Oct. 5, 2017

Marching 110 celebrates 50 years of its performance style P8 Families continue the Bobcat tradition across generations P14 The 2,600-mile journey from British Columbia to Athens P24

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

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

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

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

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DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR Taylor Johnston SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kate Ansel BLOGS EDITOR Alex Darus MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Andy Hamilton DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Jonny Palermo

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

‘POST’ CELEBRATES HOMECOMING WITH CONTENT, PARADE

H

omecoming is a wonderful time of the year for reminiscing. So many people travel back to Athens to reconnect with old friends, share stories and celebrate the history of Ohio University and Athens.

At The Post, we want to be able to give alumni and students a glimpse of OU’s traditions and history as well as a look into the significance of this year’s festivities.

Though traditions change, readers can always rely on The Post providing some Homecoming content. Our Homecoming content has a history of its own.

For a few years when The Post was a broadsheet, we celebrated by designing “throwback” front covers. That meant ELIZABETH BACKO / finding old covers in the archives in AlEDITOR-IN-CHIEF den Library and recreating the design from that time period. We included covers from 1959, 1963, 1977, 1992 and more.

During Homecoming Week in 2014 and 2015, the final paper of the week reflected The Post’s modern day design.

Now that The Post exists as a weekly tabloid, it gives us the chance to compile all of our best Homecoming content into one product. Last year, we primarily focused on football stories, but this week’s edition includes stories about sports teams, festivities, alumni and traditions.

Culture staff writer Alexis Eichelberger took a look into the Marching 110’s history in her report about this year’s festivities. The Marching 110’s style with capes and dance moves transformed in 1967, making this year the 50th anniversary. News editor Maddie Capron took a deep dive into the history of Alumni Gateway and how it became a symbol for students and alumni.

And, of course, we have plenty of football content.

To give readers a chance to read our content and celebrate with us, we’ll march in the parade and pass out papers. Papers will still be on newsstands across campus, and you can always check out thepostathens.com for more Homecoming stories.

For the last few years, marching in the parade has been a fun tradition.

Each year, people shout out that they used to work for The Post back in their day, and many people express how much they enjoyed reading during their time in Athens.

It’s a tradition Posties are eager to carry on. So prepare to hear some people chanting “Read The Post!” before you even see this year’s crew of Posties marching on the bricks.

Elizabeth Backo is a senior studying journalism and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Want to talk to her? Email her at eb823313@ohio.edu or send her a tweet @liz_backo.

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COVER PHOTO BY BLAKE NISSEN

The Center for International Studies Global Professional Development Series

Keynote and Panel Discussion Friday, October 6, 2017 12:00-2:30 PM, Baker Center 240/242 Dr. David Crane Keynote Speaker International Leader in Justice and Law

Dr. Ghirmai Negash Panel Moderator CIS African Studies Program Director

OHIO Alumni Panelists Bethany George, Omar Kurdi, and Judi Crane

Center for International Studies

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

AMPLIFIED OBSERVATIONS

Lil Wayne: Shaping the new millennium LUKE FURMAN is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University.

Lil Wayne celebrated his 35th birthday last Wednesday, and I think we should all be thankful.

We should be thankful not only for his extensive musical output, but also for the way his presence has shaped music in the new millennia. Never has there been anyone like Wayne before Wayne, and only after the peak of his career did stylistically similar rappers like Young Thug and Kodak Black appear.

For someone who released two albums titled I Am Not A Human Being, Wayne sure does fall into the category of enigmatic stars for whom there is no proper analog. Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, Lil Wayne: all lack rivals.

After recently watching Adam Bhala Lough’s 2009 cinéma vérité documentary The Carter, the mythos behind Lil Wayne — like stars in the night sky — aligned in my mind with newfound clarity.

I first became aware of Lil Wayne when he performed “Let It Rock” with Kevin Rudolf at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. At the time, I found myself more drawn to the rock aspect of the song. Wayne’s singular look and style bewildered me and, as in the tradition of any unfamiliar yet revolutionary sight, I asked myself, what is that guy’s appeal? Everyone talks about him at school, but he doesn’t even play an instrument? It wouldn’t be until after high school that I realized it didn’t matter. With Tha Carter III, Wayne had already cultivated a space in American music lore by that time.

With his humorous, creative lyrics like “I don’t owe you like two vowels” and “If we run out of work/We

Rob/like Bert,” Wayne perfected punchline rap without even writing any of it down. The explicit nature of his lyrics only makes him seem authentic and unwilling to censor the nature of his art. His raspy, smokedout voice immediately identifies him on other rappers’ songs almost as efficiently as Shazam.

But underneath the superficiality and boastfulness that his albums convey, Wayne’s experiences growing up in the New Orleans projects and dealing with continued health problems make it seem incredible that he could remain so positive and witty throughout his career. At times, he’s even delivered more serious meditations like on Solange’s “Mad,” which features Wayne in a prominent and revealing guest spot, discussing a suicide attempt at age 12.

At this point in my music-listening career, I think I’ve reached the maturity to see Lil Wayne’s personal character represents all the superlative values of rap: talent, authenticity and, above all, perseverance. Despite being rough around the edges, Wayne’s work ethic and love of music have propelled him to unquantifiable heights of rap stardom. As Lil Wayne said in The Carter, “Repetition is the father of learning.”

Wayne often delivers those spontaneous bits of wisdom during his time in front of the camera. In Tyler, The Creator’s documentary about the making of his album Cherry Bomb, Wayne says, “Be something more than what you see in the mirror. Let the world be your mirror.”

So, despite the superficiality and humor of album tracks, Lil Wayne occasionally dispatches perspec-

tive-altering philosophies that point to an introspective man beneath the stage persona.

But aside from Wayne’s published prison diary Gone ‘Til November, we might never learn where the wild, entertainer half of his personality ends and the more human one begins. For rappers like Jay-Z, Drake, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, it’s not hard to tell where they draw the line between entertaining and living like the average person. Lil Wayne’s fusion of these two lifestyles and refusal to compromise muddy the waters of the kind of person he is deep down. Perhaps only some of the most true fans can discern the man from the myth, although maintaining mystery is never a bad call, especially in such an intense spotlight.

On the inevitable day when Tha Carter V drops, I’ll undoubtedly drop what I’m doing and stream it in full.

And it’s not only because I want to hear all the punchlines, but that I also want an update. I’ve realized that it’s not about what is being said, but who it’s coming from and how. After spending so much time listening to his music, reading headlines, listening to interviews and watching documentaries, I’m now invested in his journey just like the people who were invested in the journey of Elvis Presley or Kurt Cobain.

We want to know what happens next, no matter how exaggerated or surreal. We need answers.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Are you into Lil Wayne? Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog.

CINEMA AND SYNTAX

Cinema and Syntax: Hollywood’s best Chris GEORGIA DAVIS is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University.

There is only one debate in the world of cinema that has splintered friendships and sparked yelling matches with random strangers: Who is the best Chris?

There are four Chrises that dominate movie franchises: Chris Evans, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth. Each of them are quite different — besides the fact they are all in superhero movies — so who really is the best Chris? Well, let me break it down.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH Hemsworth is one-third of the Australian brothers’ triangle. The only thing he has going for him is the accent and how good he looks in that Thor costume. Hemsworth is undoubtedly the worst Chris.

CHRIS EVANS Evans has an impressive acting range. He has been in romantic comedies like What’s Your

4 / OCT. 5, 2017

Number, portrayed Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and acted in a smaller film called Before We Go. Evans can do almost anything, but his role as Captain America might hold him back for future projects — it will be hard to escape that persona.

CHRIS PRATT Pratt is admired by many and is often most people’s favorite Chris, mostly because of his character on Parks and Recreation. His sense of humor is impeccable, and his charm catapulted him into franchises such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. Pratt is just a likable person overall, which shows in all of his performances. Though he is often used solely as the comic relief in some films, Pratt has started to expand his scope of movies to include action and sci-fi films.

CHRIS PINE Pine is not only fine — I call him "Chris Fine" on a regular basis — but he also has the skills to back up his acting. In one movie, he can drive the action, deliver hilarious one liners and melt the hearts of many with a single gaze. His most recent example of this is as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman.

Pine’s first big role was as Captain Kirk in Star Trek. It would have been easy for him to stick to similar characters, but he has since acted in dramas, musicals and comedies. Though he might not be the most recognizable Chris, he is both the most talented and the most underrated.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Who is your favorite Chris? Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.

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Devout fans ruin ‘Rick and Morty’ BENNETT LECKRONE is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University.

There’s nothing like a terrible fanbase to ruin a great show.

I get it, Rick and Morty is a good show. No one can deny that. It's got characters worth caring about and abundant laughs. Its off-kilter style and often-improvised dialogue makes for an interesting watch — and draws some of the worst fans in all of TV. It’s a breed of angsty people that have infected the fanbase of Rick and Morty. They read too deeply into the show’s story arcs, they run the jokes into the ground and they belittle anyone without the patience to watch 20-minute “Rick and Morty fan theory” videos on YouTube.

I can’t believe I actually have to say this, but here it is: You aren’t an intellectual just because you watch an Adult Swim cartoon.

The silent majority of people who watch Rick and Morty balk at the cringeworthy outspokenness of show’s more toxic (and more vocal) fans.

They get “Pickle Rick” tattoos, they draw fan art, they talk about the show’s supposed deeper meanings and, most significantly, they never shut up about it.

These toxic fans set false criteria for being a “true fan” — with the entire idea of “true” fanhood being an incredibly pretentious idea in the first place — and then go on to embarrass the show and its fans with totally disgusting behavior.

The toxicity of Rick and Morty’s fanbase perhaps came to a head in September when, according to Entertainment Weekly, the show’s new female writers were doxxed and harassed by “fans.” Dan Harmon, the co-creator of the show, publicly slammed the harassers.

“I loathe these people,” Harmon said of the so-called fans who harassed the show’s female writers. The show had diversified its writing staff for its third season by having an equal number of male and female writers, which prompted the harassment.

Being overly obsessed with anything, even a cartoon, leads to complete toxicity.

Just sit back and enjoy Rick and Morty. We just want nice things.

It’s almost like any edgy college student thinks they’re the show’s genius titular anti hero, Rick — when in reality they’re more like Rick’s groveling, pathetic son-in-law, Jerry.

And nobody likes a Jerry.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about Pickle Rick with Bennett? Tweet him @LeckroneBennett.

VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

POLICE BLOTTER

NEIGHBOR CUTS GRASS WITHOUT PERMISSION ELLEN WAGNER FOR THE POST

I

n Athens County, no good deed goes unpunished.

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to call on Dutch Ridge Road for a trespassing complaint Friday. The woman said her neighbor was mowing her lawn without her permission, according to a sheriff’s report.

She requested a trespass warning be filed due to other past issues. The complaint was filled out by both the woman and the neighbor.

TAKING A TUMBLE An Ohio University Police Department officer responded to a call about a student who received a head injury after falling outside Adams Hall at about 2 a.m. Friday.

The student, 19, had a deep cut above his right eye. The officer said he smelled alcohol on the student’s breath, according to an OUPD report. Athens County EMS took the student to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital.

That report was one of three underage drinking citations OUPD officers issued over the weekend. Officers also wrote four citations for possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia.

FREE PARKING At about 1 a.m. Saturday, a student was found lying on the ground in the lower Seigfred Hall parking lot.

The student, 20, had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage “coming from his

Police cars parked outside the Athens Police Department on Sept. 18. (HANNAH RUHOFF/ FILE)

mouth” as he spoke to the officer, according to an OUPD report.

He was charged with underage drinking and released to a friend.

UNWANTED CAMPER On Saturday, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a woman about a trespassing complaint in Coolville against a man who was staying in a tent on the woman’s property without her permission, according to a sheriff’s report.

Deputies were unable to contact the man. They told the woman, however,

that she could remove the tent from her property.

“other arrangements could be made to obtain these cans in a safe manner.”

CAN YOU NOT? On Sept. 27, deputies responded to a call about a man and woman creating a traffic hazard on State Route 13. When deputies approached the pair, the man said they were attempting to pick up cans for recycling to earn money, according to a sheriff’s report.

The deputies determined the man and woman were creating a traffic hazard, since they were pushing a stroller down the highway. The pair left the area until

FORGET SOMETHING? The sheriff’s office responded to a call about an abandoned vehicle at Ladd Ridge in Athens. It was determined the vehicle was left there for more than two months, and the resident wanted it to be moved.

The vehicle was tagged, and, after the four-hour minimum, was towed.

@EWAGNER19 EW047615@OHIO.EDU

NEWS BRIEFS

RAPE REPORTS INCREASED IN 2016; SOUTHERN FOOD IN THE WORKS MADDIE CAPRON NEWS EDITOR

H

appy Homecoming! As students and alumni reflect on the history and community of Ohio University, here’s what happened this week: RAPE REPORTS INCREASED 60 PERCENT AT OU FROM 2015 TO 2016 OU’s annual security report showed an increase in reports of rape in 2016.

Reports of rape have increased in the 6 / OCT. 5, 2017

past three years, according to a previous Post report. In 2015, there were 20 reports of rape on campus. The number rose to 32 in 2016 — a 60 percent increase.

There was an increase in total reported crimes in 2016 as well: 111 crimes were reported, while 87 crimes were reported in 2015 and 57 were reported in 2014.

There were a total of 318 arrests and 825 disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations, drug abuse violations and possession of weapons in 2016, according to the report.

TWO NEW GREEK ORGANIZATIONS Theta Delta Sigma has joined the Multicultural Greek Council, and Pi Kappa Alpha is rejoining the Interfraternity Council.

“Pi Kappa Alpha will be similar to other Interfraternity Council fraternities,” Kristen Kardas, assistant director of Sorority and Fraternity Life, said in a previous Post report. “Theta Delta Sigma, however, was intentionally chosen because of student interest for a fraternal organization that accepted members regardless of gender identity or expression.”

Theta Delta Sigma was created in 2001 as a gender-inclusive and multicultural organization and was invited to OU in 2016. It uses “siblinghood” instead of brotherhood and sisterhood, which other Greek organizations use, to be more inclusive.

Pi Kappa Alpha is rejoining OU after the chapter was suspended in 2012. According to a statement by the OU Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, the fraternity was put on probation in January 2011 due to an alcohol violation and “disturbing the peace.”

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SOUTHERN FOOD COMES TO ATHENS Ric Wasserman, co-owner of The Pigskin Bar and Grille, 38 N. Court St., and Bella Vino, 22 W. Stimson Ave., said he is opening a new restaurant at 120 W. Union St. called The Corner, according to a previous Post report.

The restaurant will take the place of Starting Gates Bier Halle, and Wasserman said it will open “when it’s perfect.�

Wasserman said the restaurant will have a core menu of “Southern comfort� food, such as chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, beef short ribs and crab cakes.

Some students, like Jaelyn Smith, a freshman studying journalism, are excited to have Southern food in Athens. Smith is from North Carolina and said she would be interested in trying The Corner to see if it is like the southern cooking she grew up with. “I love (Southern food) because I grew up with it,� Smith said. “I wouldn’t say (Northern cooking) is necessarily a big difference; it’s just better because it’s where I’m from.�

@MADDIECAPRON MC055914@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

The Ohio University Marching 110 performs with alumni at halftime of the Oct. 11, 2014, football game between Ohio and Bowling Green. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

Marching memories THE MARCHING MEN OF OHIO ALUMNI’S ONLINE CONNECTION WILL HELP THEM CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HISTORY

S

ALEXIS EICHELBERGER

/ STAFF WRITER

ince its inception in 1923, the Ohio University Marching Band emulated the polished, formal style of an Ivy League marching band. The men wore green blazers, gray slacks and striped ties. Women wore the same uniform with gray skirts. Halftime performances featured traditional military marching tunes.

8 / OCT. 5, 2017

But in 1967, the OU Marching Band became something entirely new.

When Dean Thrailkill took the reins as director of the marching band, he knew it was time for a change. Prompted by university leadership, Thrailkill used his own experiences in the University of Michigan marching band to mold OU’s band into something more contemporary and exciting.

No longer did the band adhere to the rigid style of the Ivy League. Blazers were replaced with jackets and capes. Traditional songs were abandoned for pop and jazz charts, like “Train of Thought” and “Long Train Running.” And all women were removed from the band to create what was known as the Marching Men of Ohio.

The decision to be a male-only group was met with some opposition. Thrailkill held his ground, defending his position by asserting that all Big 10 bands, like the University of Michigan, were composed of only men. Just seven years later, women were welcomed back and the band was once again co-ed.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Marching Men of Ohio and the stylistic evolution of the band into what is known today as the Marching 110. Up to 1,000 alumni band members are expected to return to Athens for Homecoming to celebrate the milestone and reflect on the memories they made during their time in the band.

Josh Boyer, assistant director of the Marching 110, said though removing women from the band was a divisive decision made in 1967, the band wishes to celebrate it as a formative year.

“Yes, it was part of the change of the band and the style of the band,” he said. “But the celebration is really focused on the 50 years of the uniform and marching style and all that we embody as the Marching 110 today.”

Charlie Martin, a bass drummer during his days, was a member of the marching band from 1972 to 1975. His first three

years of involvement fell during the Marching Men of Ohio era; during his senior year, women were reintroduced to the band.

Martin has looked forward to returning to Athens for Homecoming each autumn for the past few years, and in recent years, has been a helpful instrument in getting other Marching Men of Ohio alumni to return as well. In 2014, he formed a Facebook group specifically for those men who marched during the seven-year period as a way to connect and remember the good old days.

“I was on a couple of the other marching band pages and I just really kind of … didn’t fit in,” Martin said. “A few of us from that era were talking about different things, and we just thought it might be a pretty cool idea to contact as many people as we could from that era and get them all on our page.”

The Marching 110 Alumni Band dances its way down South Court Street in front of Lindley Hall during the 2014 Homecoming Parade. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

We all shared the same experiences at Ohio University that were such a big part of our lives. I think that’s something that we cherish, but also I think … the general student body cherishes because we are a part of everybody’s Ohio University experience.”

-Josh Boyer, assistant director of the Marching 110 More than 200 members use the page to reminisce on their time in the band, share old photos and plan meetups at Homecoming. Martin said in the years since the formation of the Facebook page, the Marching Men of Ohio alumni have been better organized, and he has been happy to see many more of his old friends during his visits to Athens.

“When you show up to Homecoming and there’s not a lot of people you know, it’s a strange feeling,” Martin said. “And I think that’s what this Facebook page has done — it’s really got everybody talking, and you made a lot of new friends even though you were in the band

50 years ago.”

Martin Osborne, a euphonium player in the band, was a member of the Marching Men of Ohio from 1970 to 1975. He said the members of the Facebook group often use the page to dispel misinformation about what happened during their years in the band.

“We ourselves wanted to clear that up through discussion among ourselves … without the people who have no idea what the band did during those years sticking their nose in,” he said. “We actually were there.”

The Ohio University Marching 110 performs in the Peden Stadium stands in 1972. (PROVIDED via Ohio University Archives)

Osborne has dedicatedly worked to find and invite as many former Marching Men to join their group and reconnect with them. He has scoured the internet for mailing and email addresses of the men he connected with through music all those years ago.

“You really get to know people through a common bond, and it’s more of a brotherhood I think,” Osborne said. “We became extremely good friends for life.”

Boyer, who himself is an OU and Marching 110 alumnus, said remembering the band’s history, especially this year, is a special

part of Homecoming for all current and former students.

“We all shared the same experiences at Ohio University that were such a big part of our lives,” Boyer said regarding members of the band. “I think that’s something that we cherish, but also I think … the general student body cherishes because we are a part of everybody’s Ohio University experience, even if they weren’t a part of the band. I think that’s an important part of what makes Ohio University special.”

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MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO, GRADUATES STARTED THE ALUMNI GATEWAY PROJECT MADDIE CAPRON NEWS EDITOR Few experiences are universal for students and alumni at Ohio University.

Most people remember their first servings of cheese fries from Union Street Diner or the first time they got spooked at The Ridges. They remember their first nights out or the first exams they struggled with.

While each person remembers those experiences differently, most OU students and alumni can recall one tradition almost the same way — walking through Alumni Gateway.

Following the Marching 110, the group of new students make its way up Richland Avenue from The Convo. It’s probably ridiculously hot outside, since it’s the end of August, and the sun is beating down on them.

The band can be heard across campus, but only vaguely until it gets closer to College Green, which is swarming with new opportunities and upperclassmen waiting at the involvement fair.

Then, the music gets louder and everyone remembers what it feels like to be back on campus, and the new freshmen are officially welcomed to Athens for the first time.

“So enter that daily thou mayest grow in knowledge wisdom and love,” the gateway reads.

Alumni Gateway was constructed in 1915 as a gift from the graduating class to mark the 100th anniversary of the first graduating class of OU students. The first class to graduate from OU was also the first to graduate in the old North-

Students gathered under Alumni Gateway on Tuesday. (EMILEE CHINN / FOR THE POST)

west Territory.

The quotes on the gate were taken from a Latin inscription found over the main portal of the University of Padua, Italy, according to the university website, and have a symbolic meaning on each side of the gateway.

The project was funded by alumni donations, and, in May 1915, The Green and White reported construction was to be dedicated on June 1 of that year and would cost about $2,150.

“The beginning of the week saw the commencement of the Alumni Gateway, which will be

The Gateway will serve as a monument and will be for years a sacred and beautiful structure, something that will mean a great deal to the institution.”

‘The Green and White,’ which would later become ‘The Post’

dedicated on June 1,” The Green and White, which later became The Post, reported. “The contractor is Mrs. Maud J. Fenzel, of Athens, who will have charge of its construction. The material including brick, stone and iron.

Work had already been let and is now on its way.

Mrs. Fenzel says it will be completed within ten days after the material is on the ground.”

At the time, the group of alumni was enthusiastic about the project and thought it was building something that would last and be part of everyone’s future experiences

on campus.

“If the money were to be invested in something of a worthless nature we could not censure the Alumni from showing a certain degree of hesitancy in contributing to the plan, but the Gateway will serve as a monument and will be for years a sacred and beautiful structure, something that will mean a great deal to the institution,” The Green and White reported.

The first alumnus to donate was Adam G. Elder, of Columbus, who graduated in 1904, The Green and White reported in 1915. Many alumni donated to the project, knowing it would make a lasting impact on campus. Some were even willing to give bigger donations to the project.

“Your communication concerning the Alumni Gateway received and I cheerfully duplicate my first check,” one alumnus wrote in a letter addressed to a professor. “I am glad as an alumnus of Ohio University to assist, even though in a humble way, in the erection of this fitting memorial as a token of love and loyalty to our Alma Mater.”

More than 100 years ago, alumni of OU knew the gateway would be symbolic for students. Now, students enter as freshmen and may leave through the other side of the gateway as graduates. They travel in their caps and gowns to have OU leave them with a final message: “So depart that daily thou mayest better serve thy fellowmen thy country and thy God.”

@MADDIECAPRON MC055914@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

HOMECOMING: ’20S TRADITIONS Parade floats, football matchups with Cincinnati and a feast of roast ox were just some of the festivities throughout the decade

KAITLIN COWARD MANAGING EDITOR

N

inety years before Ohio University students and alumni will pull out their phones to take selfies, photos and videos at Homecoming this Saturday, OU produced its first movie.

At Homecoming in 1927, the festivities were filmed and turned into a movie titled “Chronicles of the Day.” The film detailed events over the course of the day, including the Ohio vs. Wittenberg football game and the display of parade floats.

Unlike today’s banners that mainly show organization’s names, floats displayed different elements of college life, football score predictions and the spirit of homecoming, according to a Oct. 25, 1927, Green and White report. The Green and White later became The Post.

Some floats from that year included one that represented the football field and team and another that displayed a cow and read, “This is no bull, we’re going to win the game.”

In addition to traditions such as floats and parades, Homecoming celebrations of the 1920s were littered with football wins over Cincinnati.

In 1926, the “Pedenmen” defeated Cincinnati 38-7, and the band formed a human OU in the center of the field.

“Ohio’s Bobcats, inspired by a crowd of 4,000 present for the annual Homecoming and Dad’s Day event, tore the hides off the previously ferocious Cincinnati Bear Cats and sent them back to the Queen City looking like a pack of whipped alley cats,” reads an Oct. 26, 1926, Green and White report.

Scoring began in the first quarter, and later in the game coach Don Peden pulled his starters and replaced them with his second- and third-string players.

An even bigger blowout came a couple years later in 1928, when the Bobcats shut out the Bearcats 65-0 in front of a crowd of about 5,000.

After the Bobcats scored early and often, Peden, as he did two years before, substituted in his second- and thirdstring men during the matchup.

“Against the second and third string

12 / OCT. 5, 2017

Ohio’s football coaching staff in 1924. OU’s Homecoming celebrations that year featured rain and snow, a 14-7 loss to Denison and a feast of a thousand pounds of roast ox and 90 gallons of stew. (PROVIDED via the Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections).

men the Bearcats were just as helpless, and had it been possible, the frosh gridders might have had a chance at the Bearcats,” reads an Oct. 23, 1928, Green and White report.

A year later, Ohio defeated rival Miami 14-0 in a rainy match and remained the only unbeaten team in the state.

“The water didn’t scare them — it just made them fighting mad,” reads a Nov. 5, 1929, Green and White report.

Thunder could be heard from both the sky and the stands, according to the report. About 8,000 people attended the game. “ ‘Get that umbrella down’ became as popular a chant as ‘we want a touch-

down,’ ” reads the report.

The game also served as a dedication to a the new stadium, which cost $185,000.

Other Homecoming celebrations took various forms throughout the decade. In 1924, rain and snow couldn’t dampen the festivities, which featured 90 gallons of steaming burgoo, which is a spicy stew, and a thousand pounds of roast ox.

“All doubts as to the right of the southern barbecues to fame, disappeared with a rapidity rivaled only by that of the delicious sandwiches, olives and stew,” reads a Nov. 21, 1924, Green and White report.

In 1921, a Homecoming celebrated both alumni and the inauguration

of OU’s 10th president, Elmer Burritt Bryan. Each class gave a skit, and students assembled in a “monster parade” that traveled from Court Street to Ohio Field, where there was an immense bonfire.

A Nov. 11, 1921, Green and White report described the events as a genuine “Whiz Bang.” During that year’s Homecoming game, Ohio beat Cincinnati 7-6 in what a Green and White report referred to as a “thrill producer” for alumni and a “fitting climax” to Homecoming festivities.

@KCOWARD02 KC769413@OHIO.EDU

The Ohio University Marching 110 performs at halftime on Oct. 15, 2016 (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

Exhibit features history of OU’s Marching 110 ASHTON NICHOLS FOR THE POST Bobcats will now be able to experience the history of the Marching 110.

The Southeast Ohio History Center will hold The Ohio University Marching 110: 50 Years of Funk Exhibit beginning Friday.

The event is held to feature OU’s Marching 110, which has been a part of many Bobcats’ experiences for many years.

Opening night will include refreshments and a wine and beer bar. The admission fee for adults is $7, ages 12-18 and ages 65 and older have a fee of $5. Members of the center and children under the age of 12 can enter the exhibit for free.

Colton Feathers, who plays alto saxophone in the Marching 110, said tradition is an important value, and he is excited to see alumni members.

“I guess just seeing that (the memorabilia) sums up how much tradition means to the 110 and how much just being a member incorporates you into a large family of alumni and current members,” Feathers, a senior studying astrophysics, said.

Erin Taggart, who also plays alto saxophone in the Marching 110, said the band is a family and the bonds between members are not easily broken.

“Since we are a family, it’s easy to bicker and lose sight of what’s important sometimes,” Taggart,

a senior studying social work, said. “But the second something happens to one of our own, I am always so fiercely reminded that this group will always protect and take care of one another. That goes for our alumni too.”

Taggart said she is excited to see former band members and be reunited for a weekend.

“They’re so quick to tell you a story or extend a hand, we are bonded so closely through 50 years of blood, sweat and tears,” she said. “This organization is truly unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of.”

Feathers said being a part of the Marching 110 has influenced many of his experiences at OU, and he would be beyond thrilled to see the

IF YOU GO What: The Ohio University Marching 110: 50 Years of Funk Exhibit When: Begins Oct. 6 Where: Southeast Ohio History Center, 24 W. State St. Admission: Adults: $7, ages 12-18: $5, ages 65 and over: $5, ages 12 and under: free, Center members: free

exhibit if he were an alumnus.

“I was just telling my section yesterday about how much they mean to me,” Feathers said. “Even though we don’t all quite get along, in the end … if it came down to it, I could go to them. I know that look-

ing back, these are going to be some of my favorite memories of being in college.”

During her years at OU, Taggart said the Marching 110 has made her who she is.

“The ability to be disciplined yet fun is hard to come by, but we walk the line everyday,” Taggart said. “When I first came into this my freshman year I thought this was a special group, but as I leave my senior year, I know it is. And I’m better for having been a part of it.”

—Hayley Harding contributed to this report.

@ASHTONNICHOLS_ AN614816@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

GENERATIONS OF BOBCATS Current students share familial ties to Ohio University

KAILEE MISSLER FOR THE POST

C

ourtney Gibson has a long family history at Ohio University. Multiple generations on both sides of her family attended OU, including her grandmother, who was a school nurse.

“When she died of cancer, the university planted a tree in my grandma’s honor,” Gibson, a freshman studying psychology, said.

This weekend, alumni will come to Athens and see the place where they share so many memories. Some will be visiting family members who are new Bobcats — sharing memories, going to favorite food places and giving them advice to help make their adventure at OU one to remember.

Both Gibson’s parents attended OU for their undergraduate degrees. Her mother studied business; her father studied history. Her decision to attend OU was partially influenced by her ties to Athens.

“It certainly made it easier to adjust and move in,” Gibson said. “At first, it did make me want to go elsewhere.”

Now, she’s completely happy with her decision.

Gibson said her parents shared the same excitement for her. Like many other parents, Gibson’s will visit the campus for Homecoming weekend, where they’ll recap memories from their time in Athens.

Aidan Crowl, a sophomore studying electrical engineering, said his parents attended OU to obtain their graduate degrees, but his grandparents also have links to the university.

“My grandparents both taught at (OU) in the English department, so my family’s connection to Athens was already much deeper than my parents attending school here,” Crowl said.

Crowl said he was unsure about attending OU because of his family’s background, but he does not regret his decision to remain in Athens.

“I kind of wanted to get away,” he said. “But I will say, having been here for a year, it’s been really great being this close to my family for a lot of different reasons.”

His parents and grandparents both still reside in the area and said they will be around for Homecoming weekend, a festivity Crowl recalled attending with his family in past years.

“When I was younger, my dad would always put me on the back of his bike for the Homecoming parade, and we would follow the Marching 110,” he said.

Alyssa Embry, a freshman studying production design and technology, said her mother, father and brother all attended OU, specifically, the Scripps College of Communication. Originally, Embry did not want to attend OU because she did not want to seem like she was following “the family trend.” “(My mom and I) purposefully kept my dad out of the loop of what schools I was leaning towards so I wasn’t met with extreme bias towards OU,” she said 14 / OCT. 5, 2017

Freshman Alyssa Embry and her brother, undergraduate alumnus and graduate student Brendon Embry, stand together on College Green. Their parents also graduated from Ohio University. (ABIGAIL DEAN / FOR THE POST)

I tried to kid myself that I liked other schools and their programs, but deep down I knew all along (it was) OU.” -Alyssa Embry, a freshman studying production design and technology

in an email. “Yet, when I did decide, we gave my dad a shirt that said ‘Proud OU Dad’ and pinned a ‘x2’ onto it.

Before it could fully sink in, I came out decked out in all my lovely OU gear to which he responded with lots of hugs and lots of tears.”

Her family will be one of the many people coming back to Athens for Homecoming because it is her parent’s favorite place to visit.

“It’s their fifth year and counting,” she said in an email. “However, this year may be the most exciting because they won sideline tickets to the football game.”

Just like her parents, Embry has grown to love OU and knows it was the right decision to attend.

“No other campus felt like home and I knew everyone in my family was happiest in Athens,” she said in an email. “I tried to kid myself that I liked other schools and their programs, but deep down I knew all along (it was) OU.”

@KAILEERENEE99 KM199116@OHIO.EDU

Senior offensive lineman Jake Pruehs reads the Kansas defense during the first half of the Sept. 16 game at Peden Stadium. (HANNAH RUHOFF / FILE)

FOOTBALL S

ANDREW GILLIS / SPORTS EDITOR

omething special might be brewing in Peden Stadium this weekend. In August, there was uncertainty surrounding the entire team. A.J. Ouellette needed to show he had recovered from a Lisfranc tear, and the defense needed to prove it could replace a front seven that lost three defenders to the NFL. After five games, there is a pretty clear answer — their record dispels those doubts. Ohio heads into this weekend at 4-1 and 1-0 in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats aren’t there yet. But they’re close.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

Bradd Ellis celebrates with his teammates after his pick six during Ohio’s game against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 23. (BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)

BRADD ELLIS’ JOURNEY FROM WALK-ON TO STARTER Bradd Ellis began his career as a walk-on cornerback. But now, he’s one of Ohio’s defensive leaders.

16 / OCT. 5, 2017

ANDREW GILLIS / SPORTS EDITOR

Bradd Ellis has been labeled a “walk-on” his entire career.

Used as a taunt, it’s designed to elicit thoughts of a player who just can’t hack it. So, it came as no surprise when Ellis, once a walk-on, heard it again Sept. 23.

With Ohio and Eastern Michigan tied 3-3 near the end of the first quarter, Eagles quarterback Brogan Roback threw a touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone. Or so he thought.

The receiver pushed off his man, Ellis, and a flag was thrown. The touchdown was wiped off the board.

“I was messin’ with the wide receiver,” Ellis said, smiling. “I was like, ‘Bro, you gotta push off just to get a catch today.’ ” “The quarterback had heard me, he turned and was like ‘Hey bro, shut the f--- up, you’re a walk-on!’ And I said, ‘You’re 0-for-4 throwing to a short, white walk-on.’ ” A quarter later, Ellis jumped an out route and returned an interception for a touchdown to give Ohio a lead before halftime. It was Ohio’s only touchdown in regulation.

Ellis, now on scholarship, hasn’t taken the path of a typical walk-on.

There have been ups and downs, but he has established himself as a starting cornerback for Ohio this year, as well as a leader on the back end of the field.

And it didn’t matter what players shouted their taunts, former walkon or otherwise, as Ellis cut upfield and into the end zone against Eastern Michigan, arms out wide, smiling and screaming.

“At halftime when the teams jog across, I was jogging with (Roback) just saying, ‘Am I still a walk-on? Am I still a walk-on?’ Second half he really didn’t say anything. I don’t think he really wanted to talk to me anymore.”

Ellis was supposed to be a Buckeye.

Both of his parents, Robin and Chadd, attended Ohio State. That was their son’s plan, too.

Then one day in the spring of Ellis’ senior year of high school, former Ohio wide receiver Chase Cochran texted his old teammate from Lebanon High School.

“I actually sent (Cochran) my film, and he took it to the coaches,” Ellis said. “They found out about me and said, ‘We don’t have a spot for you, but if you come to school here and you work out and stuff, we’d love for you to come to a tryout in January.’ And here we are.”

Instead of an academic scholarship in Columbus, Ellis went to Athens to

He’s a good athlete, and you start with that obviously. He’s a very bright guy and a very smart football player. He doesn’t make the same mistakes time after time. He’s a quick learner so he uses his intelligence to make himself a great cornerback.”

-Coach Frank Solich

try out for the Bobcats. He enrolled as a student and took part in winter workouts with the team. But he couldn’t blend in, either.

“We did the winter workouts in The Convo,” Ellis said. “I remember myself, Grant Cunningham and Bo Hardy, us three were together in that class. Everyone was in white jerseys, and we were in purple. You could pick us out anywhere, through all the conditionings.”

That’s the difficult part of being a walk-on, too. There is no room for error, no room for a mistake.

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams are allowed 85 scholarship players on the roster. Each scholarship handed out is treated with great care.

Then there was Ellis and the other walk-ons. Every day, they had to compete for their spots on the roster.

“Any time in spring ball, they can cut you,” Ellis said. “It’s kind of intense, every day you’ve got to bring it. You’re going against guys who know the techniques, who have been doing this for however many years when you’re brand new to the team.”

That’s what helped keep Ellis around, though, the fact that he was able to bring it each and every day. He kept learning and working at his technique, slowly moving up the depth chart.

“He’s a good athlete, and you start with that obviously,” coach Frank Solich said. “He’s a very bright guy and a very smart football player. He doesn’t make the same mistakes time after time. He’s a quick learner so he uses his intelligence to make himself a great cornerback.”

Ellis, a redshirt senior, played in two games in 2014 and eight in 2015. But in 2016, Ellis’ career as a Bobcat took off.

He appeared in all 14 games and started in three of them. He recorded 33 tackles, an interception, five pass

breakups and six passes defended, the latter of which came at Ohio’s most important moment of the season to that point.

In the final regular season game against Akron, Ohio was one win away from an appearance in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game.

But the Zips were driving. A touchdown and an extra point would win them the game and keep the Bobcats out of the conference title game.

On 4th down, a pass to the end zone went in the air. Ellis was there to knock it down.

The pass was intended for Akron wide receiver Austin Wolf — Ellis’ best friend from high school.

Coach Solich wanted to see Ellis after practice. It was December 2016, after Ohio had just lost to Western Michigan in the MAC Championship Game and was preparing for Troy in the Dollar General Bowl.

Ellis didn’t want to get his hopes up, but his teammates began to. His teammates were right: Ellis was getting put on scholarship.

“I ran from (Walter Hall) to (Peden Stadium), grabbed my phone out of my locker and called just about everybody I knew,” Ellis said.

In a career that started off with uncertainty, there wouldn’t be any anymore.

“First, I had to call my parents,” Ellis said. “They’ve helped me through so much and have always supported me.

They go to every game.”

Ellis was no longer a walk-on. He once was, but whatever people had to say about him carried no meaning anymore. He was a scholarship player.

Ellis began this year, his final year,

penciled in as the starting cornerback. He hasn’t let that go.

He’s not only become a starter in the secondary, but he’s also become a leader on the defense as well.

“Me and him, we’ve been buds since the time when I came here,” cornerback Jalen Fox said. “Now to see him develop into what he is as a football player, and who he is as a man, it’s an awesome feeling.”

Which made it even more special as Ellis took off down the field in Ypsilanti, Michigan, over the weekend.

“One of the things with Bradd, is he’s a technician, he works on it everyday,” cornerbacks coach De’Angelo Smith said. “He tries to do what I ask of him. It was exciting to see him run down the sideline.”

That’s rubbed off on not only the cornerbacks, but the entire secondary as well.

“We look at Bradd as a leader, because, first of all, his height,” safety Javon Hagan said. “He’s very small, so when team’s look at him on film, they find ways to try and pick on him a bit. They underestimate his ability and his talent.”

Ellis has made a profound impact on the Bobcats secondary, both on and off the field in his career. That made it all the more special when Ellis jumped an out route, something he’d drilled over and over throughout the week, and took off for the end zone.

It was his first college touchdown.

The play not only felt good for Ellis, but also for everyone who has watched him grow from a walk-on to a scholarship player and a starting cornerback at Ohio.

The sideline jumped and yelled as his white No. 3 jersey took off for the end zone, leaving behind anyone who thought he was just another walk-on.

“I caught it, blinders went on, in my head I was thinking, ‘Please, God, I’m not getting tackled right now,’ ” Bradd recalled. “’There’s no way. I got a left tackle and a QB in front of me.’ I just saw Trent (Smart), who ran off the QB; all I had to do was make one cut.’”

@ANDREW_GILLIS70 AG079513@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

FOOTBALL

Bobcats welcome historically challenging foe Central Michigan JORDAN HORROBIN STAFF WRITER

“I

t’s always great to play at home,” he said. “You’ve got the fans to your side. … It’s a great feeling just to stay home and be able to play here.”

Having spent three of its past four games on the road — the only such stretch in the season — Ohio (4-1, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) returns to friendlier confines Saturday to host Central Michigan (2-3, 0-1 MAC) for a 2 p.m. Homecoming kickoff.

The conference clash serves as the centerpiece for homecoming weekend, a time in which alumni descend up Athens in droves to reconnect with old friends and bask in school pride.

Many former Bobcats are expected to be in town, including recent graduates Jovon Johnson and Mike McQueen, Ohio running back Dorian Brown said.

“We’re going to treat this game like any other game,” Brown said. “But there’s gonna be a lot of hype behind it too. We’re gonna keep doing what we do.”

Offensively, what the Bobcats have been doing is running the football down the throat of their opponents. In last weekend’s 58-50 win at UMass, they averaged 7.5 yards per carry and racked up 298 rushing yards.

Redshirt junior running back A.J. Ouellette has led the way, tallying three straight 100-plus yard rushing games in a row.

But redshirt senior Dorian Brown and freshman Julian Ross have chipped in with three touchdowns 18 / OCT. 5, 2017

The last time Central Michigan came to Athens was the Bobcats’ Homecoming game Oct. 12, 2013, back when Tyler Tettleton (#4) was quarterback.

The Chippewas have been a thorn in Ohio’s side, winning in 2013, 2014 and 2016. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

apiece. All three backs are averaging 4 yards per carry or better.

“I know there were some questions about us running the ball too much at the beginning of the year,” coach Frank Solich said. “But we stuck to it and I think it’s played out pretty well.”

No kidding. Ohio is averaging 216 rush yards per game, which is 30th out of 129 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams and best in the MAC. With all three running backs healthy, the Bobcat ground game will like-

ly be in full force against Central Michigan, a team Ohio has struggled against mightily in the history of the matchup.

The Bobcats have a .194 win percentage (five wins in 31 meetings) against the Chippewas, their lowest all-time win percentage against a MAC opponent, including a 1-7 record since 2005. Last year, Central Michigan won 27-20 despite rushing for only 18 yards.

“I wish I had a good answer,” Solich said with a smile. “We have another opportunity this week at home.”

This year’s matchup — at least on paper — is a promising chance for Ohio to break its rough streak versus Central Michigan.

The Chippewas have lost three games in a row by a combined 61 points, and needed triple overtime for a season-opening win over Football Championship Series (FCS) Rhode Island.

If the Chippewas are going to hurt the Bobcats, they’ll look to do so through the air. Ohio surrendered more than 400 yards passing to UMass and has been on-again, off-again with its pass de-

fense results this season.

“Maybe our coaching staff is throwing too much at our guys,” Solich said. “Maybe it’s just a day of them not executing the way we know they can. We are looking at everything from alignments to coverages, (to) how we coach it, to how we call our defensive formations. We will make some changes.”

Fatigue is a factor to consider for the struggles of the defensive unit, which lined up for 95 plays against the Minutemen after playing into double overtime against Eastern

Michigan the week before.

But Ohio will certainly anticipate an electric atmosphere this weekend, which could spark the defense and help the Bobcats to a fourthstraight win.

“There will be a lot of excitement with Homecoming weekend,” Solich said. “You just hope that excitement carries over to the football field and they have their mind on the game and what they need to get done.”

@JORDANHORROBIN JH950614@OHIO.EDU

East Division TEAM

CONFERENCE RECORD

OVERALL RECORD

Ohio

1-0

4-1

Buffalo

1-0

3-2

Miami

1-0

2-3

Akron

1-0

2-3

Kent State

0-1

1-4

Bowling Green

0-1

0-5

West Division TEAM

CONFERENCE RECORD

OVERALL RECORD

Western Michigan

1-0

3-2

Toledo

0-0

3-1

Northern Illinois

0-0

2-2

Eastern Michigan

0-1

2-2

Ball State

0-1

2-3

Central Michigan

0-1

2-3

DATA PROVIDED VIA MACSPORTS.COM

A LOOK AT THE MAC IN WEEK 6 How the MAC looks following the first week of conference play

I

t took five weeks, but it’s now time for conference play across the Mid-American Conference.

All but two teams — Toledo and Northern Illinois — have played MAC games, as the season will turn to conference play for the rest of the year.

From this weekend until Nov. 24, teams throughout the conference will fight to make it to Detroit for a chance at the MAC Championship.

The standings are still basic, untouched in some spots. But over the next few weeks, different teams will rise and fall, all of which will end at Ford Field in just under two months.

THE WEEKEND THAT WAS One of the biggest stories happened with the Bobcats, as coach Frank Solich earned his 150th career win. He ranks third all time in wins in the MAC with 92.

Ohio beat UMass 58-50 to boost its record to 4-1 (1-0 MAC).

“I thought we learned a lot about ourselves in these last two games,” Solich

ANDREW GILLIS | SPORTS EDITOR said. “There are some things we need to get done to make us a better football team and we're in the process of doing that. I was pleased we were able to get the win. We put a lot of points on the board and we allowed them to put too many points on the board."

The “flashiest” game of the weekend happened in South Bend, Indiana, as No. 22 Notre Dame beat Miami 52-17. It was a homecoming for Miami coach Chuck Martin, who coached at Notre Dame as an offensive coordinator, among other responsibilities, from 2010-to-2013.

“It was obviously a tough game,” Martin said. “Felt pretty good about a lot of individual players that played well and held their own and showed that they could play against probably anybody in the country.

Northern Illinois gave No. 19 San Diego State all the Aztecs could handle in the last game of the weekend for the conference. Northern Illinois dropped to 2-2 with the loss.

The Huskies fell 34-28 despite outgaining the Aztecs 429-263. San Diego State

scored just three points in the second half.

“We’re obviously disappointed with the loss, that’s the bottom line,” Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey said. “You can’t go on the road, play a good team, turn the ball over four times, get a kickoff returned for a touchdown and think you’re going to win.

And we did (have a chance.)”

WINNERS AND LOSERS The conference’s winners: Ohio, Buffalo, Akron, Western Michigan.

The conferences losers: Central Michigan, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Bowling Green, Ball State, Northern Illinois.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Running back Emmanuel Reed (Buffalo) and wide receiver Christian Blake (Northern Illinois) earned the conference’s offensive players of the week for the East and West divisions, respectively.

Reed rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a dominating 27-13 win over Kent State, while Blake caught 13

passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensive back Kyron Brown (Akron) and defensive tackle Jeremiah Harris (Eastern Michigan) took home the conference’s defensive players of the week for the East and West, respectively.

Brown returned an interception for a touchdown, which ended up being the winning score, while Harris registered 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

WEEK 6 The MAC will have six games this weekend, starting with Eastern Michigan at Toledo at noon and ending with three games where kickoff is scheduled for 3:30.

There will be four crossover games and just two divisional games Saturday. The games are, in order of kickoff: Eastern Michigan at Toledo, Central Michigan at Ohio, Bowling Green at Miami, Ball State at Akron, Kent State at NIU, Western Michigan at Buffalo.

@ANDREW_GILLIS70 AG079513@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Left to right, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Chukwudi Chukwu, redshirt freshman wide receiver Bryan Long Jr. and redshirt freshman defensive lineman Andrew Cree II pose for a photo in Peden Stadium. (BLAKE NISSEN / PHOTO EDITOR)

The best gamers on the Bobcats SOME PLAYERS ON OHIO ARE PRETTY GOOD AT VIDEO GAMES, LIKE MADDEN, UFC AND DRAGON BALL Z.

20 / OCT. 5, 2017

CAMERON FIELDS / FOR THE POST At first, Andrew Cree II had to respect Bryan Long Jr.’s Madden skills. Cree, a linebacker at Ohio, said he’s one of the top five Madden players on the team. And in saying that, he also named some other good players. Long was a part of that group, along

with Michael Ballentine and Jaylen Morgan. Those were the top three Cree knew.

Long, a wide receiver, couldn’t acknowledge Cree’s Madden skills, though. “I’m No. 1,” Long said. “I feel like Cree is at the bottom pretty much. He can’t beat me.”

While the Bobcats play real football, they like to indulge in Madden and other video games when they have free time. Playing video games is an off-field activity, but it still allows the Bobcats to build chemistry and friendship.

Cree, Long and others don’t hesitate to talk trash to each other when they’re on the sticks, though.

When Cree heard what Long said, he had to reply with some heat.

“I emptied his pockets,” Cree said of the last time the two played.

‘MADDEN’ AND VIRTUAL FOOTBALL SCHEMES Cree likes to use any team on Madden, so long as it has a good defense. As a linebacker, he understands various defensive schemes.

Though Cree proclaims to be solid on defense, Long thinks differently.

“If Andrew Cree tells you that, he should be a comedian,” Long said.

And then once again, Cree had to reference when he defeated Long the last time.

“Well then how did he lose?”

Cree said.

Trash talk aside, playing Madden does have an educational element. The plays on the game, whether it be halfback screen on offense or Cover 2 man on defense, are actual football plays.

Cree plays on defense in

real life, and Long plays on offense – both can learn about the other side’s ways of thinking through playing the game.

Long runs a solid pass-oriented offense that’s indicative of his acumen on that side of the ball. He knows where the holes are on defenses. Long said Cree runs a lot of Cover 4 and Cover 3, so he just throws into the defense’s holes.

“He can’t really tackle, he tries to hit stick a lot,” Long said.

‘UFC’: THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL FIGHTING DUEL Chukwudi Chukwu was once the best at UFC, but he’s willing to say he’s not anymore. For now, at least.

“Cleon (Aloese), honestly I probably would say is the best,” Chukwu said. “I’ll give it to Cleon now. He’s definitely the best. I mean I’m gonna claim my title one day again.”

Chukwu, a defensive lineman, is an avid player of the EA Sports UFC franchise, a video game based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Along with Chukwu, Aloese and right guard Durrell Wood are viewed as some of the best UFC gamers on the Bobcats.

The violence between mixed martial arts and football is different — mixed martial arts is combat.

But Chukwu acknowledges a similarity in the sense that offensive linemen and defensive linemen jockey for position at the line of scrimmage.

“One thing when you’re (offensive line) versus (defensive line), one thing is we use our hands a lot,” Chukwu said.

“Boxing is great for a lot of (defensive linemen) because what you want to work on at the end of the day is hand down your opponents’ hand.”

Though Chukwu has not reclaimed his title, he has recently gave Aloese some competition. When Ohio traveled to Purdue earlier this month, Chukwu brought his PlayStation 4 on the road. The two played in the team’s hotel.

Chukwu won.

Aloese believes Chukwu still has some work to do, though.

“He did beat me a couple times, but other than that, the record tells everything,” Aloese said. “It’s like 15-1.”

‘DRAGON BALL Z’ AND RPG GAMES Javon Hagan and Kylan Nelson are part of a different group of gamers on the Bobcats. They’re not heavy sports gamers. Hagan and Nelson, Ohio’s starting safeties, prefer role-playing games like Call of Duty, Destiny and Dragon Ball Z. “You don’t want to see me in those at all,” Nelson said. “You do not want to see me in those.

Javon thinks he can beat me in Dragon Ball Z, but that’s over.”

Hagan’s favorite character in Dragon Ball Z is Gohan, but Nelson doesn’t want to hear any of that.

One thing when you’re (offensive line) versus (defensive line), one thing is we use our hands a lot. Boxing is great for a lot of (defensive linemen) because what you want to work on at the end of the day is hand down your opponents’ hand.”

-Chukwudi Chukwu, defensive lineman

“He thinks he can be Gohan, but that doesn’t matter,” Nelson said. “I don’t even worry about him in that one.”

Hagan plays Dragon Ball Z Xenoverse 2 on Xbox One, and though he and Nelson love the franchise, they occasionally play sports games. When NCAA Football was still on the market, Hagan liked playing that, and he was even ranked online at one point.

Nelson’s sports game of choice isn’t as popular as other games on the team. Just like he claims no one can touch him in Dragon Ball Z, he also says he’s good at MLB: The Show.

But not too many people on the team want to play that.

“They only want to play FIFA or Madden,” Nelson said.

“Nah, they don’t want to see me in MLB: The Show.”

As Nelson finished talking about his favorite video games, he had to add one more thing. Hagan stood off to the side, waiting to speak about his favorite games.

“Majin Vegeta is definitely better than Gohan,” Nelson said as Hagan cackled with playful disbelief. “Majin Vegeta is way better than Gohan on record.”

“You out your mind,” Hagan said.

@CAMERONFIELDS CF10614@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

5 HOMECOMING TRADITIONS BOBCATS SHOULDN’T MISS ANDREW GILLIS SPORTS EDITOR Even though alumni come to Ohio University to experience all of its former greatness, nothing makes someone feel more like a Bobcat than going to the annual football game.

There are plenty traditions surrounding the team that happen each year, starting on Thursday and culminating with Saturday’s game at 2 p.m. Here are five of them to take part in this Homecoming weekend.

1. ‘YELL LIKE HELL’ Each year, one of the more popular events attended during homecoming week is the “Yell Like Hell” event. Held in the Baker Center parking lot Thursday night at 8:30 p.m., students and faculty gather to, well, yell. It’s a pump-up event for the football game Saturday, as well as a beginning of the Homecoming weekend as a whole.

2. GREEN & WHITE Before the “Bobcats,” there was the Green and White. For the first 29 years after having switched school colors from blue and white, Ohio’s athletic teams weren’t nicknamed anything.

Rather, they just were called the “Green and White.”

A former student came up with the nickname “Bobcats,” and he won the prize winning entry to give the teams a name. And on Dec. 7, 1925, Ohio was officially the Bobcats. The winning student, Hal. H. Rowland, was awarded $10 for coming up with the moniker.

So if you hear “Green and White” this weekend, maybe it’s not someone trying to be colorful in the way they describe their team. Maybe they’re just being historical.

22 / OCT. 5, 2017

Rufus leads the Bobcats onto the field before kickoff in Peden Stadium on Oct. 8, 2016. (MATT STARKEY / FILE)

3. HALFTIME For some, this is the most exciting part of the Homecoming football game. As the two teams head into halftime, fans rise to their feet as one in anticipation of what’s to come.

The Marching 110, or “the most exciting band in the land,” performs a huge set accompanied by the alumni band. It’s a fan-favorite for attendees who get to see current and former band members show off their skills and dance moves in the middle of the field.

The alumni band performance

“One of the more hidden, yet coolest, traditions happens after the football game ends. ... The football teams heads over to the Marching 110 to sing ‘Alma Mater, Ohio.’ ”

isn’t always tame, either. In 1992, the alumni band briefly scuffled with members of the Miami football team as the Marching 110 played.

4. RUFUS Right before Ohio comes out of the tunnel, the first thing fans hear is a loud roar. It’s not the team, or the music or the roar of the crowd.

It’s Rufus, the school mascot, riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The new mascot costume recognized today was unveiled Sept.

2, 2006, before a football game.

5. ‘ALMA MATER, OHIO’ One of the more hidden, yet coolest, traditions happens after the football game ends.

At the end of the game, the football team heads over, win or lose, to the Marching 110 to sing “Alma Mater, Ohio.”

Most of the stadium has cleared out before this takes place, but that is truly one of the better traditions that not only Ohio has to offer as a school, but the athletic department has, as well.

@ANDREW_GILLIS70 AG079513@OHIO.EDU

Ohio’s Linebackers: A Different Breed

OHIO’S LINEBACKERS HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DYNAMIC PERSONALITIES ON THE ENTIRE TEAM Chad Moore and Evan Croutch pose for a photo on the way back to the locker room after practice.

(MIJANA MAZUR / FOR THE POST)

CAMERON FIELDS FOR THE POST Last year the group did a cheerleader pyramid, but this season would have a different picture. With Austin Clack on one end and James Leyden on the other, the group locked hands and jumped in the air together as it mimicked a group of sorority sisters.

Each player wore a smile or showed some form of amusement — Chad Moore and Cody Grilliot stuck out their tongues.

The Ohio linebackers are silly, but they are proud of that.

It is an identity the group has created among the team, and, because of that, the players in the unit are not afraid to be themselves.

“It’s never a dull moment with the linebackers,” junior Evan Croutch said.

The linebacker meetings are not boring. The group designates a player to begin most meetings with a riddle, Dylan Conner has been that designated player lately, and the rest of the Bobcats have tried to figure the riddles out.

The group certainly is original. Moore and Quentin Poling crack jokes minutes before games, but when it is time to play, they are serious.

The group’s capability to balance having fun with being serious puts it in position to perform well on the field.

“Leading up to it (a game), though, you gotta relax, not get all tense,” Moore said.

“Because when you do, that’s sort of when you do mistakes, get nervous.”

The Bobcats are around one another frequently, whether it is in meetings, on the field or even at home. Moore and Poling live together in an apartment.

And Sept. 24, the group — except for Jacob Koons, who was attending a birthday dinner for his mother — went to Croutch’s house for dinner.

Croutch was on the charcoal grill with Grilliot, and, though Grilliot is a respected cook, it was the first time the group saw Croutch on the grill. Moore said the hamburgers and bratwursts were good.

“But it’s kind of hard to mess up a hamburger and brat, that’s the way I look at it,” Moore said. “Cook a steak for me.”

Along with eating burgers and brats, the group played cornhole and pingpong to end the weekend. The players took a break from football and studying, continuing to foster their closeknit culture.

Linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Ron Collins and his wife, Sharon, occasionally have the unit over for dinner at their house, too.

Chemistry — whether on the field, in meetings or both — is important for the Bobcats. Some players could legitimately not like one another. But that is not the case for Ohio.

“I’ve had some guys that have not been good in there (the meeting room), and so it just makes the whole thing a little sour,”

I think we just have a lot of really good leadership in the room. A lot of different personalities, but all those personalities kind of gel together good.”

-Cody Grilliot, Ohio linebacker Collins said.

Collins wants a multitude of personalities in his group. He doesn’t want guys who are “cookie cutters,” or players who do not show their true selves. For the redshirt freshmen, showing their true selves did not come immediately last season.

They were shy and sat straight-faced in meetings while the older linebackers cracked jokes.

Eventually, though, the young linebackers started to crack jokes, too.

“They kind of finally realized that this is how it is,” Moore said. “To just be able to get through football, you gotta have

some comedy.”

And comedy is a surplus for the linebackers. The group even has nicknames for one another.

One day, Moore was looking at Conner and called him a “Berry.” Eric Popp is called “Popsicle,” and Jared Dorsa is called “Meat Sauce.” The latter is because one day, Moore and some linebackers saw him in a dining hall with a bunch of meat sauce on his spaghetti.

And then Dorsa was also given the nickname “Mustard” because he had a hotdog with an absurd amount of mustard on it.

In addition, Grilliot is called “ ‘Squatch” because he has a lot of hair. Marcus Brunson is called “Dolphin” because he likes dolphins — he also has a snake.

While the linebackers are not afraid to show their personalities, they are not averse to being serious as well. The lively meetings, the funny nicknames — those things contribute to the group’s identity.

But when it is time to be serious, the Bobcats are. And that is why their goofiness is not looked down upon.

“I think we just have a lot of really good leadership in the room,” Grilliot said. “A lot of different personalities, but all those personalities kind of gel together good.”

@CAMERONFIELDS CF710614@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

Matt Seymour poses for a portrait with the Canadian flag in Peden Stadium. (HANNAH SCHROEDER / PHOTO EDITOR)

MATT SEYMOUR’S UNLIKELY PATH TO OHIO Seymour, from New Westminster, British Columbia, is part of the rare group of athletes who go directly from Canada to NCAA Division I football JORDAN HORROBIN / STAFF WRITER

24 / OCT. 5, 2017

Ohio receiver Matt Seymour smiled as he thought back on the past two years. ¶He smiled at what it took for him to come to Ohio, where, on a warm September day, he stood 2,600 miles from home on the Peden Stadium turf. ¶At the sound of the word “paperwork,” his eyes bulged.

Somehow, his smile grew. ¶“Paperwork-wise, it’s crazy,” Seymour said. “I have a whole pamphlet in my room right

S

now of stuff I got to (have) just to get across the border.”

eymour, from New Westminster, British Columbia, made the uncommon journey directly from Canada to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) without stopping at a U.S. prep school or junior college in between.

In 2015, Seymour was one of two FBS recruits from New Westminster Secondary School, the only high school in Canada to place more than one player in the highest level of NCAA football.

As is the case with most of Canada’s top talent, he was under-recruited and had to fight through a lack of exposure and lack of respect for his competition to try to land somewhere stateside.

Seymour’s talent, blended with the help of a well-connected coach and unwavering parental support, brought him to the Bobcats.

“I kind of knew that if I wanted to make it serious, then I had to start going down to the states and having to show myself to them,” Seymour said. “They’re not necessarily going to come up to us in Canada, so we gotta come down to them and get the exposure you want that way.”

Seymour’s childhood featured an array of activities, from baseball and basketball to swimming and gymnastics. Football wasn’t on his radar until ninth grade, when a friend suggested he try out for the school team.

Seymour was hooked in a matter of weeks.

He beat out that same friend for a starting spot in the receiving corps and eventually ex-

celled on both sides of the ball as a speedy, lanky wideout and a ball-hawking defensive back.

Seymour played the game hard and at full speed. During his freshman year, he went up for an interception and, as he brought the ball in, was slammed to the turf by an opposing player.

Seymour got up, started coughing blood and spent four days in the hospital with bruised lungs.

“My parents almost made me quit after that,” he said, laughing.

“Because they didn’t know how dangerous football was. But they let me come back.”

It wasn’t long before some of Canada’s top university programs noticed him. Seymour wound up visiting Ontario powerhouses McMaster, Carleton and Guelph, as well as the University of British Columbia, which won the 2015 national championship.

But his goal was to play Division I football in the U.S. Fortunately, Seymour’s high school coach, Farhan Lalji, understood what Canadian players needed to do to give themselves a shot at playing south of the border.

“I think exposure’s an issue because these areas aren’t necessarily recruited on a day-today basis,” said Lalji, who has coached high school football in British Columbia for 30 years.

“But it’s less that now. I think the biggest challenge that Canadian kids get is you’re being compared to the people that you’re playing against.”

Lalji, who is also a reporter for Canadian media outlet TSN, helped Seymour craft his highlight tape on Hudl. More importantly, Lalji urged Seymour to

attend football prospect camps in the U.S. Seymour went to a few camps, including one five hours away in Beaverton, Oregon and one six hours away in Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. Camps cost athletes hundreds of dollars in entry fees with no assurance they’ll get a fair look from coaches in attendance.

“Well, you do as much as you can because he’s got the dream,” Matt’s father, David Seymour, said.

To give his son another chance to be seen, David recalled traveling down to Spokane, Washington, for a prospect camp that doubled as a family vacation.

But Seymour’s big break came through Lalji, who knew James Ward, Ohio’s defensive back coach at the time, because Ward had recruited one of Lalji’s players to Idaho State years before.

Lalji sent Seymour’s highlight tape to Ward. Then, on the day of the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, which Lalji covered for TSN, Ward called Lalji to say Ohio was interested in Seymour.

Two weeks later, after a visit to campus, Seymour committed to his sole FBS offer.

“I’m not a big believer in luck,” said David, a pastor at Royal City Community Church in New Westminster. “But sometimes there are just opportunities that are made available just through a series of events that happen and you make the most of an opportunity that’s presented to you.”

Without Lalji, Matt may have never had his chance. One of the problems for most promising Canadian players is that they don’t have a coach with the resources or the drive to help. After all, most high school football coaches in Canada serve on a volunteer basis. “(If) you’re in one of those power programs at a big state, schools are calling you,” Lalji said. “But if you’re a Canadian coach, you need to be making calls to coaches.”

Seymour stayed home in the

I kind of knew that if I wanted to make it serious, then I had to start going down to the states and having to show myself to them. They’re not necessarily going to come up to us in Canada, so we gotta come down to them and get the exposure you want that way.”

-Matt Seymour, Ohio wide receiver

fall of 2015, working part-time at a grocery store and lifting weights frequently with a personal trainer at a gym two blocks from his house. He began classes the following January as a “grayshirt,” then redshirted last year. He’s played in two games this season as a redshirt freshman.

The journey to the FBS is complete, but it’s taken Seymour far from home. He said he goes home just twice per year for about three weeks total. FaceTime and texting are his daily ways of keeping in touch with family.

Trips to Athens are few and far between for the Seymours.

Not having the TV channels or streaming access to Ohio’s games is a challenge, too.

Sometimes, on the night before the Bobcats play, they call Buffalo Wild Wings in Bellingham, Washington, to see if the restaurant can show the game.

When Ohio faced Purdue, the Seymours drove an hour down to Bellingham to watch.

David didn’t seem to mind the inconvenience.

“You make the sacrifices because there’s the goal that we have there,” he said. “And you try to do as much as you can as a parent to help make that thing a reality.”

The forecast for Canadians taking a direct route to the FBS shows no sign of improvement.

Among Canada’s 2017 top 10 high school seniors, only one has committed to an FBS school, according to Canada Football Chat. And four of the top five players are playing at prep schools in the U.S. Seymour beat the odds. It’s not something he takes lightly.

And he shouldn’t, given that he represents a group that will always be under-recruited.

“I know a lot of guys back home that probably deserved shots down here,” Seymour said.

“I’m thankful of the opportunity I got, so I’ve just got to make the most of it.”

@JORDANHORROBIN JH950614@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 25

SOCCER

Sarina Dirrig defends the ball during the game against Central Michigan on Sept. 24. The Bobcats won 3-0. (ABIGAIL DEAN / FILE)

20th anniversary carries weight in different ways TYLER JOHNSON FOR THE POST

A

my Rossi loved her time in Athens. So, when she heard about an opportunity to return the school she graduated from, she took advantage of it, even if it meant making the drive from New Jersey.

This fall is the 20th anniversary of Bobcat soccer, and for many different people, that has its own special meaning. Several alumni returned Sept. 24 to celebrate.

For Rossi, a 2007 graduate, and other alumni, it allows them to relive some of the best moments of their life.

“The culture makes you want to come back and be a part of everything you can be,” she said. “It’s great to be invited back 26 / OCT. 5, 2017

for something that’s a big accomplishment for the program.”

Former Bobcat Annie Collins added to that sentiment.

“It’s just the perfect college town feel,” Collins said. “There’s no place like it.”

Some alumni enjoyed the chance to reconnect with people they hadn’t seen in years.

Gina Weable, a 2005 graduate, said the team spent so much time together and formed a close bond, so it was an easy decision to come back.

“We formed a family,” Weable said.

For coach Aaron Rodgers, he appreciates the anniversary. It gives his current players an example of life after college.

“To see that these alumni now who are professionals, mothers, wives,” Rod-

gers said. “That’s where our players now are going to be in, and sometimes we lose perspective of that, to see that they were in the same position, so how can they help us, what kind of advice can they give?”

Rodgers also said the anniversary represents the progress the program has made and is continuing to.

“It’s neat to see different eras come in and show that Bobcat soccer has been around a long time and is going to be around a long time after we’re gone from here,” he added.

Just being a part of the moment means a lot. But some, like senior forward Allie Curry, don’t want to this season just to be remembered as the celebration of 20 years.

“Hopefully, at the end of the season, we can say we did a good job for the 20th an-

niversary and put the program in a better position than it ever has been.” Curry said.

For others, it meant a way to show the team’s growth after former teammates had graduated.

Senior forward Hannah Jaggers used the moment to show the alumni that the program is still raising the bar and building off what they started.

“They’re not forgotten; we’re playing for them still,” Jaggers said.

And the current players haven't been forgotten, either.

That's why Amy Rossi returned to Athens, driving hundreds of miles to celebrate the anniversary of Ohio women's soccer.

@_RELYT_J TJ932016@OHIO.EDU

BASKETBALL

Stevie Taylor, point guard from 2011-2015. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

Jaaron Simmons, point guard from 2014-2017. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

OHIO SEARCHES FOR POINT GUARD TO REPLACE SIMMONS JIMMY WATKINS FOR THE POST On the first day of practice at The Convo, every member of press row was focused on the same question.

The Bobcats need a point guard. They didn’t think they would. Then Jaaron Simmons transferred to Michigan.

Who’s bringing the ball up the court?

The point guard is nearly every team’s catalyst, but it was the overwhelming force behind the Ohio offense last season.

Simmons led the Bobcats in scoring and assists last season. Overall, he accounted for 26.3 percent of the team’s possessions that ended in a shot, assist

or turnover.

How will they replace him? What can coach Saul Phillips do to replicate all that production?

Well, for starters, he’s going to spread out the workload.

“Maybe Jason (Carter) is the guy that’s setting someone else up at the end of the play,” Phillips said.

“Or Gavin (Block) or Jordy (Dartis) or Mike (Laster) or (Teyvion Kirk) or Zach (Butler). But it could be coming from any different position now.”

On some possessions during practice Sunday, it was one of the two freshman point guards (Kirk and Butler) orchestrating the offense. On others, it was Block, Dartis or Laster dribbling up the court and

making the first pass.

And yes, Jason Carter was making plays for others out of the post. But even then, someone else has to make the entry pass inside.

Block, Dartis, Laster, Kirk or Butler won’t tell you whether the open starting spot crosses their mind on the court, but the proof is in the intensity at practice.

“It’s a battle, man,” Dartis said. “We’re competing and going hard.

We’re practicing every day and trying to make each other better.”

Finding a starter at point guard will be a patient process. If one of the freshmen wins the job, he will be playing against Division I talent for the first time.

If the primary ball handler comes from the in-

fense. But that’s much fur-

Pretty much everybody I’ve ever coached has grown into, ‘OK, now you can be used every time down the court.’ ” -coach Saul Phillips cumbent camp, he will be used to playing every possession off of a teammate.

Either way, the learning curve will be considerable.

But regardless of who wins the job, his duties will be different from Simmons’ last year, at least to start the season.

Carter said Ohio will run less pick and roll. Phillips said the point guard’s

usage rate (that 26.3 number) will drop.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t go back up.

“Pretty much everybody I’ve ever coached has grown into ‘OK, now you can be used every time down the court,’ ” Phillips said.

Based on Phillips’ track record, it seems like there will eventually be one primary facilitator of the of-

ther down the road.

For now, the Bobcats will dispense the ball handling duties more evenly across their backcourt.

Phillips said he doesn’t want his players worrying as much about who starts and who comes off the bench. He even mentioned having two primary ball handlers on the floor together at times.

But he will eventually have to choose from his crop of guards. The Bobcats do still need a point guard.

Fortunately for Phillips, that decision doesn’t have to come today.

“Guess what, I don’t have all the answers yet,” Phillips said. “I didn’t expect to come into today having it all figured out.”

@JIMMYWATKINS95 JW331813@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 27

VOLLEYBALL

Olman finds success in new role SPENCER HOLBROOK ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

S

tephanie Olman doesn’t care where she plays.

She’ll play any position, as long as she’s on the floor and helping her team.

So when three players in Ohio’s front row, including the team’s two captains, went down to injury, coach Deane Webb came to Olman. The discussion about moving Olman from setter to outside hitter began.

It was a quick conversation. She agreed to make the move.

“It had been a long time,” said Olman, who hadn’t played outside hitter since high school. “But I was going to do what’s best for the team, so I was ready for it.”

Converting from one position to the other isn’t an easy task, especially when doing it mid-season and on the fly.

Part of the transition included working on dealing with “bad balls,” the balls nobody wants to have to hit and are not set up within the offensive system. Being an outside hitter calls for more bad balls than the middle hitters receive.

But that’s part of playing outside hitter, and Olman is adjusting well.

As a setter, Olman had 46 assists. In four Mid-American Conference matches as an outside hitter, Olman has 45 kills, good for third on the team.

She has 75 kills on the season. In Ohio’s match against Bowling Green on Sept. 30, she had 16 kills.

Her hitting percentage has improved in each of the last two matches.

And although she’s still 28 / OCT. 5, 2017

Carly Remmers cheers with her team during Ohio’s game against Miami on Sept. 29. (BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)

in the early stages of her transition, her success has caught the attention of the Bobcats’ coaching staff.

“You have to be very impressed,” Webb said.

“She’s growing and she’s learning and we had to adjust some things on offense to help her and we’ve done that. Vera (Giacomazzi) has done a good job finding a way to keep (Olman) involved, finding a set that works well for her.”

Impressive, yes. Surprising? Not quite.

The tangibles have been there since Olman stepped on campus. But now she must focus on the intangibles of playing outside hitter — the mental side.

“She’s a good athlete, hits a heavy ball,” Webb said. “She’s just trying to learn ‘how do I handle the bad situations? How do I get balls from different angles?’ And she’s starting to do that at a higher level.”

Thinking about and processing the game of

volleyball through the lens of a new position isn’t something Olman is doing alone. One person who has helped her is Jaime Kosiorek, a senior captain and outside hitter who tallied over 1,000 kills for her career. She’s out for the season with a torn ACL. Kosiorek was one of the Bobcats’ best players before her injury, and, with her on the sidelines, she can point out things that Olman might not be able to see on the floor.

Olman is using Kosiorek to her advantage, allowing Kosiorek to teach her, so while Kosiorek is sidelined, Olman can fill the void.

“When I’m in the game and when I come off the court during a game, she gives me the most feedback and she’s always encouraging me,” Olman said. “I’m just doing whatever I can because she can’t be out there, so I’m trying to do it for her.”

With Remmers healthy and back in the lineup,

there is no telling if Olman will begin the transition back to her original position or stay an outside hitter. It’s something Olman doesn’t have an answer to, either.

“I have no idea,” she said.

But maybe that’s how it should be. The move to outside hitter was sudden, and the next conversation Webb has with her might have to be the same.

@SPENCERHOLBROOK SH690914@OHIO.EDU

HOCKEY

LAST SEASON ON THE ICE We come here every day because we love to play. We aren’t here on scholarships like anybody else — we come here and put it on the line.”

-Jake Faiella, senior hockey player

From left to right, senior forward Mike Palasics (#28), head coach Sean Hogan, senior defender Jake Faiella (#17) and senior foward Drew Crandall (#15) pose for a portrait together. The three are the only seniors on the team, and the first seniors Hogan will have overseen since their freshman year. (CARL FONTICELLA / FOR THE POST)

The hockey team’s three seniors reminisce on their four years at Ohio MATT PARKER FOR THE POST

T

ime is a curious thing. It can fly by or go too slow, and, in most cases, having more time is desired but can’t be fulfilled.

Time is something that seniors Drew Crandall, Jake Faiella and Mike Palasics, along with coach Sean Hogan have put in together over the course of the last four years. Time together is also something they’re running out of.

From the first day the group walked through the door, the combination is one Hogan will remember for a long time.

“In terms of continuity, I’m proud of them,” Hogan said. “They’re Bobcats through and through.”

It was four years ago that the Bobcats announced Hogan as their next head coach. From the get-go, Hogan has established his program within the confines of Bird Arena. His foundations are his three seniors.

It only seemed like yesterday Crandall, Faiella and Palasics were lacing up their skates and stepping out onto the slushed August ice at Bird, what they call home.

Faiella and Crandall were recruited, while Palasics originally came to Ohio to try his hand at ROTC. Eventually, Palasics’ love for the game took over after he earned a spot due to a spectacular tryout.

The three have been together on and off the ice for the last three years — they live together, go to practice together, go to the library together and go out together.

They make jokes at one another’s expense — mostly at the 24-year-old Faiella, who is nicknamed “The Father.”

“If you have a good relationship off the ice, then it’s obviously going to transfer on the ice,” Crandall said.

Faiella and Palasics have worked wonders together on the penalty kill and, with Crandall as a solid third- and fourth-liner, the senior trio has cemented an on-ice chemistry that has fueled success for Ohio.

That chemistry added with experience, has created a timeless leadership role for the three. Faiella, the team’s captain, and Palasics, an alternate captain, have led the team through the good times and the bad — only now they have the patches on their jerseys to signify their role.

“Faiella has always been a leader; he leads by example and by voice,” goalie Jimmy Thomas said. “It’s nice with a small group because you always know who to look up to for advice. Mikey P is always a good vocal leader, as well as Hazel and Faiella — they always say little pick ups that make the guys buy into the system and make everyone happy.”

As the team’s captain, Faiella’s leadership has always been apparent.

“Jake’s been a leader since day one,”

Hogan said.

With the Bobcats, the four have made deep postseason runs both in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League and, most notably, last year in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, where they finished as national runners-up.

They haven’t won a championship — at least not yet. But with a record of 85-2410, when it’s all said and done, there won’t be any reason to hang their heads.

“We come here every day because we love to play,” Faiella said. “We aren’t here on scholarships like anybody else — we come here and put it on the line.”

For Hogan and his seniors, it’s been a fast four years. Blowout wins, heartbroken losses and all of the other statistics will be referenced upon as history moves forward.

But those are just numbers.

What really will be remembered are the times spent in Bird, running the same drill over and over again. The satisfaction of sweeping a team. The long road trips.

How, in their first year, Hogan mixed up former captain Matt Hartman’s name with Palasics’ and sent the Hartman family a Christmas card addressed to Mike.

How Hogan asked Palasics how many ribs he had eaten while he was still eating. And lastly, how Hogan had told them that their time at Ohio would be the best four years of their lives.

In the blink of an eye, you can say to yourself, “where did the time go?”

For Crandall, Faiella and Palasics, they know exactly where the time went.

@MPARKER_5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 29

the weekender NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY TO SHOW AN OUTBURST OF PRIDE

ROLLERBOWL LANES TO HOST ITS FIRST KEGS AND EGGS BAYLEE DEMUTH FOR THE POST

RILEY BOGGS FOR THE POST

T

o Josiah Rawls, watching LGBT-identifying individuals in the Homecoming Parade is a positive sign for people who may question their gender and sexual orientation.

“It’s great to have members of the community out and about, displaying their pride,” Rawls, a freshman studying communications, said. “It can serve as solace for those going through the decision of whether or not to come out.”

Ohio University’s LGBT Center will be celebrating National Coming Out Day on Friday in conjunction with Homecoming weekend. The center will also participate in the Homecoming Parade on Saturday, LGBT Center Director delfin bautista said.

“As we toss ‘rainbow swag’ to the kids in the parade, they might not understand the meaning behind the item,” bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, said.

“The hope is if that child ever grows up with the challenge of coming out, that child can think back to the parade (and) think back to the confidence and comfortability we displayed.”

Many of the events coordinated by the LGBT Center focuses on the impact of both formal and non-formal activities in attempt to create a space where participants can feel comfortable.

While the weekend will see the formality of rallies and participation in the Homecoming Parade, the LGBT Center will also host a casual “Crafternoon” session involving underwater basket weaving Friday.

“The hope is that whether or not some30 / OCT. 5, 2017

W

delfin bautista, director of Ohio University’s LGBT Center, gives an opening monologue during the National Coming Out Day Rally on Oct. 9, 2016, in the Bobcat Lounge in Baker Center. bautista gave a passionate speech about LGBT rights and how now is the time to combat all types of phobia the community faces. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

one is struggling with coming out, they see how comfortable those who have come out are,” bautista said. “Knowing that despite facing what can be a very fearful revealing, rallying within the community can give someone the confidence to be themselves.”

According to bautista, there have been an increase in outlets of expression conveying the message of understanding and acceptance. Television shows such as Glee and Modern Family have characters with traits LGBT individuals can relate to.

“I think diversity among on-screen characters helps present different ideas and beliefs within a receptive setting,” Bry Russell, an undecided freshman, said.

Russell said characters like Cameron Tucker from Modern Family are relatable and depicted in a way that doesn’t portray coming out as an LGBT individuals as people with personality traits that do not revolve around their sexual orientation.

“I look at Cam on Modern Family and I feel as though we can all laugh with him,” Russell said. “I think the creators of show the depict Cam so he can be funny and gay.

While being gay is a part of who he is, the show does a good job of showing there is more to him than his sexual orientation.”

IF YOU GO WHAT: National Coming OUt Day Crafting OUt LOUd WHEN: 11 a.m., Friday WHERE: Maggie Davis Room, Baker 120 ADMISSION: Free

IF YOU GO WHAT: National Coming OUt Day Crafting OUt LOUd, part duex WHEN: 11 a.m., Wednesday WHERE: LGBT Center, Baker 354 ADMISSION: Free RB873516@OHIO.EDU

ith the addition of kegs and eggs, bowling just got a lot more fun.

Rollerbowl Lanes will host its first kegs and eggs event from 1-6 a.m. Saturday.

The idea came about from college students who work at Rollerbowl, manager Mike Karshner said.

“The students say that kegs and eggs is a pretty popular event,” Karshner said. “We’re hoping to fill the place if that’s the case.”

Rollerbowl will not be providing any kegs or eggs, Karshner said — people are expected to bring their own supplies. If the turnout is good, Rollerbowl will consider hosting an event similar to this on a monthly basis, he said.

“After most of the bars close, I’m expecting a lot of students to come to the lanes,” he said. “They’ll all be looking for a place to go, so why not go to the bowling alley that also has kegs and eggs?”

Chad Quanrud, a freshman studying astrophysics, has been to a kegs and eggs event prior to Rollerbowl’s.

“I was here last year visiting my brother for Sibs Weekend, and he took me to my first kegs and eggs,” Quanrud said. “It was a blast and I’ve been looking forward to going to (a kegs and eggs event) again this year.”

The kegs aren’t that big of a deal, but going out with friends and having a good time is probably the best part aside from the eggs, he said.

“Kegs and eggs is an awesome event here at OU, especially since my favorite breakfast food is eggs,” Quanrud said. “I also really love bowling, so the event being hosted by the bowling alley sounds

WHAT’S GOING ON? MAE YEN YAP CULTURE EDITOR

Friday The Plains Indian Mound Festival 2017 at 5 p.m. at The Plains Community Park, 65 Connett Road. Organized by The Plains Lions Club, the event is a family-friendly weekend-long event that celebrates the history of the Indian Mounds. Admission is free.

One Sticky Sweet Variety Show at 8 p.m. at Donkey Coffee, 17 W. Washington St. Enjoy a night of laughter and comedy with Blue Pencil. There’ll be magic, murder, mystery and more. Admission is free.

DJ Barticus Y2K Millennium Dance Party at 9 p.m. at The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. DJ Barticus will spin tunes from 1999 to today. Admission is $3 for ages 21 and above and $5 for ages 18-20.

The Spikedrivers at 10 p.m. at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. The Spikedrivers will be at Casa, playing its one-of-a-kind blend of swinging, bluesy, upbeat, country-fried rock ‘n’ roll. Admission is $3 for ages 21 and above and $5 for ages 18-20.

Saturday

Rollerbowl Lanes will be hosting its first kegs and eggs event Saturday, from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. (KEVIN PAN/ FOR THE POST)

like something I’d definitely be interested in going to.”

Anya Bingman, a sophomore studying nursing, has also partaken in kegs and eggs before. “(Kegs and eggs) is so much fun, and I recommend that everyone does it at some point in their lifetime,” Bingman said. “A lot of my friends get together, wear a bunch of OU apparel and just eat as many eggs as our bellies can hold.”

It’s an all-day event that begins as soon as you wake up or as soon as the sun comes out, she said.

“Some people choose to go to a football game or any sporting event to take a break from the all-day outing,” she said. “But I think most people, at least in my friend group, just hang out eating eggs all day.”

The most common egg served at a kegs and eggs event is probably the scrambled egg, Bingman said. But her favorite is the over-medium.

“I hadn’t heard of the Rollerbowl kegs and eggs event, but I think it sounds fun,” she said. “I wanna go bowling, but haven’t

gotten a chance yet, so this is the perfect opportunity.”

The event is open to everyone, but the primary target is college students, Karshner said.

“We’re getting the word out through all of our social media platforms, so I’m hoping it’ll be a really fun night that our customers will enjoy,” Karshner said.

IF YOU GO WHAT: Kegs and Eggs WHEN: 1-6 a.m., Saturday WHERE: Rollerbowl Lanes, 28 Palmer St. ADMISSION: $14

@BAYLEEDEMUTH BD575016@OHIO.EDU

Ohio vs Central Michigan at 2 p.m. at Peden Stadium, 200 Richland Ave. The Ohio Bobcats team will face off Central Michigan for the Homecoming game. OU’s Marching 110 will also perform during halftime.

Tickets are available to purchase at Ohio Bobcats Athletics website.

The Everly Brothers Experience presented by The Bird Dogs at 7 p.m. at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville. Experience a genuine and youthful Everly Brothers experience as they bridge the gap between country and rock ‘n’ roll. Tickets range from $17 to $25 and are available to purchase at Eventbrite.

Renee Stewart Band & Levi Westfall at 8 p.m. at Donkey Coffee, 17 W. Washington St. Come enjoy a night of Appala-

chian music filled with stories of loss, love, hope and history with Levi Westfall. The Renee Stewart Band will be the opening act. Admission is free.

Bobcat Alumni Jazz Jam at 10 p.m. at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. Join Casa as it invites a big jazz band featuring current ensembles from the School of Music as well as a band comprised of OU alumni. Admission is $3 for ages 21 and above and $5 for ages 18-20.

The Wild Honeybees at 8 p.m. at The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W/ Union St. The Wild Honeybees will rock out in celebration of Homecoming weekend. Admission is $6 at the door and $3 with an OU student ID.

Sunday Visiting Pianist Vadym Kholodenko at 2 p.m. at Glidden Recital Hall, 3 Health Center Drive. The OU School of Music invites all to enjoy a night of music from Ukrainian pianist Vadym Kholodenko. Admission is free OcTUBAfest Ensemble Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Glidden Recital Hall, 3 Health Center Drive. OcTUBAfest will return to feature tuba and euphonium students, as well as special guest Aaron Tindall. Admission is free.

Sunday Family Art Encounters at 2 p.m. at Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle.

The Kennedy Museum of Art will host a drop-in program for children and adults to engage in various art and crafts activities. Admission is free.

@SUMMERINMAE MY389715@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 31

Walk-Ins Welcome!

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32 / OCT. 5, 2017

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