August 18, 2022 by The Post

THURSDAY, AUG. 18, 2022 Welcome Back! Read the best advice our Culture staff has to offer...PG 10 What happened to OU’s party school reputation?...PGs 16/17 The ultimate senior year bucket list ideas...PG 29

New year, new ‘Post’ PERSON Baker Center, Room 325 ONLINE thepostathens.com/letters BY EMAIL letters@thepostathens.com

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New positions To better refect the swath of individuals and ideas at OU and in Athens, The Post add ed several new positions to its staff. Working alongside our managing editor, digital di rector and myself is Alesha Davis, The Post’s equity director. She, along with our equity team, has already done a great job intro ducing ambitious goals for our staff and our coverage to ensure we are operating accu rately and equitably in all aspects. You’ll hear more from Alesha next week.

Welcome back, Bobcats! Whether you’re returning to campus from summer break or coming here for the frst time as a freshman, I’m so excited to start another school year alongside you all. The start of the 2022 academic year at Ohio University signifes a lot of newness: new living situations, new friendships, new hobbies, new experiences and, yes, a new and improved Post. Throughout this summer, The Post has innovated upon the ways in which it strives to provide you — students at OU and res idents of Athens — with the best possible media coverage of the things you care about, and that starts with listening to our readers. Connecting with our audience This fall, The Post will begin multiple ef forts aimed at connecting more with our au dience. We’ll be making it easier for people to pitch us story ideas by creating a quick and convenient pitch form, easily accessible via QR code and other methods. We’re also in the process of planning a couple town hall events so we can hear di

2 / AUG. 18, 2022 COVER ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Editor-in-Chief | Ryan Maxin Managing Editor | Kayla Bennett Digital Director | 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 | Will Cunningham Asst. Sports Editor | Molly Burchard Opinion Editor | Tate Raub Asst. Opinion Editor | Meg Diehl The Beat Editor | Emma Dollenmayer Asst. The Beat Editor | Grace Brezine Projects Editor | Hannah Campbell Investgative Editor | Alex Imwalle 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 FRONT DESK HOURS 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday – Friday Closed Saturday and Sunday Baker University Center, Room 325 1 Park Athens,PlaceOH 45701 (740) 593-4010 Advertisement Policies Send us your letters Have you ever ﬁnd something in The Post thought-provoking, questionable or even infuriating? Let us know! We are always interested in hearing about the way our readers respond to our content. Letters should be fewer than 500 words. All letters must be signed by at least one individual; anonymous letters will not be accepted. The Post does not accept letters soliciting donations or news releases. Please include your year and major if you are a student. The Post reserves the right to reject submissions or edit submissions for clarity, vulgarity and Associated Press style. The Post is an editorially independent media outlet run by Ohio University students. We distribute the paper free of charge in Athens, Ohio, when classes are in session. Editorial page material represents the opinions of the editors, columnists and letter writers. Opinions expressed are independent of Ohio University and our printer.

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The Post will not print advertising that violates local, state or federal laws. The Post will not run advertisements that violate the Fair Housing Act, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policies. The Post reserves the right to reject advertising deemed to adversely affect the integrity and credibility of the publication or be in conﬂict with the educational mission of the university or community it serves. The Post retains the right, at its discretion, to approve or reject an advertisement that negatively affects the relationship with our readers or that promotes content, services, or activities that violate our advertising policy. If an error occurs, and an advertisement is published not as ordered, please notify The Post by the end of the business day following publication, a corrected advertisement will run without charge in the next print edition. Cancellation requests for advertising must be received and acknowledged by staff no later than 2:00 pm on Wednesday for the Thursday print edition. Refunds will not be given for ads that have been printed. These advertising policy rules can be changed at any time without prior notiﬁcation. rectly from you about the types of coverage you prefer. The Post is here to serve you, which means being in touch with the topics that affect you the most. Lastly, The Post will be reaching out to prominent community members through out the semester to deliver specifc, person al critiques of our coverage and our content.

Joining our Projects team this year is Alex Imwalle, The Post’s investigative editor. As a publication, we’ve been trying to place more effort on in-depth stories that make real im pacts, and Alex is a large piece of that puz zle. Expect more investigative, innovative articles in our pages this year, because our Projects team is already off to a great start. As the year moves quickly along, The Post will continue to refne its products and processes to make the biggest difference it can. I’m biased, but I’m confdent the staff we have this year is the best we’ve ever had, meaning The Post will be the best it’s ever been with these talented and creative peo ple at the helm. With all of these improvements and new ness, I can’t wait to see how the school year plays out. Here’s to hoping it’s the best one yet. Ryan Maxin is a junior studying journal ism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Interested in chatting more with him? Email Ryan at rm554219@ohio.edu or fnd him on Twitter at @ryanmaxin.

RYAN MAXIN EDITOR IN CHIEF

We are thrilled to welcome you to our beloved bricks. e 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! We've been waiting for you. ese bricks we call home are now yours, too. Dean of Students DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS Kathy A Fahl, MSW

Keystone’s Mac Shack announces Athens location want out of their mac and cheese.”

Charlie Wilson, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, said he would frequently eat at Keystone’s Mac Shack during the school year.

An extension of Keystone Bar & Grill, this “fast-casual” restaurant puts a twist on typical comfort food. The only other location is currently outside the University of Cincinnati’s campus.

HANNAH CAMPBELL PROJECTS EDITOR @HANNAHCMPBELL

Snyder said he was happy to see the grub spot expand into another college town and is excited to experience the specialized Athens location. “I think it’s really smart to open on another college campus,” Snyder said. “I think their business model at UC is a really smart thing, being open super late. There’s definitely some competition in Athens in the late-night food department but I think it’ll do really well.”Murray explained that the late-night convenience concept works with younger people, and the decision to expand into Athens has been received positively by students and residents. “I think (Keystone wants) to expand more into college towns,” Murray said. “OU just has a really great footprint of nightlife… so it was a fun way to make the next step of expanding, but within an attainable distance and demographic.”

Maureen Murray, the marketing manager for Four Entertainment Group’s Keystone division, which runs Keystone’s Mac Shack, said the restaurant is known for its late-night hours. The Cincinnati location is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on the weekend. Murray said closing hours for the Athens location may be around 4 a.m. The restaurant is also known for its musically-inspired mac and cheese meals and unique combinations, Murray said. “I think one of the things we’ve focused on recently is being super customizable,” Murray said. “We have our mac and cheese on the menu but then people can mix and match their own and make whatever they HC895819@OHIO.EDU

PROVIDED BY KEYSTONE’S MAC SHACK

Bennett Snyder, an Ohio University junior studying journalism, said he has also visited Keystone’s Cincinnati location while visiting friends at UC.

A new late-night dining spot, Keystone’s Mac Shack, is expanding to Athens and will be located at 14 S. Court St. The construction process is underway and students can expect a cheesy, specialized Bobcat menu to be available by October.

“The first time I had it, I knew I didn’t want to eat any other late-night food ever if I visited them,” Snyder said. “I felt like it was the perfect combination of heavy but not too heavy (as) a late night meal and it was really Althoughgood.”Snyder said the most popular menu items were the Powerhouse and Buffalo Springfield mac and cheese, his favorite dish was the Cordon Lightfoot, which adds chicken, ham and Swiss cheese to a traditional macaroni meal.

4 / AUG. 18, 2022

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New student representatives

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5 Ohio University announced the 11 new student representatives of the President’s Student Cabinet for Inclusive Excellence for the 2022-23 academic year. University leaders created the Cabi net last spring to aid in collecting student feedback regarding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts around campus. The frst offcial meeting between the Cabinet members and OU President Hugh Sher man will be Aug. 12. According to a statement from OU, The Cabinet will meet monthly with sev eral university offcials. They will provide feedback on initiatives related to campus diversity, equity and inclusion. The fve founding members of the Cabinet are Dayna Shoulders, Jhasmin Flags line College Green for International Week during the Street Fair held on Union St on April 9, 2022. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST) TRE SPENCER FOR THE POST @TRERSPENCER1 TS582119@OHIO.EDU

Glass, Kylie Duncan, Julian Ross and Giah Harper. They worked with the university to review applicants after the new mem bership application window closed May 20.Shoulders said she believes the Cabi net will help with communication efforts between students and administrators. “I think it’ll beneft students on cam pus, specifcally students of color by get ting these ideas and real life experiences straight to the source,” Shoulders said. “It’s really easy for our experiences as students to kind of get muddled as it goes up the chain of command. But in this case, we’ll be able to have in-depth discussions with administrators directly, who can solve our problems and allocate resourc es to exactly where we want them.” Dr. Salome Nnoromele, interim vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at OU, began working with the Cabinet in April.“The application went to the student body… so everybody had the opportunity to apply,” Nnoromele said. “Several stu dents applied and then the fve found ing members, in addition to me and Dr. Bruce from the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, met and looked at all the ap plications. Then, we were able to select a level that had a broad representation of students from undergraduate to graduate to international students… so that every voice is represented (in the) Cabinet.” Shoulders said she believes as Student Senate president she is setting a prece dent between the Senate’s role as a voice for the student body and holding univer sity leadership accountable for inclusivity on Followingcampus. a string of racially-motivat ed incidents on campus during the spring 2022 semester, the university has placed a greater focus on diversity and inclusion efforts. The Visible campaign, created last school year, highlights inclusion efforts on Nnoromelecampus. said the Cabinet’s biggest focus is to bring in student voices from several populations of students on cam pus and present their feedback to univer sityAllleadership.student representatives are cur rently Athens campus students. However Carly Leatherwood, a university spokes person, said the Cabinet is also looking for regional campus student representa tives.

President Sherman talks about COVID-19 precautions for the spring semester of the 2021-22 school year at Ohio University on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (

OU alters academic operations following sub-par student performance

Make the mark

“Student success improves when stu dents have a holistic circle of care around them and … know that we are all here to make sure they’re successful Bobcats,” Klein said. “We hope that the number of students who struggle decreases as a result of stu dents being surrounded by a caring commu nity that’s really dedicated to their success.”

The university plans to prevent similar academic trends from occurring during the 2022-2023 school year by expanding its ac ademic intervention notifcation system — My Ohio Success Network. Last school year, Klein said over 30,000 notifcations were sent to students through the systems, mark ing their progress in classes. Academic advisers are also fagged when one of their advisees receives a warning mes sage so they can follow up and work with students to identify the cause of poor perfor mance.Progress messages are only sent to stu dents from professors who fll out their stu dents’ success surveys, causing differences in how many messages students receive, Klein said. This year, Klein said more faculty mem bers will complete the survey and students will get more messages. With one of the larg est incoming classes starting at OU this fall, Klein said the My Ohio Success Network will be utilized even more.

An experiential learning staff member is available within each academic college to help students navigate their opportunities and determine which path is best, Rudibaugh said. To improve the experiential learning op portunities at OU, Rudibaugh said research would be conducted during the fall semester to learn more about the real and perceived barriers to experiential learning. What is gathered from their research will be applied to current and future student experiences during the 2022-2023 spring semester. Over 300 students will remain on aca demic probation for the upcoming semester and the Academic Achievement Center offers success workshops to improve those stu dents’ performances, said Elizabeth Fallon, the director of Academic Assistance. The 90-minute in-person workshops help students understand the seriousness of academic probation and tools like GPA cal culators, study skills and academic coaching they can utilize to improve their standing. Despite the effects COVID-19 will have on the classroom experience this fall, Klein and Rudibaugh believe directly addressing academic issues and helping those on proba tion will prevent a similar number of students from being dismissed from the university fol lowing the upcoming year.

JESSE JARROLD GRAPES | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY) ADDIE HEDGES NEWS EDITOR @ADDIEHEDGES AH766719@OHIO.EDU

Those incoming students will also have a different pair of advisers than current OU students. Instead of being assigned an ac ademic adviser and a success adviser, new students will have a faculty mentor and suc cess adviser. Faculty mentors are experts in their felds who will guide students through their de clared major. They will be selected by each department based on the student’s area of interest and which faculty member will best ft that interest. “The faculty mentor and success advisors will work together to guide students through their experience,” Klein said. In addition to improving classroom per formance, Lindsey Rudibaugh, the executive director of experiential learning, said her offce is looking to broaden the spectrum of experiential learning activities. Rudibaugh said experiential learning can be anything that involves community en gagement, creativity, research, domestic and abroad study and leadership activities. “We’re trying to broaden that landscape and help students think bigger, broader about what they might do, what experienc es they might have to really get a leg up and be prepared to be good professionals,” Ru dibaugh said. “We want our students to be good citizens after graduation.”

6 / AUG. 18, 2022 Ohio University plans to make improve ments in academically supporting its stu dents after nearly 400 students were dis missed from the university due to their academic standing. Specifcally, OU will be making strategic changes to its academic advising, experien tial learning opportunities and tutoring this upcoming semester. Following the 2021-2022 spring semester, 339 students were academically dismissed from the university, which is higher than the number of students dismissed during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 spring semesters combined. At the June Board of Trustees meeting, OU President Hugh Sherman said the COVID-19 pandemic signifcantly impacted students’ routines and academic schedules, which may have caused changes in grades, according to a previous Post report. Jenny Klein, the executive director of ad vising and graduation plans, said COVID-19 has been and will continue to be a lingering obstacle for students of all ages. “Various things that people normally learn … didn’t progress at the normal rate,” Klein said. “It’s just been a really challenging time, and the lingering effects of the pandem ic have shown themselves, to some extent, in the academic achievements here at Ohio University, as they have everywhere.”

Boeninger said she believes many factors play into the increased enrollment of the in coming“Ohioclass.University just has really strong momentum right now. We are popular among our Ohio high school students and their families,” Boeninger said. “They are seeing the good work that is happening here that’s getting amplifed by the work that our colleagues and University Communications and Marketing have done.”

PAYTON DAUGHERT FOR THE POST

Enrollment on the rise place all of the necessary COVID protocols.”

Enrollment numbers for the class of 2026 are continuing Ohio University’s positive en rollment streak with higher numbers than the class of 2025. This is an uptick after a de cline in enrollment over the previous years. Candace Boeninger, the vice president for enrollment management, said the best indicator for enrollment is the housing con frmation and the commuter application pro cesses.Asof mid-June, about 4,600 students had completed the processes; however, an ex pected loss of around 150 students is possi ble. According to a previous Post report, the class of 2025 included 3,664 students.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

Boeninger said a lot of effort was put into campus visits to fulfll the interests of pro spective students and families. Among them was the opportunity to visit campus follow ing the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the early days of reopening, we were one of the frst institutions to imple ment COVID safe, in-person tours and that happened at a time when many other insti tutions were still not quite able to fgure out how to do that,” Boeninger said. “We did it in really creative ways while also keeping in The 2021 Campus Involvement Fair. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

Lexie Nagel, a freshman studying studio fne arts, was one of the students who at tended a safe post-COVID-19 tour. Nagel at tended an OHIO Up Close Day and a tour of some of the art buildings in November. Nagel also applied to the University of Toledo, the University of Dayton and Wright State University and visited the Wright State Lake campus and Bluffton University. Nagel said she ultimately chose OU because she loved the campus and thought the staff was friendly.“The people on the staff are awesome. I could talk to my professors even though I wasn’t even enrolled yet,” Nagel said. “I was able to just talk to them and email them, and they were very responsive. It was very per sonal, which I did not get with (the) other col leges I applied to.”

@PAYTONDAUG PD162120@OHIO.EDU

Madeline Davis, a freshman studying pre-nursing, also attended a post-COVID-19 OHIO Up Close day. Davis said she originally wanted to stay close to home and attend a community college, but after visiting OU for the frst time, she said she knew OU was the place for “(OHIOher.Up Close day) was my second time visiting the campus because I had gone on one of the general tours earlier in the year … after I made my decision. I got to learn more about my major and I got to see the buildings where I was going to be taking my classes. My tour guide… was also a nursing major and it just felt so personal. It only made me feel more comfortable on campus,” Davis said. “I just knew I wanted to be there.”

it. The Bobcat ESports club is not really dictated by if you’re a student or not,” KuhnThesaid.arena is also an experiential learning space to help students gain skills needed for a career in ESports. There is a broadcast station that in cludes an announcer’s desk and a pro duction and editing room to oversee livestreams on Twitch or YouTube. Kuhn said right now they are priori tizing students getting jobs as event or ganizers, broadcasters, analysts, coach es and league operators. “Video games and ESports are bil lion-dollar industries that have grown exponentially in the last five to 10 years, yet the number of trained employees for jobs in this industry do not meet the demand of it,” Kuhn said in an OU press release.Those stations will also facilitate a large jump in production value for the varsity team as every match can now be live streamed with ease. Kuhn said that in the past competitions would be streamed sporadically with whoever had a Twitch account and good enough internet.Itwill also make activities for the varsity teams much easier. Bobcat ES ports has four varsity teams — Rocket League, Valorant, League of Legends and Overwatch. Those teams will be able to schedule practices, have meet ings, draw up plans and watch over the game in a central location, which is something Dalen Gevedon, a sixth year student studying biochemistry and vice president of Bobcat ESports, said he is very excited for. Gevedon, a long time member of the club, has been there since the begin ning and helped pick out the layout of the arena. He said he and other students were all in the loop and had a lot of say in how the arena turned out. “It’s definitely been worth the wait,” he Gevedonsaid. said the experiential learn ing aspect will be important because he’s already seen many OU alumni get jobs in ESports already. “I’m really excited to see what we can be pumping out once we have the struc ture in place,” Gevedon said. “It’s like having a football team with no football stadium and then giving them a stadi um and saying alright here you can play now.”

Jeff Kuhn, director of Bobcat ES ports, said he has been working on the arena with the students in the club for four years. Kuhn said they started with drafting layouts and plans with different architecture teams looking for approval from the students. OU’s board of trustees approved a $650,000 budget in January 2020, which was increased to $750,000 in August that same Accordingyear.to a previous Post report, by fall of 2021, the arena was almost complete except they were unable to purchase computers because of a glob al computer chip shortage as a conse quence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those computers arrived in the fa cility in March 2022. Kuhn said they are still putting the finishing touches on the arena and completing the tryouts for the varsity teams. Once the arena is up and running, any OU student will be able to swipe in during operating hours, which are not set yet, but will likely be from early to late afternoon six days a week to make sure the equipment stays safe. There will also be a limit on how many hours a student can be in the space each semester. Kuhn said hour limits are common practice and will make sure all students have a fair chance to use the area. In an email, Kuhn wrote they are planning on 90 hours per semester, but that number is still subject to change. There are around 350 to 400 students in Bobcat ESports with over 1,000 peo ple in their Discord server, which also includes prospective students, alumni, faculty and staff. Kuhn said having the physical space in Scripps will encourage growth in the club after digital burnout. “I think that’s the coolest part about

DONOVAN HUNT FOR THE POST

OU’s ESports arena prepares for grand opening during Fall Semester

@DONOVANHUNT9 DH322621@OHIO.EDU After four years of waiting, Ohio Uni versity gamers and the Bobcat ESports club finally have a home. Located in the basement of Scripps Hall, the $722,746 ESports arena will of ficially open during the 2022 fall semes ter. The opening date for all students will take place on national video game day, Sept. 12. It’s complete with Xboxes, Ninten do Switches and 30 high powered PCs, and is a place for students to meet, play games, learn career skills and for the club’s varsity teams to compete.

8 / AUG. 18, 2022 ESports lab in Scripps Hall that is still waiting on computers to arrive to be completed. (RYAN GRYZBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

Two new student organizations, Coffee Club and Lavender Menace, will join over 500 other student organizations available to Ohio University students during the fall semester.Lavender Menace, an organization for LGBT women, was founded by Chanise Kimbley, a sophomore studying psychology, and Emily Moores, a junior studying ﬁlm. Moores said the name Lavender Menace stems from a 1970s group of lesbian feminists who fought to include lesbian and bisexual women in the second-wave feminist movement.Aftertransferring to OU from Northern Kentucky University, Kimbley said she missed having a space for queer women to connect. Starting Lavender Menace allowed her to offer that connection to others.

“It’s been our dream to have a space where a lot of lesbians and other sapphics can come together and create closer bonds,” Moores said. “Mainly because it’s a space that’s even more understanding of our way of life than a queer group that’s open to everyone.” Lavender Menace will meet every other Thursday at 6 p.m. at the LGBT Center and will offer various activities for its members. “We just ﬁnished planning some of our meetings last week,” Moores said. “Our ﬁrst meeting is going to be a ‘get MM294318@OHIO.EDU We Are P A R T T I M E , Y E A R R O U N D P O S I T I O N S A V A I L A B L E JOIN OUR TEAM F i t n e s s S u p e r v i s o r HIRING B u i l d i n g S u p e r v i s o r C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r C a s h i e r C h i l to know you bingo’… so we can get everyone acquainted with each other in order to do all of our other activities. We have a movie night planned, a PowerPoint night and a crafts night planned.”

MAYA MORITA ASST. NEWS EDITOR @MAYACATEMORITA

New student opportunities

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Kimbley said the group recruits members through its Instagram account and has quickly gained over 50 followers.As Lavender Menace utilizes social media to recruit members, Coffee Club will have a booth at the Student Involvement Fair Aug. 21 on College Green. Maire Stonecipher, a junior studying psychology and sociology criminology, started Coffee Club to unite people who enjoy Stoneciphercoffee.said that students who attend the Involvement Fair can join Coffee Club through a QR code that provides access to the club’s GroupMe account. “It’s not going to be exclusive or anything,” Stonecipher said. “I put the fun question of ‘what’s your go-to coffee order?’ just to see the kind of people who are going to be in the group and what kind of different coffees we can try.”

Once a week, the members of Coffee Club will gather at different coffee shops in Athens. Stonecipher said the group is still trying to ﬁnd a day and time that will work for most members. “I feel like it’s a great way to get to know people and meet people and it’s a really easy commitment and something you can just say, ‘hey, I did this in college and I really loved it,’” Stonecipher said.

d c a r e I n s t r u c t o r s

“I had to wait until the summer started and then ﬁll out all the paperwork with the involved people,” Stonecipher said. “Then I waited about a month and a half and ﬁnally got the email (that said), ‘you’re approved.’”

To start a student organization at OU, prospective clubs must meet requirements set by the Campus Involvement Center. According to the student organization handbook, requirements include a name for the organization, ofﬁcers, an adviser, a constitution, bylaws and a handful of members enrolled in the university. “First, I talked to some friends about it (and) tried to create an (executive) board,” Kimbley said. “It was really more about making connections. I had only been at OU for like half a semester when I came up with the idea.”

The Campus Involvement Center only accepts student organization applications at the beginning of each semester, so Stonecipher said she was anxiously awaiting the start of the 2022 summer semester to apply for Coffee Club.

For the upcoming school year, OU students will have the opportunity to join Lavender Menace and Coffee Club along with 543 other student organizations on campus, many of which will have booths at the Student Involvement Fair.“I’m looking forward to giving people … a generally safe space for people who are like them and have like interests,” Kimbley said. “I feel like as a queer person, it can be a little lonely just out in the world and having a space where you’re surrounded by people who are like you can be very helpful.”

Katie Millard: Jumping back into extracurriculars (like The Post) and getting to be in Athens again. It really is the greatest place.

What are you most excited for fall semester?

Katie Millard: Make your space feel like it’s yours. This is your home, so make sure to let it feel cozy, comfy and like a place you’ll love to Isabelbe.Nissley: Walk away when you begin to feel overwhelmed – move-in can be a tumultuous experience for everyone. It’s always better to step away from the situation to decompress than to lash out at the people who are helping you.

Tate Raub: I’m most excited for getting to be around my friends all the time again.

Isabel Nissley: I am looking forward to all the new opportunities that fall semester will bring. I have some classes that I am super excited to begin, and a new job that is unlike anything I have done before. The start of fall semester also brings cooler nights and falling leaves, providing a naturally beautiful reminder that Athens is changing along with us.

from ‘The Post’ Culture staff

Grace Koennecke: It honestly ﬂies by, so take it in. And PLEASE, say goodbye to your parents! They will miss you more than you know.Tate Raub: Pack as light as possible. Trust me.Alex Imwalle: The best advice for moving in is to accept that there will be things you forget. Understanding this will allow you to create a list of things throughout the movein process that slipped your mind during the initial move-in preparation.

10 / AUG. 18, 2022

info@BobcatRentals.net | 86 N Court Street Palmer • Hocking Stewart • Milliron Coss • E. Union W. Washington W. State • Franklin 1to 6 BEDROOM units available FEATURED Some advice, reﬂections for

Mimi Calhoun: Make sure to consistently go to classes and try not to skip or else it’ll become a bad habit. Anastasia Carter: Update your planner if you have one! This is so helpful with everyday life when getting back into the swing of things.Katie Millard: Google calendar is a life saver. Find a way to stay organized so you’re not stuck cramming at the last minute. Isabel Nissley: Come excited! Learn your classmates names, humor your professors’ introductory speeches and take some notes even if it’s the ﬁrst class. College provides extraordinary opportunities for learning (and making mistakes) – but, you will only get as much out of the experience as you put in.

McKenna Christy: My advice for move-in is to give yourself, and whoever is helping you move in, patience. Mimi Calhoun: Don’t have any expectations and just go with the ﬂow.

Mimi Calhoun: I’m most excited to be back with my student organizations. Anastasia Carter: I am ecstatic to get back into a routine and work on new projects.

BobcatRentals.net

Alyssa Cruz: My number one piece of advice would be to listen to yourself and how you’re feeling. Moving in can be a whole mix of emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take some time to process the events and don’t compare your feelings to those of others. Also, bring a collapsible wagon to move in – it’s a lifesaver. What advice do you have for starting classes?

Alex Imwalle: Last year, as a freshman, I Scan the QR code to ﬁnd the rest online! 740-594-4441 move-in had many opportunities to meet new people, but I believe that I missed out on some experiences because I was nervous and in a new environment. Now that I am fully comfortable and feel most at home in Athens, I am excited to return and take advantage of every new opportunity presented to me.

Alyssa Cruz: I am most excited to get back into the swing of things with all the hustle and bustle of campus and Athens. What advice do you have for move-in?

McKenna Christy: My advice for starting classes is, if possible, read syllabi before the ﬁrst day of those classes. If you read your syllabi beforehand you’ll always be more prepared with any questions and transitioning will be less overwhelming.

Grace Koennecke: I’m most excited to start up my weekly radio show again for ACRN. I ﬁnd so much joy playing music for my friends and family, and this year I have a lot in store for it!

McKenna Christy: I am most excited to see my friends and for us to be roommates!

PREPARING FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR AMID CONCERNS

The university is working on creating more spaces for racial, ethnic, gender and sexual minority students. Part of the ac tion steps university administration laid out include renovating the Multicultural Center and offering, through the Offce of Multicultural Success and Retention, a new living opportunity for students in the LINKSChristinaprogram.Parker, a sophomore major ing in journalism and women, gender and sexuality studies, wanted to see immedi ate action after the hate crimes and was confused about the lack of it. “I feel like people will not feel safe un til there’s a promise of immediate action,” ParkerParkersaid.also has concerns regarding the lack of communication and spreading of information from university administra tion about their plans for this year. “It makes you think like, how many oth er people were passive and it’s like they didn’t really take a stance on it,” Parker said.And while there are plans in develop ment, Kriska feels the university should be doing something more consistently. “They should be the ones protecting us and we should be able to feel protected by them,” Kriska said. Students can also be aware of the dif ferent emotions and experiences their peers will have at the beginning of the school year, Kriska said. She also said peo ple can be open and communicate with each other to feel more comfortable.

Students will begin the process of re turning to campus and preparing for fall semester this month and incoming fresh men and new students will navigate a new environment. But every student, no mat ter how long they’ve been on campus, has choices to make on how they will treat each other. “I just wish more people wanted to make (OU) a safe space,” Parker said. “Life is way too hard for everyone. Just be kind.”

Lexie Tillery, an acting major at Ohio University, looks up at a student speaking at the Ohio University Black Student Union Town Hall Meeting on March 28, 2022 in Morton 145. (ZOE CRANFILL | FOR THE POST)

While some Ohio University students left to go elsewhere for the summer and others remained on campus, returning to an academic, busy environment for the fall semester has its excitement. The upcom ing semester will bring many returning students to campus and a whole group of new students fnding their way in a differ entKaitlinworld.

MCKENNA

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Kriska, a sophomore studying integrated social studies education, has always cherished her hometown but is ready to come back to OU where she en joys having everything she needs close by on Court Kriska’sStreet.excitement to return to college life doesn’t come without her concerns about how the university handled the ra cially-motivated hate crimes that were committed in residence halls at the end of the last spring semester. “I think the university really thought that if they just kind of pushed it under the CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER @MCKENNACHRISTY1 MC957019@OHIO.EDU

rug, that we were gonna leave for summer and then forget about it,” Kriska said. A previous Post article details the events of last semester and explains what OU administration and students have planned to prevent future hate crimes on campus. But it will take time to see these steps make progress and they can’t pre vent all students from feeling comfortable coming back to campus for a new semes ter.“I am anxious about it,” Kriska said. “I think (the university) should think about returning students but also what about the incoming students that are going to have to constantly be anxious about like, what if this happens to me next?”

@ALYSSADANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU

OU student employees stay busy over the summer

12 / AUG. 18, 2022 While Bobcats may be back, Athens doesn’t die when students pack up in April. Despite what empty residence halls and shortened hours for university buildings may suggest, many Ohio University stu dent employees remain on campus, or in the Athens area, to work over the summer. Working over the summer presents an op portunity to work in a less fast-paced en vironment and enjoy the abnormally tran quilThoughcampus.the typical student population is not on campus during the summer, OU isn’t completely empty. Bobcat Student Orientation took up a huge part of the summer, as incoming freshmen and other new undergraduate students visited the university.Although there was an option to en gage in this program virtually, many soonto-be Bobcats focked to Athens for classic orientation activities, such as signing up for classes and learning more about their programs. Students and their guests even had the opportunity to stay in a residence hall during their trip. When it commenced June 1, BSO was just one of the many events that ensured the campus stayed active and provided student employees a chance to work over the summer. With the university welcom ing 4,435 students and 5,220 guests to the Athens campus, their employment was put to good Someuse.other programs and events in cluded a Juneteenth festival on College Green and the Scripps High School Jour nalism Workshop. The workshop took place at the beginning of July, and the campus hosted 66 students from across theEvennation.when without the large visiting populations, typical student jobs persist. Grace Cobb, a sophomore studying in vir tual reality and game development, works at Jefferson Marketplace as a retail inven tory reporting offce assistant. Cobb orga nizes the products and keeps inventory of the“Especiallymarket. over orientation, there was a lot going on,” Cobb said, referring to BSO. “When the students at school come in, it’s defnitely a lot more aggressive. I defnite ly prefer having all the students here, but having the freshmen was a lot of fun.”

Although working over the summer is enjoyable, Weber prefers working during the school year. School and work com bined require more of a routine. Whilst there are many benefts to working a summer job on campus, Cobb said her favorite was making connections with her coworkers. Since Cobb has only been on campus one year, working over the summer provided her an opportunity to connect with many upperclassmen. “I personally thought it was a good op portunity to be a freshman working this summer because I was able to form up perclassmen connections,” Cobb said. “I also like to explore Athens when it’s not so hectic. I think it was a really great oppor tunity if anyone else was considering it.”

A student works at Nelson Dining Hall on April 7, 2022. (PEARL SPURLOCK | FOR THE POST)

ALYSSA CRUZ ASST. EDITOR

CULTURE

Although Jeff Market is closed over the summer, Cobb said Culinary Service employees work together in open spaces such as Nelson Marketplace. If a student is looking for a job on campus, Cobb sug gested reaching out to current employees. “I would defnitely say try and talk to as many different people from different departments as you can because there is defnitely a lot of collaboration,” Cobb said. Cali Weber, a junior studying English, literature and writing, works in the library as an interlibrary loan assistant through a work-study position. “It’s very lenient but a little weird be cause campus is so empty,” Weber said in an email.Weber also said availability is the big gest difference between working an on-campus job over the summer and the school year. Since they are not taking classes over the summer, their schedule is more fexible. “I’ve found (that) with my job it’s very lenient and I’m still able to enjoy my sum mer,” Weber said. “I can go in whenever I want, but I try to go in from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..”

TP: What is/was the scariest thing about coming to college?

PROJECTS EDITOR

Cser: I think what I’m most excited about, (which) is going to sound really nerdy, but probably my classes. Other than that, I think it would have to be getting away from everything I have ever known. My entire life, I have kind of just been like “I cannot wait to get out of this town.”

HANNAH CAMPBELL

Rising Senior vs. Incoming Freshman

Seniors Kady Cushing, studying sociology and criminology, and Haley Janoski, studying communication studies, are reﬂecting back on their time at Ohio University before their last year begins. Meanwhile, rising freshmen Cass Cser, studying environmental science and sustainability, and Ali Addington, studying marketing, sat down with The Post to discuss their predictions of college life.

The Post: Why did you decide to come to OU?

Addington: I’m a fourth generation Bobcat, and it meant a lot to me to grow up having a family that really enjoyed going there and seeing the traditions. And then when you get to the campus … it’s just really beautiful and you can get a really good vibe from campus.

Cser: My aunt’s best friend, I told her that I got accepted, she told me one thing. It was that no matter what happens, do not lose yourself, because you can focus on school and focus on the popularity … and you can really easily lose yourself and who you actually are during this time.

Janoski: I am in the Honors Tutorial College (HTC), and I was looking for a very individualized education that also had very kind and welcoming people. So I found that in HTC, but at OU at-large, every person I have ever met that’s gone to OU who was in any college or any way of life has loved their experience and will help anyone out.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN ADAMS

Addington: I am super excited to get to meet a bunch of people, and then I’m also excited to take classes that are speciﬁc to what I am interested in.

Addington: We have never left home before, so leaving home and ﬁguring out how to do certain things on your own — certain things my parents would do for me for my whole life. Having to ﬁgure that out on my own here in exactly two weeks, it’s just so Cser:intimidating.Ithink,as of right now, it is not knowing what is going to happen. The fear of the unknown is probably my biggest fear in all of this.

Cushing: Deﬁnitely the fact that I was transferring in as a sophomore ... by that time, everybody had already made their own friend groups … so, I just threw myself into the lion’s den essentially. I was most nervous about ﬁnding a crack to squeeze into.Janoski: The scariest thing about coming to college was starting over again. I was very active in high school … and I loved having a schedule, having a routine … so, that made me very anxious at the start, but I threw myself into new opportunities and situations and felt comfortable very quickly.

Cushing: I am a transfer student. My ﬁrst experience at my previous university did not work out the way I had hoped for, and my mom is an OU alumna. She graduated in the class of 1995. So I have been taking college visits every year to OU since I was maybe 10-years-old … (One day), I looked to her and said “I’m going to end up here whether I like it or not.”

TP: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received so far for college?

Janoski: I was really looking forward to living on my own and being able to have my own schedule, my own life. Ultimately, I was really excited just to get started and meet people in my classes and meet my professors.

Cushing: When I came to OU, really what I was excited for most was a fresh start. I was looking forward to not only being at a school with a bigger campus and a larger student body, but I was also excited for the fact that I had a blank slate. I could just become whoever I wanted to be.

TP: What aspect of yourself do you think will change/has changed the most during college?

Cushing: Deﬁnitely my mentality about myself as a person … In the back of my mind, when I was younger, I was always worrying about if people liked me and how I could make people like me. The minute that you stop trying to please everybody and start focusing on your happiness, the better off you will be.

Cushing: My entire life, I have been a perfectionist. As someone who is constantly striving to be my best, it was very, incredibly stressful. So my mom sat me down one day, and she told me that instead of trying to do my best, just to do what I can that day. Because your best is constantly ﬂuctuating and your best is constantly changing.

TP: What are/were you looking forward to most about starting college?

Addington: I feel like the best piece of advice … is to get involved. Everyone says that going to the involvement fair and involving yourself in different things is the best way to meet people with similar interests who are also different.

Janoski: Ask questions. Everybody I have met has been willing to answer questions if I am confused. So people have all had their difﬁcult ways in getting through college and they are happy to share their knowledge with you.

Cser: I went down for a college tour just because my aunt’s best friend went there. So I went there with her with an alumni, and I kind of fell in love with it … I fell in love with the campus but at the same time, I loved how inclusive it was. I felt like I was actually able to be myself.

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Addington: Deﬁnitely just gaining independence. I guess I don’t know where that will take me, but I feel like you kind of come into your own.

Starting college can be a life-changing experience for incoming freshmen. With new classes, new friends and a whole new campus awaiting them, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin.

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Janoski: I’d say it’s my comfort with myself. I’m queer, and I knew that in high school and I wasn’t out. But when I came to college, I found so many people like me and also people who it makes you no different to them. So ﬁnding people and a wider community in general is just accepting of a large variety of people, that is something that has changed me and made me more Haley.

Cser: So, right now I am fairly introverted. When I was at orientation, I met so many new people and added so many new people on (Snapchat) and just got to know a lot of people, and that normally is not me. I really think (college) is going to bring me out of my shell. Feeling comfortable and actually ﬁnding (my) people.

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One of Antunez-Uriostegui’s biggest pieces of advice for students is to join student organizations and step out of their comfort zone. “It’s hard at first, but it’s amazing the people that you meet, especially for multicultural students,” Antunez-Urios tegui said. “I would say join organiza tions that promote cultural heritage. I think it’s so great to connect with oth ers on that cultural level, and under stand heritage and the cultures that we come from. It also just creates such a great sense of community.”

LSU is a Latino-based organization that promotes unity and identity at OU. Most programming with the organi zation focuses on advocating for Lati no students, creating community and connection, and bringing the culture to campus. While some may have grown up immersed in the culture and others may have been disconnected, Antunez-Uri ostegui enjoys how LSU can be a space for either person. “I think to our organization, every one can connect with it (the culture) as much as they want to, and I think that’s really lovely,” Antunez-Uriostegui said. On top of her peer mentoring award, Antunez-Uriostegui also received the Latinx Heritage Award; this is given to a student that has shown commitment to their community. “It was great to receive that (award) because it reaffirms the work that I’m doing within the community, and it makes me feel like I’m accomplishing things,” Antunez-Uriostegui said. “It’s also nice to receive some recognition for the work that I do because it is a lot sometimes but it kind of balances out because it is stuff that I enjoy so much.”

of accomplishments

PROVIDED BY MARIBEL ANTUNEZ-URIOSTEGUI MIMI CALHOUN FOR THE POST @MIMI_CALHOUN MC300120@OHIO.EDU MaribelMulticulturalAntunez-Uriostegui:Mentorvolvementandhardwork.OriginallyfromMexico,Antunez-Uriosteguiisafirst-generationAmericanandfirst-generationcollegestudent.ShegrewupintheU.S.andisbasedinAtlanta,butsaidshecametoOUbecauseofthecampusandcommunity.Antunez-UriosteguialsoreceivedascholarshipthroughtheOfficeofMulticulturalSuccessandRetention(OMSAR).TheJohnNewtonTempletonScholarshipisamerit-basedscholarshipformulticulturalstudentsfocusingonleadership,academicexcellenceandcampusandcommunityinvolvement.Antunez-UriosteguiisapeermentorwithOMSARanditsLINKSsupportprogramforfirst-yearmulticulturalstudents.Whileparticipatingintheprogramduringherfirstyear,Antunez-Uriostegui’smentorinspiredhertotakeonthesamepositionthefollowingyear.“Ilearnedalotfromher(Antunez-Uriostegui’smentor),andshewasasupergreatguidetohavethatfirstyearnavigatingcollegesasafirst-generationAmerican,first-generationcollegestudent,”Antunez-Uriosteguisaid.“Allofthatwasreallyhelpful.Iwantedtoreturnthatfavor,andIabsolutelylovethejobthatIdo.IworkwithstudentsandhelpthemfromhighschooltocollegeandmakesurethattheyfeelcomfortableatOU.”Antunez-UriosteguirecentlyreceivedtheDescutnerBurnierPeerMentoraward,giventopeermentorswhohavegoneaboveandbeyondtohelptheirmenteesachievegreatthings.“IhadamazingmenteesthatIabsolutelylovedworkingwith,”Antunez-Uriosteguisaid.“Theyweresupersweet,andtheyhavegottensuperinvolvedoncampus,andthat’ssomethingthatIlovetosee.”Antunez-UriosteguiisalsoheavilyinvolvedwiththeLatinocommunity.AfterjoiningtheLatinoStudentUnion(LSU)asageneralbodymemberduringthefallsemesterofherfirstyear,shewasappointedeventcoordinatorduringthespringsemester.Antunez-Uriosteguibecamepresidentoftheorganization

Maribel Antunez-Uriostegui, a senior studying political science pre-law, has a long list going into her fourth year at Ohio University. From being a John Newton Templeton Scholar to serving her third year as President of the Latino Student Union, Antunez-Uri ostegui is no stranger to campus in her sophomore year and has held the position since. “I really connected with a lot of the students that were on the board and other members,” Antunez-Uriostegui said. “It was great seeing other people that had that same cultural heritage, and we were able to have those shared experiences that we would only under stand with each other.”

When there is a surplus of students, many local businesses rely heavily on that population to keep things up and running.

Thanks to the customer traffc, OU stu dents kept Donkey workers on their toes. During the summer, although still an Athens favorite, business slowed down considerably. Ziff said summer business is nearly half of A basket of pickles is passed to contestants at the Bagel Street Deli pickle eating contest on March 18, 2022. The contest has returned after a hiatus since 2019. (TANNER PEARSON | FOR THE POST) ALYSSA CRUZ ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Student-favorite businesses prepare to return what it is during the school year.

Once that population goes elsewhere, the establishment los es a key pillar. “A lot of my employees will leave for the summer and come back for school, some will stick around, I might have to hire some,” Miller said. “It’s all about employees. College student employees are the biggest adjustment.”

The Athena Cinema also loses a lot of its staff over the summer and adjusts accordingly. “We do have a lot of student staff, so we just have a lot few er staff in house, but people are working more hours,” Kamo dy said. “So we have fewer staff but people work more hours than they do during the school year.” Miller operates under a similar principle. “You gotta stay fexible, I adjust to whatever is going on at the moment,” Miller said.

The atmosphere of uptown Athens varies greatly from season to season. Winter is full of hot drinks and sparkly lights, while spring welcomes fresh fowers and outdoor eating options. The seasons that present perhaps the most striking differences in uptown Ath ens, however, are summer and fall. Like Ohio University’s campus, local Ath ens businesses experience a signifcant con trast in customers, staff and hours of oper ation between the two seasons. For some, a slow-paced summer is a perfect way to prepare for the annual rush of students and faculty returning to campus. For others, the thrill of a packed shop is what keeps the job interesting.BenZiff, a manager at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, said that this past fall was the busiest the business has ever been. Although some may be daunted by the number of customers waiting for their specialty drinks (sometimes a line to the door for eight hours straight, he said), Ziff enjoys the thrill of it. “I love when we get that busy,” Ziff said. “It’s more fun to work when it’s busy. When you’re slow you’re just standing there not doing anything. When you’re busy it’s more exciting.”

“When the students aren’t here, the parking is more ac cessible and it’s not so busy uptown so we do see more com munity members, more regulars and more families and kids coming uptown,” Kamody said. While Ziff and Kamody said the largest difference between the summer and the school year was the number of custom ers, J Miller, the general manager of Whit’s Frozen Custard on Court Street, said the most notable contrast was the number of employees able to work. “The biggest adjustment is employees,” Miller said. “Every thing changes, it changes gears from one day to the next – it’s a completely different system.”

There are pros and cons to operating a business in a col lege town where the population changes annually. Neverthe less, Athens business owners adhere to the transitions and enjoy the quieter nature of Athens while they can.

“As a person, I enjoy not having things be as busy, but I think as a theater operator we enjoy the business of the school year,” Kamody said. “We enjoy seeing new students and meeting new students and the whole other community that brings in. There’s positives to both sides.”

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Alexandra Kamody, the director of the Athena Cinema, agrees with Ziff and faces the same difference at the movie theater over the summer: less business. “It’s just lower foot traffc with the student population,” KamodyAlthoughsaid.the student population may be lacking, the local Athens population now has the opportunity to take the front seat. Certain elements of the uptown experience change, at tracting the older and younger populations of the city.

@ALYSSADANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU

When many students tell friends or family members they are attending Ohio University, they hear the same assump tions. The main one being, “Oh, that is such a party school.” It can be from any one at any age, and the reputation lives on.OU reigned supreme with its party status for many years. In 2011, the Princ eton Review named it America’s #1 par ty school for the year. In 2015, Playboy named it the nation’s best party school. Sites like Brobible have even outlined “10 reasons why Ohio University is the best party school in the United States.”

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON

Party f0ul

How OU fell from top party school rankings

With events like fest season and the infamous Halloween Weekend, OU stood out from other “party” universi ties. Throughout the 2000s and even the 2010s, it seemed as though OU was the place to be for students looking to drink and celebrate. One contributing factor to how ex treme OU’s image looked to the outside was the history of the “Palmer Fest” block-party. In 2009, the party was de scribed as a “near-riot” due to the num ber of students participating in mobbing and setting fires to furniture, according to 10WBNS. The crazed behavior was a common thread throughout many fests and events put on by OU students. Tom Pyle, Athens Police Department chief of police, described couch burn ing as a “symptom of a greater disease,” representing the end to an out-of-con trol party. He said the department has treated the issue of those fires as such.

HANNAH CAMPBELL PROJECTS EDITOR

“When it comes to issues like fests and couch burnings, we’ll let you do whatever you want to do, as long as it’s legal,” Pyle said. “Once it becomes (il legal), we’re going to deal with it very swiftly.”

16 / AUG. 18, 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON @HANNAHCMPBELL HC895819@OHIO.EDU of OU students drink zero to two times per week. 70% of students also report ed they have not allowed alcohol use to interfere with their academic perfor mance.Accordingly, Pyle acknowledged that OU has not experienced many fires as a result from a party since the 2010 Palm er Fest. However, he said the school’s actions did not have any impact, rath er,the shift came as a result of APD’s new approach to parties over the past 10 years.“Wecompletely impacted the par ty culture,” Pyle said. “We successfully converted (those parties) from night time events, which carried a lot of an onymity. There’s a lot of anonymity and darkness when you cannot be seen.”

Now, OU is not even ranking in the top 10 party school lists. In 2021, Newsweek ranked OU as #12 on a list of top school in the coun try, with Tulane as the #1 party school. Niche ranked Tulane as the top party school of 2022, with OU taking the #12 as well. Nearby schools such as Penn sylvania State University and West Vir ginia University still rank above OU.

“Keeping in mind all of the stu dents and alumni that we have all over the world who are making tremendous contributions to our society, ” Leather wood said. “That is the primary focus and what we should be focused on as opposed to the actions of a few people who are trying to continue the narrative that has really not been our focus for a long time now.”

Pyle also said the city of Athens has decriminalized many laws surrounding noise and nuisance in hopes to change the party atmosphere with students. “College students want to have a par ty,” Pyle said. “(The police department has) always understood that, so mak ing it highly illegal to do so just doesn’t make sense to me.” Despite the falling status, a school with a party reputation like OU’s can be intimidating for students and parents.

Cristina Formichelli, a 2022 alumna, worked as a Bobcat Student Orientation (BSO) leader for three years, with her first year as a family and guest orien tation leader. During the sessions, at tendees listened to presentations about academic and campus life and asked questions to the BSO leaders. Formichelli said she would receive questions about OU’s party reputation by both parents and students. She said she learned in an orientation leader training class how to answer awkward questions like those, and she took an honest approach to doing so. “We say ‘college is college,’” Formi chelli said. “Anywhere you go, there is going to be someone doing something maybe they shouldn’t, but it is up to your students to make the right choices forWhilethem.’”she would be honest and guide the students and their parents in their knowledge of the university, she said ultimately any college could be a “par ty school” and her job is not to tell stu dents what to do with their free time on campus.“It’snot really our place to do that,” Formichelli said. “Our place is to ac climate them to the university and its resources and its environment and an swer any questions we can. We are not going to really sway anyone in either direction.”Theparty scene and its reputation at OU does not just affect the school and its students. With OU’s campus being so close to the city of Athens, the party image has heavily affected how people perceive the entire city and its resi dents.Bozeman Koonce, a junior studying geography, said he has lived in Athens almost his entire life. In a previous Post report, Koonce said the massive amount of partying he saw on Court Street made him upset because of how integrated the city was into his life. “It’s just where I have grown up,” Koonce said. “I have seen so much (par tying) that it just no longer meets any thingKoonceextra.”also said there is a divide between OU students and Athens resi dents, but he appreciates the commu nity of Athens and could not imagine going to school anywhere else. “I absolutely love the idea of a small college town,” Koonce said, “So many people have asked me ‘What are things to do in Athens over the weekend?’ and I can name about five to 10 different things right off the top of my head.”

As Koonce believes the partying im age affects Athens, Pyle agreed the for mer frequenting parties definitely im pacted peoples’ perception of the city and OU. He said the consistent amount of activity of students, on-campus and off-campus, alone influenced both Ath ens citizens and outside observers. Leatherwood said there are many more aspects of OU that get overshad owed by its social notoriety. Some of which include the highly rated journal ism program, the sports administration program and housing the largest medi cal college in the state of Ohio. Despite the party scene, Leather wood emphasized how easy it is for stu dents to become involved on campus and find what they are interested in. “We have an amazing amount of stu dent organizations and programs for students to get involved with,” Leath erwood said. “There are a lot of oppor tunities for students to get involved so cially, academically and things that will help them focus on growing into their career.”Asthe party reputation may continue to fall, Leatherwood said there is much more to OU besides that culture and students are so committed to the aca demic experience when they arrive.

Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, said the university has not ranked as a top party school in re cent years. She also said that change is caused by the current population of students.“Ourstudents are who shape the cul ture on our campus,” Leatherwood said. “The narrative is changing here because it’s being driven by the students. Gener ation Z, they typically tend to focus on success and they are focused on their education and the value of their degree in the long Leatherwoodterm.”also contributed these findings to the Alcohol Edu Survey of fered through Student Affairs. A re quired survey for freshmen and juniors, the survey revealed the majority of OU students are in the healthy majority when it comes to drug and alcohol use. According to the survey, about 73% “ Keeping in mind all of the students and alumni that we have all over the world who are making tremen dous contributions to our society. ... That is the primary focus and what we should be focused on as opposed to the actions of a few peo ple who are trying to con tinue the narrative that has really not been our focus for a long time now. - Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson “ We say ‘college is college.’ ... Anywhere you go, there is going to be someone do ing something maybe they shouldn’t, but it is up to your students to make the right choices for them. - Cristina Formichelli, a 2022 alumna

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18 / AUG. 18, 2022

MOLLY BURCHARD ASST. SPORTS EDITOR @MOLLY_BURCHARD8 MB712319

The Athens Bulldogs win 41-14 against the Alexander Spartans on Friday, September 10th, 2021. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST) @OHIO.EDU

With the fip of the calendar from July to August, a new high school football sea sonOnbegins.Aug. 19, almost every high school football team across the state will gear up for the frst game of the 2022 season. For some, it will be their frst on the high school feld. For others, it will be one of theirHowever,last. every player and team has the same goal: dominate the conference and win a state championship. Athens High School is no different. After a disappointing 3-7 fnish last sea son, the Bulldogs are looking to turn a new page, although it will be diffcult due to the similarity of their schedule to last season. The Bulldogs will play all the same oppo

Running for Redemption

First stop on the tour is Philo in Dun can Falls, Ohio. When Athens played Philo at home in the season opener last year, it hoped for a sweet victory. Instead, Athens got a smack in the face and a 41-0 loss. The Bulldogs had some decent offen sive production against Philo last year, but weren’t able to put points on the board. With the help of returning offensive stars Luke Brandes and Landon Wheatley this year, they may have better luck. After Philo, Athens will travel to Gallia Academy on Aug. 26. Athens also didn’t score against Gallia in 2021, losing 34-0. The Bulldogs will play their frst home game of the season on Sept. 2 against Marietta. However, they won’t be home for long. The Bulldogs will travel to Alexander High School on Sept. 9 for their frst con ference game of the season. Playing against Alexander may be a confdence booster for the Bulldogs head ing into conference play. Last season, they beat the Spartans 41-14. If they produce similar results, the win may help propel the Bulldogs through the rest of TVC-Ohio play.Athens will play two consecutive home games against Vinton County on Sept. 16 and Logan on Sept. 23. Vinton County may be a challenge, as it has been strong con tenders in the TVC-Ohio for the past few years.Athens will play at Meigs on Sept. 30, before playing two more games at home against Wellston on Oct. 7 and River Valley on Oct. 14. The Bulldogs fnal game of the regular season will take place against rival Nel sonville-York on Oct. 21. Last season, they took a tough 41-6 loss against the Buck eyes.Although the Bulldogs will be focus ing on each individual game, it’s no doubt they’ll be thinking about this one all sea son. The rivalry is one that gets the players excited and it’s a game they especially look forward to competing in. Despite a very similar schedule to last year, this season will be about redemption for EvenAthens.though it had its struggles last season, Athens is hoping to only go up.

nents, just in different locations. However, with a fresh, dedicated team, Athens may be able to kickstart its own “revenge tour.”

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This game is a major opportunity for Ohio to notch a win over a program of a similar stature before its non-conference schedule gets tough, but it will be Florida Atlantic’s second game of the season, so it will certainly be a challenge for Ohio. Ohio’s non-conference schedule really gets going in week two, as it will travel to Beaver Stadium, the second largest stadi um in the U.S., to take on its frst of two Power 5 opponents, Penn State. The Bobcats and Nittany Lions have played six times, and while fve of them have gone in favor of the Nittany Lions, the Bobcats took the last matchup in a stunning 24-14 upset in State College back in 2012. Last season, Penn State spent the frst 11 weeks of the year inside the AP Top 25, going as high as number four, before falling out in Week 12. Until three straight loss es to Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State, Penn State had legitimate aspirations of making the College Football Playoff. With veteran quarterback Sean Clifford returning, those aspirations could be present again. Things won’t let up for Ohio after that trip, as the following week it travels to Ames, Iowa, to take on Iowa State. The two schools have played seven times and Iowa State has each game, but they have not faced off since 2003. Iowa State, historically one of the Power 5’s weakest programs, is in the midst of one of its greatest ever periods of success. In 2020, the program made the Big 12 cham pionship game and a New Year’s Six bowl, both for the frst time in program history. The success of this period is thanks to head coach Matt Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, who returns for his sixth season in charge despite signifcant speculation around his future this offsea son. Thanks to what Campbell has done in Ames, a game that could have been a prime opportunity for Ohio to notch a Power 5 win will now be an extremely stiff test. Ohio will wrap up its non-conference schedule with a visit from Fordham and an opportunity to remove the stain of last year’s loss to another FCS program, Duquesne. Ohio and Fordham have never facedFordhamoff. went 6-5 last season and failed to qualify for the FCS playoffs, but they were picked to fnish second in the Patri ot League preseason poll. Quarterback Tim DeMorat was also picked to win Offensive Player of the Year. Given how diffcult their non-confer ence schedule is, a 2-2 record heading into MAC play would be great for the Bobcats, but they will need to show a good deal of improvement from last year to make that happen.

A look at Ohio’s nonconference schedule

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Coming off its frst losing season since 2008, Ohio will have to hit the ground run ning against a tough non-conference slate if it is going to bounce back. Ohio is familiar with its Mid-American Conference opposition, but the non-con ference schedule is an opportunity to face off against new teams and rekindle some oldInmatchups.itssecond year under head coach Tim Albin, Ohio will welcome Florida Atlantic to Peden Stadium to kick off the non-confer ence schedule. This will be the frst-ever matchup between the two teams. The Owls are entering their third sea son under former Florida State head coach Willie Taggart and coming off a 5-7 sea son in which they narrowly missed a bowl berth. Also, in this year’s preseason media poll, they fnished fourth in Conference USA.

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Email Kayla: kb084519@ohio.edu speciﬁcally goalkeeping. In 2021, Nele Graner and Macy Lotze split time patrolling the net, with Graner taking over full time during the later part of the season.

The goalkeeper question is interesting because not only is Graner a graduate student with experience, but because Lotze is the younger option, one who may offer more future benefits. That being said, Graner was statistically better in 2021, helping the Bobcats reach the MAC Tournament. Regarding returning players, Katelyn Whittle is the headliner. Whittle scored on 26% of shots, which was second on the team. Whittle also scored 0.53 goals per game and ranked 48th in the country, earning her one of the highest marks in the MAC. Another player to watch will be sophomore Noa Desmaretz. Desmaretz played well in a reserve role as a freshman. She scored five goals, tallied four assists and accumulated 14 points. Desmaretz will be one of Ohio’s go-to young contributors. In terms of Ohio’s schedule, there is tremendous opportunity in front of it. Ohio will start the season with a twogame road trip to play exhibitions against Kent State and OhioUponState.returning to Athens, the Bobcats will have its home opener and first official game of the season against California. Quickly thereafter, Ohio will travel to Ann Arbor to take on Central Michigan in a neutral site match. After that, the Bobcats will alternate home and road games, including a trip to Oxford to face the RedHawks. The Bobcats will be looking to avenge their season-ending loss to the RedHawks last season. The RedHawks are one of the best teams in the MAC, giving the Bobcats a measuring stick opportunity.Attheend of last season, Ohio was ranked No. 59 in the nation out of 79 Division I squads in the NCAA RPI rankings. While that ranking is not exactly stunning, the program is on the rise after a few lackluster years. Ohio’s schedule is very indicative of its level at the moment. At no point will it face a team above No. 23 (Kent State) or below No. 76 (Bellarmine). The vast majority of Ohio’s opponents are within the No. 30 to 60 threshold in terms of RPI rank, so there will be some realistic challenges and winnable games this season. There is much promise for this upcoming season. The Bobcats have an opportunity to prove that the solid stretch at the end of last season was far from an apparition. The hope is that winning will become more of an expectation by the end of the season, and a standard will be established with the up-and-coming core in Athens. Moving into the upper escalon of teams in the MAC is a realistic expectation for Ohio this year, one that Johnstone has made a priority. Regardless, the Bobcats could return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. But first, the Bobcats will need to survive 19 games.

staff in 2022-23?

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The August sun rises and sets above the green astroturf of Pruitt Field. In a few weeks, the sun will rise in a new season of field hockey. In her fifth season leading her alma mater, coach Ali Johnstone will attempt to get the Bobcats back to the postseason. Last year, the Bobcats looked dead in the water after a 2-7 start to the year. But, after using some veteran experience, they won five of their final 10 games. That comeback granted them entry to the Mid-American Conference Tournament.Ultimately, Ohio fell in the semi-finals to Miami. Although there was a slight disappointment because the team felt it peaked at the right time, Johnstone has the Bobcats poised to make another big leap in 2022. One thing the Bobcats hope to improve upon this season is their offense. After losing their leading scorer, Jillian Shive, and their leader in assists, Kaelyn Long, the Bobcats will have to lean on younger players to replace that production. In 2021, 11 of the 23 Bobcats were upperclassmen, just under half of the roster. The loss of these athletes may cause an offensive production loss, but the biggest shift will be felt in the locker room. A lot of the veteran leadership that allowed the Bobcats to stabilize their season has left, leaving several roles to be However,filled.the Bobcats will also need to focus on defense,

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20 / AUG. 18, 2022

Field Hockey: 2022 season preview

“We will focus on getting better as a team on the court and off the court,” graduate student Lauren Park said. ”We’ll practice more intensely and we will focus a Bobcats Head coach Geoff Carlston talks to the team during a timeout at the game against the Toledo Rockets held at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, on Sept. 25, 2021. (AKASH PAMARTHY THE POST) SIEGEL CS093219@OHIO.EDU

The Bobcats will see new faces during their nonconference sched ule as well. Seven of their frst 11 opponents are ones that they have never faced in team history. That in cludes smaller opponents like Kansas City, Tennes see Tech and Loyola Mary land. That isn’t an issue for the players, though. “Facing teams we haven’t played before does not cross our minds much. We are out there to compete our hardest every game,” Steele said. A player to watch is Caroline Clippard, whose spec tacular freshman campaign took her to second place in team points with 414.5 points. Clippard led the Bobcats in kills with 390. Ohio coasted through its conference schedule in 2021, though. It went 11-7 in matches within the MAC. That was enough to earn Ohio the No. 3 seed for the MAC Tournament. It took down Northern Illinois 3-0 to advance past the frst round; however, Ohio lost to No. 2 Bowling Green in the second round to knock it out of theThattournament.lossleftsomething to be desired for the Bobcats. They look to avenge that loss during their two rematches with the Falcons. They’ll have to go through the gauntlet in nonconference games before then. “Our ultimate goal this season is to be in the NCAA tournament, competing in postseason play,” Park said. “But in order to do that, we must focus on winning the MAC tournament, and even before that focus on winning individual games that will get us there.” Ohio should be well suited to make a run at a MAC Championship and its diffcult nonconference schedule will prepare it for conference play. “This is a special group of people,” Park said “… and we all want to make this season memorable on and off the court.”

Volleyball: Ohio to face tough nonconference schedule

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CHRISTO

lot on team culture. Our team has what it takes to do very well with this schedule, and we will make sure we are equipped to the highest level in order to doOhioso.”will travel to take on the 2020 NCAA Cham pions: Kentucky. It will also match up against Marquette and Notre Dame later this season, all three of whom were ranked at some point in the 2021 season. Ohio lost 3-0 to Marquette last sea son at the Red and White Invitational.“Thebiggest challenge with playing the teams like Kentucky is the self-talk and inner team culture that we can win,” junior Sam Steele said. “Physical ly we’re going to be train ing hard all preseason but learning as a team we have the talent and culture to beat good teams is what will get us some big wins.”

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21 Ohio has its work cut out for itself as the team faces a tough nonconference schedule to open the season. Ohio went 12-19 in 2021 and began its Mid-American Confer ence schedule 1-11 before coasting to a better record the rest of the way. The Bobcats will face strong opponents during their nonconference bout, but that isn’t unfamiliar territory for them. They opened the 2021 season by taking on the No. 4 team at the time: Washington. Although Ohio lost 3-0, it was a valuable experience. It will serve Ohio well as the team prepares for tough matches this season.

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A breakdown of Ohio’s recruiting class

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This year marks Head Coach Lionel Mauron’s frst recruiting class with Ohio. His main goal is “establishing and flling the need that we had in our roster.” Ohio had a tough season last year, fn ishing with a 17-15-5 record. It dealt with everything from heartbreaking losses in overtime, to numerous canceled and de layed series. Coach Mauron believes that the Bobcats can become a championship team through flling gaps in their roster and assessing what they can gain through recruiting.Thefrst thing Ohio looked to bring to the table was new talent for the forward position. They certainly found that, re

22 / AUG. 18, 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY TREVOR BRIGHTON cruiting a total of seven new players. Some notable recruits include Jack Glen, who previously played for the Ver non Vipers, a junior team in Canada. In his three years with the team, he scored 10 goals and tallied 13 assists. He also was heavily involved in the community, which ticked a box for Coach Mauron. He isn’t just looking for great hockey players, he wants them to be great people as well. Forwards Hollander Thompson and Luc Reeve both played for the Aurora Tigers, another junior team in Canada, before committing to Ohio. Thompson scored 16 goals in his two seasons with the Tigers, while his teammate Reeve scored 31 goals. Jaden Pashe came from the Portage Terriers, where he put up an impressive 20 points in 51 games. Finally, Ohio gained Laker Aldridge, who is committed to Mich igan State to play D1 hockey, but will also be joining Ohio in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Mauron believes he will be an exciting player to watch, along with all of his other newest recruits. Mauron was also looking to fnd a left-handed defensemen and a competi tive goalie. Lucas Renzoni is that defense man, coming to Ohio after serving as the team captain for the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners. Goalies Justin Damon and Garrett Alderman have respective save percentag es of .893 and .921 from their last seasons on junior teams, so they should be able to provide the competition that Mauron is looking for. Coach Mauron has brought in a solid new class of guys, who will hopefully help elevate Ohio into a championship pro gram.

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TP: Do you have any goals for this season?

On Jan. 20, Ohio announced a new defensive coordinator for the 2022 season. After a less than impressive defensive season in 2021, the Bobcats needed a jolt to bring them back to life. Luckily, they found it in Spence NowinskyNowinsky.previously spent four seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Miami University. He coached the best scoring defense in the Mid-American Conference in 2021. Nowinsky also coached several players to All-MAC selections during his time with the RedHawks.The Post sat down with Nowinsky to discuss the upcoming season, his new role and more. The Post: You spent your last couple of THE rest of the the QR code defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky E v e r y T a y on the

! New coach

Nowinsky: We’re going to have to get better each week. I talk about number one, always competing, and that means we’re going to play physical and we’re going to play fast. Next, we have to have unbelievable concentration and that comes from how we focus and communicate. We’re always going to have to be prepared and ready. We get 20 hours during the work week, during a game week we get 20 hours with the student athletes and that counts in the weight room. That counts obviously practice time. That counts game time. So there’s not really a ton of time each day that we get to spend with the student athletes. So, it takes extra buy in, it takes extra time where the student athletes need to come in on their own. They need to watch extra ﬁlm on their own. They need to get together and go over things.

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Nowinsky: I think we are right where we should be. I think that we’re in a very good place and we have excellent, tough young men on our team. I think we have guys that are smart, that work extremely hard and that like each other … I really appreciate how the players have embraced the change and the transition because it’s not easy. It’s not easy for them, it’s not easy for us.

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TP: Ohio’s defense wasn’t the best last season. It was in the bottom half of the MAC. What are you hoping to see out of the squad this fall? Nowinsky: Here’s the non-negotiables of football. Every year is a different year. What we have to do is make sure that we emphatically pursue the football, we have to ﬂy to the football, and when we get there, we have to be willing to strike and hit and be in position to fully execute our defense. We’re going to make mistakes at times, but I always tell guys ‘Hey, you have to make fullspeed decisions. If you’re going to make a mistake, make it full-speed. Don’t hesitate. Don’t overthink things…’ Understanding and executing our own defense. If we know what our opponent is doing, and that takes great awareness, great focus and great communication prior to the ball being snapped, and when that ball snaps, then that allows us to make those decisions in a timely fashion and then play really aggressively in the space that we can play in.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

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TP: You talked about communication, transition and working with something new, what has it been like working with this newer coaching staff? Nowinsky: Well, that’s always a challenge. Luckily, Coach (John) Houser, who I worked with the previous four years from Miami is here with me, and that obviously aids magniﬁcently within the transition. I think then it is just much like the players. It’s relationship building. First of all, the other assistants have to understand where you’re coming from, and again, you can’t be gray. You have to be very, very direct and you have to, more than anything, build relationships. Everybody can’t just wave a wand and all of a sudden love each other. It has to start from communication and respect for each other and that’s what I’ve always tried to do … I have to make the best decisions for our defense as in our team. But, very much, we’re in this together and everybody has a say, has a hand in it.

TP: How do you feel the defense has grown from spring practice to now?

24 / AUG. 18, 2022

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You don’t need to have it all figured out when you start college graduate while also enjoying the experience of exploring and learning new things while I figured everything out. Make sure you like your advisor. I had long been told that, generally speaking, you have to have your major, minor and certificates decided by the end of your sophomore year in order to graduate in four years. I was able to figure out my major shortly before then, but it took until the absolute last second for me to declare a minor because I wasn’t being provided the guidance I asked for when I explained to my advisor that I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take and what would work well with my major. I finally got the help I wanted after talking to an advisor at the Harris Student Support Center within the Scripps College of Communication and I only wish I had booked that advising appointment sooner. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you and your advisor are not a well-matched pair because it really can only help you in the long run. Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s easy to look at what others are doing and feel like you’re less than because of your grades, the classes you chose to take or the internships you did or didn’t get. It’s kind of cliche, but everyone is different and has to do things their own way in order to get to their end goals. Even people with the exact same majors and minors will still do things differently. Sure, you might decide to take a class with one of your peers or end up in the same classes unintentionally, but not everyone learns the same way. Even if you have similar things you want to accomplish, everyone naturally does things in the way that works best for them. Don’t give yourself more things to worry about and trust that you will get to where you’re meant to be. Trust your intuition and do what makes you the happiest and you will be just fine. the rest of the article by scanning the QR code

Before you even start college there can be a lot of pressure and anxiety about what’s to come once you’re officially on campus. Even submitting college applications can be very overwhelming and that feeling can be quite miserable. For me, there was (and sometimes still is) a looming thought of whether or not I was doing things “right.” Here’s what I wish I knew that could’ve saved me a lot of worrying: You don’t need to feel 100% confident in your major. Despite what I had been told by my family, friends and teachers, I felt like I couldn’t go into college undecided. I had done my research while I was applying to schools and came up with a general idea of what I wanted to do, but I felt like I needed to have my whole college and post-college life planned out. It took for me to actually exist in the track I had chosen to realize that some tweaks needed to be made. I felt disappointed in myself for not figuring out what I wanted sooner but the weight of being unhappy quickly lifted and everything felt right again. All in all, I wish I would’ve had a healthy amount of pressure on myself to make sure I was on track for when I wanted to

TIPS WITH TATE

How video games help you build bonds with new friends in college down what is causing you discomfort, you can begin to fnd something in Athens that will nurture your soul. Find your people. Yes, I mean fnd other Jewish stu dents. Even if all your best friends back home aren’t Jewish, I promise you will appreciate having someone who shares your background. It can be so grounding to fnd individuals who are like you, especially on a campus where very few people are Jewish. In the moments when you feel isolated you will be so thankful to know that you have friends who know exactly what you’re feeling. You will fnd your transition to be much less painful. Get involved. Not just on campus, but everywhere. In the Jewish National Fund, in the Jewish Federation of your town, in any camp that people in your area attend. You might not be aware of all of the opportunities that are available to Jewish students, but there are actually so many. (I am actually writing this while at a conference that was essentially free! How crazy is that!) Once you start, you will fnd so many other students all over the country and the world that are interested in the same things you are. I promise that you’ll be amazed at the

I was in your place not too long ago and it was scary. I grew up in the large Jewish community of the great er Cleveland area, which I know some of you are com ing from. Coming to Athens with a much smaller Jewish community was honestly a culture shock. I really was at a loss with what to do with myself for so long. So, this is just a bit of unsolicited advice for frst year students who will be in the same position I found myself in three years ago. My frst piece of advice is to allow yourself to feel uncomfortable, don’t try to remedy it immediately. The discomfort you feel is normal and honestly very healthy. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about your self. Use this feeling to do some refection. Why are you uncomfortable? Is it because you are lonely? You don’t feel like you have anyone you can relate to? Do you miss the community you grew up in? Once you have narrowed

Unsolicited Advice for Incoming Jewish Students

Of course, your availability of multiplayer games isn’t limited to Switch titles. Older consoles such as the Nintendo Wii have exclusive options such as Wii Sports or Mario Party 8. Depending on what current systems you own and how many people are in your group, titles such Halo Infinite or Rocket League also provide split-screen options for in-person fun. What’s so handy about multiplayer games is that if someone is unavailable to appear in person whether it be due to illness, travel or any reason at all, there are options to connect with their friends online for gam ing sessions. Want to play Smite with your pals, but you’re all the way back in your home town for a week end? Just join an online lobby with your friends, hop in a voice call via Discord or another voice over software to talk and play together like you’re in the same room. Not all consoles, games and services have the same fees and policies, but options exist regardless of how you prefer to Multiplayerplay.games are not the only way to build bonds with new friends. Playing through a video game’s campaign, whether it be through co-op where you work together with one or multiple fellow players against in-game enemies, or taking turns in a single player experience, can be just as fun as working with things you learn and the people you meet. Be proud. Be so proud of who you are. Because who you are is amazing, and a semi-rare breed at OU. The truth is that you’re special. I hope you know that. You are so special and OU is so blessed to have you. Make your voice heard, share what you know, be a pillar of the Jew ish community. You can be a real inspiration to students who will soon be in your same position. My last piece of advice is to talk to me. Seriously, reach out to me. If there is anyone who is prepared and able to help frst year Jewish students it’s me. I know your position very well, and sometimes I feel like I am still one of you. But the sense of loss is lesser because I have followed my own advice. I have felt uncomfortable, I have found my people, I am involved and I am beyond proud of who I am. I hope you are too.

HADASS GALILI ELI FEAZELL

Hadass Galili is a senior studying political science prelaw at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not refect those of The Post Do you agree? Tell Hadass by tweeting her at @Hadass Galili. or against a friend in a multiplayer setting. Elden Ring is a recent example of how friends can play togeth er to strategize and take down tricky artificial oppo nents together. Or, you and a group of friends can go through a game with a fascinating story together, such as Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii and Switch, the orizing and reacting to the most remarkable narrative moments along the way. Whether it be through multiplayer, co-op or watch ing a single person play, video games are an effective and memorable way to build relationships that start in college and hopefully last beyond your years here.

Everyone knows that making new friends is one of the most daunting tasks a college student faces. In an era where COVID-19 has affected how students inter act with their peers in-person, finding companions in college is even more complicated than it was before. Gaming is an ever-popular hobby in this day and age, and the rage does not appear to be going any where. With video games continuing to trend in news, entertainment and everyday lives, they serve as an ex cellent way to help you connect with new friends. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch is a classic example of how to spend your time with people you’ve just met in college. Let’s say that you, your roommate and a decent group of students in your residence hall all agree to hang out one night but don’t feel like going out. If just one person has access to a Switch and Ultimate, there’s your answer. Ultimate is easy to have fun with, even for those who rarely touch video games, and the fast-pacing and unpredictability of its many modes can make for exciting memories with your friends. HADDY THE HEBREW LET’S PLAY

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 25

Eli Feazell is a senior studying strategic communica tion at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of columnists do not reflect those of The Post

What are your thoughts? Tell Eli by tweeting them at @ elifeaz.

The incoming school year always means a fresh start, whether you’ve been in college before or this is your frst time. After a hopefully relaxing break, it’s time to put your best foot forward with your studies and in this progressive chapter of your life. The school year should be a fun and ex citing thing to look forward to, but sometimes the looming pressures and weight of the previous academic year can hin der the Sometimesenthusiasm.you may know how heavy your coursework is or how busy you’ll be with jobs and activities, but it’s im portant to remember that you have control over your thought process and perception of the future. Although it’s easier said than done, one’s mind and perception are truly powerful. Don’t let your anxiety and worries consume you. Instead, try to envision how the school year may go in your favor. Between schoolwork, socializing and extracurricu lars, it can be difficult for the young environmentalist to find time to truly make an environmental impact at college. Luckily, there are various ways to get involved with conservation and sustainability at Ohio Universi ty, from specific student organizations to stand-alone projects to easily-adoptable habits to practice in ev erydayOU’slife.Office of Sustainability is the first place to go to learn about the school’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and to learn about environmental projects around campus. They also offer a biweekly newsletter containing information about sustainability projects. Along with singular projects, there are various clubs such as Plant Club and the Green Initiative. Both clubs focus on environmental work in the Athens com munity, with Plant Club working on projects such as a cleanup of the Baker University Center Edible Garden and helping the Buckeye Trail Association work on a newAntrail.interesting feature of the Green Initiative, how ever, is their focus on green infrastructure around MOMENTS WITH MIMI

The new school year is the opportunity to reinvent yourself

See if you can drop things that may not bring you joy or aren’t signifcant to your career goals. Get yourself organized with a calendar and assignment book beforehand or make a list of things you are looking forward to. If you want to start working out more, set times and days you want to go and stick with a routine. Trying not to stay up so late? Slowly start fall ing asleep earlier and earlier each night leading up to move in.

MIMI CALHOUN MEG

The incoming school year means shedding those old bad habits and attempting to improve with new and better ones. Set personal goals for yourself, even if they’re just small ones, such as: beginning a skincare routine, not staying at the li brary past midnight, rewarding yourself with dessert from the dining hall once a week or lessening your daily coffee runs. If you’re unsure or uneasy about your roommates, wheth er in the dorms, an apartment or a house, create a list of needs before moving in. Remember that it’s your space too, so it’s OK to be vocal about what you think will be best for campus such as their work on the Schoonover Green Roof located on top of the Schoonover center. A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproof ing system on a flat or slightly slanted roof which pro vides shade and reduces heat in heavily populated ar eas.There are various other green roofs across campus buildings as well as rain gardens by The Ridges and the Athens Community Center. A rain garden is an in expensive and very beautiful way to reduce runoff and filter pollutants as well as provide food and shelter to insects and small animals within the ecosystem.

Overall, OU is a spectacular place for the budding environmentalist to continue learning, growing and connecting with nature. There are so many easy ways to get involved around campus and plenty of resources to get you started. Meg Diehl is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opin ions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post What are your thoughts? Tell Meg by tweeting her at @ irlbug.

wellbeing of the people, a big part of why so many care so deeply about the environment is because of the peace that can be found in the middle of a hiking trail or the serenity and humbling found on the edge of the cliff. They are a soft reminder that you are a small part of the natural world. For this reason, OU’s close proximity to Strouds Run State Park, Hocking Hills State Park and Wayne National Forest, to name a few, may be one of the most obvious yet most underrated environmental features of going to the school. You are going to school in a beautiful part of the country with hiking trails every where – take advantage of it!

PEOPLE AND PLANET DIEHL

26 / AUG. 18, 2022

If you’re looking for a more immersive experience in environmentalism, OU has the OHIO Ecohouse, which was created with the mission of demonstrating affordable green technology and sustainable living, of fered to both undergraduate and graduate students. As well as being a unique type of housing, the Ecohouse is also a learning experience as it includes a one-credit seminar that allows students to engage in conversa tions about sustainability and projects such as making natural soaps and repurposing waste plastic. Sometimes, though, a project is not exactly what you need to connect with the Earth. Alongside con serving the environment for the overall safety and you. Remember that no one can argue against or invalidate your personal needs. It’s also easier to talk about these things upfront at the beginning, and open conversation is key. It may be tempting to believe you’ll slump back into old ways once you’re on campus. Keep reminding yourself that you have the power to control those thoughts and feelings; it may relieve you of some worry. We are usually our worst crit ics, so give yourself some leniency. You’re never tied down to who you once were. You’re always able to become the person you wish to be. Mimi Calhoun is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the col umnists do not refect those of The Post. Have something to say? Email Mimi at mc300120@ohio.edu or tweet her @mimi_ calhoun.

There are plenty of opportunities for environmentalists on campus

Parents

@GRACEBREZINE GB194519@OHIO.EDU POST to the Bricks Fashion Forecast

Dressing up every day will start to get old throughout the semester, especially as your schedule becomes busier. A trendy oversized sweatshirt is the way to go when you are on the go and simply want to be at optimal comfort. Plus, with fall comes colder weather, and no one wants to freeze on their way to class. There are various websites that car ry sweatshirts for various types of style.

Matching sets Of course, this wouldn’t be a fash ion forecast without a few matching set ideas. They are timeless, easy to throw on and make you look a lot more put togeth er than you probably are after staying up all night before your early morning class.

Back

Whether you want to go the sportier or dressier route, the options are endless. Amazon has great *workout sets that can double as a class and gym ft. Throw on a zip-up if you tend to get cold, and there youIfgo.you want to look slightly more pro fessional and/or spandex isn’t for you, there are even more great sets from Am azon that are extremely cute, yet so com fortable. This *button down and shorts set can be dressed up or down with some cute accessories or a pair of sneakers. The op tions are endless. Cargo pants The fashion world is being taken by storm with the newly trending car go pants. However, they can be tricky to style. First off, you will obviously need a good pair of these pants. Amazon sells *Dickies for a great price, and they will last you a lifetime. You can also fnd a pair from *Walmart or at a thrift store near you. Now, for the fun part. There are many ways you can style these pants, depend ing on where you’re headed. For class, throw on a basic, neutral-colored top and a sweatshirt of your choice. If you want to throw in a little more spice, wear a baby graphic tee. And if you are heading out for the night, throw on your favorite dressi er top. This can be a corset, halter top, or even a shirt with some fattering cut-outs. However you choose to style your cargo pants, you will look both fashionable and comfortable with little to no effort.

*Brandy Melville has some great options for simple, neutral sweatshirts that are also nice quality, from hoodies to zip-ups. If you like wearing brighter colors, *Urban Outftters has a plethora of fun graphic hoodies. They also have a wonderful selec tion of graphic tees for while it’s still warm out. Thrift stores are also a great place to go for well-priced, unique sweatshirts and t-shirts. The perfect pair of shoes Finding a new pair of sneakers to walk around campus all day that will be com fortable yet cute and match with a vari ety of outfts is overwhelming. There are many brands out there that offer fashion able sneakers while also providing some support for the running around you’ll be doing as school begins. To start, you can never go wrong with a pair of *Nikes. You can fnd anything from a simple tennis shoe to high tops on their website, depending on what your style is.

As the frst day of school creeps around the corner, you’re probably getting ready to step back into the classroom. While buying the right books and a variety of highlighters to keep organized are im portant, so is the attire you’ll be showing up in. Walking around campus all day to and from classes and meetings is tiring, so it’s key that you’ll be wearing something you are both comfortable and confdent in. Whether you prefer the business casu al or rolled-right-out-of-bed vibe, you’ll be able to fnd some inspiration here and possibly even try something new. This is the year to update your wardrobe and step out of your comfort zone. As they always say: “If you look good, you feel good.”

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C*onverse has also been upping their shoe game lately, literally. They have platform shoes in nearly every style and color you can imagine that will elevate any look. Lastly, *New Balances are also a great route to choose. They provide extreme comfort that will also match with any of your new outfts, both casual and dressy. Weekend Event

GRACE BREZINE FOR THE

Oversized sweatshirts

People direct message Barstool Ohio hoping their submissions are posted on the Instagram page. Followers will also fnd posts of trendy, original and relatable memes. Barstool Ohio is a big fan of OU sports, supporting them with game up dates and rivalry banter. Barstool Ohio heavily covers popular social events like HallOUween and Fest Season. If you are a fan of Barstool Sports, the account advertises the brand’s mer chandise, notifying followers of limited edition clothing and sales. Barstool Ohio has a Twitter and TikTok account as well.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might just nd yourself at home in Fridays Live. We put on biweekly sketch comedy shows to a live studio audi ence and via YouTube livestream.

Did you grow up staying up past bedtime to watch SNL? Do you love the thrill of a live production? Are you funny and want everyone to know it?

Did you grow up staying up past bedtime to watch SNL? Do you love the thrill of a live production? Are you funny and want everyone to know it? Interested in joining or just want more info? Contact our co-producer Grace at gp839819@ohio.edu

Interested in joining or just want more info? Contact our co-producer Grace at gp839819@ohio.edu

Our cast and crew start fresh each week by writing, casting, directing, and costuming live sketches, as well as shooting digital content. Media majors may nd themselves most at home behind the camera or in the tech booth, but English majors with an untapped funny bone or Studio Art majors who are empowered by a budget and a time crunch may just nd them selves compelled to take part in the fast-paced, action-packed world of sketch comedy.

@barstooloh Barstool Ohio is a Barstool Sport-affl iated account that posts original content about the social scene on OU’s campus. A large portion of the content is followers submitting videos and pictures.

Read the rest of the article online by scanning the QR code! JULIANA COLANT FOR THE POST Ultimate Guide: Non-Ohio University afliated Instagram Accounts produced by OU students. @southbysea_ohio South By Sea sells custom OU appar el. The brand consistently launches new lines of merchandise ranging in style and theme. Shoppers can choose from sweat shirts, crewnecks, T-shirts and tank tops. Every few weeks, South By Sea launches a new line of Athens or OU-themed apparel, typically only selling one or two lines si multaneously. Interested buyers can shop in the online store. South By Sea is espe cially popular amongst sorority and fra ternity life for an event or chapter-specifc merchandise. On-campus representatives help advertise new merchandise and run the OU branch of South By Sea. Always be on the lookout for their next merchandise drop!

The

@ohiouchicks Ohio Chicks is another Barstool Sports-affliated account for a women’s audience. The account posts original me mes, “The Bachelorette”/”The Bachelor “content and Barstool merch advertise ments. Another content aspect is photos and video submissions from followers. Anyone can direct message the account photos or videos, and Ohio Chicks may post them on the account. Also, every Tuesday, the page does a “Tinder Tues day” where people submit tinder message screenshots they fnd funny, weird or ob scure. ww cover 21 and over Underage  at 7pm

doors open

$10

Join Fridays Live!

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might just nd yourself at home in Fridays Live. We put on biweekly sketch comedy shows to a live studio audi ence and via YouTube livestream.

Rent &RyleeSixFlagsGuyPlasticFreeLemonadeBapstInch ATaugustfridayfeaturing26thTHEUNIONACRNJOIN

28 / AUG. 18, 2022 During the short four (or more) years a Bobcat spends on campus, there’s a lot to stay up to date with. From bar specials to social events, to new merch, one way to stay on top of all Athens happenings is In stagram. Not sure where to start? Pull out your phone and check out this ultimate guide to non-Ohio University-affliated Instagram accounts: @bricklife.ou BrickLife Entertainment plays an inte gral role in the social scene of students in Athens. It is an event promotion company based in Athens “run by Ohio University students for Ohio University students.” The company hosts popular events throughout the school year like Fest Season and other weekly events on Court Street. BrickLife posts party and bar event fy ers, including their DJs that will be playing. Before events, they will post hype videos to get students excited, and after events, they will post photos and recap videos, all @JULIANA.COLANT JC079419@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 29 Well seniors, it’s come time for your last run on the bricks. While that sentence alone might have the capability to bring you to tears, cele brate, because senior year is going to be one big party full of “lasts.”

Take a spring break trip Whether you’ve never taken a spring break trip with your college best friends or if you’ve taken one every year—proba bly to Fort Lauderdale—it’s practically an unwritten rule that you have to take one seniorAndyear.we’re not talking about a relaxing trip, we’re talking one last completely un hinged vacation full of stereotypical col lege spring breaker activities, because you have the rest of your life to take sophisti cated, adulting trips. Although it is not always feasible, look into going out of the country to an all-in clusive in Aruba, Punta Cana or Cabo. But please, just don’t go to Fort Lau derdale again; that city doesn’t want to see you for the fourth year in a row. Go to a bar you’ve never been to Let’s face it, every bar has groupies. Whichever bar you walk into on a Friday night, you’ll likely know someone already there, and if not them, then the bouncers andAndbartenders.whilefamiliarity can feel so good, just once, have a night where you don’t step into whichever bars you’re consid ered a Typicallyregular.spend your time at Courtside? Go to Tony’s. More of a *Lucky’s kind of person? See what’s going on at North End.

Go camping at Bong Hill First, if you’ve never hiked up Bong Hill, do it. My friends and I took food up to the best view in Athens at the end of last school year to refect on the past cou ple of months and to talk about what we were each most looking forward to for seniorWhenyear.we were on our way down, we saw a group of kids heading up with camp ing gear who told us they were seniors and were going to spend the night up there. After that, it stood out as something that needed to be crossed off my bucket list this year, and it should be on yours too.

Shot shuffe If there’s one thing every senior should complete on the list, it’s a shot shuffe. It’s practically ingrained in OU’s culture at this point. Even though most shuffes aren’t com pleted until the last few weeks of school, it’s never too early to start planning, espe cially if you’re aiming to top the penguin shot shuffe from last year. Class of 2023, good luck trying to com plete this list, and have the best year ever. See you at graduation!

The Overhang hosts karaoke every Wednesday night—just one of the many special events/deals that happen on Wednesdays in Athens, in addition to $5 liquor pitchers on Wednesday’s at Paw purr’s and Destroyer night at Stephens. So, gather your friends, head up to Court Street, muster up your best singing voice and make sure your phone is fully charged because you won’t ever want to forget your friends terribly singing “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Before He Cheats.” Host a themed party TikTok has seen many popular themednight videos inspire friend groups to host their own, such as white lie, red fag, dress like your ex and charcuterie board night parties.Currently, there isn’t one that domi nates the app, but all of the former ideas— though seemingly out of their viral, popu lar phase—are nonetheless, still fun. From personal experience, trying to come up with either white lies or red fags for your friends is really entertaining and is sure to encite a lot of laughter. Just re member not to take yourself or others too seriously, and instead, just succumb to the slight roast—it builds character. Have a picnic at Strouds or on College Green Picnics are so simple, yet so fun. Plan ning one could be as easy as picking up a pizza for your friends and grabbing a EMMA DOLLENMAYER THE BEAT EDITOR @EMMADOLLENMAYER ED569918@OHIO.EDU

You never know, it could be the most unexpectedly fun night of college and ulti mately, it’s good for the plot. Have a sleepover with your roommates or friends College is practically one big sleepover with your friends, but most seniors don’t share rooms or bunk beds with those same friends anymore. So, plan a slumbie with your room mates and grab your mattresses and make a mega bed in the living room—or just some blankets and pillows will do—and pop some popcorn, buy some candy, put a movie on and let your inner-child fourish.

People in the same learning commu nities understood the stress of those frst semester classes, the shared opinions over certain professors or assignments and how it felt to be majoring in the same subject.Whether you were best friends with your whole community, only a few people or absolutely none, consider reviving the old GroupMe for old times sake and grab a bite to eat together or host a game night. The nostalgic feeling will be unbeatable. Be sure to send a selfe to your old learning community leader. They will love it. Complete a photo album It can’t be stressed enough how crucial it is to document every single moment of this next year. Take photos of your friends cooking dinner, watching a movie, your professors teaching—literally everything. It’s a year you’ll want to remember forever. And yes, taking photos on your phone is great and all, but if you’re more oldschool, buy a disposable, flm or digital camera, and get the photos developed.Fromthere, add the pho tos in overtime, and once the year is over, you’ll have a book full of some of the best memories. It truly will be flled with documented moments to last a lifetime.

Three years ago, when us current se niors were bushy-tailed, bright-eyed freshmen, no one could have ever guessed that a global pandemic would have taint ed part of everyone’s college experience.

Think about it, the senior class was the last class to be at OU when COVID-19 was still non-existent.Now,three years later and a deeper appreciation for quality time spent with friends, and in-person classes, it’s only right that the next eight months are lived to the fullest with the people that will make leaving Athens so hard. Here are 11 ways to have the best senior year ever: Karaoke night at The Overhang

As a newly adjusted freshman, learning communities can feel, at times, elemen tary-like and silly. You may have thought the organized events your leader planned were boring or pointless, but looking back, that group of 20 something students truly was everyone’s frst sense of “community.”

Who knows, maybe you’ll even end the night with a pillow fght or end up doing messy makeovers.

Senior year bucket list blanket and speaker, or as elaborate as assigning everyone to bring something different including champagne, of course, and dressing up for some Instagrammable photos.Either way, it’s an easy way to get out side and treat yourself to a likely delicious meal. Eat at the dining hall Another way to treat yourself is by tak ing a trip to the dining hall. Pigging out on all of the terribly good dining hall food one last time is a must. Ask either a freshman or sophomore you know—or don’t know, no judging here— to swipe you into either Boyd Din ing Hall or Nelson Dining Hall for a fnal memorable meal. Just thinking about Nelson’s general tso’s chicken, french fries and omelets, or Boyd’s stir fry, rotisserie chicken and pasta is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. And as for me, well, I’ll be having my freshman brother swiping me in at least two times a week. Learning community reunion

DESTROYERTROYER WT005221@OHIO.EDU

More events On Monday, Aug. 22, ﬁrst day pictures are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Baker University Center. Games on the Green will include cornhole, giant Connect 4 and more, in addition to an open house at Athena Cinema open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday hosts the petting zoo on South Beach from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and ﬁnally, on Thursday, there will be a comedy show from OU alumni Luke Null at Baker Theater starting at 7 p.m.

Welcome

hours on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, in addition to drop-in advising on Aug. 20. LINKS, a welcome program intended to aid in the transition to college of students of color is also a resource worth checking out when you ﬁrst arrive to campus.

Parties It wouldn’t be OU without good ole’ fashioned partying. On Aug. 19, the South Beach Bash will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public and takes place on South Beach, below Nelson Dining Hall. Saturday, Aug. 20, the annual Party at Ping from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will take place at the Ping Student Recreation center. This event is also free and open to all students. Student Organization Involvement Fair Aug. 21, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., is the Student Organization Involvement fair. It is an excellent opportunity for incoming ﬁrst-year students to meet the various organizations we have on campus and connect with the more than 300 organizations in attendance. Camp Alden Camp Alden will allow new Bobcats to explore the library on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Students will embark on a scavenger hunt through all seven ﬂoors and earn a prize. But the fun doesn’t stop, there will be late-night s’mores, cornhole, putt-putting and a button-making station.

Week Events!

Movie Night on the Green Are you a ﬁlm fanatic? On Thursday, Aug. 18, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., the Campus Involvement Center will be screening ﬁlms for anyone who is interested in joining.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN ADAMS

30 / AUG. 18, 2022 Bobcats, it’s almost time to return to the rolling hills of Athens, Ohio. Welcome Week is a massive celebration for returning students and incoming freshmen, and a time to come together and celebrate our next steps into the semester. Ohio University has a week full of activities, concerts and events around campus planned, so look no further; this guide will give firstcomers insight into what you can do during Welcome Week. Resources Coming to college can be stressful, especially when you’re living on your own for the first time. To extend their support, admissions, financial aid, scholarships and the University Registrar have extended WILLIAM TROYER FOR THE POST

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for itself, especially as you decide on your major, who you want to be as a college student and so much more. College is a time to discover yours NOW LEASING NEW BEGINNINGS for 2023-2024 OUrentals.com 740.594.9098 *Monthly rates are per person/per month: Security deposits are per person 8 Franklin Avenue 7-8 Bedrooms $495* TOWNHOMESHOUSES & APARTMENTS IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD $99 Security Deposit per person 85 West State Street 6 Bedrooms $495* 160 East State Street 6 Bedrooms $495* 91 West State Street 6 Bedrooms $495* 10 South High Street 6 Bedrooms $495* 121 North Congress Street 6 Bedrooms $550*

ANASTASIA CARTER ASSISTANT ENGAGEMENTAUDIENCEEDITOR @ACARTER3602 AC732319@OHIO.EDU Welcome back playlist ILLUSTRATION

“Tennis Court” by Lorde Reminiscent of entering famedom, this song by Lorde is another good song to vibe to no matter what you’re doing on campus. With lots of electronic ﬂairs, she sings about how life has changed and she used to pretend to be happy but now she really is. Whether you’re excited to ﬁnally be on campus or start a new chapter, “Tennis Court” will remind you of your roots and get you pumped for the future. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day This acoustic classic by Green Day can accompany you after any rough encounter or questionable missed opportunity. Even if things didn’t turn out the way you planned, “make the best of this test and don’t ask why, it’s not a question but a lesson learned in time.” As you enter college, many lessons are learned and guide you in directions you never expected. What Want to title this song speaks

“Are You

“Bang!” by AJR Released in 2020, “Bang!” is the perfect song to reﬂect on the situation you’re going BY LAUREN ADAMS through as you transition into college. AJR says it’s not too long before you’re an adult, so you might as well leave your youth and “go out with a bang.”

You

Be?” By Foster the People The

A tune meant to make you feel okay about the work you’ve put in, “Way It Goes” afﬁrms everything that college students need to hear. Whether you’re “a 90’s soul with Doc Martens on” or “a degenerate, counter-culture, crying socialist,” Hippo Campus conﬁrms that we’re all just doing our best. Even if it doesn’t end up the way you expect, know it’s just “the way it goes.”

“Walking On a Dream” by Empire of the Sun Written by Australian electropop duo Empire of the Sun, “Walking On a Dream” is the perfect song to start this playlist. This song sings about how it might seem surreal that this is a reality, but you have to keep “always pushing up the hill.” As you enter college, it’s important to remember that you should keep pushing towards your goals. “20 Something” by Sza This song comes at the end of Sza’s debut album, Ctrl, and shares the difﬁculties faced being 20 something. It’s inevitable to feel like you’re stuck and things aren’t going the way you expected. This tune reminds you that many are having the same exacts thoughts and feelings that you are. Sza sings, “Hopin’ my 20 somethings won’t end, Hopin’ to keep the rest of my friends, Prayin’ the 20 somethings don’t kill me, kill me.” “Way It Goes” by Hippo Campus

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