October 21, 2021

OU’s vaccination numbers ahead of the November deadline PG 6 A look at Athens towing practices PG 12-13 Evaluating performances after Ohio’s loss to Buffalo PG 18 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021

Could medical marijuana be used to combat addiction?

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Press play on these ‘Post’ podcasts

ABBY MILLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

All of my friends and current Posties have grown to know one eye-roll-inducing fact about me: if you see me walking on campus with a pair of headphones in, good luck getting my attention.

I’ve notoriously been known to not say “hello” back to those I know on the street because, to my own fault, I usually can’t hear them. When I pop in earbuds and crank the volume up, the chatter and other various noises floating along campus fade into the background. I’m catapulted into my own world for just a moment as I’m walking between classes or in between meetings.

As a journalism major, though, I’m a bit embarrassed to say it’s almost never a podcast I’m listening to on my walks.

But podcasts are on the rise, both nationally and here at The Post, and I sense a change in my ways. I’ve begun to curate a list of podcasts I want to start listening to, and I’m making a conscious effort to listen to more than NPR’s ‘Up First’ when I get ready in the morning.

The Post multimedia staff is constantly evolving and expanding, too, and for quite some time now, podcasts have been a staple of the multimedia section. The podcast selection has included everything from pop culture to sports to hard news, and anyone new or old to The Post can pitch a podcast. Some new podcasts have debut-

ed this year and, rest assured, more are on their way. Just like with our print and digital reporting, we’re committed to ensuring there’s high-quality, diverse audio journalism at The Post that appeals to all of our readers.

There are three podcasts at The Post that are producing routine episodes. Two are new, and one is a returning podcast.

Our veteran podcast in the mix is ‘Stay Tuned,’ an entertainment news podcast hosted by Managing Editor Bre Offenberger and Culture Editor Riley Runnells. Each week, Offenberger and Runnells break down and discuss the entertainment news you need to know. The episodes are succinct and witty, and they are released every Thursday.

One of our newer podcasts is ‘Yes Ma’am,’ which debuted Oct. 4. The podcast delves into women in the world of sports and is hosted by three of The Post’s female sports writers: Ashley Beach, Molly Burchard and Maria Monesi. Since its first episode, ‘Yes Ma’am’ has included discussions of the U.S. Open, all-women MLB broadcasts and Ohio University sports. The trio pours so much into their shows, and I’m so proud to see our female sports writers claiming and owning their spot in the industry through this endeavor.

Our final podcast — and another recent addi-

tion — is ‘The Culture Corner,’ which released its first episode Sept. 24.

‘The Culture Corner’ features our culture editor and assistant culture editor, Runnells and Kayla Bennett, respectively. The pair recaps the top stories in Athens arts, local happenings and more each week, along with activities those in Athens can enjoy every weekend. If you’re someone like me who likes a good podcast to prime them for the day or week, ‘The Culture Corner’ is a great listen, especially for your Friday mornings.

Podcasts are such a great way to learn even more about what’s happening in Athens and at OU. I’m hopeful that as our podcast choices expand, more readers join us on Spotify, Spreaker and beyond in listening to our audio options. Just a tip: maybe turn the volume down more than I do while listening on your campus strolls.

Abby Miller is a senior studying journalism and political science at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Abby at am166317@ohio.edu or tweet her @abblawrence.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BANECK

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Abby Miller MANAGING EDITOR Bre Offenberger DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Geiger EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Emma Skidmore, Ryan Maxin ASST. NEWS EDITOR Molly Wilson PROJECTS EDITOR Taylor Burnette SPORTS EDITOR Jack Gleckler ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Eli Feazell CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Kayla Bennett OPINION EDITOR Mikayla Rochelle ASST. OPINION EDITOR Hannah Campbell THE BEAT EDITOR Madyson Lewellyn ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer COPY CHIEF Anna Garnai SLOT EDITORS Anastasia Carter, Ashley Beach, Bekah Bostick, Isabel Nissley ART ART DIRECTOR Mary Berger ASST. ART DIRECTOR Olivia Juenger DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nate Swanson PHOTO EDITOR Jesse Jarrold-Grapes DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Brianna Lender AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jack Hiltner DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Noah DeSantis BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan 2 / OCT. 21, 2021

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OU funds new campaign to promote inclusion on campus PAIGE FISHER FOR THE POST The Make Respect Visible campaign has been featured throughout Ohio University’s campus via signage, T-shirts and other promotional materials.

This campaign was founded by University Communications and Marketing, or UCM, in collaboration with the Division of Diversity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs. These university offices provide primary

The “Make Respect Visible” campaign is set on display in all parts of Ohio University’s campus, including West 82 in Baker Center. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

funding for this campaign as well.

In total, this campaign is costing OU offices approximately $20,000, which is divided evenly among each of these offices, Duane Bruce, interim assistant director of Multicultural Programs and Multicultural Center, said.

Although the campaign is fairly new to the OU, it has been in the works for quite some time, Carly Leatherwood, university spokesperson, said.

“Over a year, (the campaign) has been something that we have been focusing on as a priority,” Leatherwood said. “And it was in response to the fact that we didn’t really have a baseline for incoming students to understand what our community values are.”

The campaign is not only meant to reach out to incoming students, but it is also meant to bring existing students together.

One of the action items for this year was to create a campaign that gives the university expectations for engagement across differences, Bruce said.

The university has also received feedback from students to help improve this project.

Over 100 students were able to take a survey before the campaign launched, and it was modified based on student feedback, Leatherwood said.

Along with Bruce, Megan Vogel, chief of staff for Student Affairs, has recently been in communication with members of the OU community to help spread the word and message of the campaign.

Student Senate and OU learning communities have also both been involved in the campaign, Leatherwood said.

Students in learning communities are being asked to give feedback specifically for Make Respect Visible through surveys at the end of the semester, Bruce said.

“I think the signs do make everyone who sees it just feel like they’re part of (the campaign),’’ Madelyn Schafer, a freshman studying biological sciences, said. “It’s like the whole campus is a part of the campaign, so you just feel like because you go to campus, you’re part of the campaign.”

Bruce and Vogel both said they were surprised to hear about the campaign being the theme for Homecoming.

“The first group that I saw come through … promoting Make Respect Visible, I was like, ‘Oh, cool, that must be the group,’” Vogel said. “And then another came through, and then another; I don’t want it to just be Duane, Carly and I sharing this message. I want it to be everybody talking about it.”

OU is also very confident in the future of this campaign. Currently, the campaign is just a starting point and is subject to change as time goes on.

“We didn’t put this up to solve racism in Ohio … but it does give us a baseline as a university community for how to engage in conversations that are critical,” Bruce said.

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OUPD reports rape, sexual battery; new barbershop open on Court Street MOLLY WILSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR Substitute employees needed at Athens County School District

Due to repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Athens County School District, or ACSD, is in need of substitute employees for teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and paraprofessionals.

In August, the district faced shortages in transportation staff, resulting in a temporary shut down. On Oct. 7, a Facebook post requested individuals apply for the open substitute employee positions in the district.

COVID-19 protocols that cause employees with any illnesses to call off work for longer periods of time, regardless of their symptoms, is one of the factors affecting the lack of substitute teachers, ACSD Superintendent Tom Gibbs said.

The lack of applicants for the open positions is due to many reasons, including COVID-19, but also to compensation and requirements. There is also an additional risk of coming into contact with COVID-19 in schools, Sabrina Stalder, president of Athens Education Association, or AEA, and high school agriculture teacher, said.

The lack of substitute teachers and applicants causes stress within the school system for both teachers who need a substitute and those who are asked to help cover classrooms without teachers.

Although the need for covering unattended classrooms is met, the educational needs of students may not be. Scott HallJones, vice president of AEA and an elementary math and sciences teacher, said based on the planning periods of the teachers covering a classroom, lessons may be cut short or disrupted.

New barbershop on Court Street popular among OU students

Bam & Bros Barbershop opened Sept. 12, 20 S. Court St., near the Athena Theatre and has since gained attention from Ohio University students.

The barbershop is particularly popular among those students who have been seeking a barber who specializes in working with a wide range of hair types.

The shop takes customers on a primarily appointment-only basis; however, it can accommodate walk-in customers with prices starting at $10 and increasing based on services. Customers are required to wear masks upon entry but may remove them when getting their haircut. Employees are required to wear masks at all times, Jeff West, founder of the barbershop, said.

West said the shop is a space for everyone, as it advocates diversity and inclusion among its customers, who range across multiple demographics and backgrounds, and its employees, who cut multiple hair types.

OU students have taken notice of the new barbershop and have expressed readiness to explore what it has to offer.

Sedric Granger, a sophomore studying journalism, said while he has not visited the shop, he plans to stop by soon, as he has been searching for a local barbershop to replace traveling home for a haircut.

Charlie Andruss, a sophomore studying media arts production, visited the shop recently and said the employees gave him a detailed haircut. The experience was Andruss’ first with an Athens barbershop, but he said it felt more “homey” compared to the commercial haircut businesses where he is from.

a crime alert for sexual battery that occured Saturday morning, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. in Mackinnon Hall, according to the alert.

A female survivor reported the incident took place after the male suspect walked her home from Uptown to her dorm room in Mackinnon Hall, located on South Green. The suspect reportedly had seuxal intercourrse with the survivor without consent.

The suspect is a white male with brown hair, according to the alert. He is approximately 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches and was wearing a black Nike hat, a navy blue shirt and black shorts.

On Tuesday, a second crime alert was sent for rape that reportedly occured in James Hall, located on West Green, between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday.

The female survivor reported to a nurse that she had met the suspect Uptown Saturday night, according to the report. The hospital reported the information to OUPD on Monday. Reportedly, the suspect met up with the survivor later and used force to have sexual intercourse with her.

The suspect is a white male with brown hair and is clean shaven. He is around 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall and was wearing a black Adidas hat, a black hoodie, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

Both of the crime alerts are cases that are being investigated

by OUPD, and the department asks those with information on either case to report it by calling 740-593-1911.

@MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU

OUPD sends two crime alerts for sexual battery, rape On Monday, the Ohio University Police Department released

POLICE BLOTTER

Road signs stolen; reported gunshots fired ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST

ing a suspicious vehicle and person. When deputies arrived, they discovered individuals collecting walnuts off the side of the road.

Deputies returned to patrol.

Lost Packages?

Ghostly Screams

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious vehicle pulling into the caller’s property. The caller said the vehicle was a red Lincoln from Meigs county. The caller said he then saw the vehicle around several other areas and believed they may have been looking for packages at homes along Old Route 33 between Athens and Shade.

Got Signs?

The sheriff’s office responded to York Township in regards to a report of stolen road signs on Warren Drive and Pancake and Levering roads. Deputies met with township maintenance officials about the thefts of both the signs and poles. The theft is believed to have occurred Oct. 14.

No Walnuts for You!

Deputies responded to Johnson Road in The Plains regard-

4 / OCT. 21, 2021

Deputies responded to Johnson Road in The Plains regarding reported screams in the area, according to the sheriff’s office.

When deputies arrived, they were unable to find anything, and neighbors said they had not heard any screams. No further action was taken.

911?

The sheriff’s office responded to Crabtree Road in Albany in regards to an active 911 call. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the homeowner and determined everything was fine.

Deputies returned to patrol.

What was That?

The sheriff’s office responded to Buchtel in regards to residents hearing gunshots nearby. The caller said a truck drove past his home and, once it passed, he believes he heard about

five shots fired from the truck.

Deputies spoke with neighbors, who said they heard the same sounds. The area was patroled, but deputies were unable to find the reported truck.

The matter is under investigation.

Go Home

The sheriff’s office responded to The Plains in regards to a report of two people messing around near a business. The caller also said the people were being reckless in the road with a shopping cart.

Deputies patroled the area but were unable to find the individuals.

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Leaders of OU student governing bodies receive scholarships, stipends as compensation RYAN MAXIN NEWS EDITOR Students occupying leadership roles within certain governing bodies at Ohio University receive university-issued scholarships and stipends as forms of compensation for their positions.

The president, vice president and treasurer positions in Student Senate and Graduate Student Senate — two organizations with decision-making authority and influence at OU — are awarded various scholarships and stipends based on level of leadership.

Jim Sabin, a university spokesperson, said the treasurer and vice president of Student Senate each receives a yearly half-tuition scholarship while they serve in those specific positions, plus individual non-resident fees, if applicable. The president of the body receives a full-tuition scholarship, plus a non-resident fee, if applicable.

For the 2021-22 academic year on OU’s Athens campus, the total cost of in-state tuition and fees is $12,840, and the total out-of-state tuition and fees amount to $22,810, according to the university’s website.

Sabin also said the scholarships are paid through OU’s central scholarship pool, and the scholarship approval was awarded in 1994 by Gary Moden, associate provost emeritus and professor in the Patton College of Education.

The compensation scale of Graduate Student Senate, or GSS, differs slightly from that of Student Senate. The treasurer and vice president of the body each receives a $5,000 supplemental stipend per academic year. The president, however, receives a full tuition scholarship, plus a $15,000 stipend per academic year.

Those amounts are funded through the Graduate College base budget, Sabin said.

Although the president position of GSS is compensated more than the other two officer positions, Charlotte Yang, treasurer of GSS and a Ph.D. student studying translational biomedical sciences, said any compensation helps her balance her schoolwork and responsibilities on GSS. Considering the workload she has taken on in GSS, Yang said the $5,000 stipend is not sufficient, but it is better

than nothing. Without it, she said she would not be in her current position as treasurer but she would still be a part of the body because she is dedicated to it and sees it as her “happy place.”

“If I don’t get paid, my priority is still my own research because this is my fifth year, and the pandemic has slowed me down from research in lab last year,” Yang said. “If I don’t get paid, it will be a drawback for me.”

Remington Burwell, vice president of GSS and a Ph.D. student studying plant biology, also said the stipend he receives is not representative of the work he does in his position, though he understands why the university structures his compensation that way.

Burwell said the $5,000 stipend is based on a five-hour work week model. Per university policy, working hours as a student are capped at 20 hours per week, so the vice president position is compatible with other working commitments at OU. Despite his understanding, Burwell said he wishes more positions within GSS could be paid in order for more valuable work to be done by the body.

Like Yang, he said knowledge of the stipend affected his decision to run for his position, as his academic program is his priority at OU. “Proper compensation goes in line with motivating people to do the job, so if there were more positions, more executive positions that were paid that fit the lifestyle of a graduate student, I think that would be very attractive and would lead to the success of the organization as a whole,” Burwell said.

Contrary to Yang and Burwell, Joseph Elikem Kofi Ziorklui, president of GSS and a candidate of the master’s of financial economics program, said knowledge of the compensation did not affect his decision to run. To him, the biggest motivating factor in his decision to run for president was his passion to serve others. Compensation is a secondary factor, he said. “(The compensation) has helped me reduce the fees that I’m paying this semester and what I’ll be paying for the next semester, which I believe is a good thing because you should be able to have a sound mind to be able to serve and then work effectively, not thinking about any other financial obligations,”

From right to left, Student Senate President Becky “Eliza” Ivan and Vice President Elaina Tartal prepare for the meeting at Walter Hall on Oct. 6, 2021.

(ALIZA DUTT | FOR THE POST)

Ziorklui said. “Of course, when that happens, you have a divided attention, which will affect your ability to serve and work as mandated.”

Like Yang and Burwell, Student Senate Treasurer Simar Kalkat, a junior studying finance business analytics and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said one of the reasons she put passion and effort into her treasurer campaign was because of the half-tuition scholarship she receives.

She also said she sees her scholarship as a way to invest more time and energy into campus life instead of getting another job on or off campus and that the scholarship is not provided without commitments.

“It’s important that we’re using the scholarship to validate why we’re putting time and effort into the (organization),” Kalkat said. “I think a lot of people might misinterpret it, like, ‘Oh, you’re going to get this position, and it’s like an automatic scholarship; you don’t have to work for it.’ You’re getting this scholarship because you’re putting in 10, 15, 20 hours a week for it.”

Becky “Eliza” Ivan, president of Student Senate and a fifth-year studying political science pre-law and sociol-

ogy-criminology, and Elaina Tartal, vice president and a senior studying political science and criminology, both said the compensation they receive did not affect their decisions to run for their positions.

Ivan said she is grateful for the tuition scholarship she receives, as it has removed financial constraints and allowed her to be more present in her responsibilities on Student Senate.

Mirroring Ivan’s opinion, Tartal said the scholarship reflects her workload on Student Senate and provides her with more opportunities to work less outside of the body, allowing her to focus more on it.

@RYANMAXIN RM554219@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

80% of Athens campus vaccinated against COVID-19 as Nov. 15 deadline approaches SOPHIA YOUNG STAFF WRITER With less than a month remaining to get vaccinated before Ohio University’s Nov. 15 COVID-19 vaccination deadline, 80% of Athens campus students and faculty have gotten their shot.

Across regional campuses, vaccination rates remain significantly lower, averaging under 40%. OU’s Eastern campus currently has the lowest vaccination rate, with 35.1% of students and employees vaccinated.

Among residence halls on the Athens campus, vaccination rates are all above 60% vaccinated, with the majority above 80%. The number of on-campus students vaccinated is currently about 5% higher than vaccinated off-campus students.

“Alongside these increasing vaccination rates, we continue to see a decrease in positivity rates on the Athens campus,” Gillian Ice, special assistant to the president for public health operations, said in a public health update email. “The drop in the student asymptomatic testing positivity rate (which is currently below 1 percent) is remarkable. It is lower than our employee positivity rate (currently 2.5 percent).”

To incentivize students further, the university is continuing to offer prizes for students and faculty who received a COVID-19 vaccine after Aug. 31. Facul-

ty who get vaccinated will receive $100, and a drawing is held each week through the end of October to award 100 students each week $100 in Bobcat Cash.

Sororities and fraternities may also receive a donation of $500 to the charity of their choice if they achieve 90% vaccination among members. Residence halls that achieve 95% vaccination will be invited to a fall-themed block party.

Eitan Palmer, a sophomore studying geography, said he has not heard much advertised about all of the prizes OU offers for vaccination and thinks simply requiring the vaccine is the best way to get students vaccinated.

Juliet Mapeosky, a freshman studying biology premed, said she knew about the prizes and feels that people are aware of them, but she has not heard of anyone who entered any drawings.

OU does offer a vaccine exemption for “medical reasons or for reasons of conscience, including ethical and moral belief or sincerely held religious beliefs,” according to OU’s website. Requests are reviewed and either approved or denied by a board composed of representatives from Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and a faculty representative.

As of Oct. 6, the university has received 377 applications for student vaccine exemptions, with 339 approved, two denied and 36 under review or in need of

more information, according to a previous Post report.

The university received 57 faculty exemption requests, with one denied and five under review, as of the same date. In an overwhelming majority, 408 requests cited reasons of conscience, while 26 requests were for medical reasons.

Mapeosky encourages those who are still unsure about vaccination to get their shot.

“I definitely understand the hesitation,” Mapeosky said. “It’s very new, but a lot of people have gotten it, and we’re all doing okay.”

To meet the Nov. 15 deadline, an individual must have already gotten their first dose of the Moderna vaccine, or can get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine by Oct. 22. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be received at any time before the date due to its onedose nature; however, the university recommends receiving it by Nov. 12 to allow time for documentation.

Palmer hopes that the requirement will get enough people vaccinated to return to a normal Spring Semester.

“I hope that we’re able to get herd immunity to kick in on-campus and in the surrounding Athens area,” Palmer said. “Hopefully next year will look like kind of ‘normal’ … and we’ll be able to return to kind of some of the activities that I was looking forward to as a senior in high school, before everything happened.”

Ice said it is too early to make any predictions about next semester, but indicated the university anticipates a moderate COVID-19 case level over the winter, with the understanding that it is difficult to accurately predict.

“I think we’ll probably start out the semester more cautious, and then hopefully be able to draw up some of the precautions based on case rates, and certainly the vaccination rates,” Ice said.

“We’re not going to get, obviously, to 100% vaccination rates. But if we got to 90% or 95%, we’d be in a really good position to keep the cases low and be able to have a little bit more freedom, for sure.”

SY951319@OHIO.EDU @SOPHIELISEY

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXANDER GRAHAM 6 / OCT. 21, 2021

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Medical marijuana represents a potential, but not proven, alternative to pain relief in Southeast Ohio NOLAN SIMMONS SENIOR WRITER Since the Harvest of Ohio dispensary opened up in Athens in mid-September, many customers from Southeast Ohio have purchased legal medical marijuana products to treat illnesses ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s Disease to PTSD. Most customers come in, though, to treat chronic pain.

Southeast Ohio, like many parts of the country, is a region full of people well aware of the consequences of combating chronic pain. From just 2006 to 2014, more than 28 million prescription pain pills were supplied to Athens County alone. That’s enough to give each resident of the county 48 pills per year during the period, according to a DEA database on prescription pain pills sold in the U.S. The fallout of pharmaceutical corporations’ blatant, intentional overprescription of opioids to treat chronic and acute pain during the last few decades has been disastrous.

Communities across the nation have been torn apart by addiction and the toll the disease takes on those with substance use disorders, their friends, families and the communities they live in.

“If you see a case in the (county) court system, it’s far more likely than not that it is related to some sort of addic-

8 / OCT. 21, 2021

tion,” Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said.

Most people in the region know someone suffering from addiction to opioids. Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO of Harvest, said she’s even had an employee miss work due to overdose.

Kirkpatrick said the addiction crisis in Appalachia is no secret, and her business offers an alternative method of pain management.

“There’s a commitment that we have to people in the rural communities,” she said. “When you listen to the patients, I know that I did the right thing.”

Though many people are now using medical marijuana, rather than opioids, to treat chronic pain, there’s just not enough clinical research to suggest its use could curb the disease of addiction, Ellen Martin, CEO of Health Recovery Services, which is a health care service specializing in substance use and mental health disorders, said.

As marijuana laws become more lenient and the legal marijuana industry grows — legal sales in the U.S. hit a record of $17.5 billion in 2020, according to Forbes — there is a greater demand for further research on the medicinal properties of marijuana.

The current lack of research is less about marijuana as a substance and more about the disjointed level of legalization in the country.

Marijuana is classified by the DEA as a schedule I drug, meaning there is “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the agency’s website.

Though medical marijuana is now legal in 36 states and four territories, the patchwork nature of state-based legalization is also a barrier to research. Members of the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research, a research organization instituted by the Florida state legislature, said during a conference that state policies, rather than evidence-based clinical guidelines, currently guide the use of medical marijuana, according to a report from the organization.

Some experts disagree. Joe Gay, former HRC director and psychologist specialized in addiction treatment, said he doesn’t view cannabis as useful for treating opioid addiction.

He said addiction research strongly supports agonist treatment, meaning medicine-assisted treatment through the use of opioid agonists methadone or buprenorphine, which are longer-acting opioids, prevents withdrawal while keeping the user from getting high. He also believes in the effectiveness of Naltrexone, better known as Vivitrol, which is a non-opioid drug used to treat both alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. “(Marijuana) simply does not kill people by overdose, which is a great advantage over opiates,” Gay said. “But it causes a lot of other problems.”

During his time at HRC, Gay said he was involved in the

treatment of thousands of people whose lives were being substantially harmed by marijuana use.

“I think the dangers of marijuana are underestimated in our whole society,” he said. “I think it is widely perceived to be almost a harmless drug, and it is not at all.”

Gay is against the legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use, saying it has limited usefulness.

He said if it’s going to be used medicinally, medical marijuana should have to go through the same clinical trials and FDA approval process as any other prescription drug.

“If it’s going to be used as a medication, I think it should be treated as a medication,” he said. “There’s a fairly clear body of evidence that effective treatment for opioid addiction needs to involve medication.”

But even medication-assisted treatment doesn’t always work. People who relapse often experiment with other substances and go back into a street market ready to sell to them.

Drugs like heroin and other drugs laced with fentanyl have become popular with recreational opioid users, and overdoses are common when you cannot be sure what exactly is in the drug you are about to take.

Heroin and other street drugs weren’t always the most popular. In the ‘90s, Purdue Pharma created OxyContin, a release pill packed full of the opioid oxycodone designed to be taken every 12 hours, rather than the standard 4-6 hours.

Purdue Pharma knowingly made the false claim that the drug was less addictive than other opioids, and an affiliate company and three executives admitted it in a 2007 lawsuit.

More recently, Purdue Pharma has pleaded guilty to fraud and kickback conspiracies.

The FDA approved the drug in 1995, believing the larger dosage would reduce the risk of abuse because there was “no evidence to suggest at the time” that crushing the pills to get high would become a widespread practice, an FDA timeline states.

OxyContin became the poster child for overprescription and, along with several other pills, became one of the most widespread opioids found in American households for years.

The flood of prescription pain pills has since blossomed into the public health crisis the country is continuing to suffer from today.

One consequence of the opioid epidemic has been the overburden of addiction-related criminal cases in local court systems.

Between 90% and 95% of all cases seen by the prosecutor’s office have something to do with addiction, Blackburn said. But only about a quarter of those are possession charges.

Most felony cases related to addiction are ancillary to addiction itself, including property theft and more violent

offenses related to drugs.

One in three people convicted and sent to jail in Athens County will either commit another crime or break the terms of their parole. This occurrence, known as recidivism, is especially high for people suffering from addiction who choose not to get treatment, Blackburn said.

His office offers several treatment programs for addiction, including a cognitive behavioral therapy program for meth and cocaine users, and a medication-assisted treatment that uses Vivitrol to prevent opioid users from experiencing the high from the opioid after the user has detoxified from opioids.

The prosecutor’s program is unlike many other treatment programs, which use drugs like suboxone and methadone to “wean” addicts off stronger opioids.

“I think using drugs to get off drugs is not necessarily the right thing,” Blackburn said.

One of the most important ways to treat addiction in a community is to prevent it before it starts by educating people about the ways that addiction can develop. One of the ways that the prosecutor’s office tries to prevents future addiction is by teaching people about the four personality traits that put people more at risk for addiction: negative thinking, impulsivity, sensation-seeking and anxiety sensitivity.

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The higher risk of addiction that these traits present often are associated with mental health disorders like depression or a lack of dopamine, Blackburn said.

“I think treating those things through the natural process might be a good way of helping reduce our addiction culture,” he said. “That is something that I’m very much in favor of. Just treating mental health, in general, is something I’m 100% in favor of.”

An important part of the process of recovering from opioid use disorder, beyond medicine-assisted treatment and therapy, is to reincorporate people recovering from addiction back into normal life, especially if they have been released from prison.

Rehabilitation programs, like the prosecutor’s office’s re-entry program, help people released from prison to find housing, transportation and jobs in order to get their lives back on track. But agencies that offer programs like these often must compete with other organizations for state and federal funding.

Since the state reached a settlement agreement with the nation’s three largest opioid manufacturers in August, communities and drug addiction services in Ohio can expect to receive additional funding in the near future.

Under the state’s OneOhio opioid settlement agreement, 55% of the $808 million paid to Ohio will go to a foundation that will disburse the funds to communities and opioid programs across the state that apply for funding. 30% of the settlement will go directly to Ohio’s local communities, and 15% will go to the state.

But Ohio’s local communities have not yet seen any of the settlement money, said Marissa McDaid, communications and community engagement specialist at the Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board.

Commonly called the 317 Board due to the 1989 state legislation that incorporated alcohol and drug addiction prevention and treatment services to local mental health boards, the board is responsible for distributing money from tax dollars to community mental health and addiction services.

McDaid said people have asked at 317 Board meetings about the settlement money Ohio’s local communities are supposed to receive, and the board members have responded honestly: they haven’t heard anything from the state.

The money will not go far enough for many communities, regardless.

For instance, if every resident of Scioto County — a county featured in national media for the toll the opioid epidemic has taken on it and the only municipality not to sign onto the settlement agreement — got an equal portion of the county’s share of the settlement, it would amount to just over $20 per person.

In most cases, the money that local communities will

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receive is not nearly enough to address the financial cost that opioid addiction has taken on public infrastructure and services. “(Addiction) takes a great toll on society in general,” Martin said. “It’s kind of like the concentric circles: they get bigger and bigger and bigger, and it encompasses all of us, even if you aren’t directly affected yourself.”

Residents of central Southeast Ohio, though, will soon have the opportunity to more immediately support mental health services in the region in the fight against addiction.

One of the issues that will be voted on in Athens, Hocking and Vinton counties during the upcoming Nov. 2 election will be the 317 Board’s levy renewal.

The 317 Board is seeking to renew a 10-year levy from 2011. As it is the renewal of a previous levy, it will not raise taxes if passed.

The levy money, made of local tax dollars, allows the 317 Board to be flexible with how it funds its care network of more than 25 partner agencies that deal with mental health, addiction and other community services, McDaid said.

“A lot has changed over the last decade since this was last renewed,” she said. “We’re just hoping to provide the same support — though it’s hard to even say ‘the same support’ because we’ve just been able to grow so many things over the last decade.”

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OU Center for Entrepreneurship offers support, funding for student ventures TRE SPENCER FOR THE POST Ohio University’s Center for Entrepreneurship provides students on campus with the necessary tools to help them achieve success with entrepreneurship and future employment ventures.

Located in the Alden Library, the center educates students who are interested in entrepreneurship with skills they can use to start their own businesses, brands or products.

Paul Benedict, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, offered considerable insight on the many opportunities the center offers students.

“On one hand, we have classes in entrepreneurship,“ Benedict said. “There’s both a major in entrepreneurship that is in the College (of) Business and a certificate in entrepreneurship that’s open to everybody else. Then, outside of classes, there’s a lot of a lot of programming we do … that includes things like the Bobcat Seed Fund, major signature events and competitions and mentoring, networking, connection types of things, helping students get internships and jobs, all of that stuff.”

Open to all students with different majors on campus, including entrepreneurship and business majors, the center also offers the Bobcat Seed Fund.

The Bobcat Seed Fund is awarded to students who have a strong interest in creating their own businesses, and individuals can apply via an online application. Created in the fall of 2018, the fund consists of a grant of up to $3,000, and pitch applications are reviewed entirely by other students.

Leanna Siupinys, owner of Leanna’s Lens in the greater Cleveland area, was a recipient of the 2021 Bobcat Seed Fund during her senior year at OU. “I got the seed fund just before I graduated, which was really great timing for me because, as soon as I graduated, I launched as a full-time freelancer into Cleveland’s creative industry,” Siupinys said. “And so I

used that money to get me some different gear to start my business strong by entering the industry. ‘’ She described her experience with the Center for Entrepreneurship as rewarding for her career and recommends students become their own bosses and work at their own schedules.

“I would definitely recommend freelance work to anyone that likes a more flexible lifestyle and is OK with maybe not having worked one week and having worked the next week,” Siupinys said. “If you can live with that flexibility, I think it’s such a fun, rewarding lifestyle. For example, I’m going to Europe in November for two weeks, and I don’t have to request off or anything because I can do whatever I want.”

Current entrepreneurship and business students also use the Center for Entrepreneurship as a place to inspire their creativity, and many of the OU business faculty members are also resources within the center.

Alex Hoelle, a junior studying entrepreneurship, expressed his joy over the leadership of the center and faculty who also teach his courses.

“I love all the professors and the leadership that they have going on,” Hoelle said. “They teach great classes. I just got another one, just overall great.”

OU’s Center for Entrepreneurship offers quite a lot of resources for students looking to become their own bosses and start their own business. The center also offers numerous opportunities for students who are not affiliated with any majors in the programs but want to learn a few new skills.

@TRERSPENCER1 TS582119@OHIO.EDU

A promotional sign for the Center for Entrepreneurship stands at the Ohio University CoLab in Alden Library. (ANNA MILLAR | FOR THE POST)

10 / OCT. 21, 2021

Athens International Film and Video Festival shines light on newcomers to short film GRACE KOENNECKE FOR THE POST Film buffs and casual viewers alike can find something fun to do from Oct. 15 through Oct. 24 with the Athens International Film and Video Festival, or AIFVF. The festival will feature a packed schedule of different genres of short films ranging from animated to documentary-style.

All showings of the short films throughout the week will be in person.

Additionally, the festival will combine the originally postponed AIFVF 2020 films due to the coronavirus pandemic with the ones selected for this year.

Founded in 1974, the festival has been presenting international films for the last 46 years. The AIFVF is known globally as a film festival that supports cinema from marginalized and lesser known populations.

“Festivals like these are a great way to showcase artists that wouldn’t necessarily get as much representation in bigger types of theaters,” Collin Spens, a junior studying film production and a student worker for the festival, said. “These aren’t films you would see in the Athena Grand or AMC,

but they are kind of designed that way.”

Throughout the last four decades, Athens has welcomed experimental, narrative, short film, feature length and documentary films from all around the world, providing a worthwhile platform for filmmakers to share their work with the public and gain more exposure.

AIFVF is a competitive process. Each year, a pre-screening committee including artists, students and community activists watch all the submitted films and videos.

After all entries have been watched, the committee then evaluates all the films to determine which to include in the festival.

“This festival is a good opportunity for all kinds of filmmakers from any genre to compete in,” Sean McCourt, a junior studying screenwriting and production and a student worker for the festival, said.

“It gives them a great outlet to show their work and allow it to be picked up by someone who has good connections.”

Cash awards also play a role in the selection process as filmmakers are awarded by guest jurors from four different categories: documentary, experimental, narrative and animation. Awards are typically announced on the final day of the festival.

First prize in short narrative and short animation are Academy Award-qualifying and worth $500. The Black Bear Award is also given to the film that demonstrates the best use of sound. Lastly, the jury also presents the Film House Award for visionary filmmaking.

This year, 2,200 films were submitted to be displayed at the festival. From those, only 235 films from 41 countries were chosen.

AIFVF’s visiting artist lineup included Ohio University film alumnus Tony Buba, who served as the head of the documentary jury and presented a selection of his works on Oct. 18 at 7:00 p.m.

On the following day, Oct. 19, Amber Bemak and Nadia Granados, winners of AIFVF’s 2019 experimental top prize, presented a solo program of their work revolving around queer love and loss as well as the political ramifications of patriarchal power at 7:15 p.m.

Additionally, Bill Brown will be presenting a program of appropriated and reconfigured landscapes on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m., where topics will range from haunted houses and memorial architecture to outsider archaeology.

Finally, on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m., Sabine Gruffat will be presenting her works that

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cross analog and digital signals as well as a live expanded cinema performance with Brown.

“This has been a really great year for the festival,” Alexandra Kamody, director of the Athena Cinema, said. “I think people are really happy to get back to the theater, and it feels very cathartic after the pandemic.”

The event also gained the support of many local Athens sponsors this year, including Bagel Street Deli, Jackie O’s Brewery, WOUB Public Media, Donkey Coffee and more.

Tickets and passes can be purchased in-person only at the Athena Cinema box office during regular theater hours, and OU students can receive free tickets on all days of the festival as long as they show a valid student ID at the ticket counter.

A limited number of student tickets are available for each screening, and students can pick up tickets at the Athena Cinema for the current day only. Tickets cannot be obtained in advance.

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Cars whir past and park on Court Street on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (NATE SWANSON / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Towing in Confusion ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST

M

any dread the sight of a large towing truck with hooks on its back, especially when it’s coming near their car or truck.

Towing is not a new issue in the city of Athens, with both permanent residents and students having stories of being towed and feeling as though they were charged an unfair price. Those complaints are not only recent occurrences, and even those who have left Athens still remember the occasion when they walked out to see their car being loaded onto a truck.

Amanda Carter, a former OU student and former Athens resident, rescued her 12 / OCT. 21, 2021

car from the back of a truck while it was being towed in 2016. Carter parked her car in the Family Dollar lot at the end of Court Street while she shopped. After she dropped her bags off in her car, she walked up the street for a few minutes to pick up a friend. When she got back to the parking lot, she saw her car being loaded onto a tow truck and the man driving the truck approached her.

“He was like, ‘Yeah well, there’s no one that works there left to vouch for you, so you’re gonna have to give me 100 bucks in cash unless you want to have to come pick it up in the morning,’” Carter said. “I had to walk to the Chase ATM on Court Street and give him $100. And I was like, ‘Is there no paperwork or anything?’ He said ‘no.’”

Athens resident Nickie Bailes had two unpleasant experiences with a towing company in the past year. The first one happened when she was towed from in front of a friend’s home.

Bailes had gone over to help her friend with taxes in the spring, and they told her it was okay to park in front of their home.

Her friend had been told by the building’s owners the lot was not being monitored due to COVID-19, she said.

She estimates she was at the home for about an hour, and during that time her car was towed without her knowledge. This occurred during the late evening when it was dark outside, she said. Due to the time of day, Bailes said the company who towed her car, Curtis Towing and Auto Re-

pair, would not allow her to retrieve it that evening.

Ultimately, Bailes was able to get her car back the next morning but said she was charged around $230 to do so. She was charged the original tow fee as well as an overnight fee and a weekend fee, Bailes said.

She was told Curtis Towing does have rights to monitor that lot; however, she believes they were not simply monitoring, but preditorally watching.

The second incident Bailes experienced was also with Curtis Towing.

That time was different. It was a private tow in which Bailes’ insurance company, AAA, called the company following a car crash. Bailes’ son was in a crash, requiring

owner arrives after the vehicle has been hooked up to their truck or a “show-up fee” of no more than $20 if the vehicle owner arrives before the vehicle is attached to the tow truck. According to Athens City Code, towing companies can only charge one of these fees.

If somebody retrieves their vehicle outside the hours of operation, the tow company is able to charge a maximum fee of $10. Further, following the first 24-hour period, for which there is no charge, each company may charge a maximum of $6 per 24-hour period.

When operating within the city, companies should be following Athens City Code, Patrick McGee, interim managing attorney at OU student legal services, said in an email. Lisa Eliason, Athens city law director, emphasized the same sentiment.

“City code does not regulate anything anymore; they did away with that, years ago,” Curtis said. However, he said he follows PUC guidelines.

Athens City Council discussed changing the city code a few years ago, Eliason said, however they chose not to do so.

The Athens City Code is still in place.

“It (being overcharged) is a civil matter between the parties,” Eliason said. “And the parties would be the person towed and the towing company. … What we’ve told people in the past, is that they should file a civil suit against the towing company if they’re charged more than $129.”

A private parking sign warning owners of their vehicles being towed is painted on the brick walls between alleyways in uptown Athens, Ohio. (NATE SWANSON / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

the towing of his car during the cleanup.

Normally, AAA works with Riverside Towing, but they were unavailable at that time, Bailes said. As a result, the tow company that was next on the rotation was called to retrieve the vehicle, and that company happened to be Curtis Towing.

When the tower arrived, Bailes said he was rude, and the situation was very confusing in terms of whether AAA would cover the cost, Bailes said. Ultimately, she paid Curtis Towing $180 for their services.

Bailes also emphasized her frustration with Curtis Towing operating on a cash-only basis.

Curtis Towing has a policy of accepting cash-only payments due to difficulties concerning credit card payments being redacted following the retrieval of one’s vehicle, Steve Curtis, the owner of Curtis Towing, said.

In the past, Curtis said, whenever the company has accepted a credit card, they have actually lost money. He said in his experience, people will pay the owed $129 and walk outside to immediately call their card company to dispute the cost. Additionally, an extra $28 is removed from his account because of each dispute, he said.

“That’s why we can’t take credit cards.

I mean, the kids (college students) won’t pay,” Curtis said. “And I have that right, too.

I don’t have to take a credit card.”

Ohio Revised Code says a towing provider may accept credit card payments but does not say they are required to do so.

Bailes’ husband, Erik Boczko, had a similar experience earlier this year when he and a colleague parked in the same lot near Mill Street Apartments.

They went for a quick walk, only about 20 minutes, he said, but when they returned to the parking lot, their vehicle had been towed by Curtis Towing. When he and his friend went to retrieve the vehicle, they were charged a cash-only amount of around $180, he said.

Curtis also emphasized that his company follows state code, rather than city code, when it comes to the pricing of a tow. The exact fees allowed to be charged are outlined both in Ohio Revised Code and in a chart on the Ohio Public Utilities Commission website.

Athens Towing follows the same guidelines, John Moschell, an Athens Towing employee, said. However, the company does not work with private calls to tow lots.

“Most of the time we get people who

are frustrated who have parking tickets, and the Athens city parking patrol dispatches us because we’re all on a rotation, and they get irritated at our prices,” Moschell said. “It’s understandable.”

Ohio’s towing rules say, for a vehicle weighing under 10,001 lbs, the cost of a tow cannot exceed $129. However, there are other fees that may be added to the total cost when retrieving a vehicle.

The maximum daily storage fee is $17 per day, and the maximum administrative fee is a $25 one-time fee, according to the PUC. It should also be noted, if retrieving a vehicle after regular business hours, the initial towing fee increases to $150.

“Prices are different if an individual actually calls us and we are able to access the keys and all of that good stuff,” Moschell said. “It definitely makes it easy and it’s definitely a lot cheaper, about half the price.”

Athens City Code on towing says the maximum charge for towing a vehicle under 15,000 lbs is $50, regardless of any equipment used. As with Ohio State Code, there are other fees that may also be charged.

A towing company can charge a “hookup fee” of no more than $25 if the vehicle

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

Cannabis Museum and Majestic Galleries at 20 Public Square in Nelsonville, Ohio. (TRE SPENCER | FOR THE POST)

Cannabis Museum shows the modern poster’s evolution through exhibit KAYLA BENNETT ASST. CULTURE EDITOR The Cannabis Museum is a nonprofit museum focused on education and research.

The museum was established in 2018 and is still working to find a place to permanently locate and open to the public. Though staff hasn’t announced the location yet, it aims to find a physical space for the Cannabis Museum to officially call home by 2022.

In the meantime, the museum has been putting on its shows in other locations around Athens.

Currently, the museum has an exhibit located at Majestic Galleries, 20 Public Square, Nelsonville, titled “Art Nouveau and the Counterculture Movement: The Evolution of the Modern Poster.” The exhibit opened Sept. 24.

Basil Masri Zada, curator of exhibitions and education at the Cannabis Museum, said the museum works hard to focus on research collection and preservation of knowledge 14 / OCT. 21, 2021

about the artistic, historic, medical and industrial venues of cannabis.

“From that background, we have more than 15,000 items of collections that ranges from all kinds of artworks, medical records, tinctures, glass bottles and others that are related to the different uses and counterculture of cannabis,” Masri Zada said.

The museum works with different partners to put on various shows. The current exhibit is in collaboration with Ohio University, specifically, the Community Work Study program. The museum has students from OU’s Arts Administration program to intern as well.

Tiana Hough, curatorial and collections management graduate intern at the Cannabis Museum, is currently a graduate student at OU studying arts administration and art history. She is currently working on her thesis, which the current exhibit is a part of.

Hough curated the current exhibit by learning more about the collection on display and researching its database. The current ex-

hibit consists of postcards and posters, all a part of different artist movements.

“What I landed on was what you see in the Majestic Gallery, and it essentially started from me researching these Art Nouveau postcards, specifically from JOB rolling papers,” Hough said. “They did art advertisements, which were represented in postcards and posters, mainly during the 1890s and early 1900s. At the same time, I was also looking at other aspects of their collection: for example, the 1960s rock concert posters.”

Hough wanted to create a bridge of both her interests in the 1890s art and the 1960s art in the current exhibition.

“I eventually did more digging and found that they actually did connect stylistically, in terms of content and subject matter,” Hough said. “In fact, the Art Nouveau movement directly influenced the 1960s Counterculture Movement art, which is what you see in the 1960s rock concert posters.”

Hough said the exhibit was mirroring different movements all within different periods

of art. Hough worked with Kiana Ziegler, a former multimedia intern at the Cannabis Museum, to create the advertisement poster for the exhibit. Through the poster, more can be revealed about the meaning of the collection.

Ziegler said her tasks were to come up with visual identities for the museum and showcase them through her artwork on the poster.

The poster for the exhibit was only one of Ziegler’s many projects, and she wanted to make sure it captured the overall meaning of the exhibit. While creating the poster, Hough and Ziegler were specifically influenced by artists like Alphonse Mucha. Mucha was one of the staple Art Nouveau artists from the 1960s.

“His style, along with the other artists that are in the Art Nouveau period, hugely influenced artists like Stanley Mouse and others in the ‘60s who often had very similar styles in their posters,” Ziegler said. “(They) usually had a woman or a figure of some sort with crazy lettering. The big thing that changed was in psychedelic culture. They had the super neon bright, kind of vibrating, or almost eye-hurting colors in their poster. They didn’t really care as much for legibility and started doing really crazy things with text and the movement of text and style of text.”

Through the enrapturing style of art displayed in this exhibit, Ziegler said it’s for all students and people interested in art in any medium. The exhibit tells a story of the Art Nouveau movement, the Counterculture Movement and the pivotal impact it had on the perception of art today.

“A lot of it, especially in relation to counterculture artwork and artwork that’s related to cannabis, is a lot of just pushing boundaries and just being like, ‘This is a thing that is happening in our society, in our culture, in our world,’” Ziegler said. “I find that artists are just very inquisitive and sometimes rebellious because of it, and I think that’s just really cool. That’s like one of my favorite things about art.”

The exhibit will remain open until Oct. 24 and is available for viewing Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Masri Zada, Hough and Ziegler all encourage people to come and see the museum on its last weekend to experience the artists’ movement through the array of posters.

“I could be a good advocate for anyone who’s maybe nervous about seeing their first art exhibit. They don’t know what to wear, what to do or they’re worried that they won’t know anything,” Hough said. “I would say just forget all that and just go and see what you can get out of it. Have an open mind, and just enjoy it.”

@KKAYYBEN KB084519@OHIO.EDU

LGBTQ+ History Month emphasizes long-standing queer presence in history LAUREN SERGE STAFF WRITER October is known to many as LGBTQ+ History Month, dedicated to preserving, recognizing and analyzing the rich history of queer individuals and how it has impacted their experiences in the modern day.

LGBTQ+ History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. October was chosen as the month due to the surrounding commemorations that already existed: National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and the anniversary of the National March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights on Oct. 14, 1979.

When individuals may think of a month dedicated to LGBTQ+ experiences, they may think of Pride Month, which occurs in June. However, there are distinct purposes for both of these months. Alyx McLuckie, research and well-being coordinator at OU’s LGBT Center, said these separate months offer unique purposes, shedding light on the queer experience through various lenses.

“I think with Pride Month, there’s a lot of focus on taking away the stigma of LGBT and queer identities, and we do a lot of advocacy and history and the reimagining of identities,” McLuckie said. “But where the history month differs is we’re looking at a lot of those previous events that have occurred in the past. And what we’re seeing is: one, a lot of recognition of this history, and two, a lot of organizations that push for changing of portrayals and advocacy work, whether that’s done at the social level, political level or looking at changing policies, legal systems.”

Lynn Caldwell, a master’s student studying applied linguistics, emphasized the significance of the month is that much of the LGBTQ+ community history has often been overlooked, undermined or even

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erased completely.

“What a lot of people don’t also realize is during those moments of book burning, the Nazis also destroyed records from one of the most advanced ... psychological institutions that was based around learning about gender and sex,” Caldwell said. “They deliberately burnt that to the ground, and we lost centuries worth of research on transitioning, LGBT health and identities. That perpetual destruction, or intentional erasure of history, has led to very negative, very problematic and very oppressive waves within the LGBT community, particularly amongst white, cis and male circles.”

Throughout the month of October, the LGBT Center and LGBTQ+ students organizations have hosted numerous events to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. For the remainder of the month, there will be several more events, including a SafeZone series about asexual and aromatic identities.

McLuckie said these events are foundational because they are not only educational, but they are representative of the progress for queer people, as they are hosted by queer students and allies themselves.

“I think a lot of what I’m really excited about is ... being able to experience and see the change in education,” McLuckie said. “When I grew up, I never got to see a lot of these kinds of SafeZone training or historical presentations. I also really enjoy this because what we’re seeing in a lot of these events is they’re hosted by a variety of students and student organizations and people who are really passionate about what they’re doing.”

Alongside the various informative and social events, the LGBT Center showcased the Tom and Jan Hodson Support Fund, which aims to assist LGBTQ+ students who are experiencing financial difficulties. The fund began in 2013 and is being shared specifically this month to raise

450

awareness about LGBTQ+ history and the present-day individuals who are encountering hardships.

Micah McCarey, director of the LGBT Center, said this fundraiser underscores the humanity and self lessness of the donors.

“The funds help students in whatever ways they need given the nature of the situation,” McCarey said. “And it’s incredible that we have donors who are willing to make those kinds of contributions.”

Mia Walsh, a sophomore studying journalism, said the various events and overall education surrounding the month are important as the information is beneficial to all, even to individuals who may feel as though they are already informed.

“It’s important to know LGBT history because that gives you so much more of a sense about LGBTQ culture and identities as they are today,” Walsh said. “I know myself: I like to consider myself very wellversed in LGBTQ history, but I picked up a book called Stone Butch Blues, and it’s like about the LGBTQ community before Stonewall, and I’m learning so much. And so I just think it’s important because, no matter how much you think you know, the LGBTQ community is hundreds of years old. Our history didn’t start in 1960. We’ve been around forever, and so there’s always something you can learn.”

Through gaining these perspectives, Caldwell said individuals can recognize the diverse and intersectional aspects of the LGBTQ+ community that has existed for many years.

“Within our history, we realize that LGBT history is inherently intersectional,” Caldwell said. “It is not white, it is not able-bodied, it is not strictly male and it is not strictly female. LGBT history is full of sex workers, it is full of indigenous people, it is full of people of color, it is full of impoverished people, it is full of disabled people. And without honoring, recogniz-

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ing and learning about that history, we lose track of not only where we came from but the pillars, the foundational elements that bring us together. We lose those elements of social organization, of morality and justice. We lose track of what our goals are.”

By continuing to recognize and celebrate LGBTQ+ history, Caldwell stressed the members of the community can learn more about where they came from and how they can continue to progress forward.

“By celebrating our history, reminding ourselves of where we came from and being very intentional in looking deeper into the history of the LGBTQIA+ community, we learn so much more about who we are,” Caldwell said. “And I think that, at its core, is why — yes, it is important to celebrate Pride, but it is also important to reflect on our history and to keep that history alive and well remembered.”

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SOCCER

Ohio shuts out Miami 1-0 on senior day NICHOLAS WHITE FOR THE POST Ohio’s senior day ended in a success after a 1-0 victory over Miami at Chessa Field on Sunday. The win extended Ohio’s undefeated streak against Mid-American Conference opponents to eight matches.

The lone goal of the match was scored by fifth-year Sarina Dirrig off an assist from Regan Berg during the second half.

Ohio (10-3-2, 6-0-2 MAC) started off the match focused on defense, allowing Miami to rack up seven shots in the first half. Ohio recorded just four shots before halftime, but it managed to find a groove offensively in the second half. It racked up seven shots in the second half, including Dirrig’s match-winning goal.

The Bobcats were also able to capitalize off their opponents’ mistakes. The RedHawks (7-6-3, 4-4-0 MAC) received 10 penalties and a yellow card Sunday, with seven of those fouls occurring during the second half. Dirrig’s goal was scored just 32 seconds following a foul on RedHawks defender Kennedy Gray.

Ohio’s stringent defense proved once again to be the main factor for its success. Miami made just one shot during the second half, and four of its eight total shots were on goal. Ohio goalkeeper Sam Wexell once again proved her merit by earning her eighth shutout of the season.

Wexell doesn’t want to take all the credit, though. She said her teammates, especially the seniors, were responsible for the win.

“It means a lot, especially for the seniors,“ Wexell said. “That’s my class so, of course, it means a lot to me. I think our success this season is bringing out a lot more fans. Every game is always

exciting. We always emphasize bringing energy from our bench, and I think the fans have the same effect. You just want to move the ball quicker, and everybody has to be louder if the fans are louder, so I feel like it just picks up the overall energy of our team.”

Wexell and the Bobcats played with confidence, and it showed Sunday. The confidence is new, and it has been built up following a disappointing season in the spring that was shortened due to COVID-19. This season turned over a new leaf for the Bobcats. They have allowed just two goals through its conference schedule and sit atop the MAC standings.

Wexell believes Ohio isn’t close to slowing down on defense this season.

“I think we have a lot of momentum,“ Wexell said. “I don’t really see anything getting in our way. Eastern Michigan is our next concern.”

Wexell has a right to be confident.

Ohio has allowed the fewest goals in the MAC this season, and Wexell herself leads the conference in shutouts. Ohio has rarely cracked on defense this year.

With only three games left in its regular season, Ohio is all but guaranteed to appear in the approaching MAC Tournament. Two of its final three opponents — Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan — are without winning records.

If Ohio’s defense holds up in the final stretch of its season, the road to the MAC Tournament will be wide open.

@NICHOLASWHIITE NW163519@OHIO.EDU

Ohio University defense Ella Bianco (#14) runs to block Miami’s offense in the match held at Chessa Field on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021. (VANESSA ABBITT | FOR THE POST)

16 / OCT. 21, 2021

VOLLEYBALL

Tria McLean’s new setting style lifts Ohio in 3-2 win over Kent State

Ohio’s Ashton Webb (#11) bumps the ball during the Ohio versus Kent State match in The Convo on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. The Bobcats won three sets to two. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

ASHLEY BEACH SLOT EDITOR Ohio began the season by experimenting with a 6-2 offense, but things have changed. It has since returned to using a single setter, and that shift proved successful Wednesday in Ohio’s 3-2 win over Kent State.

The change in strategy allowed the Bobcats to put more emphasis on defensive looks. They are able to sub in more,

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which eliminates the number of people communicating to hitters.

“It was just the right move for our group at that time,” Ohio coach Geoff Carlston said.

Ohio has relied on sophomore Tria McLean to take over the role of full-time setter in the past few series. Before Ohio’s match against Buffalo on Oct. 15, McLean had not set a full game by herself since last season.

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McLean said. “It took a little bit of adjusting.”

The setter is more often than not one of the few individuals on the court who isn’t subject to substitutions due to their role as court communicators. If the hitter does not adjust to the setter, it can hinder a team’s offensive capabilities.

The adjustment was well worth it for McLean, however.

She recorded a career-high 55 assists against Kent State, besting her previous career high of 52, which she earned against Northern Kentucky on Aug. 28.

McLean’s success didn’t come out of the blue. Her previous performance in Ohio’s series against Buffalo earned her MAC East Setter of the Week honors — her first ever.

The sophomore’s recent success developed out of a newfound aggression she implemented in her approach.

McLean relies on reading the other side of the court before the ball reaches her hands. From there, she focuses on getting her feet to the ball and anticipating the pass. Her technique requires that she be agile, however. If McLean isn’t quick enough on her approach, the ball does not get set toward a hitter but, instead, flies without intent.

McLean also made slight modifications in how she distributes the ball. Carlston encouraged McLean to begin jump setting the ball in order to help her location. This helps her not only play more aggressively, but it also makes her more difficult to read for opponents.

This shift has proven its worth for McLean. Her performance against Kent State proved to Ohio the shift was necessary.

As Ohio’s lone setter, McLean is now responsible for being the active communicator on the court. The ball must pass through her before being distributed to the hitters.

McLean has to rely on her sideline to help her see things she may not notice while on the court.

“My teammates have been doing a really good job of telling me what they see when I’m on the court the whole time,” McLean said.

McLean’s setting lifted the Bobcats up in their victory against the Golden Flashes. If McLean’s new shift in style aided in that win, she may be able to help the Bobcats find stable ground through the final month of their regular season.

@ASHLEYBEACHY_ AB026319@OHIO.EDU

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FOOTBALL

Stock watch following Ohio’s loss to Buffalo JACK GLECKLER SPORTS EDITOR Ohio’s 27-26 loss to Buffalo on Saturday began with promise and ended in disaster. It failed to reach the end zone in the final three quarters while Buffalo’s offense marched downfield and scored often.

Sure, the Bobcats started the game by scoring touchdowns on their first three drives, and quarterback Armani Rogers scored one of those touchdowns on a 99yard run. But three good drives don’t make up for three quarters of hushed offense. In addition, the defense allowed the Bulls to play catch-up and score a game-winning field goal.

Here are the standout performances from Saturday and what they mean for Ohio going forward:

STOCK UP Roman Parodie

The redshirt freshman has become a frequent sight on the field this season.

Parodie has appeared in every game since Ohio’s loss to Duquesne and shows promise in a young cornerbacks room.

Parodie notched his first career interception against the Bulls, picking off quarterback Kyle Vantrease in the first quarter and getting the Bobcats offense back on the field after just two minutes of game time. The Bobcats have struggled to get interceptions this year — recording four through seven games — but Parodie helped bolster those numbers Saturday.

Ohio University safety Tariq Drake (#11) is grabbed by Buffalo’s wide receiver Jamari Gassett (#18) in the second quarter of the match held at UB Stadium in Amherst, New York, ending in the Bobcats’ 27-26 loss on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (NATE SWANSON | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Linebackers

Ohio’s linebacker corps has been one of the definitive units on defense this season.

Against Buffalo, four of Ohio’s top tacklers were linebackers. Bryce Houston, Cannon Blauser, Jeremiah Wood and Jack McCrory combined for 33 total tackles and two tackles for a loss of three yards.

Houston set a new career-high in tackles against the Bulls, recording 15 total tackles and a tackle for loss.

Houston is the crux of the Bobcats linebacker corps this season, and he leads the team in tackles. Combined with fellow starter Cannon Blauser, the redshirt junior is a dominant force among the front seven.

STOCK DOWN Offensive production

The Bobcats started off so well. They came out swinging and scored touchdowns on their first three drives

18 / OCT. 21, 2021

Saturday to end the first quarter with a 21-0 lead. Rogers even set the record for the longest rushing touchdown made by a quarterback in Football Bowl Subdivision history after pulling out a 99-yard run.

But the offense burned out as quickly as it ignited.

Ohio didn’t score again until Stephen Johnson kicked a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter, and it never scored a touchdown after its third drive of the game.

Ohio ran up the score early, but it wasn’t able to sustain that production through even the first half. It ranks 11th in the MAC for scoring offense, averaging 20.3 points per game. If Ohio wants to improve during the last half of its regular season, it needs to have a consistent and reliable scoring offense.

Pass protection

Rogers’ passing took a step back Saturday. The redshirt fifth year passed for just 75 yards on 10 attempts while Ohio leaned back on its run game to drive the offense

downfield.

The quarterback isn’t entirely to blame. The Bulls’ pass rush often overwhelmed the offensive line Saturday, which frequently put Rogers under pressure. He was only sacked once, but Rogers more often than not lacked ample protection while in the pocket.

Rogers is capable of posing a threat in the air as much as on the ground. He showed that potential in Ohio’s loss to Central Michigan when he passed for 190 yards. But Rogers can’t pass if he’s under pressure while trying to make a decision.

@THEJACKGLECKLER JG011517@OHIO.EDU

EXISTENTIAL BINGE-WATCHING

Preview of Athens International Film and Video Festival JACKSON HORVAT is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University After multiple delays due to the pandemic and even some talks about possibly shifting to an online format, this past weekend officially kicked off both the 47th and 48th installments of the Athens International Film and Video Festival, or AIFVF. Now that the nearly 50-year-old festival is back and bigger than ever, more than 500 films have been and will be screened throughout the 10-day event.

From experimental shorts, to animated blocks, to feature-length narratives and documentaries, AIFVF has a little something for everyone with films that come from all around the world. And one of the best parts? Ohio University students can get in completely for free as long as their student ID is shown at the table parked out in front of the Athena. So, truly, there’s no reason not to make a little bit of time to see a couple of showings. Just be sure to also bring your vaccination card — or at least a clear picture of it — or a negative COVID-19 test within the last 48 hours and, of course, a mask.

With four days left and still plenty to see, now is the best time to get out and watch some films before the festival comes

to an end this Sunday. If you ask the existential binge-watcher, of course I’d say to clear your schedule as much as possible. If you don’t quite have the time for that, though, or maybe feel a bit overwhelmed by the options available, here’s a few recommendations from each of the remaining days to at least get you started.

Thursday: Bill Brown in-person special event at 7:30 p.m.

One of a handful of visiting filmmakers, Brown will be attending this showing of four of his films that play around with ideas of landscape and its interpretations in relation to things like memories and dreams. If you’re looking for some animated shorts even later in the night, Squiggles, which starts at 9:15 p.m., is also a great choice.

Friday: Tuscaloosa, 2021 feature, at 7 p.m.

Devon Bostick — yes, the older brother from Diary of a Wimpy Kid - and Natalie Dyer, who you may recognize from a little show known as Stranger Things, star in this drama about a boy who falls in love with a girl from the local mental institution all set to the backdrop of 1972 with the peak of Vietnam war protests and racial issues. Or, if you’re looking for another visiting filmmaker, Sabine Gruffat will be in person during her showing of films at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: Lil Squiggles, 2021 shorts, at 10 a.m.

As you can tell from the name, this one is geared more

toward the younger audience, but what better way to relive your childhood than with some Saturday morning cartoons?

If you’re looking to get back to adulthood and think a little bit about masculinity, definitely head out later to see the Cock Block shorts at 9:15 p.m. Don’t be too afraid of the name.

Sunday: Queer Genius, 2020 feature, at 1 p.m.

This documentary intimately explores the lives of five different critically acclaimed queer female artists: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother and Dynasty Handbag. And, of course with Sunday being the final day of the fest, definitely stick around for Best of the Fest at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

These are all really just a tiny bit of what’s left to be played.

Be sure to check out the rest of the schedule to see what else might pique your interest. It’s been awhile since we’ve had the AIFVF, and so many people have put in so much time to finally bring it back to Athens and our beloved Athena.

So, make some time for at least a showing or two, you won’t regret it. And if you need an added perk to really get you out to the fest, remember that students get in for free. Now go see some films while you still can.

Jackson Horvat is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.

SAVE THE TREES OR I’LL BREAK YOUR KNEES

OU students can make great impact on environment MEG DIEHL is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University Many Ohio University students want to live in a way that decreases their impact on the environment but struggle to put it into action. This can be for a variety of reasons, but it often comes down to not knowing where to start or how to work sustainable solutions into the notoriously small budget of a college student. However, small changes in day-to-day life can greatly decrease a student’s carbon footprint.

The easiest, most inexpensive way to begin reducing a personal carbon footprint and pollution is to walk instead of drive whenever possible. At OU, this is already a norm because of how relatively small the campus is.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, emissions from transportation account for roughly 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. What is almost more concerning is that between 1990 and 2019, greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector increased more so than in any other sector. This is disheartening to say at the least, given all the information about climate change that has only become more accessible throughout this period of time. The auto industry should be paying attention and making greener cars more sustainable. This is out of

students’ control.

A smaller way to reduce personal pollution is to switch from plastic toothbrushes to bamboo. National Geographic reports that a billion plastic toothbrushes with nylon bristles will be thrown away this year alone. Nylon and plastic take over 400 years to decompose, and even when they begin to biodegrade, they leave microplastics behind that then make their way into soil, polluting the food we eat. Along with this, heavy rain then carries these microplastics into the ocean, further endangering marine wildlife.

Bamboo is the best alternative because of how sustainable it is. The resource is capable of growing in arid conditions and fast-growing, so there is little reason to worry about it running out. More importantly, bamboo is completely biodegradable, meaning one can simply cut off the bristles from a used toothbrush and put it in the compost site on campus. For only a few dollars, one can easily begin the process of reducing their contribution of harmful microplastics to the environment.

Concern over the use of plastic utensils has been growing over the past couple of years as well.

The problem with plastic utensils starts in the earliest stage of its life cycle, as plastic utensils are actually made from oil, a limited resource, in a factory that burns fossil fuels, contributing to air pollution.

The plastic utensil will then be used once and end up in a landfill. Even when recycled, plastic utensils are often

contaminated with food, defeating the purpose of recycling them in the first place.

For this, there are a couple possible solutions. First, one could reuse their plastic utensils, taking them home and washing them. Although they would likely degrade after a while and still result in some pollution when they are no longer usable, this is still more beneficial to the environment than using them once and then throwing them out.

The second, more sustainable solution is to simply bring your own reusable, non-plastic utensils from home to the dining halls. Although it is only one extra step, it is frequently overlooked because of how available plastic silverware is in the dining halls.

Making small changes in your own life will not solve the climate crisis alone. Ultimately, industries choosing to put time and resources into more sustainable materials and methods is what is going to make a measurable difference; however, making small impacts on the local environment is not to be overlooked. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

Meg Diehl is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Meg by tweeting her at @irlbug.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

ALBUM REVIEW

FINNEAS brings attention to prevalent issues on ‘Optimist’ EMMA DOLLENMAYER ASST. BEAT EDITOR Finneas Baird O’Connell has done significant work with influential artists in recent years, most notably for his pop star younger sister, Billie Eilish. He is known for co-writing a number of her songs and also producing a majority of them, leading him to be nominated for eight Grammys, and remarkably winning all eight of them since 2019 — an accolade many artists can never relate to. Additionally, he has produced songs for stars such as Selena Gomez, Halsey, Tove Lo, Justin Bieber, Camila Cabello, Khalid, Demi Lovato, Julia Michaels and JP Saxe.

As a result of his performance within the music industry, his full-length debut, Optimist, barely feels like one at all, as he has established himself as a seasoned musician thus far. The alternative singer-songwriter and producer has released hits such as “Break My Heart Again,” “I Don’t Miss You at All” and “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night,” which have all generated FINNEAS’ own fanbase and followers who have been waiting for the day he released a full-length album, which just so happened to be Oct. 15, 2021.

Having been responsible for such highly acclaimed works, there was an immense amount of pressure put on his debut to be phenomenal. Critics, though, are deeming it anything but phenomenal and instead just average, hollow and forced. However, it is everything listeners who have grown to adore FINNEAS could expect and should be highly satisfied with the overall production and the amount of thought put into it.

Optimist is edgy, honest, political, slow and smooth, with a hint of upbeat synths in tracks like “Medieval,” “The 90s” and “How it Ends.” With FINNEAS recognizing his privilege and prevailing social issues, many reviews have called Optimist hollow, given that many believe he does not delve into the systemic problems appropriately. Loyal listeners know, though, that FINNEAS has never succumbed to commercialization, and it is evident the album is not that, with the title itself being an oxymoron for what the album’s content truly includes.

Critics have called the track “The Kids Are All Dying” “cringey,” unsolicitedly nonetheless, as FINNEAS harshly brings it to the attention of listeners’ that humankind is focused on all of the wrong things in life. In reality, he points out politicians are liars, schools are often on lockdown and cancel culture is a lot of times un20 / OCT. 21, 2021

called for.

Undeniably, FINNEAS is right, and he admits to being part of the problem, noting, “I know my pool is heated / Business class is where I’m seated / And I’m whiter than the ivory on these keys / I think too much about myself / Drink my wallet and drive my wealth.” Though some may not agree with his way of conveying his feelings toward these matters, the song encompasses great meaning.

The fifth track on the album, “The 90s,” is also highly critical of modern life, with FINNEAS dissecting the idea that the past was much more simplistic without the internet, when people were unable to find him with a simple search. Much of Gen Z endured the longing for a life lived in the past, making the song all the more appreciated among listeners.

It goes without saying that FINNEAS’ most prominent and praiseworthy tracks are ballads that are more heavy and gradual in nature. Tracks like this include “Love is Pain,” “Hurt Locker,” “Someone Else’s Star” and “What They’ll Say About Us.” All four tracks are most synonymous with FINNEAS’ personality as a musician and discography up to this point.

“Hurt Locker” is a thought-provoking, metaphorical track and is categorically the best on Optimist. The song references war as “hurt locker,” a term derived from U.S. military slang that means a place of deep pain and discomfort. This symbolizes what FINNEAS is feeling in what appears to be a hypothetically strained marriage and a more real notion of believing you’re unimportant to the world as he sings, “Maybe all I’ll ever be is the cameo here / A face the crowd might recognize / That comes home twice a year / And then I disappear.”

FINNEAS has proven he is a lyrical genius with his poetic and often excruciatingly substantial lines. Whereas “Hurt Locker” is more so an anthemic and dominant tune, “Love is Pain” is lyrically brilliant and demonstrates all of the artist’s most admirable qualities as a songwriter.

The track delves into all of the agonizing hurt that love can cause through several all too real situations.

With lines like “We go through life; we play pretend / Act like it’s not about to end / We’ll be all right, but then your friend runs a red light / You watch his car burst into flames,” and “As you both wordlessly undress / After a fight, it’s getting late / You tried hеr best, but then she criеd / And you’re to blame, and love is pain,” FINNEAS leaves no room for listeners to question that it pays a price to feel so heavily.

It’s incredibly alarming to see critics scrutinize FINNEAS’ approach to sing-

ing about pertinent controversies, as he released “What They’ll Say About Us” in September 2020 in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The track is present on the album and for good reason, as the message, paired with beautiful piano synths, conveys hopefulness in the aftermath of tragedy, embodying the overall tone of the album.

FINNEAS expresses this creativity through the story of Nick Cordero, a Canadian actor who died from COVID-19, whose story touched FINNEAS himself.

“I just became incredibly attached to this family that I’d never met before,” FINNEAS told WSJ Magazine. “I kind of wrote this song as if you were singing to your loved one who was in a hospital bed while the world was protesting outside. I did make a point to keep the song fairly ambiguous because I know everybody’s sort of going through different circumstances of the same things right now.”

FINNEAS sings, “I wish you could see him / He looks just like you” in the ending lines of the track, provoking sympathy from fans.

Also worth mentioning is the opener,

“A Concert Six Months From Now,” as it is reminiscent of his sister’s compelling hit, “Happier Than Ever.” It begins more quiet and passive, with FINNEAS’ voice close to a whisper, but it then transitions into a crescendo just like Eilish does in her track, as she begins to scream “You made me hate this city.”

It also pertains to the album’s title, as FINNEAS discloses being hungry for a past love he has been with erratically over the years yet is optimistic that as they become acclimated to the constants of life postCOVID-19, they will still be together in the future, as he sings, “Your favorite band is back on the road / And this fall, they’re playin’ the Hollywood Bowl / I’ve already purchased two seats for their show / I guess I’m an optimist.”

FINNEAS proves through Optimist with lucid instrumentals and synths, dactylic lyrics and significant subjects that he is capable of being a star himself and not just the man behind the magic.

@EMMADOLLENMAYER ED569918@OHIO.EDU

Campus Involvement Center, OHIO Live, and UPC present:

An Evening with

Saturday, November 6th at 8:00 PM Doors open at 7:30 Baker University Center Ballroom

Known as “Gustavo” from

Tickets and Information at www.ohio.edu/performing-arts (740)-593-1780 Event Media Sponsor:

the weekender Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium hosts all-inclusive Halloween party KAYLA BENNETT ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

The Halloween season is here, and the celebrations have only just begun. Aside from trick or treat and the commonly honored traditions, Halloween holds a deeper, spiritual meaning for many. Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium, 400 E. State St. Suite A, is making sure people know about these deeper meanings through a celebration.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium will be hosting an all-day event in honor of the Halloween season. Kelly Lawrence, owner of Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium, said the day will hold a plethora of events for children, adults and everyone in between.

Lawrence said she plans to host games, like a cell phone scavenger hunt, a Halloween movie trivia quiz and a pumpkin toss during the day.

Once the evening hits, Lawrence will be hosting spooky stories and setting up an ancestor’s altar. In hopes of growing appreciation for the spookiness of Halloween, Lawrence encourages people to stay until dusk.

“I’m asking people to bring remembrances of those who’ve passed,” Lawrence said. “It’s going to be kind of an … ofrenda, like a Day of the Dead. I want to talk to people a little bit about what the true meaning of the holiday is. It’s not trick or treating and candy and stuff.

It’s more about remembering those who have passed on.”

Lawrence also wants to set up a photo booth and will have an online costume contest. People can post their photos in their costumes on Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium’s Facebook or Instagram. Those who like or follow the social media pages will be able to vote.

There will also be a basket raffle, which will include a variety of goods from the store.

Lawrence will also host guests, adding to the festivities and appreciation of Halloween. Guests include tarot reader Cynthia Turrentine-Hanson and Penni AlZayer, the “henna faerie.”

Turrentine-Hanson reads tarot cards and teaches mystic arts, which is a way of communicating with what is unseen and gaining information from non-traditional sources. Turrentine-Hanson is looking forward to celebrating the spiritual significance of Hal22 / OCT. 21, 2021

loween, especially in Pagan culture.

“We truly honor those that have gone before us,” Turrentine-Hanson said. “The wisdom that they imparted into the family — and that’s one of the sources of that unseen information that we get — is from those that have passed before. So, the hallows is about honoring them.”

Turrentine-Hanson said the holiday is also about celebrating the last harvest as well as the changing colors in nature and being on the cusp of winter. Planning to frequently be at the shop on Thursdays, Turrentine-Hanson is looking forward to meeting a new clientele and finding a place to share her work in Athens while celebrating Saturday.

“It will be fun,” Turrentine-Hanson said. “The shop is amazing. She has an amazing collection of things that she’s brought together from local artisans, and there’s just going to be some really wonderful things going on.”

AlZayer will be there from noon to 5 p.m. AlZayer has worked with henna for a number of years now.

She makes sure to take diligent care of her henna material and customers, and she is always creating new designs.

“I try really hard to work with people,” AlZayer said.

“Happy customers come back, so I fully have people give an idea what they’re looking for.”

AlZayer said this weekend is a huge step in gathering people together amid the pandemic and encourages people to respect COVID-19 guidelines.

“Athens is such a wonderful town,” AlZayer said. “It’s just one of those places that gets under your skin, no matter where you’re from. You leave a piece of yourself there and want to come back. I think little events, like what Kelly is doing, and shops like hers and just all the unique, quirky things make Athens the place it is.”

Turrentine and AlZayer are only two of the guests who will be at the event Saturday. There will also be massage therapists. Alongside the activities, Lawrence hopes to have food and drinks, like baked goods and hot cider.

“Come on over to my shop to enjoy some Halloween fun, some traditions, some old traditions and, hopefully, some new traditions,” Lawrence said. “Just enjoy the season.” @KKAYYBEN KB084519@OHIO.EDU

Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium, located in Athens, Ohio, is set to hold an all-faith Halloween party for Ohio University students and the general public. (ASHLYNN MCKEE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

IF YOU GO WHAT: Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium Halloween celebration WHERE: Chosen Pathways Spiritual Emporium, 400 E. State St. Suite A WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

ADMISSION: Free

WHAT’S GOING ON? Visit live zombie show; paddle for a good cause

1002 E. State St. Shop for locally grown and locally made foods and goods at the farmers’ market. The market accepts SNAP and credit cards. Masks are recommended, and social distancing protocols are in place.

Admission: Free 5th Annual Gilham Fram VFW Post 8804 Vehicle Show all day, hosted at Bailey Mae’s Trailhead Cafe, 16 Converse St., Chauncey. Bring your hot rods, classics, collectibles and muscle cars, and enjoy the day with music and food. Registration for vehicles is $10. The vehicle chosen as the Best Veterans Choice Vehicle will win $50 and a trophy.

Trisolini Gallery • Baker Center

ART WERGER: OVERVIEW One of three exhibitions sponsored by the Bobcat Print Club & the Printmaking Area in the School of Art + Design to honor Professor Emeritus Art Werger.

through Oct. 23rd FREE ADMISSION

Admission: Free ANASTASIA CARTER SLOT EDITOR

FRIDAY, OCT. 22 47th and 48th Annual Athens International Film and Video Festival all day, hosted at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St. Combining the previously canceled festival with this year’s event has led to more than 500 films being screened. Proof of vaccination or a negative test result 48 hours prior are required for entry.

Admission: Go to http://athensfilmfest.org/tickets/ for ticket details

Halloween Spooktacular from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Burr Oak State Park, 10220 Burr Oak Lodge Road, Glouster.

Meet at the lodge shelter house, and join for fall fun, such as horse drawn wagon rides, carving pumpkins, a campfire and more. For comfort, consider bringing a foldable chair.

Admission: Free Bruce Dalzell and Megan Bee from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., hosted at Donkey Coffee. Both Dalzell and Bee released albums in 2020 with no formal release party to celebrate. Join them to kick off their albums, and share stories from over the past year.

Fall Jazz Concert from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., hosted by the College of Fine Arts at MemAud. The event will also be available live-streamed online.

Admission: Free

Admission: Free

5th Annual Paddle for Polio Plus from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Lake Snowden, 5900 US-50, Albany. Take to the water via a paddle board, canoe or kayak to support Rotary International’s fund dedicated to the eradication of polio worldwide. All of the proceeds will benefit Polio Plus. Visit www.active.com, and search for “Paddle for Polio Plus” to register.

Poet Jim Trainer with Sophia Cobb and Ben Bolton from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., hosted at Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 W. Washington St. Trainer, a personal journalist for Into the Void magazine and a writer, will be reading some of his works, which focus on mental health, recovery and the creative process.

Admission: Free

The Night of the Living Dead Madness at 11 p.m., in the Hahne Theatre at Kantner Hall, 19 N. College St. Join second-year playwright Steven Strafford for his show exploring what it means for the dead to exist among the living. Tickets are available an hour before the show in the lobby.

SUNDAY, OCT. 24

at the Athens Farmer’s Market Find hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, paintings and prints, yarn, lotions, quilts, eco-printed clothing, silkscreened t-shirts, wooden tables, boxes, bowls and more!

Locally made by members of the Athens Art Guild.

Saturday, Oct. 23rd 9 am - 12 pm

Admission: Free

CORSETS & CURSES GODDESS COLLECTIVE BURLESQUE Join us at Athens Uncorked for an evening of delicious drinks and tasty treats, as you fall under our spell.

Performances by Magnolia D’Flowered; Ramona Rattail; Tatiana Fauna; Veronica Honeywell Roxy Von Teddy; Miss Lady Dior; Mystique Monroe; Pandora Foxx Hosted by: Bianca Moore Doors open at 6, Show time at 8, 21 and up show

Saturday, Oct. 23rd 8:00 pm Tickets $15

@AthensUncorked Open to All Must be 21 to attend

ADVERTISE SMALL BOX 15 per week

200 per semester

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@ACARTER3602 AC732319@OHIO.EDU

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text can be updated weekly, logos, specialty fonts and spot color IS INCLUDED

PANdemonium 4: FLUTE QUARTET

Lindsey Goodman, Kimberlee Goodman, Lisa Jelle, and Alison Brown Sincoff. With special guests: Roger Braun,Percussion and Terry Douds, String Bass Join us for this free, public concert of all commissioned chamber works Maria Grenfell, Pipe Music (live premiere); Robert McClure, Writhe Unfurl; Tony Zilincik It’s Pandemonium! (world premiere commission) Laura Schwendinger, Nine Muses; Mark Flugge, Action Planet, arr. Andy Frederick

Sunday, Oct. 24th 4:00 pm

messaging can be updated weekly, TEXT ONLY

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA NIGHT Join us for a fun night of trivia, this one is all about Halloween! Starting at 8pm, our MC, Josh Radcliff, will test your knowledge while our servers keep you wined and dined!

Costume contest! Dress up and the winner (determined by the audience) will receive a special gift basket.

May the best team win!

Thursday, Oct. 28th 8:00 pm

Reserve a table by messaging us on Facebook

@AthensUncorked

Open to All Must be 21 to attend

Free Admission

ohio.edu/performing-arts/

Various locations

$

SATURDAY, OCT. 23

$25

Glidden Recital Hall

Admission: $20 PANdemonium4 Flute Quartet from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Glidden Hall in the Recital Hall, 3 Health Center Drive. Join this newly formed quartet of Ohio-based teacher-performer professionals. The event will also be available live-streamed online.

LARGE BOX

Masks required

Admission: Free

Athens Farmers Market at 9 a.m., hosted by Athens Farmers Market,

The Market on State

ART MARKET

ADVERTISE

BLOOD DRIVE

The need is constant, the need is urgent, sign up and give today. visit the Red Cross online.

Enter your zip code to search for an available drive. Times availble each week

schedule your donation today at redcrossblood.org

Uptown Athens Parking Garage West Washington Street Gallery Wall ATHENS PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT

BEAUTIFUL REALITYPHOTOGRAPHS BY ATHENS YOUTH APP proudly presents photographs by 31 young artists in Athens County.

These artists were able to share the joy and tumult of this time in their lives, to find unique visions of the world around them

through Oct. 31th OUTDOOR PUBLIC ART EXHIBIT

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

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