June 1, 2022

2022 SUMMER 2022

Orientation Guide

Get to know OU’s president, Hugh Sherman...PG 5 Check out the revival of beloved student orgs...PG 10/11 Catch up on the dos and don’ts of college dorms...PG 22

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

BSO can be exciting and intimidating.

‘The Post’ and others are here to help.

RYAN MAXIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hello everyone, and welcome to Bobcat Student Orientation! I hope all you freshly minted Bobbies and proud Bobcat guests are enjoying your orientation experiences at one of Earth’s most beautiful college campuses.

As I’m sure you’ve already discovered, or soon will, your orientation experiences are filled with information and newness thrown at you all at once. For students, today’s events may be some of the most exciting times of your lives! You get to meet new people, finalize your schedules, check out the totality of what Ohio University offers and much more.

And for guests, you get to see your students discover new things and begin to take their first steps on the life paths they chose for themselves.

In other ways, though, it can be extremely intimidating. And that’s completely OK, because there are so many people and things here to help you navigate uncertainty.

I know BSO better than most. As an incoming freshman in 2020, I experienced orientation completely online, so although it may be hard to believe, I understood even

less about OU then than you think you do now. A year later, I decided to become an orientation leader to try to help students like me, those who were wide-eyed and bushytailed and cautiously optimistic about their journeys in Athens.

Because of that experience, I know firsthand the sheer amount of support available to everyone at OU, especially to first-time students, and it starts with your orientation leaders. They are extremely passionate about making OU feel less like a strange, new place and more like your forever hOUmes (sorry, I couldn’t help myself), so ask them any questions you have!

In addition to your orientation leaders, the faculty and staff who you may encounter at orientation are normally very welcoming and can be valuable resources. Make sure to rely on and utilize them all year long.

Lastly, you have The Post. As OU’s largest student-run, editorially independent publication, it’s here to serve you and the things you care about. Within the following pages of this annual Orientation Guide, you will

find information about OU’s president, Hugh Sherman, learn about Athens’ hidden gems, gain a crash course on OU’s athletic teams, hear hot takes from your fellow students and much more. Throughout the next year and for many years after that, The Post will be here to keep you up-to-date on all things OU and Athens. I hope some of you will join us on that endeavor.

My parting wisdom to you all, at least for the summer, is that despite the emotions and the busyness of BSO, choosing to come to OU, or being the guest of someone who does, is going to turn out so great. But don’t worry too much about the long run right now; just enjoy the day and allow yourself to be curious and adventurous in an unfamiliar place.

You’ve finally gotten the keys, now go take OU for a spin.

Ryan Maxin is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Interested in chatting more with him? Email Ryan at rm554219@ohio.edu or find him on Twitter at @ryanmaxin.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ryan Maxin MANAGING EDITOR Kayla Bennett DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Jack Hiltner EQUITY DIRECTOR Alesha Davis EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Molly Wilson, Addie Hedges ASST. NEWS EDITOR Maya Morita CULTURE EDITOR Katie Millard ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Alyssa Cruz SPORTS EDITOR Ashley Beach ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Will Cunningham OPINION EDITOR Tate Raub ASST. OPINION EDITOR Meg Diehl THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Grace Brezine PROJECTS EDITOR Hannah Campbell COPY CHIEF Aya Cathey SLOT EDITORS Bekah Bostick, Katie Trott, Lauren Serge, Lydia Colvin ART ART DIRECTOR Trevor Brighton ASST. ART DIRECTOR Lauren Adams DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jesse Jarrold-Grapes PHOTO EDITOR Carrie Legg DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Riya Baker AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Emma Erion ASST. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Anastasia Carter DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Cole Patterson BUSINESS MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan, Gia Sammons DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Andrea Lewis 2 / SUMMER 2022

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We are thrilled to welcome you to our beloved bricks. The experiences you will have over the next four years will forever change you. You will learn, grow, laugh, stress, perhaps stumble, but also succeed. Try new things, and get out of your comfort zone. From all of us at the Division of Student Affairs, welcome to the Bobcat family!

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The College “lowkey grateful I kept this” Packing List Get 30% off textbook solutions with code classof26 Exp 8/15. More Terms at quizlet.com/content/promos

President Sherman talks about COVID-19 precautions for the spring semester of the 2021-22 at Ohio University on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Get to know President Sherman OU president shares plans, goals for second year in role PAYTON DAUGHERTY FOR THE POST On May 27, 2021, Hugh Sherman was appointed as the 22nd president of Ohio University by the Board of Trustees.

Sherman started his career at OU as an assistant faculty member in 1995 and was the dean of the College of Business before stepping down in January 2021.

The Post sat down with Sherman to discuss how he will continue to fulfill his role as president in his last contractual year in the role, which ends no later than June 30, 2023.

The Post: When you accepted the job, what was the first goal you wanted to achieve as president?

Sherman: I think it was to make sure that everybody understood that the

institution was in really good shape financially. I think we had to remind everybody that this (university) is really an outstanding place, and we’re really accomplishing things for students every day. Yes, we’ve had some financial issues in the past, but that we were getting through them and that we could move forward together in a positive way.

TP: What are your plans for your second year?

Sherman: We’re making choices of where we can make investments so we can improve the student experience.

Number one, we’ve hired an outside firm that is looking at all the residence halls and is determining a master plan for how we can upgrade the residence halls and which ones are the most important to tackle first. We have significant reserves that we’ve put aside

to improve those residence halls. That plan is going to be done by June, and we can start to work on that plan immediately this summer … with construction and so forth it’ll take a couple of years to get that done. Number two, we know that we are behind in developing a digital one-stop service center for students so that you (OU students) can easily pay your bills, you can register more easily, you can request advising assistance. …

We had to put a plan together, so we put a plan together in October 2021 that we presented to the Board (for) investing in developing this one-stop service center for students.

TP: As for diversity and inclusion, what are some programs that you’re looking to implement on campus?

Sherman: I really believe that the program that was developed two years

ago before COVID — Make Respect Visible — is a powerful campaign. Because of COVID, we didn’t really implement it. Last year, when we came back on campus, there was programming that was being done that worked with students in Bobcat Orientation as well as the learning communities. Basically, that was the only thing that we really got done. I think we can do a lot more programming of activities and education for students, not just the freshmen. … We need to do that across the university. We can do some more training for ourselves, the staff and faculty as well. We can make sure things like the Bobcat Orientation (are) presenting the values that we think are important for the campus.

TP: How has being president helped you reshape the world of higher education in general?

Sherman: I certainly have concerns about some of the issues that are happening in our society. It, the job, does give you a platform to talk about important values that you think are important. Things like, it’s dear to my heart, diversity and inclusion. We can talk about those things. We can implement new programs to make sure every student on our campus feels welcomed and feels supported. … We have a platform to talk to state legislatures, right?

Because they do come and talk to us and talk to me, and I also make trips to Columbus to talk to them. We can talk to them about things that we think are important issues and give a point of view of what we think would be advantageous to encourage more students to be able to go to higher education.

TP: After this first year, are you glad you took the job?

Sherman: Yeah, I am. I am really pleased with the way things worked out this first year. I think that there was a lot that we all accomplished in stabilizing the situation and improving enrollments. Getting back to being able to identify those areas that are important for us to invest in the future and making those decisions — I think that’s important for the university.

@PAYTONDAUG PD162120@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

Promising Possibilities

OU administration, students plan to prevent acts of discrimination on campus ADDIE HEDGES NEWS EDITOR Following racially-motivated incidents that occurred in Ohio University residence halls in March, OU administration vowed to take action to prevent similar instances from occurring in the future. Since then, a group of student leaders formed the President’s Student Cabinet for Inclusive Excellence to ensure the university proceeds with the correct actions.

On March 20, a social media post showing images of a trash bag outside a resident’s door in West Green’s Sargent Hall garnered attention from the student body. A note was taped to the bag that included racist language and discriminatory images, according to a previous Post report.

Following the news of the trash bag incident, another racially-motivated incident came to light — the taping of a Black baby doll to a different door located in Sargent Hall in December 2021.

On March 21, Christopher Brown, a resident assistant in James Hall, also located on West Green, posted images on social media and a message explaining that a resident in James Hall had urinated on his room’s door, and had consequently damaged his personal property. Despite Brown believing he was targeted because he was the only Black resident assistant

on his floor, the incident was not believed to be racially motivated at the time.

The baby doll incident has not been investigated further due to a lack of information, OUPD staff lieutenant Tim Ryan, said. The trash bag incident remains under investigation.

Shortly after the racist incidents occurred, a group of students founded the President’s Student Cabinet for Inclusive Excellence. The cabinet will consult with OU students and provide feedback to university leadership about the university’s plans for diversity and inclusion.

Dayna Shoulders, a senior studying management and strategic leadership, a founding member of the cabinet and Student Senate president, said she is confident the university’s action plans will be effective.

“I think if I do my job well and survey students, I’ll have all the support I need,” Shoulders said. “At this point in time, my understanding is that (the universitys) willing to do anything, try anything new, in order to fix problems and be able to address them correctly.”

After attending a town hall organized by Black OU students in response to the incidents, university President Hugh Sherman and Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Gigi Secuban promised that steps would be taken to improve the campus environment for students of color. The steps of improvement included the following actions plans, which Sher-

Kai Caesar extends his arm out to the crowd of protesters while speaking to Ohio University President Hugh Sherman about the performative responses to racial attacks and hate crimes on campus. (NATE SWANSON | FOR THE POST)

6 / SUMMER 2022

man and Secuban announced would be implemented immediately: • Collaborate with a nationally recognized expert in diversity to conduct a thorough review of OU’s current climate, policy and practice.

• Renovate the Multicultural Center to support current and future students.

• Provide additional diversity training for university leadership over the summer and faculty during the 2022 Fall Semester.

• Improve diversity and incident response training for OU Residence Life staff.

• Offer a new residence life option to support students of color in the OU LINKS Living Learning Community.

• Expand first-year students diversity training and awareness during Bobcat Student Orientation, Welcome Week and Learning Communities.

Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, said although progress has been made, the action steps are still being developed and will most likely not be fully developed before the beginning of the 2022-2023 Fall Semester.

OU leadership has not yet identified an expert in diversity but has made advances in its other plans, Leatherwood said, including the renovations to the Multicultural Center. Before plans for the center are finalized, students will be able to provide their feedback.

Updates to diversity training for residence life staff and first-year students are also currently underway, Duane Bruce, the executive director of diversity and inclusion, said.

“Staff in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion are working with residence life staff … to enhance diversity, anti-bias, and bias incident response training for the resident advisor and professional staff in the department,” Bruce said in an email. “The new training for the Resident Advisors will be implemented as part of their training in August.”

A LINKS Living Learning Community is also already in the process of being implemented, and first-year students are now able to opt into the experience when they choose their housing for the 2022-23 school year, Bruce said.

The Make Respect Visible campaign has been heavily ingrained in much of the Bobcat Student Orientation and will be consistently repeated to new students throughout their first-year experience, Bruce said.

“A Make Respect Visible promo video has been included in the pre-BSO module, the expectations have been added to the BSO welcome sessions, the Division of Diversity and Inclusion will be hosting Inclusive Excellence Dinners during each BSO session, and Experiential Learning is co-sponsoring a Make Respect Visible art activity as part of evening programming during each BSO session,” Bruce said in an email.

OU’s Learning Communities have included additional curriculum to increase diversity awareness during last year’s classes, but in the fall, the curriculum will be lengthened and will be tied back to the Make Respect Visible campaign, Bruce said.

Despite the disappointment felt by many students of color following the racist incidents, Shoulders said she was disappointed but not surprised it had happened on OU’s campus.

However, she said she remains optimistic and believes the issues can be solved.

“It’s always a reminder that we have a lot to change, but I’m positive because I get to see students and my peers every day do amazing things,” Shoulders said. “We’re going to figure it out one way or the other.”

@ADDIEHEDGES AH766719@OHIO.EDU

People to know MOLLY WILSON NEWS EDITOR College can seem daunting for Athens-bound students leaving their hometowns and friends behind.

Athens is full of new faces and personalities, but there are a few Ohio University and Athens City officials that all students should be aware of as they enter college.

Hugh Sherman Hugh Sherman was named Ohio University’s 22nd president in May 2021. This is his last contractual year serving as president, as he is scheduled to exit the role in June 2023.

Prior to serving as president, Sherman was the dean of the College of Business and an OU faculty member.

Before joining OU’s staff in 1995, Sherman worked with Swatch Watch, which is a Swiss watch and electronics manufacturer.

Sherman’s office is located in Cutler Hall on College Green.

Steve Patterson Steve Patterson is the Democratic mayor of the city of Athens. Prior to working as mayor, Patterson was a city councilman and an associate professor of health psychology at OU. Patterson serves on several committees including the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia, Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council and the Athens Coun-

ty Economic Development Council.

Andrew Powers Andrew Powers is the police chief of the Ohio University Police Department, located at 118 Ridges Circle. OUPD is responsible for maintaining safety on campus.

OUPD sends out crime alerts when campus security is at risk, which students receive at their OU email accounts. It also conducts investigations for incidents that occur on campus and enforces criminal laws, according to OU’s website.

Dayna Shoulders Dayna Shoulders is the newly-elected Student Senate president, which is a governance body that represents university students. Shoulders is also a founder of the President’s Student Cabinet for Inclusive Excellence.

Student Senate’s general body meets every Wednesday during the school year at 7:15 p.m. and students may attend those meetings.

Tom Pyle Tom Pyle is the police chief of the Athens Police Department, which maintains safety within city limits excluding campus. Although OUPD and APD work together daily, each entity maintains that OUPD jurisdiction falls within campus limits and APD jurisdiction falls over the city.

Pyle leads APD in its responsibility and job duties.

Students notice the police department commonly patrolling during fest season, on Halloween weekend and during high-density events, though it patrols the city daily.

@MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU

The Mayor of Athens, Steve Patterson, poses for a portrait inside his office at the Athens city building at 8 E Washington St, Athens, Ohio, on May 18, 2021. (TANNER PEARSON | FOR THE POST)

Buildings to know MOLLY WILSON NEWS EDITOR As new students embark on their college journeys, navigating their campuses can be one of the most challenging aspects. At Ohio University, there are important buildings all students should be aware of as Bobcats.

Baker University Center Located at 1 Park Place near the center of campus, Baker University Center houses many important offic-

Baker University Center, located at the center of campus on May 16, 2021. (TANNER PEARSON | FOR THE POST)

es, food options and study spaces available to students.

West 82, Latitude 39 and Front Room Coffee House are three dining options available to students located within Baker.

The LGBT Center, Campus Involvement Center, Women’s Center and student government offices are also located within Baker, among many others.

Alden Library Alden Library, located on College Green at 30 Park Place, is the main library and study space on campus.

The multimedia center, Academic Achievement Center and Cafe BiblioTech are all located on Alden’s second floor.

The second and fourth floor of the library are open until 2 a.m. most nights during the school year for latenight studying.

Ping Recreation Center Ping Recreation Center serves as OU students’ campus gym. Located on South Green, at 82 S. Green Drive, students both on and off campus use the gym frequently.

Inside there is weightlifting space, lifting machines, cardio machines and basketball courts, among many other unique features.

Jefferson Hall Jefferson Hall, located at 46 E. Green Drive, houses

OU’s largest campus market. Both Nelson Court and The District also feature campus markets, though Jefferson has a sandwich station and a larger space available to students.

Jefferson Market is open for students who live in Jefferson but also those who do not. Without a car on campus, Jefferson Market is an important spot for many students’ grocery shopping needs. If students have the Flex meal option, they can also use their swipes as currency in the market.

McGuffey Hall The Center for Advising, Career and Experiential Learning, or ACEL, the Career Closet and other assistance related to the job field can be found within McGuffey Hall, located at 39 University Terrace on College Green. The ACEL center helps students with career advising, networking assistance and experiential opportunities.

The Career Closet provides students with professional clothing for interviews and career events on and off campus.

@MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

OU COVID Operations to be disbanded ANNA MILLAR NEWS STAFF WRITER Ohio University’s COVID Operations team will be stepping back during the fall semester.

The COVID Operations team was funded through the CARES Act, which was available throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, said. With the recent decrease in COVID-19 cases, CARES Act funding will no longer be available to the university, causing the COVID Operations team to be disbanded.

COVID Operations worked in three main areas to keep students safe, including direct support to students and staff, testing coordination and vaccination coordination, said Gillian Ice, professor and director of global health.

According to previous Post reports, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, OU’s COVID Operations team has required testing, masking, isolation and vaccination for students. Those requirements began to be rolled back earlier this spring, coming to a point on March 21 when OU repealed its weekly asymptomatic testing requirement for all

students, according to a previous Post report.

Although her team will be disbanded, Ice will continue to work part-time for the university’s COVID Operations procedures, she said. She will continue to communicate with the Athens Health Department regarding positive COVID-19 cases. Ice will work with a public health intern to continue contact tracing, she said.

Additionally, students and faculty will still be able to report positive cases on OU’s COVID-19 website. However, the site has shifted somewhat to provide more general instructions rather than direct, personal guidance as was practiced over the past months, Ice said.

“I think most epidemiologists expect that we will have a fall surge and a winter surge in cases and then there’s no reason to expect that our community student staff will be protected as well,” Ice said. “We’ll be watching that really closely.”

As the fall semester begins, Ice plans to communicate any further guidelines with the student body to keep students up-to-date on the situation.

“Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways that you can prevent serious illness and hospitalization or death,” Ice said.

“That’s the first and foremost and related to that is making sure that folks get a booster.”

Ice also emphasized the importance of receiving a booster for the COVID-19 vaccination, stating she has seen research showing the initial vaccine becomes less effective at preventing infection over time. The vaccine works well to prevent severe infections and hospitalizations but does little to prevent mild infection without a booster, Ice said.

In order to prevent another surge in COVID-19 cases, Ice said she will be keeping an eye on state and county wide rates going into the fall semester. In the event of a surge, Ice recommends wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings.

Currently, there are no masks or COVID-19 test requirements for incoming students, but further communications will be available nearer to the start of fall semester, Ice said.

“The pandemic will never end truly, but we’re learning to live with the virus and with the more tools that we have, hopefully we’ll be able to manage it without as many disruptions or hard and fast rules that we had in the past,” Ice said.

A sign outside the Shively Hall COVID Testing Center during fall semester 2021 (NATE SWANSON | FOR THE POST).

8 / SUMMER 2022

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Where we love to eat, shop and be in Athens

The Culture section’s best recommendations in and around campus CULTURE STAFF FOR THE POST Best place to study on campus?

Alyssa Cruz: Outside the Baker Ballroom! The windows overlooking the campus are beautiful and the spot is pretty secluded.

Grace Koennecke: My favorite place to study is Alden Library, preferably on the 6th or 7th floor. I really like this area because it’s always quiet and you can see all of Athens just by looking out the window!

Katie Millard: I love to study on a picnic blanket on college green when it’s nice out! It feels less like studying when you’re outside and I’m always more productive.

McKenna Christy: I only enjoy studying on the third and fourth floors of Alden Library. I can’t study in complete silence and these floors of Alden are the perfect balance of loudness and quietness.

Tate Raub: The Post’s newsroom or my desk at home because I feel comfortable there and there’s enough noise that I don’t feel like I’m alone with my thoughts.

Ashley Beach: In my hammock in the Convo parking lot because nobody goes over there and it feels like your own little world!

Anastasia Carter: Fourth floor of Alden is my favorite place to study because there are lots of windows to look

@threadmag @threadmagazine outhreadmag.com

out of and plenty of spaces to sit and work.

Alex Imwalle: I like to study in my room! It’s nice to be in a place that feels most comfortable, and I like to be alone to minimize distractions.

Mimi Calhoun: Alden fourth floor! It has a lot of natural light and is a pretty quiet environment with people still around.

What is the best place to grab coffee?

Cruz: Donkey- The staff is so kind, the drinks are great and the vibes are so cozy!

Koennecke: My favorite coffee shop is Donkey Coffee because it’s so welcoming and cozy. Also, they play good music!

Millard: I think Brenen’s Coffee Cafe has the best iced caramel latte, and it’s right underneath my apartment so it’s super convenient.

Christy: My favorite coffee shop on campus is The Front Room Coffeehouse in Baker Center. The baristas are always super nice and I can get my all time favorite drink, which happens to be Starbucks’ Pink Drink!

Raub: Donkey Coffee because I like that they’re sustainable and ethically source their coffee, which I think tastes the best. The vibes in there are just a lot better too.

Beach: Court Street Coffee! So, so, so, so many options for decaf for a caffeine-sensitive person like me!

Calhoun: Donkey Coffee because the balcony is perfect

for people watching and their iced vanilla chai can’t be beat.

Which dining hall is best?

Cruz: Boyd! It has the best options and the most variety.

Koennecke: My favorite dining hall is Boyd because they usually have way healthier and better tasting food than Nelson.

Millard: Unpopular opinion but I love Nelson. There is always something to eat there and the seating makes much more sense. Also, brunch on weekends at Nelson is unmatched.

Christy: Boyd is the obvious answer and I don’t think it needs much more explanation. However, I will note that Boyd’s food is fresher than Nelson.

Raub: Boyd because I feel like it’s easier to find a balance between what I’m craving and what’s healthy.

Beach: Boyd for the sheer amount of veggie options and the nectar of the gods – I mean queso – always serves.

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Involvement after isolation

Student organizations disband, revive, thrive throughout COVID-19 ALEX IMWALLE INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR On Ohio University’s campus, masks no longer rest on the faces of students and faculty. It’s once again difficult to look around campus without seeing multiple fliers for a student organization. The once long empty office of the Campus Involvement Center has returned to its full capacity, as all signs of COVID-19 appear to have effectively been disbanded.

Yet each week, the door of Josh Gruenke, associate director of student activities, creaks open as another former organization president’s eyes glisten with hope of reviving a piece of their college experience as they peek their head into the room.

When COVID-19 began its spread across the country, the Campus Involvement Center, for the first time, had a simpler goal than getting students acclimated and involved.

“We wanted to make sure that our students were physically safe,” Gruenke said.

“We wanted to make sure that we were not increasing any risks.”

Without the capability of organizations to function on campus, the message of involvement on campus shifted to checking on students’ mental well-being, so organization numbers plummeted, Gruenke said.

The pandemic left OU with an additional 236 frozen organizations awaiting reinstallment, according to Gruenke. OU currently has just 487 active student organizations on campus.

After reporting those numbers solemnly, Gruenke sits at his desk flipping through the past years of stagnancy amongst organizations represented on paper and finds another number: 914. The number of student groups on campus before March 2020.

Though some may not have been active, pre-pandemic organization numbers rarely seemed to dip below 700, Gruenke said.

Accordingly, the 2019 OU Women’s Club Rugby Team charged the field each week with a full roster and a bench of eager subs awaiting an opportunity to get in on the action. Excitement on the field and from the sideline each practice, game and tournament manifested a culture of camaraderie and unity.

That is until news of the pandemic hit campus.

Suddenly, the excitement dwindled 10 / SUMMER 2022

The Bobcats Spikeball Club perseveres and plays through sudden downpour during the 2021 Involvement Fair. PROVIDED BY MARK RUSSELL

down to a tired Zoom call in the spring of 2020 hosted by Teagan Richman, a 2022 OU graduate. Then just a member of the team, her graduating predecessors dawned her the title of president of a six-player squad returning the following year, juxtaposing the roster of 20 Richman had once known.

“We had to come back in the fall, and everything was different,” Richman said.

“Everything was online. We weren’t allowed to practice. We didn’t have a season anymore.”

The online format provided an insurmountable obstacle for recruiting and practice. With just a fourth of their previous roster size, even if restrictions were lifted, Richman would have needed to triple the roster to just fill the starting positions.

The lost year also accounted for an absence of team bonding and a maintenance of the culture that Richman and her former team had worked tirelessly to uphold in and outside of practice. This was one of the biggest losses for the team, Richman said.

Returning in the fall of 2021, after the past year of stagnancy, Richman surveyed her field and envisioned the team she had played with her freshman year. She knew it was her responsibility to make up for the recruitment effort that was lost over the past year and a half.

Richman was willing to do anything to

restore the team back to its former glory, which included attending every firstyear student organization event available on campus, she said. From the Campus Involvement Fair to the Party at Ping, Richman and what remained of her team could be found with their own booth.

“We had like 30 people sign up,” Richman said. “We had about that many come out to the first practice and we were super excited. They didn’t realize their workload coming back to school in person; we ended up losing half of those people.”

All Richman wanted was to keep the team alive long enough to show the new generation of college women a physical, empowering sport, Richman said. She also said she just wanted the team to give more women what it had given her.

“There was something about the rugby team that just immediately invited me in,” Richman said. “It didn’t matter what you look like, it didn’t matter your skill level, it didn’t matter who you were outside of the team, you were immediately a part of their family.”

Another 2022 graduate, Mark Russell, expressed a similar sentiment towards his extensive student organization experience.

Russell was the president of the Bobcats Spikeball Club: a club based around a 2 vs. 2 yard game that has grown in popularity over the past years.

“The best way to describe it is it’s volleyball, but on the ground,” Russell said. “Instead of hitting it over the net … you’re spiking on the net, hence the name ‘spikeball.’”

Russell described the game with a passion as he expressed how near the club is to his heart. In fact, Russell has referred to the club as his baby ever since he revived the club on campus this past summer.

“The previous president graduated last year,” Russell said. “He entrusted us, so I felt a responsibility … his final words as president to me were, ‘Take this club to the moon.’”

Though the club struggled to gain a following after OU students were sent home due to COVID-19, Russell was determined to relive the memories he had created in the club as an underclassman.

Every night during his sophomore year, Russell and his friends went outside and practiced against each other, but more importantly spending time with one another. His love for it grew just as it did for those around him.

“Spikeball was so much fun, and we have those memories with it,” Russell said. “I want other people to have that.”

Before being brought back in Russell’s hands, he remembered a friend of his from his junior year — someone he met in a spikeball club dwindling due to COVID-19. The student came to him and told him he was thinking about transferring because the spikeball club had been his only way of finding friends on campus.

“That really stuck with me,” Russell said. “This spikeball club has more to it than just spikeball.”

The story struck Russell and pushed him along his journey as president. He re-registered the club and put in the work to create an outreach team to assist him and the other executive members of the spikeball club in restoring the club on campus and restoring its former community-oriented priorities. He dug deeper into the connections that lay beneath the game and centered the club around that.

“I’ve always been a huge people person,” Russell said. “That’s why it’s so important for me to facilitate those types of bonds in my club between my members.

I don’t want them just showing up, having fun at spikeball and then going their separate ways and not talking outside of it.”

Each week, Gruenke gets former fraternity members, activists and low-level athletes sitting in front of his desk plead-

ing their case for an organization with a majority following that graduated years before.

Despite the bleakness of the situation, Gruenke has seen it as an opportunity to improve the involvement system.

The Involvement Calculator was born from Gruenke and the Career Involve-

“

Many of these students have never even seen a fully functioning organization, and now they’re president of one,” - Josh Gruenke, associate director of student activities

ment Center’s optimism. In lieu of the canceled 2020 Involvement Fair, the center presented students with a detailed questionnaire designed to mimic the fair on a personal level, providing students with a detailed list of five organizations catered directly towards each individual.

“That’s not a computer that does that,” Gruenke said. “Those are all individually read by a person … That’s basically what our staff does all summer.”

The calculator is the newest installment in Bobcat Student Orientation, and it yielded a response from over 3,000 students eager for any way to get involved.

“I felt really badly for students that were missing out on the traditional college experience,” Gruenke said. “I wanted to do whatever we could to make sure they got the best of whatever we could offer.”

Now, Gruenke said the university is reaching the pinnacle of its involvement recovery phase. Not only are more organizations popping up on campus, but students have shown interest in reinstating past groups that were victims of the pandemic.

Even so, the students interested in leading the organizations still have a long way to go.

“Many of these students have never even seen a fully functioning organization, and now they’re president of one,” Gruenke said. “We are trying to help them transition into those roles.”

Lily Wittman, a sophomore studying sports management and president of the sports management fraternity Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu, is one of those students Gruenke was talking about. Wittman is a sophomore learning from the remnants of the organization’s returning members about the process of the organization.

Though Wittman is an underclassman

in just her first in-person semester with the fraternity, she knew her organization inside and out, which she would have to, considering the struggles the sports management fraternity has faced.

Before COVID-19, Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu was seen as a very selective and prestigious organization with GPA standards, an intensive interview process and a strict level of professionalism upheld throughout its 40-50 members. However, as numbers began to dwindle in the fall of 2020 and recruitment events were moved online, the fraternity was presented with a brand-new struggle.

The fraternity began to suffer from declining recruitment numbers despite attempts to keep the organization going in an online setting, Wittman said. However, it was more difficult than expected to maintain the same number of members, let alone foster the same culture, when each meeting was on a computer screen.

Even as an incoming freshman at the time, Wittman knew the organization was too special to give up on, despite not having met any of her fellow members in-person.

“They all made sure to know my name, my major, where I was from and I just felt special,” Wittman said. “So, I wanted to make sure that I put all my effort into bringing everything back.”

Unfortunately, some things were impossible to save, including the semesterly networking trips that serve as a core aspect of the fraternity, Wittman said. Losing the trips during COVID-19 decreased the professional and career-oriented value the organization had once sustained, making it even more difficult to convince new students of the fraternity’s value.

To assist younger leaders, the Career Involvement Center created a written guide for executive leadership teams and hosted training days to enforce a strong leadership-based structure for the organizations to work from. “(It’s) getting them back in that mindset of ‘Why did they join a student org?’”

Gruenke said.

Though the effects of COVID-19 still linger in student organizations today, members’ passion for the organizations have begun the revival process.

OU Women’s Rugby has worked its way up to a 15-player roster, Richman said after a year’s worth of recruiting.

Though this is the minimum number of players necessary, the team has been able to play through a successful fall season and attend the annual Nash Bash Rugby Festival this spring.

Though the team still has some recovery work to do, Richman said confidently that they have trained their members to maintain the inviting, yet tough, culture as they pass the organization on to younger generations of women in rug-

The Ohio University Womens Rugby Club Team returns in the fall of 2021 to play competitively for the first time in over a year. PROVIDED BY TEAGAN RICHMAN

by. The team will undoubtedly reach and surpass their former roster size, but until then, Richman said she could not be happier with the hands she has left the program in.

Similarly, the Bobcats Spikeball Club has maintained 15-20 consistent members that meet each day to play the beloved game. As they make their way to the casual practices, Russell observes his community grow stronger and deeper.

“It’s been important to me because this is one of the best ways for me to be active, along with meeting a lot of new people,” Alex Graff, a 2022 graduate and former treasurer of the Spikeball Club, said.

Graff said though spikeball is fun, he values the friendships that the club fosters just as much, and Russell’s leadership has heightened that sense of community. “(Mark’s) whole personality is just very energetic and welcoming,” Graff said.

“He’s great at the whole public speaking thing, so he’s been great with making people feel involved.”

Russell, with the help of his fellow club leaders and outreach team, have set up many events over the past year alone, including formal tournaments that invite students from the University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University, but also date parties to build the relationships within the club.

“I just want all of OU to know and be ready,” Russell said. “Spikeball club is going to be a large club here at OU. I can feel it.”

Though Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu has not quite reached the same amount of involvement as it once had before the pandemic, Wittman said the 35 current members they have recruited over the previous two years reflect the same val-

ues and standards that were expected before the campus shutdown.

Additionally, the organization has made up for its previous loss of the national networking trips by taking three this year to Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh.

“It’s so different shaking hands with somebody instead of meeting them like on Zoom,” Wittman said. “That’s why we did so many trips. Even if it is an hour to Columbus, it’s still physically meeting that person, and they’re going to remember your face.”

With plans already in the works for future trips to places such as New York City, Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu expects to have fully recovered from the effects of COVID-19 on involvement by the fall.

“This semester was, ‘We just need to get back on our feet,’” Wittman said. “We just wanted to do so many events at once instead of focusing on a big consulting project, but that will be our focus for the fall.”

As time goes on, OU organizations will improve at different rates. Whether it is the level of involvement or the frequency of activities, organizations undoubtedly need time to improve aspects of their organizations before restoring them to their most efficient and enjoyable state.

However, improvement has been a constant throughout nearly all student organizations after COVID-19, and this can only be boiled down to genuine interest and affinity for the organizations’ purposes and their members.

@ALEXIMWALLE AI687120@OHIO.EDU

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Athens locals help sustainable fashion efforts in the community SAMANTHA KRUSE FOR THE POST In Athens, many local businesses contribute to the community’s sustainability efforts. Local businesses such as Greendragon Thread, Cricket Jones Jewelry and Coral Marie do their best to help the Athens community be more sustainable in its fashion productions by upcycling and reusing materials.

UpCycle Ohio Thrift helps small businesses by providing access to its Community Makerspace. Equipped with a tool library, where people can go in and check out tools for at-home projects, UpCycle Ohio also offers a sewing/fabric shop, woodshop and metalwork tools to use.

Shannon Pratt-Harrington, chief sustainability officer for Zero-Waste Event Productions, a social enterprise dedicated to reducing festival waste, used the fabric workshop to make custom bags to carry and transport flag poles for the company. One service she mentioned that Zero-Waste Event Productions does is picking up trash at festivals across the Midwest and recycling or com-

posting the waste. Pratt-Harrington is one of many local business workers who use the upcycled fabrics to make new pieces.

“We get people excited and inspired to use the things that they already have or find new homes for them, reconstitute them or reform them in a way that works for them,” Sadie Meade, manager of UpCycle Ohio Thrift, said. “We teach people job skills in the Makerspace that they can use in the workforce or (to) create their own businesses.”

When UpCycle Ohio Thrift was owned by ReUse Industries, a non-profit organization, Erin Hogan, owner of Greendragon Thread, worked as a manager of the Community Makerspace and gained skills from the tools available.

Hogan just recently opened her upcycle business, Greendragon Thread, in June of 2021. She sells upcycled corsets and fabric dragon sculptures crafted with clay accents, with beads primarily forming the horns, claws and teeth, Hogan said.

“I learned how to sew in the theater department at Ohio University,” Hogan said.

“We had to make a corset and a vest … I fell in love with it. It’s like a building project, lots

of metal pieces integrated. It has become my passion.”

The logo of Hogan’s business is a green dragon, symbolizing being fierce, passionate and fighting for what is important in life.

“I really want to create as many things as possible from the waste stream, making one of a kind, beautiful items,” Hogan said.

Cricket Jones gave antique silverware a new life when she started making jewelry out of these pieces 14 years ago.

“There was a spoon that I must have used to pry a window, and it was almost a ring … so I played with it a little,” Jones said.

This became Jones’ first handmade spoon ring. Using her garage as a studio, she now curates silverware jewelry that can be found at flea markets and yard sales. Sustainability also plays a big role in her creations.

“I was kind of a recycler my whole life,” Jones said. “We don’t need anything new. It’s really causing a lot of our environmental and even political problems.”

Coral Marie is a one-woman team working out of a solar-powered studio that creates clothes from recycled, recycled cotton materials. Marie makes designs for her sus-

tainable brand from inspiration that comes from the land that she lives on.

“I really pull a lot of inspiration from the flowers, the tree branches and the lighting outside,” Marie said. “I’m also a very emotive person. I’m very sensitive. Relationships are really important, too … that relationship to the place where we live, the things that move us to emotion. I think a lot of my design inspiration comes from that sensitive, emotive quality of a looker, a listener and a thinker of what’s around me.”

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A New Safe Space An experiential living opportunity will be available for incoming multicultural students this fall MCKENNA CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER A new living opportunity for students in the LINKS program at Ohio University will be available for the 2022 fall semester. LINKS is a support program for incoming multicultural students and runs through the Office for Multicultural Success and Retention, or OMSAR. The new experience, called the LINKS Experiential Living Opportunity, or ELO, allows first year students in LINKS to choose if they want to live on the second floor of Perkins Hall on East Green. Students in LINKS have been receiving information about the ELO and when access to join will be available, the assistant director of peer mentor programs for OMSAR, Alison Moore, said. Moore also said students in LINKS can select into these rooms starting on May 18 through the housing portal.

The LINKS ELO started as an idea back in 2020.

Moore said initial discussions about the ELO began with senior peer mentors in LINKS during the height of the pandemic. After students in LINKS complete their first year in school at OU, they can apply to become peer mentors in the program to continue the support of incoming students.

“We were all remote and just talking with them, looking at restructuring our LINKS program and what things they wish they would have had as a first year student,” Moore said. “And one thing that kept coming up was having either a residence hall or living together in a residence hall with other multicultural students or students of color would have been really beneficial to them as a way of developing that sense of community.”

Moore was also aware of different ELOs other university programs provide. Currently, there’s a LGBT ELO for identifying students, a substance free ELO for students committed to living in an environment without alcohol or drugs, a women’s leadership ELO for women students exclusively and an ELO called Building up Bobcats for students interested in leadership and community engagement.

Housing and Residential Life showed Moore different residential halls that would be the best fit for the LINKS ELO. Perkins has 25 rooms on the second floor and Moore said they might add the third floor to the ELO if more students intend to join. The residential adviser or multiple advisers will be LINKS students.

The ELO also includes an experiential learning piece.

“We’ve developed certain programming that we can do in the residence hall,” Moore said. “When our students move in, they’re moving in the first move in time so they’ll be moving in on Thursday, Aug. 11, between 8 (a.m.) and 11 (a.m.) and our peer mentors will be helping with Bobcat Moving Crew. Our staff will be there to welcome the students and parents.”

There will be a gathering in the evening after everyone is moved in with pizza and discussions about the programming for the LINKS ELO. Moore said one

of the goals is to make everyone feel comfortable in their living environments and after that they will help students find organizations and programs they may be interested in joining.

The opportunity presents itself as a way for students to find other students with similar backgrounds and build relationships from that. Sallu Timbo, a recent OU graduate and former LINKS student, sees the benefits and the possible challenges of the LINKS ELO. “I kind of see where OMSAR and the diversity and inclusion committee at OU (are) thinking about what this would do for the university,” Timbo said. “Typically, these OMSAR students are first generation so just having that community I feel would be nice.”

Timbo also initially thought that the ELO would separate LINKS students from the rest of campus.

However, he understands the impact the pandemic had on the university makes connecting with other students difficult.

“When I was a freshman in OMSAR and LINKS, I was given plenty of opportunities to communicate with those in the same program,” Timbo said. “I became close friends with many of them. And I didn’t even live in the same building as them. That community will always be there and it just needs time to rebuild. I feel like it’s a way to make it rebuild faster, but also (it) could slow down that entire rebuild process. And kind of exclude everybody else from the other people on campus.”

LINKS used to be an opt-out program, according to Reagan Newton, a senior studying biological sciences pre-professional and a peer mentor for the program. Multicultural students were automatically placed in the program and they could choose to leave or stay after the fact. Newton said he initially thought the LINKS ELO makes sense as a plan because of the racist hate crimes that were committed by students in two residence halls last semester.

“I think that having a space that hopefully will be a lot safer is definitely a good thing,” Newton said.

Newton also said it’s important to recognize that not every multicultural student has the

same experience, which makes it also important to have the LINKS ELO be a choice for students in the program.

During the town hall led by Black students at OU following the hate crimes, some students requested there to be residential halls for Black students and students of color to live in.

When students live in residential halls their freshmen and sophomore years, Moore said most probably want to live in safe and comfortable environments. If college is a time to discover one’s passions and lifelong friends, students’ home away from home can’t be discriminatory against cultural backgrounds.

“It’s something we’re hearing across campus from other students that they feel that having that affinity housing for multicultural students is really important for them to build community which leads to a sense of belonging at Ohio University, ‘’ Moore said. “And let’s be honest, everybody wants to feel that they belong here, and those students do belong here.”

@MCKENNACHRISTY1 MC957019@OHIO.EDU

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Custodial Care MCKENNA CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER After a long academic year, the university falls quiet, and heroes, armed with cleaning supplies rather than capes, rid the campus of messes from student activity.

Ohio University’s custodial staff who work in the residence halls bear witness to everything that wasn’t cleaned by students in their dorm rooms over the school year. Lisa Dickens is a CW2, also known as a lead custodial worker. Dickens said throughout the summer, they clean thousands of rooms. Some are in excellent condition, while others are in a scary state.

“There’s been no dusting or sweeping or anything for eight or nine months,” Dickens said. “So all that debris is left there. We clean from top to bottom.”

Dickens also said they lack a sufficient number of staff members and residential custodial services, or RSC, and are doing their best with an occasionally smaller staff.

“Normally, we work 40 hours a week,” Dickens said. “One thing I would really like to emphasize on the RCS staff, I would say 75% or more are women and 55 years or older so as we age, we are a little slower.”

While there is a physical aspect to the job, there is an emotional one too.

Lisa Williamson is a CW1 who works under the direction of lead custodial workers. She said that as she gets older and her experience as a custodial worker grows, she becomes more attached to students.

“I had one (that) left this year and I bawled,” Williamson said. “I have two students that I’m still in touch with from 18 years ago. One has a child of his own graduating high school … It kind of helps you look forward to (work). You’re doing something for at least someone that cares.”

Kathy Wall is a housekeeper in Treudley Hall and feels that her connections with students changed her perspective of her job on the custodial staff.

“At that point in time, (students) realize we are someone’s grandma, someone’s mom, that we are here doing the job,” Wall said. “And I’ve had a lot of questions over the years that students come and ask – how to use the washer and dryer, how to operate the equip-

14 / SUMMER 2022

ment they’re exposed to. And it’s a good experience to get to know your students.”

There’s an evident difference between living at home and living in a dorm, which may determine how much students know about living independently.

“For say, a window air conditioner, most people don’t have that at home,” Dickens said. “So they don’t know how things work. Even sometimes (with) the locks on the doors, they’re confused. It makes you feel good that you were able to explain something to them to make their life a little easier.”

When students take just a few basic steps, they can have an easier experience in residential living spaces and show a greater respect toward the custodial staff who want to take care of them and make their college experience safe and sanitary.

“I think that their mindset is still living at home,” Dickens said.

“You’re not doing that any longer. You’re living in a community (with) 40 people so you need to take more responsibility for yourself. Get your hair off of the floor, put your bathroom trash in the trash. They need to flush the commode. Do not put stuff in the commodes or the urinal.”

These are probably hygienic habits taught to students before they come to college, but they aren’t always taken. Flushing the toilet, cleaning hair from shower walls and taking out the trash allow everyone to enjoy their college living situations a lot more.

Also, it shows custodial staff that they are respected and appreciated.

Custodial staff also face more serious issues while working in residence halls beyond un-

picked trash, hair left on shower walls, and unflushed toilets. Students who vandalize bathrooms and hallways in retaliation to university actions should know they aren’t actually getting back at the people who make the bigger decisions for OU. “I wish the students would learn that vandalism in the bathrooms and the hallways is just making a mess for their housekeeper to clean up,” Wall said. “It stops with us. They’re exercising their anger. I understand that. But they’re only harming us. They’re not harming the university.”

When students create larger messes in residential halls, custodial staff can’t take care of the work they were initially prepared to do.

“The uncalled for mess that we have

to clean up takes away from our daily routine,” Wall said. “If I have a disastrous bathroom, then I’m not going to get my floors swept that day.”

To acknowledge the work and effort custodial staff, especially those working in residence halls, put into their jobs to take care of the well-being of students behind the scenes, Wall has advice: “Basically, they just need to treat us like we’re people.”

@MCKENNACHRISTY1 MC957019@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY MCKENNA CHRISTY

Catch a game ASHLEY BEACH SPORTS EDITOR

ry Track. Named after Dr. Peggy Pruitt, one of the pioneers of women’s sports at OU, Pruitt Field is home to the field hockey team. Several MAC Championships have come out of Pruitt Field, the most recent one being in 2011.

Goldsberry Track opened the same year as Pruitt Field and is home to the women’s track team. OU currently does not have a men’s track team.

Each year, the Cherry Blossom Invitational is held at Goldsberry Track.

This past season, the Bobcats had great success at the home meet. Several athletes earned top five finishes across multiple events.

Sports can be a big deal at Ohio University. In the past few years, several Bobcats have signed professional contracts in the WNBA, MLB, NBA and NFL. Each season brings twists and turns.

No two games are ever alike, which makes Ohio sports a hot ticket item on any given night. Students flock to pack Peden Stadium or to get rowdy in The Convo.

There’s a chance that an incoming freshman has never seen the confines of any athletic complex at OU. But don’t worry, The Post has all the class of 2026 needs to know.

Here’s a roadmap to the Ohio Athletics Mall: Peden Stadium Football is played at Peden Stadium, located just across the street from Emeriti Park. Peden Stadium is the oldest athletic facility on OU’s campus as it was dedicated on Nov. 2, 1929. Recently, Peden Stadium received a facelift with the addition of new speakers and an updated video board in 2017.

There will be a total of six home games next season for the football team.

Ohio will kick off its season against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 3 in Peden.

The Aquatic Center The big-box sitting across from Baker Center is in fact, an athletic facility, which is open to students for free swimming from time to time.

The Aquatic Center opened in 1984 and has been home to the swim and dive program since. OU currently does not have a men’s program, however, it boasts a successful women’s group. The Bobcats hold ten MAC titles, the most recent in 2011.

Swim season begins in the late fall and continues through the winter.

Bird Arena Bird Arena has been home to the hockey program since its inception in 1957. While hockey is not a varsity sport at OU, these Bobcats are just as successful as any other team. The hockey program is a regular contender in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

OU has both a Division I and Division

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON II program. Oftentimes, the Division II squad plays late at night — roughly 11 p.m. — after the Division I team concludes its game.

Since it is not under athletics, hockey is not free to students. However, a ticket will not break the bank. Student tickets do not exceed $10, but they do sell out fast. The energy in Bird Arena is unique to the venue — the adrenaline is strong — and students love it.

Hockey begins its season in the fall.

1999. However, the field has seen renovations since then. In 2017, new bleachers and a new press box were added to the stadium.

Last season, Ohio finished second in the Mid-American Conference. Students will have to wait until the spring to catch a game at Ohio Softball Field, but it will be worth it. Softball games are one of OU’s hidden gems. The energy at the stadium is unlike any other at OU.

The Convo Men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and wrestling are played in The Convo, located on the edge of West Green. Also known as the “Roundhouse on Richland,” The Convo has been a landmark on OU’s campus since the 1960’s. The stadium also doubles as a dormitory.

Volleyball will be the first sport to grace The Convo floor this fall. The 2022 schedule has not been released yet, but there will be a handful of home matches for students to attend. Basketball and Wrestling season will pick up in November as volleyball season comes to a close.

Bob Wren Stadium Down the path from Ohio Softball field is the home of Ohio’s baseball team: Bob Wren Stadium. Named after former coach Bob Wren, the stadium has been home to the Bobcats since the 1998 season.

The field was renovated in the fall of 2018 to change the natural playing surface to artificial turf. However, the outfield remains grass.

Baseball is another sport that students will have to wait until the spring for; however, there will be plenty of baseball when the time comes. MAC baseball is played in four-game series format, meaning that there will be four games in one weekend at the same site.

Ohio Softball Field Ohio Softball Field sits just off of the back of the parking lot for The Convo.

The field was completed in the spring of

Chessa Field Chessa Field is the furthest athletics complex from campus and a passer-by may miss it if they don’t know what to look for.

Nestled just before businesses and housing on the West side of Athens is the home of the women’s soccer team.

Chessa Field was previously a practice site, but was renovated into a field with a $70,000 donation — which is the largest private gift to women’s athletics OU has ever seen.

Last season, soccer finished near the top of the MAC. The team is regarded as highly-competitive and has a reputation of putting on entertaining matches.

Don’t attend athletic events simply for the free giveaways. There’s something for every sports fan at OU and most games are within walking distance of dormitories. Go sit in the O-Zone and enjoy a game or two — students get in free after all.

@ASHLEYBEACHY_ AB026319@OHIO.EDU

Pruitt Field and Goldsberry Track Pruitt Field opened in 2000 and is located in conjunction with GoldsberTHEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

BASKETBALL

Men’s and Women’s Basketball: Teams in transition

WILL CUNNINGHAM ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The past few years have been some of the best at The Convo in recent memory.

Even though fans were unable to watch much of it, both Ohio basketball teams have seen an incredible number of great players take the floor. The level of team success has elevated Ohio as one of the Mid-American Conference’s preeminent basketball schools on both the men’s and women’s side.

In the three years since hiring former player Jeff Boals as head coach, Ohio’s men have gone 59-33 and won a MAC Championship, securing their first NCAA Tournament bid in nine years, where they upset defending national champions Virginia in the first round. They also had a player drafted for the first time in nearly 20 years when Jason Preston was selected 33rd overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2021.

On the women’s side, Ohio recently saw a trio of incredible careers come to an end. First, 1,000-point scorers Erica Johnson and Gabby Burris hung up their jerseys this past season after leading Ohio 16 / SUMMER 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN ADAMS to some of its best seasons ever, including its first-ever 30-win season in 2018-19.

Second, Cece Hooks finished one of the greatest careers in MAC history this year, graduating as the conference’s alltime leader in points, steals and made field goals. She was also named MAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Defensive Team four times each, and won MAC Player of the Year in 2021.

Despite all this recent success, both Ohio teams are at a bit of a crossroads, as many talented players departed from Athens this offseason. For the women’s team, Hooks and Burris graduated and Johnson elected to forego her final year of eligibility to pursue her professional career. For the men, Jason Carter graduated and Mark Sears and Ben Vander Plas transferred to Alabama and Virginia, respectively.

Those six players accounted for 65.7% percent of all the points scored by both Ohio basketball teams last season. Additionally, five of the six players averaged more than 30 minutes per game, and the

only one who didn’t was Carter, who dealt with injuries for much of the season and still averaged 28.7.

There are undoubtedly massive holes to fill for both Ohio basketball teams, but if there is one thing that Boals and women’s head coach Bob Boldon have proved, it is that they are capable of bringing talent to Athens in a variety of ways.

In just three years in Athens, Boals has already proven to be adept at utilizing the transfer portal, where he brought in Carter, as well as Tommy Schmock and Dwight Wilson III, as graduate transfers.

He has also been active in that area this offseason, bringing in a pair of transfers, Jaylin Hunter from Old Dominion and Gabe Wiznitzer from Louisville.

He has also shown himself to be a skillful recruiter when it comes to both luring top talents to Athens and finding diamonds in the rough. He was able to bring in a high-profile recruit like Sears, as well as giving Preston one of his only college offers, both of which turned out to be pretty good moves for the program.

On the women’s side, Boldon has spent

his entire nine-year tenure with the Bobcats bringing in talented players. He coached six different 1000-point scorers: Hooks, Johnson and Burris, as well as Kiyanna Black, Quiera Lampkins and Amani Burke. Boldon is also the winningest coach in Ohio basketball history and won his 100th career MAC game this past season.

After a pair of disappointing finishes last season, both Ohio basketball teams are staring down the barrel of two very tough transitions, but Athens is home to two of the best coaches in the MAC, and Boals and Boldon now have yet another opportunity to show off their ability to bring talent to the Bobcats.

@WILLOCUNNINGHAM WC425318@OHIO.EDU

SOFTBALL

On the diamond CHRISTO SIEGEL FOR THE POST 2022 was a season of ups and downs for Ohio. The year concluded with back-to-back losses in the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the two seed, but their disappointing finish does not paint a picture of how their entire season went at all.

Things were rough to begin with, as Ohio went through a gauntlet of a nonconference schedule in playing the #12 team in the country in Kentucky and #16 Georgia, along with other strong schools like Western Kentucky and Ohio State. Ohio held its own and battled in those games, but entered its first conference matchup with just a 6-12 record.

However, the Bobcats turned a corner in the midst of that run with a massive comeback effort against Marshall, which seemed to be a catalyst for success in the midseason. Down 7-1 at one point, the Bobcats exploded on offense in the sixth and seventh innings to rally

to an 8-7 win on a walk-off from Caitlin Fogue.

The Marshall game was a microcosm of the season for Ohio. Down but not out, Ohio went on a furious stretch of games within their conference.

Ohio took the victory in seven consecutive games in early April and won 11 of 13 games in the following weeks. Ohio was flat out dominant against the MAC in the regular season. Ohio fought all the way back in the regular season to a .500 record at 23-23. They finished the season 17-10 in conference play, good enough for the #2 seed in the MAC tournament.

Unfortunately, Ohio’s season came to a close when it was overmatched in a 7-1 loss to Central Michigan and suffered a heartbreaking 5-3 loss to Bowling Green in 10 innings.

Ohio ended the year with a 23-25 record and won six of their conference series outright this season.

Statistics: Ohio placed fifth in the MAC in team

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batting average at .274. The team was led by Annalia Paoli and Allie Englant, who boasted .371 and .368 averages respectively. Each of them also received First Team All-MAC honors. Ohio placed second in the MAC with 54 home runs, and Paoli topped the team lead with 11, as well as contributing a team leading 39 RBIs. Ohio placed third in the MAC in runs scored with 241 and placed second in the conference in slugging percentage at .466. Paoli was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Mideast Region Second Team.

The Bobcats placed eighth in the MAC in ERA at 4.54. The team was led by their workhorse Mackensie Kohl, who notched a 4.46 ERA over 201 innings pitched. Kohl picked up 136 strikeouts, a 1.63 WHIP and allowed a batting average of .298 to opposing hitters along with 24 complete games.

Ohio placed just ninth in the conference in fielding percentage at 95.2%.

Ohio had 68 errors on the season but added 17 double plays. The defense was

stellar at times and struggled at others, dealing with a lot of inconsistency. The defense was headed by Second Team All-MAC players in shortstop Megan McMenemy and catcher Brooke Rice.

Ohio’s season didn’t end ideally, but there was still plenty to be happy about.

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

HOCKEY

Slapshot Snapshot MOLLY BURCHARD FOR THE POST As one steps through the doors at Bird Arena, they’ll most likely hear whispers of it being “historic,” and rightfully so.

The hockey program started in 1957, and since then, it has held a special place in the hearts of many Ohio University students. Games at Bird Arena are often electric and attending a hockey game will undoubtedly be a bucket-list item for many first-year students.

In addition to preparing for the 2023 American Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament after its improbable run to the quarterfinals last season, Ohio will be looking to showcase its talented roster to the university’s newest fans.

Here are the players to watch in the 2022-23 season.

Sam Turner Since he first played at Bird Arena in 2019, Turner has been a staple at Ohio, but he stepped up big last season. He quickly became one of Ohio’s strongest leaders on the ice, ending last season with a team-

high 36 total points and 23 assists.

Despite playing as a defenseman, Turner’s help on offense gave the Bobcats a boost in many important games — especially their 9-1 win against Roosevelt on Feb. 25. In that playoff game, Turner had two goals and one assist. Turner is not afraid to go above and beyond in each game and often throws himself in harm’s way just to make big plays.

Turner is also a strong leader off the ice. His voice may be heard a lot next season. Now that he is a senior and one of the most experienced members on the team, his teammates will look toward him now more than ever. If there is one thing Ohio can learn from Turner next season, it’s how to be confident.

J.T. Schimizzi Schimizzi is to the Bobcats as peanut butter is to jelly. The two complement each other perfectly.

Like Turner, Schimizzi was also a big part of Ohio’s offense last season. He led the team with 19 goals — five of which were scored in the season’s first six games.

With the help of Schimizzi, Ohio went 7-3

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18 / SUMMER 2022

in its first 10 games. Similar to last season, Schimizzi will look to come out, skates blazing, to propel his team to another strong start.

Watch Schimizzi as the clock runs down. The forward is good at making clutch plays. He had three game-winning goals last season, including one to upset then No. 3 Liberty 3-2 on the road. It was a huge win for Ohio and its first against a top-three team.

Phil Angervil Angervil was a standout freshman last season with his quick puck work and dominance on the ice. Don’t blink or you’ll miss him score.

Angervil can travel from one side of the ice to another in a matter of seconds.

Last season, the forward weaved his way through defenders to score multiple impressive goals. He finished the season with seven shots in the net, the most out of Ohio’s underclassmen.

In addition, Angervil is not afraid to stick up for his teammates. One wrong move from the opponent, and Angervil is there. This sometimes puts him in the

penalty box, but his fearlessness doesn’t go unnoticed.

Matt Server Server wasn’t Ohio’s go-to goalie for the whole year, but became a regular starter in the second half of the season.

Ohio coach Lionel Mauron knew he could count on Server versus tough opponents, so he started playing him more.

Server held his own against many of the ACHA’s top five teams, and even helped Ohio upset No. 2 Minot State in the second round of the ACHA Tournament by saving 31 of 33 shots on goal. Because of this, Server may see more time in the net next season alongside fellow goalie Max Karlenzig.

@MOLLY_BURCHARD8 MB712319@OHIO.EDU

HOT TAKES WITH TATE

If the typical party scene is not for you, the local music scene may be TATE RAUB Coming to college can be overwhelming for a wide variety of reasons. Unpacking your things into a dorm room, wondering which student organizations to join, contemplating whether or not you’ll have time to eat lunch in between classes and everything in between.

Amid the blur that is getting settled into this new stage of life, the question of how to have fun may start to creep into your mind.

The bar and party scene on any college campus is appealing to a lot of people, that much is obvious.

However, for those with short social batteries or just don’t enjoy partying, the local music scene in Athens is a fantastic alternative.

A great place to start is The Union, 18 W Union St., which houses local bands for shows almost every weekend. Most commonly, the genre is rock in some capacity, whether it’s more reminiscent of the grunge era or leans into punk. While some people are bigger

fans of dancing and moshing, plenty of others prefer to stand back and listen. It’s a well-balanced environment that welcomes everyone; I can’t recommend how fun it is enough. The only downside I’ve found is the cover charge. It’s typically a few dollars less for those 21 and older, but each person only has to pay between $5 and $10.

House shows are another great opportunity to let off some steam as they typically are low to no-charge events. Many of the same bands that play at The Union put on these shows, so I recommend taking a peek at the bar’s Instagram and following any artists or bands that pique your interest. This is a great way to stay updated on where and when shows are happening. Sets played generally balanced original songs and covers, allowing audiences to sing along while also being introduced to new music.

Every Thursday, Donkey Coffee hosts an open mic night from 8 p.m. until about 10 p.m. and it is always a full house. If you are already there studying or just to get a coffee, be sure to slip into the back room on the first floor as soon as you can to get a seat and

I promise you will not be disappointed. Additionally, there are often shows on Fridays and Saturdays, but make sure to keep an eye on Donkey’s Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss them.

No matter which of these options seems like the best fit for you, it’s worth noting that I’ve always had fun at all of them and even met some really cool people along the way. There is definitely pressure to fit into a more stereotypical idea of what “fun” is in college.

If you fit into that, that is perfectly fine and normal.

If you are looking to branch out or don’t fit into that mold at all, live music will never turn you away.

Tate Raub is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University and the Opinion editor of The Post.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Tate know by tweeting her @tatertot1310.

MOMENTS WITH MIMI

Doing activities as a freshman is important, but it’s OK not to do it all MIMI CALHOUN If there’s one thing that’s said constantly during your freshman year, it’s “get involved! Do lots of activities and join a ton of organizations to meet new people.” And yes, while I do agree it’s important to become involved in your first year, it’s not everything. There’s tons of things to learn how to balance when you’re entering your freshman year of college. From gaining true independence to navigating a new environment, freshmen tackle many challenges and we usually don’t give them enough credit.

After just finishing my first year, I can examine it with a critical eye and think about what I want to change or improve upon going into my sophomore year.

I was busy. Like, really busy. With 31 credit hours for the whole year, four publications, a student union, two jobs and balancing friends as well as alone time, it was challenging to keep up. I missed out on opportunities to hang out with friends on weekdays after classes because of meetings, was continuously swamped with homework on weekends and lost hours of sleep due to late nights in the library.

Was it manageable? Yes, I forced it to be. Would I recommend doing all of that? No, not at all.

I took the advice of getting involved to heart and made sure I did just that. As a journalism major, it’s important to get ahead by gathering clips of writing and getting as much experience in undergrad as you can in order to prepare for internships and jobs. I had a fear, and still do, of missing out on opportunity. The last thing I wanted to do was regret not getting a jumpstart on my career.

That is one thing I don’t regret about the extra additives to my plate of freshman year. I met some really great people at my publications and have gained a new level of experience that will be extremely useful going forward as a journalist. Now, my first piece of advice: Do not join four publications. While it may seem enticing to join as much as you can, quality over quantity should count for what you’re involved in too. Pick maybe one or two to see if you like them and test it out.

With my two jobs, one of them is being an ambassador for my college. It’s fairly low time commitment and is a lot of fun. My other job has to do with Housing and Residence Life. It’s more of a time commitment, but I also enjoy what I do. If you plan to get a job, I recommend just getting one

and making sure it’s something you like at least a little bit.

There’s no point in hating your job already as a freshman.

People aren’t lying when they say that getting involved makes it easy to meet new people. Classes, jobs, publications, and organizations all brought different friends and groups into my life. I truly wouldn’t know what I’d do without them. However, you still need time to cherish spending time with all those amazing people as well as just enjoying your first year of college. It’s taxing to do it all, but you don’t have to.

Remember to take time for yourself and take on what you think you can. If the amount you thought you could handle, it’s OK to drop stuff and pick others up later. You’re going to be on track to where you want to be and everything will work out in the end.

Mimi Calhoun is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree?

Email Mimi at mc300120@ohio.edu or tweet her @mimi_calhoun.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

UNSOLICITED ADVICE

Where you live on campus doesn’t matter KATIE MILLARD “What’s the best dorm on campus?”

This question floods Facebook groups, texts to current students and calls to the housing phone line. People swear by Jefferson hall, or absolutely need to be on West Green, or throw a fit if they’re put in “Dirty South.”

The truth is, walking into any freshman year dorm can be a little underwhelming.

The in-window box AC unit rattles just out of sync with the weird noises from the refrigerator, and the slightly-dusty linoleum tile floors beg for the rug still waiting in the minivan. The walls are plaster or plaster-colored cinder block, and the bathroom is both too far and not far enough down the hall. It can be easy to wonder in slight disdain: this is the room that causes so much worry?

Yes, this 10 ft. by 14 ft. dollhouse will be kitchen, bedroom, living room and home for the next year, and when students move in, they will be far past the stress of room

selection. They will have graduated to the worry of being near classes, friends and Court Street.

The secret to room selection is simple, however: it doesn’t matter where you live on campus.

People will fight this cold truth and swear up and down their year would have been different if they were in Boyd or didn’t have to walk up Morton hill every day. However, a dorm room is such a small part of the freshman year experience.

Students will make friends who live on their same floor as well as friends who live across campus. The quality of people in a residence hall has nothing to do with the dorm itself, and it is the people who will make college special, not a dorm room.

Once students join clubs and make friends there will be some days they barely spend any time in their rooms at all. Whichever residence hall they live in won’t matter toward the quality of their experience nearly as much as making memories, meeting new people and trying new things will.

Some people are easily stressed by the location of their residence hall as well.

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However, as a freshman, classes will still slant toward satisfying general education requirements, so most freshmen’s schedules will consist of classes spread all throughout campus. Campus is also remarkably walkable, so even if students feel far away from a class or building, they can typically get there in at most fifteen minutes.

Furthermore, first year residence halls are remarkably similar to one another.

Some may have elevators, renovated restrooms, sinks in the rooms or centralized air conditioning, but those small building to building changes have a minimal effect on the on-campus living experience.

Where to live is one of the first choices incoming students get to make for themselves, so it makes sense to worry about choosing correctly. However, the truth is that there is no wrong choice.

My advice? No matter what room you walk into in August, just make it your own.

Don’t get distracted by the location, flaws or lack of elevator. Think of the empty room as a blank canvas, and work to make it feel like home. Decorate with colors,

pictures and posters until the room feels like a desirable, comfortable place to be.

Making the space feel personal and aesthetic is really the only thing students can do to ensure their dorm is a “good” one.

Freshman year will be defined by friends, experiences, memories, classes and so much more than a residence hall.

Students should embrace the positive qualities of whichever space they end up in, and remember it will only be a small factor in their overall experience. Among the hundreds of more influential experiences, however, enjoy the communal bathrooms, janky heat and unexplained noises. Relish in the two years of wonderful, awkward, inconsequential dorm living that unites us all.

Katie Millard is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University and Culture editor at The Post. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts?

Tell Katie by tweeting her at

@katie_millard11.

Ultimate guide to a functional college wardrobe GRACE BREZINE FOR THE POST Packing up to leave for college can be extremely overwhelming, especially if you are a first-year student. You don’t know what you need and how many clothes from your wardrobe to bring. Take a deep breath and know that nearly every incoming freshman had the same stresses.

While some people like to bring their entire wardrobe to college and some bring enough to last a week, there are a few things you can do/learn in preparation for moving into college. And just remember, it is okay if you forget a few things. You can always get that item when you are home for fall or winter break, or even have someone from home mail it to you. In order to avoid these instances, however, here are 6 ways to concoct a perfectly functional college wardrobe: Build a foundation For starters, you will wear a lot less than you think. If you consistently do your laundry every week or so, you will be able to wear your favorite and most worn items without running out of clothing. It is smart to look in your closet and pick out what you wear most on both warmer and colder days. From there, pick out what you would wear if your favorite items were dirty. This is a great start to building a foundational wardrobe for college.

Pack your clothes the right way There are a few ways you can pack your clothes that are more logical than shoving them in a garbage bag or suitcase. First, make sure that you can fit whatever you may be packing somewhere in your dorm room. You may want to fold and place your clothing in a larger storage bin, so you can easily unpack and slide the bin underneath your bed.

Another great and popular way to pack your clothes is in Ikea bags. The famous blue storage bags hold a large amount of clothing without breaking. An upside to these bags is that you can use them when visiting home for a weekend or a friend at another university.

Separate by season Because the fall semester is mainly during the warmer seasons, you won’t need to bring all of your winter essentials. Of course, bring a few hoodies, a few pairs of pants (both sweats and jeans) and a warmer jacket. You can, however, leave your winter coat and hats at home to bring back after fall break. This will leave room for other items in the car and some room for new clothes in your closet (who doesn’t love a little back-to-school shopping).

College spirit clothes Whether you have a few t-shirts in your closet already or plan to head to the bookstore after moving in, it’s always a great idea to have some pride clothes at hand. Everyone loves to show their love for their school on game days, and for OU, you’ll want to have some green and white for the annual homecoming weekend.

Many websites and Instagram accounts make custom college spirit wear, too. This way, you won’t be showing up to the event in the same shirt as someone else and you’ll

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON have a unique outfit. A few popular websites include Etsy, Hype and Vice and Fresh Prints.

Formal occasions Whether you want to join an organization on-campus or not, it’s not a bad idea to have a few formal outfits, just in case you may end up needing to dress up. If you plan to rush Greek life, having a few dresses or a suit and more formal outfits will save you time when figuring out what to wear during rush week and for your first date party.

It is also key to have professional clothing if you plan to rush a professional organization. There are plenty of opportunities at OU, and you will impress your peers by

showing up in business casual/professional attire.

Cut down on shoes You only need your basics: a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of sneakers you don’t care about getting beat up and a pair of sandals/flip flops for summer and boots for the winter. All other shoes are optional, depending on your style and if you like to switch up your shoe game. Other than that, the bare minimum is what you are going to be wearing for the most part.

@GRACEBREZINE GB194519@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

Items you do, don’t need in your college dorm room LOGAN HUMPHREY FOR THE POST Coming into the first year of college, there are a lot of items needed to make living in a residence hall comfortable and simple. There are many items that just make sense to bring, but many people often make the mistake of bringing items that are unnecessary and leave out the necessary items that make college life just a little less complicated. As a way to help sort through these mistakes, here are some items you do and don’t need in your college dorm room: Do: A water filter pitcher Residence halls don’t always have the cleanest water, as they are filled with many unnecessary contaminants, so purchasing a water filter pitcher for a dorm will be extremely beneficial towards the taste and cleanliness of your water. Staying hydrated is so extremely important for your well-being, which a water filter pitcher would contribute heavily to with it being easily refillable. The good news is that these water filters are extremely cost-efficient and last quite a while, helping cut back on the ill-use of plastic bottles.

Do: A drying rack A cheaper, more eco-friendly option to drying clothes is purchasing a foldable drying rack. Some clothes aren’t meant to be cycled through the dryer, thus comes in the handy drying rack to help preserve those types of clothing. Plus, most residence hall dryers are not free, so essentially you will be saving money. In addition, if the laundry room has no open dryers at the moment, having a drying rack on hand is helpful in those scenarios. If you invest in a foldable rack, they are simple to put away and take up little to no space. There are many amazing benefits that drying racks bring whether it be by increasing your room’s humidity or decreasing your own carbon footprint by skipping the dryer once in a while.

Do: Your own cleaning products Nothing is more gross than a dorm room that is unkept and uncleanly. Becoming an adult and living on your own accounts for taking care of yourself and your environment, which some might not be used to. There will be many cases of unexpected spills and the impromptu dust and hair covering your belongings, so be prepared for those unfavorable cleanups every now and then. Whether it be a broom, sanitizing wipes, or paper towels, having these products on hand will be a 22 / SUMMER 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON blessing in the long run. Eventually, cleaning up your room will become easier after cleaning on a regular basis, and will avoid having to clean it all up at the end of the year.

Don’t: Printer It seems like this would be a necessary item, but in reality it’s one of the worst.

There will most likely be printers everywhere you go, whether it’s the library, the residence hall, or in the classrooms. It’s better to use a school printer, which will be more high quality than a cheap printer brought from home. Paying for all the supplies going into the printer is way more than what you would spend on school printer use, too. As technology in academics evolves, printing is hardly even necessary in college anymore, so there may be a

chance you won’t use a printer at all.

Don’t: Television These big screens take up a lot more space than one might think. So if you’re wanting to utilize your limited space wisely, a TV is one item that should be left behind. Watching your favorite shows and movies on your computer or laptop is a better option, with less cords and easier accessibility. Besides, hauling this sizable product back and forth is not worth bringing.

Don’t: School Supplies The need for school supplies in college has sufficiently dropped, mostly because almost everything you will do academically will be on your laptop. So, the abundance of pens and pencils you usually buy at the beginning of the school year are not

needed unless you’re an avid notebook user. Other supplies like a schedule planner can be replaced easily with an app, like Google Calendar.

Ultimately, getting notifications for future tasks and events is more necessary than all the hassle of flipping through a paper planner. Wait to buy school supplies until after classes start, that way it’s easier to know what items are necessary and which ones are not. But as an eco-friendly reminder, try your best to cut down on paper as much as you can. Your wallet and the Earth will feel much appreciated.

LOGANHUMPHREY_ lh129720@OHIO.EDU

6 pieces of advice to make your new home feel like “hOUme” EMMA DOLLENMAYER THE BEAT EDITOR It’s overwhelming, isn’t it – being in a new place, surrounded by new people all while fighting the constant expectation that the next four years are supposed to be the best? In reality, the first couple weeks – or even months – as a freshman can be taxing.

That’s not to say that your time at Ohio University won’t be incredible. Once you learn to cherish walks through College Green when the air is crisp and the autumn leaves are falling, or the never-ending nights with your newfound best friends, you have truly made it.

But all of that greatness and appreciation for OU doesn’t come all at once. It comes in waves. It comes after you passed your first big exam, after you made a late night run to Souvlakis or raced down Morton hill with your roommate. It’s in those moments you begin to love this special town tucked away in Southeast Ohio. But it takes time. To make your transition from high school to college a little easier, here’s 6 pieces of advice to help alleviate some stress and to make your new home feel more like “hOUme.” Wait a month to go home The best piece of advice any freshman will receive, is that it is crucial, vital even, practically essential to wait a month to go home. Within the first month of freshman year is when many individuals experience the widest range of emotions, from being homesick, to irritated, to confused, and seemingly, the easiest solution will be to go home.

However, it is important to persevere and learn how to tackle those obstacles individually, all while in a new place.

This way, you will be better tied to the campus.

Additionally, a plethora of events occur at the beginning of the school year to the point it is impossible to attend them all. Use the first month to try new things, see what you like or don’t like, who you gel with and ultimately, use the first month as a foundational building block for the rest of the semester.

Don’t sweat the small stuff A lot of change occurs as a freshman.

But just as you probably reflect on and laugh about the problems you thought

were end all, be all in highschool, the same applies for college.

Looking back, it seemed as if it was the biggest deal if people who lived on your floor were hanging out in someone’s room and you weren’t invited, or a couple friends you briefly met decided to go to the dining hall together. But, the truth is, everyone is just looking for people to surround themselves with, so don’t take it personally, and remember, it definitely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. You’ll find your people, so don’t force becoming best friends with someone within the first week. Odds are, the two of you will not stay best friends.

On another note, there is so much pressure to succeed and excel in the classroom, but try not to spend all of your time studying. Truthfully, GPA doesn’t even matter that much. What matters is what extracurriculars you’re involved with, so if you got a C+ in that gen-ed class of yours, so be it.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself This one goes hand and hand with tip number 2. Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

The amount of pressure from external forces to make new friends, get good grades, join a worthwhile organization, while still having fun on the weekends, is incredibly immense. So, simply, don’t succumb to it. Prioritize your mental health, and only do things you are comfortable with and things that serve your wellbeing. What’s meant to be, will be, meaning, it doesn’t hurt to sit back and relax. Of course, at times being serious and collected is necessary, but definitely not constantly.

Remember, everyone is in the same boat This piece of advice is undoubtedly the most important, yet the one that always seems difficult to remember when a situation arises: Everyone. Is. In. The. Same. Boat.

In highschool, there was a popular crowd, and maybe, if you weren’t in that circle of people, you felt ostracized. However, in college, there is no such thing as popularity. There are only crowds of people you relate to and want to spend time with, and those you don’t. If you felt as if your kind of people

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON weren’t anywhere to be found in highschool, they definitely are here at OU. With almost 30,000 students it’s impossible not to make friends if you try hard enough.

And it’s true, you do have to try. The worst mistake you could make is thinking everyone already has friends and isn’t looking for more. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone is searching for their people, who they enjoy hanging out with, so don’t be afraid to reach out to those around you and invite them out on Court Street or even to the library to study. No one knows where they fit in yet on such a big campus, so just remember, you are not alone if you are feeling that way.

Leave your dorm as much as possible The best way to become acclimated to campus is to explore every inch of it, soak it up and take advantage of all it has to offer. And no, that does not include sitting in your dorm room playing video games 24/7.

Especially when the weather permits, get outside. Outside of the front four on South Green is South Beach with basketball courts and volleyball nets – an ideal way to meet people while staying active. Even if you are swamped with schoolwork, take your laptop to Donkey or sit outside of Front Room at Baker Center to get some fresh air.

Most importantly, get out of your dorm on the weekends. Weekends at OU are a blast and you can’t experience them properly or fully if you’re cooped up inside. Walk up that hill and make your way to Court Street for a guaran-

teed fun time.

Patience is a virtue Good things take time. Everyone knows the saying, but it’s true. It seems like every upperclassman at OU truly has it together: good grades, an organization they’re heavily involved with, a good group of friends and ultimately loves Athens. But if you were to ask them if they felt the same way on the first day they arrived on campus, odds are they would tell you no.

Why is that? Because good things take time, and they were once too a freshman who was homesick, afraid they wouldn’t make friends, cried when they got their first C+ and believed maybe this place wasn’t for them. But with patience and a good attitude, that changes. And I know first handedly it does because I was that freshman and my friends were also that freshman. I can assuredly tell you, it all works out, and if it’s any consolation, I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, and I hope you are too.

@EMMADOLLENMAYER ED569918@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE WAIVER INFORMATION: ACTION REQUIRED The University requires ALL ATHENS CAMPUS STUDENTS to have health insurance. Domestic Students registered for 5 or more Athens credit hours (includes Athens online, Dublin and Cleveland HCOM) are AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED for the Student Health Insurance. Students with an active health insurance may complete the online waiver application prior to the posted deadline to remove the charge for the Student Health Insurance for the 2022-2023 academic year

THE STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE ONLINE WAIVER APPLICATION IS ONLY AVAILABLE JULY 9 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 THROUGH THE MYOHIO STUDENT CENTER FINANCIALS SECTION • All waiver applications are audited by a third-party company named ECI Services.

• If the health insurance waiver application is approved the charge for the Student Health Insurance will be removed from the student account for the 2022/23 academic year.

• The Waiver process can take up to 10 business days to complete.

• If a waiver application is not completed or approved, the University considers the student to be uninsured, and the charge for the Student Health Insurance will remain on the Student’s University Account.

Additional information, waiver criteria, and directions to complete the waiver application are located on our website: ohio.edu/student-insurance/waiver

POLICY INFORMATION • The University offers a comprehensive nationwide commercial policy provided by United HealthCare Student Resources.

• The policy meets the requirements for J1 and F1 visa holders in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Department of State, and the State of Ohio.

• Students taking reduced credit hours, Regional Campus students and dependents may enroll on a voluntary basis during Open Enrollment periods at the beginning of each semester.

UHCSR.com/Ohio

Additional information, enrollment forms, and policy brochures, are available on our website: ohio.edu/student-insurance/forms-brochures