges were eventually dropped against the demonstrators after a judge determined the Baker Center rotunda was a designated public forum.

OU Legal Counsel John Biancamano drafted the interim policies in July, and Nellis approved them in August. The interim policies banned “demonstrations, rallies, public speech-making, picketing, sit-ins, marches, protests and similar assemblies” inside university buildings, but stated that space may be reserved indoors for “constitutionally protected speech” and activities.

The university also revised its outdoor spaces policy to set restrictions on various factors, such as how long spaces can be reserved and how much noise is permitted.

When first released in the fall, the interim policies were met with sharp criticism.

On Oct. 20, more than 100 students and faculty members took to the steps of the Athens County Courthouse to protest the policies. They marched on the sidewalks around the perimeter

of campus.

“We are here for something much greater than freedom of speech,” Ziad Abu-Rish, an assistant professor of history, told the crowd. “We are not alone — the campus has spoken unanimously.”

The demonstrators called for the resignation of several prominent administrators, including Nellis, as well as a complete rescindication of the interim policies.

Also in October, the ACLU of Ohio called the interim policies unconstitutional.

Ten days after the protest, Nellis announced a special advisory committee tasked with reviewing public feedback and creating a list of recommendations for a final policy. The committee was composed of members of each university senate, as well as faculty and staff members. The policy group met behind closed doors, drawing criticism from the ACLU of Ohio.

The Executive Staff Policy Committee ultimately formed the new proposed policies on indoor and outdoor spaces after the special advisory committee spent months reviewing considerations and feedback.

Nerissa Young, a journalism lecturer and adviser to the OU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, said she doesn’t believe the advisory committee’s recommendations did anything to promote free speech on campus, adding that the policies are in contrast to Nellis’ reputation at his previous institutions.

“(Nellis) has an opportunity to turn this down,” Young said. “I believe, personally, that the wheels were in motion when he got here, and he’s in a different spot of having to (go) against the upper-level administration.”

Young said if the university goes through with the more recent policy proposals, she believes there is a “very good chance” that someone will file a lawsuit, “and OU will lose if that happens.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Garber said the next step is for the proposed policies to be sent to “different constituencies” on campus for feedback.

Nearly one year after the interim “Freedom of Expression” policies were established, the five senates on campus are beginning to produce feedback for the Executive Staff Policy Committee.

During Faculty Senate’s special meeting April 16, which was held to discuss the newly proposed policies, faculty members voiced concern.

At the meeting, Garber explained that the newest set of proposed policies are designed to be legally sound.

“We have tried, from a legal perspective, to draft a policy that would be upheld by a court,” Garber said.

Some believe, however, the university does not have a need for the policies.

“I’d really like to hear some rationale beyond waving the protests elsewhere that are dangerous and could come here too,” Faculty Senator Bernhard Debatin said. “Do we really have a need? Is there an actual need other than highly preventive thinking? Is there an actual need for a policy on that?”

Young also said she had concerns about the purpose of the policies.

“My concern is the policies approach this from a negative standpoint instead of a positive standpoint,” she said. “We have yet to hear a purpose and a need from the administration.”

@LAUREN_FISHER LF966614@OHIO.EDU @SARAHMPENIX SP936115@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

OU STUDENT WRITES CHILDREN’S BOOK ABOUT PAWPAWS BAYLEE DEMUTH FOR THE POST Kaitlin Kulich craved something more creative to do other than working at a bakery when she went home last summer.

Kulich, a junior studying journalism, always had the idea to write a children’s book in the back of her mind.

“I’ve always had this really big passion for kids,” Kulich said. “As a journalist, I knew that I wanted my audience to be children.”

Pawpaw is My Favorite Flavor! is the first children’s book Kulich has written. She will officially launch her book at the Pawpaw Festival in September.

Kulich will have a special reading for Earth Day at the Bicentennial Park on April 19.

Kulich loves Athens and knew she wanted to leave something behind that would show how much she has appreciated being here. Combining her love for journalism, food and children, she decided to write a book on pawpaws.

“I figured nobody knew the pawpaw was our state fruit,” Kulich said. “But the pawpaw is so cool and unique. The book is even going to come with a recipe card on how to make pawpaw ice cream.”

Not only did Kulich write the book to inform her readers about pawpaws, but she also wrote it to touch on the importance of local foods and why it’s important to sustain them.

“I’m a big environmental student, and I think it’s important to appreciate the fact that locally grown food is sustainable environmentally and economically,” Kulich said. “To me, food is a big part of Athens and I just want more people to know about pawpaws.”

Laura Dobrota, a 2015 Master of Fine Arts graduate from Ohio University, was given the opportunity to illustrate Kulich’s book. It’s a different type of art than what Dobrota is accustomed to, but it wasn’t a big challenge.

“Kaitlin had very descriptive details on how she wanted her pictures to look, so coming up with the illustrations weren’t very difficult,” Dobrota said.

Dobrota had never illustrated a children’s book before, but she enjoyed the 16 / APRIL 19, 2018

Kaitlin Kulich, the author of Pawpaw is My Favorite Flavor!, poses for a portrait. The children’s book will come out in September at the same time as the Pawpaw Festival. (ABIGAIL DEAN / FOR THE POST)

process and would do it again.

“Even though it’s not my personal art, it’s still making art,” Dobrota said.

“Anything that gets my creative mind thinking is a good thing.”

Nathan Hart, a freshman studying journalism, loves pawpaws and thinks it’s a great idea for a children’s book.

“Pawpaws are kind of an unknown fruit,” Hart said. “I think it’ll be good if more kids learn about them and what kinds of delicious foods are in their area.”

A lot of inspiration for Kulich’s story stemmed from the culture of the Ath-

ens Farmers Market and her grandfathers back home.

“I dedicated this book to my grandpas because I had a lot of awesome memories with them when I was growing up,” Kulich said. “They’ve been in my heart and mind for a while.”

Pawpaw is My Favorite Flavor! will be sold on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, Kulich said. She also hopes to sell her book at the local bookstores in Athens and maybe one day make it into an audio story. The book does not yet have a set price.

“I hope my readers learn more about this region because it is truly a hidden treasure of Ohio,” Kulich said. “I want my book to show people that we need to value the work farmers do for us, as well as take care of the rare fruits and vegetables that we’re lucky to have.”

@BAYLEEDEMUTH BD575016@OHIO.EDU

Stephanie Malov (Front) practices the OU Vibrations dance routine Wednesday.

(MEAGAN HALL / PHOTO EDITOR)

OU Vibrations fosters friendships through recreational dance classes A new OU dance club incorporates many styles of dance to give both practiced dancers and novice students a chance to learn something different MEGHAN MORRIS FOR THE POST

A

lli Gamad has danced recreationally since she was 2 years old and competitively since she was 7. She has learned many different dance styles, including jazz, tap, ballet and lyrical.

“I’ve danced my whole life,” she said.

“That is the one thing that gets me out of bed.”

Gamad, an Ohio University junior studying management communication, created the dance club OU Vibrations because she missed having dance in her life after she left the studio when she came to college.

OU Vibrations allows students to form friendships with people who are reconnecting with dance.

She said the 2017-18 academic year was

OU Vibrations’ first full year. It has two separate components: recreational classes and a performance group.

Anyone can try out the recreational classes because they are meant to be more laid-back, she said. It’s OK if members can only attend meetings some weeks because each class teaches a new piece or other activities, such as conditioning and yoga.

“When you’re feeling down, I think it’s a good way to be able to just share your emotions,” Stephanie Malov, a junior studying psychology and pre-physical therapy, said.

The dance club meets every Wednesday, and the first two practices of the month are dedicated to learning a choreographed piece, Gamad said. Any member can propose an idea to her, and the group might learn a different style of dance each week.

Other dance clubs on campus focus

on one kind of dance, but OU Vibrations members want to learn a bit of everything, Gamad said.

Monica Bollinger, a junior studying language arts education, said the group recently learned a hip-hop dance that used the song “1, 2 Step” by Ciara. The difficulty of the choreographed pieces can range, she said.

OU Vibrations’ performance group has more than a dozen women who perform various styles of dance in a performance each semester, Gamad said. The last show had eight dance pieces in which groups, duos and individual members showed their moves to an audience of friends and family.

Bollinger said she danced in the spring performance with a large group during a jazz song and with a trio of dancers to “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man. She

went to a dance studio from 7 years old through high school, but she appreciates that dance can be a hobby now.

“It’s always been an extreme part of my life,” Bollinger said. “Before (joining OU Vibrations), it was like a sport for me.”

In OU Vibrations, students just come for dancing and end up making great friendships, she said. The members have done a few activities that didn’t involve choreography or music, including canvas painting, and she wants to see that continue.

“We all came together because we’re all passionate about dance, but we have more than that now,” Gamad said. “I’ve gotten to watch people connect and build friendships and find their place.”

@MARVELLLOUSMEG MM512815@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

FOOTBALL

Linebackers work to replace graduates SPENCER HOLBROOK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

18 / APRIL 19, 2018

Next season, Ohio football will be without linebacker Quentin Poling, who played in 50 games as a Bobcat and holds team records in career solo tackles (221) and career tackles for loss (44.0). Now it’s up to other linebackers to take his place. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

ing, and he’s been part of the Ohio defensive staff that coached now-Indianapolis Colts defensive end Tarell Basham. Collins has had success in developing talent, which will be needed as Popp, Conner and the linebacking corp look to replace the pros.

“The guys that are in those first two groups have gotten close to 400 reps this spring,” Collins said. “That’s huge for them.”

Developing talent once the players get to Ohio is important, but the linebackers can’t be taught by Collins if they don’t come to Athens. Collins has found success on the recruiting trail, and some of that can be linked to coaching linebackers that have found homes on NFL rosters.

Most players being recruited want to see a path for them to live their dreams of getting to the NFL. With the recent success of linebackers at Ohio, the recruiting pitch is now available for Collins and the

“

It’s really good that a lot of the younger guys are getting a lot more reps. Poling and Chad are obviously gone. The younger guys are looking up to us.

“

Eric Popp has always dreamt of playing in the NFL. It has been the linebacker’s goal since before he got to Ohio, and he’s clinging to that goal.

Now a junior, Popp’s been on the same practice field as a linebacker that has taken the next step — making it to the NFL — and another that is about to. After Popp’s freshman year, Blair Brown was selected in the NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After last season, Quentin Poling started the draft process, and fellow linebacker Chad Moore graduated.

Although the Bobcats have lost multiple talented linebackers over the last two years, they’ll look to reload at the position. That starts in spring practice.

“It’s really good that a lot of the younger guys are getting a lot more reps,” Popp said. “Poling and Chad are obviously gone.

The younger guys are looking up to us.”

Popp has been one of the leaders for the linebackers this spring. Without returning starter Evan Croutch, who isn’t going through spring practice, Ohio will need to fill the hole left by Poling, the Bobcats’ alltime leader in tackles and tackles for loss.

Popp and teammate Dylan Conner, along with others, have stepped into those roles and earned key reps as linebackers coach Ron Collins breaks young players into the system.

It’s not always easy teaching younger players; Collins admits that. It takes a level of patience that isn’t needed while coaching veterans who know the signals, concepts and dynamics. That patience is tested when Collins, who is known as the most intense coach on the staff, becomes frustrated with his young platoon. But that’s not a problem.

“Every once in a while, it’s good to get a kick in the ass,” Popp said.

It’s not always frustration, though.

Collins can easily name guys who have impressed him so far this spring. Jared Dorsa, T.J. Robinson, Austin Clack joined Conner and Popp on that list of linebackers for the spring. Collins likes what he sees.

The only issue with the current roster is depth. With the talented losses from the past, it’s hard to keep linebackers stocked on the depth chart. Those names Collins cited could help secure that depth come fall camp.

Collins knows good defenders when he sees them — he’s coached Brown and Pol-

- Eric Popp, Ohio linebacker

coaching staff. It has proof and a track record of providing players with a feasible path to the NFL draft.

Once they get to Ohio, linebackers have to face a coaching staff that demands a near perfect work ethic to have an opportunity at the next level.

Popp has two years of eligibility left, and he’s working to become the next linebacker that Collins and the coaching staff can use as a recruiting tactic.

“It just gives everyone a little hope to see guys that you play with every single day go out there and being able to get their chance,” Popp said. “It gives you hope for the future and makes you work even harder.”

@SPENCERHOLBROOK SH690914@OHIO.EDU

BASEBALL

Shohei Ohtani and Michael Klein show parallels as two-way players MICHAEL KLEIN, OHIO'S TWO-WAY PLAYER, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON SHOHEI OHTANI, ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST TWO-WAY PLAYER TO HIT THE MLB SINCE BABE RUTH ANTHONY POISAL FOR THE POST Shohei Ohtani has been among the most heralded rookies in MLB history since he signed a deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December. Ohtani, touted as “Japan's Babe Ruth,” excelled as both a hitter and pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, the highest level of Japanese baseball, and has lived up to the hype during his early showings in the MLB. Michael Klein is a redshirt senior at Ohio.

He's also a two-way player that has lived up to the hype, if you ask coach Rob Smith — but it'd be a stretch to say that millions of people tune in when the right-hander toes the rubber or digs into the batter's box.

Regardless of how uneven the ratio of Ohtani’s following is to Klein’s, it’s hard not to recognize the similarities between the two players. They represent only a handful of players at the collegiate and professional levels capable of simultaneously handling pitching and batting duties.

Obviously, it’d be foolish to try to compare Klein’s college-level talents to the nearly unprecedented player that Ohtani is. What is fun, though, is taking a look at some other similarities and differences between them.

The pair both throw right-handed and are the same age, 23. Ohtani is just 21 days older than Klein.

Unaware that he was much closer with Ohtani in age than he thought, Klein laughed upon learning yet another similarity he shared with Ohtani.

“When I first heard about (him), I was really interested,” Klein said. “He's doing it in the big boy division, so that's pretty impressive to see.”

A player hasn't found consistent twoway success in the MLB since Ruth, who had a 2.97 ERA in 1919 while boasting a league-leading 29 home runs, according to Baseball Reference.

In 30 at-bats in the MLB, Ohtani has accrued a .367 batting average with 11 RBIs and three home runs, which came in three consecutive games. On the mound, Ohtani has made three starts, two against the Athletics, and has given up six earned runs on

Ohio’s Michael Klein runs to first during the Bobcats’ game against Dayton on April 4, 2017. (BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)

four walks and eight hits with 19 strikeouts.

In 333 at-bats with Ohio, Klein has a .267 batting average with 12 home runs and 63 RBIs. Klein has also pitched 154 2/3 innings and has a 4.31 ERA with 113 strikeouts.

When the two's schedules are compared, however, Ohtani's workload is likely much different. Klein only has to worry about pitching one day per week, and Ohtani will typically pitch on just five days of rest.

But for Ohtani, “rest” doesn't feel like the best term. His off days have been spent as a designated hitter whenever Angels manager Mike Scioscia decides to insert him into the lineup.

For Klein, “rest” is perhaps a more appropriate term. Ohio typically plays four to five games per week, and Klein's lone pitching appearance as a starter usually falls on one of the three weekend games. Unlike Ohtani, Klein often still plays as a designated hitter even when he is on the mound.

From Smith's perspective, the scheduling

puzzle that comes with the luxury of a twoway player appears to be a bit easier than Scioscia's. But Smith can relate to Scioscia when it comes to finding the formula for a two-way player's workload, which Smith found with Klein's arrival to the field in 2016.

But before Smith, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, jumped into the process of finding that balance, he had some words to say about Ohtani and his team selection.

“First off, Ohtani can kick rocks because he didn't sign with the Dodgers and he signed with the Angels,” Smith said.

Biases aside, Smith and Klein both seemed to share an opinion that would upset any fan of Ohtani: His success as a two-way player won't last long.

Klein said Ohtani's success will go as far as his body lets him. Sure, working out and eating right will play a huge role in how Ohtani adapts to a 162-game schedule. From Klein's personal experience, however, an excess of lifting weights and

participating in team sprints will take a toll when midseason rolls around.

But Klein isn't quite ready to buy into Ohtani and his four-week sample size.

Klein, who said he never thought that anyone could excel as a two-way player in the MLB, doesn't believe that Ohtani will continue his tear as an ace on the mound and a slugger at the plate.

“He's going to start feeling it later when his body starts reacting to more pitching,” Klein said. “He's gotten off to a hot start right now, which is amazing to me and everyone watching. ... But I guarantee, as the season goes on, his body is going to be sore.

He's going to be going longer innings while he's pitching. Say he goes nine complete (innings), there's going to be a couple days off where he's going to be sore, and maybe he doesn't want to feel like swinging.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

ILLUSTRATION BY MARCUS PAVILONIS

A lasting legacy The history and personalities behind Athens’ oldest business JEREMY HILL SENIOR WRITER Kris Cornwell spent her days on Court Street long before it was lined with a bevy of bars and chain restaurants.

As the owner of Cornwell Jewelers, 77 N. Court St., Kris recalls catching a bus with her sister and riding from her grandparents’ home on Peach Ridge Road, north of Athens, to Court Street, where they’d wander from shop to shop.

“At 6 and 8 (years old) ... my grandpa’s jewelry store was the hub of everything, so we would have to go check in with him, 20 / APRIL 19, 2018

then we’d go off and go shopping somewhere, or go see a matinee, or go get pizza,” Kris said.

Her grandfather, Walter Cornwell, ran his jewelry store at 10 S. Court St., where Big Mamma’s Burritos exists today.

Kris fondly recalls spending time in that narrow, worn space, in the same building where Cornwell Jewelers had existed since 1832, and playing with costume jewelry her grandfather had taken in on trade. At the time, she wasn’t so concerned about diamond earrings or ruby wristlets.

“More than anything, to me it wasn’t

so much about the jewelry, but that’s just where my grandpa worked,” Kris said.

It’s much more about the jewelry now. Since purchasing the business from her parents in the early 2000s, Kris has transformed the store to meet the needs of modern shoppers. As a result, a long-standing piece of Athens’ history, Cornwell Jewelers, is rolling into the future with its sixth-generation — and first female — owner at the helm.

WHO IS KRIS CORNWELL? It wasn’t a given that Kris would take over the family jewelry business.

“When I finished my graduate degree … my mom actually said, ‘Have you ever thought about working in the jewelry store?’ And I said ‘No? I haven’t,’ ” she said. “It was never discussed. It was never talked about.”

But it happened. She finished a master’s degree in education in 1994 at Ohio University and, persuaded by her mother, tried her hand in the jewelry business.

The early years weren’t easy.

“I went in pretty naive, but it’s been a journey and I’ve learned so much,” she said. “When I started, I knew zero about business, zero about gemology, all of it —

BUILDING A LEGACY The Cornwell family had been selling jewelry to Athens residents for more than 100 years before that purple Cadillac ever rolled off the line.

John Cornwell opened a jewelry shop on the second floor of 10 S. Court St. in 1832. At that time, Robert G. Wilson — the namesake of OU’s Wilson Hall — was serving as the school’s president, and the

Civil War wouldn’t break out for another 40 years.

The store’s founder is also responsible for its only extended closure. In 1852, he rode west to California by train and wagon, one of thousands who risked their lives in an effort to strike gold. He left his store, wife and six children for four years.

“From what I’ve researched, he put a sign on the door, like a ‘gone fishing’ sign, except he went to the gold rush,” Kris said. John recorded his experiences in a diary now housed in Alden Library. He wrote at length about difficult living conditions, sparse success and about selling daguerreotypes — early photographs — as an extra source of income.

Returning in 1856 to Athens, he reopened the jewelry store. Since then, management of the store has snaked its way through six generations of Cornwells, making it the second-oldest family-owned jewelry store in the U.S. “As I understand it, Cornwell Jewelers is probably the longest standing, continuously operated businesses on Court Street and certainly, as a jeweler, has been long standing,” Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said. “The Cornwell family has been a cornerstone of the City of Athens for a long time.”

Kris’ father, Les Cornwell, opened a second jewelery store in 1966 at 49 S. Court St., where Whit’s Frozen Custard is today.

“It was like a small Tiffany’s in Athens, Ohio,” Coon said.

Today, Coon is a property manager for Cornwell Properties, which owns and operates a swath of student rentals in Athens. Les began buying rental properties in the early 1970s, and continues to rent some of Athens’ most recognizable student dwellings, including Palmer Place.

Les’ uptown store closed its doors in 1987 and was folded into Cornwell Jewelers’ original location at 10 S. Court Street, where it stayed until Kris moved the store in 2002.

MOVING FORWARD Unlike the gemstones sold at the store, it’s difficult to say what Cornwell Jewelers will look like in 10, 20 or 30 years.

Kris depends on her willingness to change in managing the store, and trends in jewelry could push Cornwell Jewelers to continue changing. A 2014 report from management consultants McKinsey and Company predicts the share of fine jewelry sales happening online could double to 10 percent of total sales by 2020, and Kris knows the nature of shopping — and Court Street — is changing.

“Most of our customers now, we’re a

Kris Cornwell, owner of Cornwell Jewelers, 77 N. Court St, poses for a portrait. Cornwell Jewelers has been in business since 1832, making it America’s second oldest familyowned jewelry store. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

“

As I understand it, Cornwell Jewelers is probably the longest standing, continuously operated businesses on Court Street and certainly, as a jeweler, has been long standing. The Cornwell family has been a cornerstone of the City of Athens for a long time.

“

marketing, finances. I mean, I was an education major in English, and I could write a lesson plan.”

In 1997, she became an American Gem Society-certified jeweler — a designation that means she’s qualified to identify and appraise gemstones — and began attending conferences for jewelers, learning how to run the business.

While tackling that learning curve, she had to deal with other obstacles: Customers and industry colleagues often assumed her male employees were calling the shots, and she wasn’t always taken seriously.

She attended her first American Gem Society conference as a 24-year-old.

“I can’t tell you how many people asked me what I was doing there, what my role was,” she said. “Back then, it was pretty much owners and top managers that would go to this event. So here I was.

People probably thought I was a relatively new member of the sales team. I was questioned pretty heavily — nicely, but they didn’t get why I was there.”

Now, after 25 years in the game, she’s established herself and picked up the knowledge needed to push the business forward.

“There is no smarter businesswoman,” Eric Coon, who worked in the store for more than 40 years, said. He cited Kris’ business acumen as the reason the store is still chugging along today. “That type of thing has made her a legacy, and that’s what keeps the store going. She can adapt to the trends, and to me that’s very very important.”

That’s what she did in 2002 when she moved the store from the 10 S. Court St. location, where it’d been since 1869, to its current space at 77 N. Court St, near Courtside Pizza.

Kris said she consistently heard customers saying they wanted to shop at her store but struggled to find parking on Court Street. The new building fixed that.

Then, when customers started saying they couldn’t find the store, she looked for some way to make it stand out. That’s when she and her staff decided to purchase a 1967 Cadillac, paint it purple and park it in front of the store. The car still catches the eyes of passersby today.

“People take pictures of it, selfies with it all the time,” she said.

-Steve Patterson Athens mayor

destination store,” she said. “A lot of people don’t work on Court Street like they used to, so to see us, they drive to us. So there could be a time when they don’t want to come to Court Street.”

Coon thinks it’s unlikely online sales will prove fatal for the store.

“When you get engaged, do you want to say to your wife, ‘I bought my ring on Amazon’ or ‘I bought it online?’ ” Coon said. “You know, it’s nice to come in (to the store). They find out about your history, where you’re going. And a lot of jewelry has been sold that way.”

The McKinsey report agrees, predicting that online sales of fine jewelry won’t grow to much larger than 10 percent of the total market, for roughly the same reason Coon laid out.

“You never know,” he said. “But to me, when I’m dead and gone, I think the store will still be there.”

What exactly will happen when Kris retires is unclear. She has said she hopes one of her daughters will take the reins, but with her oldest is still in high school, it’s much too early to tell.

“I want my girls to feel they can follow their own dreams and not what my dream was and what my parents’ dream was,” she said.

@JEREMYHTWEETS JH082913@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Marshmello, Lil Uzi Vert to perform at 16Fest, but some students are unsatisfied GEORGIA DAVIS CULTURE EDITOR Lauren Lawler and Bri Maiden are only going to 16Fest for Lil Uzi Vert.

Other than that performer, they’re not thrilled with this year’s lineup.

“I don’t really know any of them,” Maiden, a sophomore studying exercise physiology, said.

The 16th Number Fest will start Friday at 6 p.m. with EDM headliner R.L. Grime performing at 9:45 p.m. EDM artist Marshmello is the headliner for Saturday and will perform at 9:50 p.m. Lil Uzi Vert and Rezz are among the openers for Marshmello, and the first performances will start at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will be the host on Saturday.

16Fest offers camping for $30, a perk that was added in 2016, according to a previous Post report. A year before camping was implemented, the “bring your own bottle” policy was nixed, and the fest began selling alcohol on the premises. This year, there will be a drink happy hour from 2-5 p.m.

Lawler was hoping artists like Khalid and Kehlani would be on the lineup; Maiden was looking for “Rockstar” performer Post Malone.

Post Malone is one of the artists performing at Coachella. The music festival in California was extended to two weekends, one of which shares dates with 16Fest. Kehlani was brought out for Cardi B’s Coachella set last weekend.

The 16Fest lineup features a handful of Ohio-based acts, and a lot of the performers are EDM artists. Lawler likes some EDM songs, but this year’s lineup features too much EDM, she said.

“I think it’s too much,” Lawler said. “I think it should be more serious rappers.”

22 / APRIL 19, 2018

IF YOU GO WHAT: 16Fest

NOTABLE ARTISTS PERFORMING AT 16FEST

WHEN: 6 p.m., Friday; 2 p.m.

Saturday WHERE: The Venue of Athens, 8003 State Route 56 ADMISSION: $85 for a two-day general admission pass, $35 for Friday general admission, $60 for Saturday general admission, $30 for a camping pass Peter Russ, a sophomore studying English and creative writing, said there is an increased number of smaller artists performing this year than last year, and the EDM artists don’t appeal to him. Russ likes Lil Uzi Vert, but he said he wouldn’t spend money to sit through other artists he doesn’t care about.

“Last year, they had a lot more big headliners, like 21 Savage and Migos, and this year they’re focusing more on EDM, and that’s not really my focus for a concert,” Russ said. “The lineup from last year was, like, the prime lineup. If they had the same lineup from last year as they did this year and a few new people that have come out, I probably would have gone.”

Lawler liked the experience she had at 15Fest, but she thinks this year’s lineup will affect the atmosphere.

“I’ve heard a lot of people aren’t going,” Lawler said. “They’re just like, ‘It’s not worth it.’ So I think definitely ticket sales are going to be down.”

@GEORGIADEE35 GD497415@OHIO.EDU

MARSHMELLO

MADEINTYO

Marshmello is a well-known EDM artist and producer. He has collaborated with many artists, including Selena Gomez, Logic and Khalid.

MadeinTYO is a platinum-selling artist for his song “Uber Everywhere.”

The song has more than 149 million plays on Spotify.

LIL UZI VERT Lil Uzi Vert is a hip-hop artist from Philadelphia. He is known for his collaboration with Migos on “Bad and Boujee” and his solo single “XO TOUR Llif3.”

RL GRIME RL Grime is an electronic music producer known for his songs “Waiting” and “Core.” He has more than two million monthly listeners on Spotify.

TWO FRIENDS Two Friends is a Los Angeles-based DJ and producer duo. It is known for its songs “Out of Love” and “Pacific Coast Highway.”

GTA GTA is a house, trap and hip-hop DJ duo from Miami. The group has more than two million monthly listeners on Spotify.

REZZ Rezz is a 23-year-old Canadian DJ from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Her most-listened to song on Spotify is “Edge” with more than three million plays.

TRIPPIE REDD Trippie Redd is a Canton-based rapper.

At 18 years old, he has more than five million monthly listeners on Spotify.

GASHI Gashi is a Brooklyn-raised rapper and singer. His song “Disrespectful” has more than 42 million plays on Spotify.

BOBBY BOOSHAY Bobby Booshay is a student at Ohio University and is a DJ from Cleveland.

WHAT’S GOING ON? MAE YEN YAP CULTURE EDITOR Friday April Clothing Swaps at noon at

Schoonover Center. Thread magazine is hosting its weekly clothing swap throughout April at the lobby of Schoonover Center and the top of Baker Center. Pay $1 to swap old clothing or $2 to shop for new clothes.

Wags, Wine and Whiskers Benefit Evening at 4 p.m. at Athens Un-

corked, 14 Station St. Local animal rescue New Beginnings Animal Center is hosting a night filled with music at Athens Uncorked where $1 per glass of wine and $5 per bottle purchased will be donated to the rescue center. There is also a Wine and Canvas session as part of the event, and people can sign up on the event’s Facebook page. Admission is free, but the Wine and Canvas session costs $30 per person.

A Little Night Music at 8 p.m. at The

Ridges Auditorium. Ohio Opera Theater presents A Little Night Music with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler.

The musical will also be performed Saturday at The Ridges Auditorium.

Admission is $10.

Freekbass with Hellnaw at 9 p.m. at

Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina, 6 W. State St. Join the two Ohiobased bands as they play a joint concert funk music and take over Casa Nueva. Admission is $7 in advance or $9 at the door.

Bulls on Parade will perform music from Rage Against the Machine, and Electric Funeral will play a tribute to Black Sabbath on Saturday at The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. (KAITLIN OWENS / FILE)

Saturday OhioHealth Race for a Reason at 7

a.m. at Walter Fieldhouse. The annual OhioHealth Race for a reason will return for its seventh year. Sign up to run in the triathlon, 5K, mud run, 3K walk or remote race on campus to support fundraising efforts. Learn more about each individual run on the event’s website.

Fashion Revolution Event at 1 p.m. at

the Arts/WEST, 132 W. State St. The educational event will highlight ethical fashion and exploring alternatives to fast fashion featuring a style demonstration by Get Real Image and a pop-up shop from the Coral Marie Collection. Admission is free.

Bulls on Parade with Electric Funeral

at 9 p.m. at The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. Bulls on Parade will

perform music from Rage Against the Machine while Electric Funeral will play a tribute to Black Sabbath.

Admission is $5 for ages 18 to 20 and $3 for ages 21 and above.

Sunday Earth Day at White’s Mill at 1 p.m.

at White’s Mill, 2 Whites Mill Drive.

Hocking Valley Bank is partnering with White’s Mill to celebrate Earth Day 2018. There will be a children’s planting station, face painting and many other activities for children to enjoy. Admission is free.

Earth Day Sound Workshop at 1 p.m.

at Bodhi Tree Guesthouse and Studio, 8950 Lavelle Road. The studio will host a workshop on toning, a healing system that uses vowel sounds to alter vibrations in the body and create a greater flow of energy. Laura Parrotti, a retired associate professor in

OU Division of Theater will lead the workshop. Admission is $25 and tickets are available to purchase on the studio’s website.

Earth Day Social Bike Ride at 2 p.m.

at Little Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road. Little Fish is hosting a social bike ride on the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. The ride will begin at the east side parking lot of the Athens Community Center and will end at Little Fish. Admission is free.

Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story at 3 p.m. at The Athena Cinema,

20 S. Court St. For one night, the Athena will show the documentary about elephant rescues in Thailand.

Admission is $7.

@summerinmae my389715@ohio.edu THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

Walk-Ins Welcome!

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