Oct. 26, 2017

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

A SPOOKY EDITION

Halloween town A LOOK AT HOW TRADITIONS LIKE THE BLOCK PARTY HAVE BECOME ATHENS MAINSTAYS OVER THE YEARS PAGES 16-23

Helping with telehealth P12

Athens’ costume culture P16

Block party entertainment P22

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

EDITORIAL

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

ART

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

DIGITAL

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

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

How ‘The Post’ celebrates Halloween This week, thousands of people will flock to Court Street for the annual Athens Halloween Block Party, and The Post will be there to cover it.

Among the ghouls, goblins and Donald Trumps will be Post reporters writing about events taking place and interviewing fellow partygoers.

Halloween offers journalists the chance to engage in on-the-spot reporting, whether tweeting about the acts performing or talking to local law enforcement about arrests. We will be posting on Instagram and Twitter and updating our website throughout the evening.

Our news staff members will be taking on shifts to cover the craziness Uptown. As the block party progresses, staffers will stop back at ELIZABETH BACKO / our newsroom to edit content and pubEDITOR-IN-CHIEF lish it to our website. Throughout the night, they will also tweet updates, likely with some photos.

Our culture staff members will be covering the entertainment on Court Street. Reporters will take shifts at the stages to report on the performances and anything wild happening in the audience.

Then our photo staff will be running up and down Court Street capturing stellar costumes, performances and any other excitement. Keep an eye out for photo galleries on our website, which will likely be accompanying the local and entertainment roundups.

But to lead up to all the reporting we will be doing this weekend, we decided to fill this week with a bunch of “spooky content.” That term has been said dozens of times in the past few weeks. Digital Production Editor Taylor Johnston created a Halloween landing page and has been adding stories to it throughout the week.

On the landing page, readers can find stories about Halloween-themed drinks, pop culture’s influence on costumes, misconceptions about Halloween in Athens and more.

Opinion Editor Chuck Greenlee has been hosting the “Haunted” video series in which he and the multimedia team explore the legends of Athens. The first episode took place in Wilson Hall, and Greenlee detailed all the alleged spookiness that happens there.

All around, it has been one spooky Halloween season, and Posties are looking forward to getting out in the city to cover the annual block party.

Check back Saturday night and Sunday morning for all our coverage, and have a safe and happy Halloween!

Elizabeth Backo is a senior studying journalism and the editor-in-chief of The Post. How do you plan to spend your Halloween? Email her at eb823313@ohio.edu or send her a tweet at @liz_backo.

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COVER ILLUSTRATION BY ABBY DAY

fast facts 

DATA PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION

179

Americans will splurge on costumes, candy and pumpkins for a record

$9.1 BILLION

This year’s statistics behind America’s favorite spooky time of the year

MILLION

in Halloween spending this year

Americans plan to partake in Halloween festivities this year

 2016 grossed $8.4 billion in Halloween spending

 up from 171 million americans in 2016.

5.8 million

of adults plan to dress like a witch

3.2 million

of adults plan to dress as their favorite Batman character

AMOUNT SPENT ($)

of pet lovers will dress their animal in a pumpkin costume

$3.4B

$3B

2.8 million

of adults plan to dress as a pirate

10%

How much are consumers spending on Halloween essentials? $3.5B

3 million

of adults plan to dress as an animal

$2.7B

$2.7B

$2.5B $2B $1.5B $1B

$410M

$0.5B

costumes

candy

decorations

HALLOWEEN ITEM

greeting cards

35%

of consumers will find their costume inspiration online THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

KASH.0

A look into the traditions of Diwali As a columnist for The Post covering political issues, 99 percent of the time my articles are pretty depressing. Why? Well, it AKASH could be because the poBAKSHI litical atmosphere in the is a U.S. (and in the rest of the freshman world, for that matter) has studying been relatively bleak with journalism few instances of optimism. at Ohio Particularly with the news University. of the Las Vegas shootings, the hurricanes that have rocked the Southern portion of the U.S . and Puerto Rico and the continuing, harrowing opioid epidemic, it’s been a rough month. Therefore, I am going to try and write something positive and uplifting for this week’s column, and what better way to do that then to write about the Hindu Fes-

tival of Lights, otherwise known as Diwali.

Every autumn, millions of people worldwide celebrate this important festival. One of the biggest misconceptions of Diwali is that it can only be celebrated by Hindus.

Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains also celebrate this holy festival (with certain variations according to their own respective traditions).

Globally, it is an official holiday recognized in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Spiritually, the holiday is one that recognizes the concepts of light over darkness and how good defeats evil. It also commemorates the return of Rama to his kingdom after a long period of exile. Rama is the lord or virtue and a major deity within Hinduism. The epic is known as Ramayana.

A notable fact about Diwali is that the date of the holiday changes every year.

Along with many other Indian festivals, Diwali is essentially celebrated according to the Hindu calendar, which is calculated according to the moon’s position.

In this case, Diwali is based on the new moon on the 15th day during the Hindu month of Kartika. While the festival lasts five days, the rituals and ceremonies are prepared months in advance. Numerous households are decorated with oil lamps known as diyas and colorful artwork designs known as rangolis.

There are certain things in this world that bring a smile to my face. Belgian chocolate ice cream, listening to Kendrick Lamar’s classic 2013 album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City and the Golden State Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead during the 2016 NBA Finals are examples of this.

However, the annual celebration of Diwali brings a smile to my face wider than

Kanye West’s ego. As I am writing this, the beautiful memories of running around in temple yelling “Happy Diwali” to random people and lighting sparklers with some of my closest friends are reappearing in my mind. Diwali is a time when everyone celebrates together with pure joy and delight regardless of your feelings towards someone or something.

So to anyone reading this, Happy Diwali. You don’t have to be Hindu for me to wish you triumph and prosperity; everyone deserves light, especially during such dark times.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you celebrate Diwali? Let Akash know by tweeting him @akashmbakshi.

QUITE CONTRARY

Leave your friends at home this Halloween Arguably the best and worst time of the year is upon us: Halloween, the magical night when partygoers crowd the streets in poor attempts CHUCK to be Donald Trump or GREENLEE the Ghostbusters. is a Side note: Don’t be junior the Ghostbusters unless studying communication you want every passstudies erby to scream “Who at Ohio ya gonna call?” at you.

University.

I may know this from experience (I went as the Ghostbusters with some friends my freshman year).

Halloween in Athens features a huge block party, so it’s no doubt that you probably have some friends at home whom you haven’t spoken to in ages who curiously pop back into your life when Halloween

4 / OCT. 26, 2017

approaches. So I have some simple advice for you: Don’t let them come.

That’s right, leave them at home. Let me give you three reasons why.

YOUR FRIEND WILL BE AN INCONVENIENCE Think about it — you’re likely going to be a bit inebriated for the duration of the weekend. Do you really want to have to worry about someone who isn’t familiar with the town? Your friend from home will be an absolute burden, especially if you still live in the residence halls. They’ll have to fork out $50 to even come with you for the weekend, and if they get in trouble, you will too. Pretty lame, and your friend from home will for sure puke in the mod if you live in back South. So that’ll be fun.

THEY WILL TRASH THE TOWN So many out-of-towners come for the

party and have no respect for our usually quaint town. They break things, litter the streets and do whatever drunken debauchery no respectable person would do. They become a hassle, which leads me to my next point.

ENJOY IT WITH ATHENS FRIENDS Sure, your BFF may want to come on down. But isn’t it odd how they only talked to you when they wanted to come down for Halloween? There comes a time when you inevitably grow apart from your friends from home because they’re all caught up in life at home and still go to the Friday night high school football games. Besides, your Athens friends are way cooler and for sure have a rad group costume that you want to be part of anyway.

So enjoy the festivities, but hopefully without Dan from home, who is going to puke behind Jimmy John’s at 6 p.m. from

shotgunning a Four Loko. Dan will ruin your weekend.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Is your friend Dan coming for the Athens Halloween Block Party?

Let Chuck talk you out of inviting Dan by tweeting him @chuck_greenlee.

Correction: A photo caption from the Oct. 19 issue with the headline “Building Athens” incorrectly identified who was in the photo and the model of freezer in the photo.

It was Neill Lane, CEO of Stirling Ultracold, and it was the portable model, the “Shuttle.”

PODFATHER REVIEWS

Dark podcasts to scare you this Halloween The media industry makes a killing off murder mystery stories — pun intended. One can look at the most popular current LIAM TV shows, from the revival NIEMEYER in popularity of Twin Peaks is a senior to the Netflix show The studying Ozarks, and they always journalism involve someone brutally at Ohio murdering another person University’s in a specific episode or as a Honors theme throughout.

Tutorial College.

And yes, red rum also pairs well with podcasts.

To clarify, podcasts go well with murder, which red rum is murder spelled backward (for those who don’t know). There’s a reason why the murder-mystery podcast “Serial” became the biggest hit the podcast industry has seen to date.

For this week, I took a look at a few more obscure “killer” podcasts that take delight in exploring the more morbid and sadistic side of humanity. And I even made it out with my own life.

“MY FAVORITE MURDER PODCAST” Imagine having a coffee meet-up with a few friends. Normally, you would catch up on your friends’ week, how their dogs are doing or juicy gossip going around town.

Now imagine a coffee meetup, but the conversation topics are only about serial killers and gruesome, untimely deaths.

This is what co-hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark capture with their podcast, seemingly talking like best friends catching up while also casually talking about the grisly details of how Theresa Knorr murdered two of her children in fits of anger.

One might not think the juxtaposition of cheerful conversation among friends and murder stories would work well together, but it’s surprising compelling.

Hardstark and Kilgariff tell the stories and discuss the details like friends sharing any other gossip, and the conversation almost makes one feel they’re included in the friendship between Hardstark and Kilgariff. It makes sense why “My Favorite Murder Podcast” is an actual favorite among many people.

Rating: 4 out of 5 earbuds

“TRUE MURDER” This podcast has a lot of potential, but the production value of it just lets me down.

The host, Dan Zupansky, interviews authors who’ve written about many famous murders throughout history. The details from those interviews are fascinating, especially for a detail-geek like myself.

In one episode, Zupansky interviews an author who wrote about alleged framing of Steven Avery in the murder of Teresa Halbach, which an episode of Netflix’s Making A Murderer focused on.

For those fans of the Netflix series, the details provided fresh context to an extremely complex story. But the scratchy and spotty phone recording of the interview makes it hard to focus on the conversation, let only even hear it clearly.

Of course, many podcasters only have so much equipment and money to work with in making a podcast. But production value is simply preventing me from liking this show more.

Rating: 2 out of 5 earbuds

$1,995 deposit

only $300 each!

“SWORD AND SCALE” Don’t listen to this pod before going to sleep. Just don’t do it. This podcast is straight-up chilling, and I’m still thinking about specific details of the different stories I listened to. I mean, come on: This show even has a “listener discretion is advised” disclaimer.

Mike Boudet takes the listener through each biweekly episode of stories about friends murdering friends, robberies going wrong and deadly love affairs. And the combination of well-timed music and intimate, in-person interviews makes me want to binge the 100-plus episodes in the show’s archives.

My only critique of this show is the randomly placed, host-read sponsorships, which can be a jarring surprise for someone listening closely to the narrative.

I’m still giving this show a perfect rating though, because it’s just that good.

Rating: 5 out of 5 earbuds

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you listen to killer-casts? Let Liam know by tweeting him @liamniemeyer.

5 / THEPOSTATHENS.COM

POLICE BLOTTER

Cows escape, wander neighborhood; concrete lions stolen then found ELLEN WAGNER FOR THE POST On Thursday, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a man about his neighbor’s cows walking around in the neighborhood in Millfield, according to a sheriff’s report.

Deputies contacted the owner of the cows. A faulty gate had allowed them to escape from their fields. According to the report, “The gate was secured and the cows were returned without incident.”

COME BACK LATER On Sunday, the sheriff’s office responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Elliotsville Road.

Deputies located the “large box truck” parked in the driveway of a home. They spoke to the driver, who said he was sent from Florida to pick up a package, according to a sheriff’s report Since it was after midnight, deputies woke up the homeowner, who said he was supposed to give a package to someone. However, since it was so late, the man said he wanted the driver to leave and return at a “decent time.” Deputies spoke to the driver, who said he would return in the morning.

LION AND STEALIN’ Deputies assisted Washington County Sheriff’s Office with finding two concrete lions a man reported stolen Saturday, accord-

ing to a sheriff’s report.

The lions were found at the end of a driveway on Thompson Ridge Road.

The man said the lions were his, and Athens deputies remained “at the request of Washington County” while the man took his lions back.

HOME GARDENING The sheriff’s office arrested a woman Wednesday after marijuana plants were found in her home, according to a sheriff’s report.

Deputies removed 21 marijuana plants from an “indoor grow” in the residence. The woman was arrested on two active warrants, and charges will be requested through the grand jury.

SCHOOLED The sheriff’s office took a report of counterfeit money being deposited into a bank account Tuesday.

Deputies were told the counterfeit money deposited was from a school function in Albany.

The investigation was started by the credit union that had the counterfeit money. It sent the money to the FBI for analysis.

Police cars parked outside the Athens Police Department on Sept. 18.

(HANNAH RUHOFF / FILE)

@EWAGNER19 EW047615@OHIO.EDU

NEWS BRIEFS

100-plus protest; trustee asked for interview MADDIE CAPRON NEWS EDITOR It’s week nine of Fall Semester, and it’s finally starting to feel like fall. Here are some of the biggest headlines in Athens from the week: MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS, FACULTY MEMBERS MARCH IN PROTEST More than 100 students and faculty members protested Ohio University’s interim “Freedom of Expression” policy.

6 / OCT. 26, 2017

The rally began at the Athens County Courthouse on Court Street, and protesters began marching around College Green and down Morton Hill at about 6:30 p.m.

They then looped around in front of Baker Center and ended their march at the Civil War monument on College Green.

“I’m here because OU is trying to suppress students’ voices, and it is unconstitutional, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” Ruby Cochran, a junior studying business and accounting, said.

Several OU faculty members came to

the protest as well on their “own accord.”

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

STATE INVESTIGATION PLANNED INTERVIEW WITH FORMER OU TRUSTEE The Ohio Office of the Inspector General requested to interview former Board of Trustees Chair David Brightbill earlier this month as part of an ongoing state investi-

gation into presidential housing at OU. Brightbill served as the board’s chair during the 2014-15 academic year. He agreed to a request for a phone interview by the Ohio Office of the Inspector General during the week of Oct. 16, according to email records obtained by The Post in a public records request.

Deputy Inspector General Rebekeh Wolcott requested to speak with Brightbill regarding his involvement in OU’s leasing of 31 Coventry Lane, the residence of former OU President Roderick McDavis after

CLASSIES

he and his wife, Deborah, moved out of 29 Park Place.

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY In 1981, the Ohio University Board of Trustees created the Institute for Local Government and Administration and Rural Development. Since its inception, Dean Mark Weinberg led the program, which later evolved into The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. The Voinovich School was established by the Board of Trustees as the first multidisciplinary school at OU in 2007.

Over the past 10 years, the school has expanded its master’s degree programs, documented the work of student projects through photography and involved undergraduate students in learning about public affairs and leadership, all under Weinberg.

To celebrate 10 years, an art show entitled “Sighting Progress” at the Kennedy Art Museum on Oct. 20. It not only displays the photography of visual communication fellowship members, but it also illustrates the progression of outreach projects Voinovich students have done in the region.

@MADDIECAPRON MC055914@OHIO.EDU

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Out of their hands Both campus and local police cooperate with and sometimes forward information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ASHTON NICHOLS FOR THE POST

N

ILLUSTRATION BY RILEY SCOTT

“

We are an inclusive and welcoming city.

I want you guys to know that we are a welcoming city, and by saying that they’re a welcoming city, believe me, we espouse all the same things a sanctuary city does. … Everyone’s protected.

-

“They are very law-abiding and certainly we only enforce Ohio criminal law, not federal statute,” Pyle said. “It’s, like, maybe twice in my career I think the department encountered an undocumented immigrant who had committed a serious felony that involved ICE where we would notify the agency.”

Pyle said APD usually only forwards information to ICE if the person is associated with a serious felony. APD doesn’t have much say in whether undocumented immigrants are detained after ICE is notified, because the jail is controlled at a county level and has its own policies.

“I can’t remember a single time ICE ever put a detainer on somebody, and besides, that’s not our call anyway,” Pyle said.

“Even if our agency didn’t want them to be

detained, we’d contract a third party for our jail services with the regional jail. ...

We have no control over it.”

OUPD Lt. Tim Ryan said his department does not routinely ask about immigration status. When officers discover a person is undocumented during an investigation, officers “prioritize our community’s safety and compliance with the law in determining our response,” he said.

Ryan said OUPD officers are commissioned by the State of Ohio and have no authority to enforce federal laws.

“Nothing has changed about the way we do business as a result of the leadership change in Washington,” Ryan said in an email. “We will continue to cooperate with the lawful and Constitutional requests of other law enforcement agencies,

“

either the Athens Police Department nor the Ohio University Police Department routinely ask people about immigration status, but both agencies do cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Local police agencies do not enforce immigration law. Some cities and counties, however, have policies that shield undocumented immigrants from detention by ICE — cities may limit local police from asking about immigration status, and county jails may refuse to comply with requests from ICE to detain people suspected of entering the country illegally. Those cities are often called “sanctuary cities.”

Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said at a Sept. 28 OU Student Senate meeting that Athens is a “welcoming city,” which he said is the same thing as a sanctuary city.

“We are an inclusive and welcoming city,” Patterson said. “I want you guys to know that we are a welcoming city, and by saying that they’re a welcoming city, believe me, we espouse all the same things a sanctuary city does. … Everyone’s protected.”

Patterson said APD officers do not randomly ask people they encounter about immigration status.

“We’re not going to randomly look at people’s papers,” Patterson said. “That makes zero, zero sense. … Believe me, we have all walks of life in Athens.”

Some students and faculty, however, believe that Athens and OU have not gone far enough to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants.

During a February demonstration in Baker Center, protesters occupied the fourth floor lobby and said they would not leave until OU was declared a “sanctuary campus.” Seventy were arrested for trespassing, but a student was found not guilty, and the charges against remaining students were dropped.

APD Chief Tom Pyle said he is aware of a small undocumented immigration population around Athens.

Steve Patterson, Athens mayor

just as we always have, but as I stated at the outset, we will always make the protection of our community’s rights and safety our highest priority.”

OU complies with all federal laws regarding immigration, OU spokesman Dan Pittman said.

Pittman said OU supports international students by issuing them certain forms that allow them to interview for visas, helping them receive benefits related to their student visas and providing assistance through International Student and Faculty Services.

—Ellen Wagner contributed to this report.

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

Future of OU’s interim ‘Freedom of Expression’ policy remains uncertain LAUREN FISHER ASST. NEWS EDITOR

10 / OCT. 26, 2017

Gabriela Johnson, a senior studying English, marches in the protest against Ohio University’s interim “Freedom of Expression” policy Friday.

(BLAKE NISSEN / PHOTO EDITOR)

In an Oct. 20 news release, Nellis wrote the interim policies “permit all forms of constitutionally protected speech,” including protests and rallies, in “virtually every outdoor space” and reservable indoor space.

About 100 protesters marched across campus Oct. 20 after a rally on the steps of the Athens County Courthouse in opposition to the policies.

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

The protesters demanded the university re-

scind the interim policies, fund “all relevant legal costs” of the 70 protesting students arrested in Baker Center in February, refuse to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and provide certain resources to students affected by recent travel restrictions.

The protesters called for the resignation of several high-level university administrators, should they “fail to meet the demands outlined.” Those administrators were Nellis, Descutner, General Counsel John Biancamano, Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones, and Vice President for Student Affairs and interim Chief Diversi-

“

We are here for something much greater than freedom of speech. We are not alone — the campus has spoken unanimously.

“

Though the public comment period for Ohio University’s interim “Freedom of Expression” and “Use of Outdoor Space” policies has ended, debate about the future of the policies continues.

After numerous student groups — including both the OU College Democrats and College Republicans — condemned the policies, OU President Duane Nellis extended the public comment period to Oct. 20. During a news conference Oct. 20, Nellis discussed the next steps for revising the policies.

“We’ve certainly gained a tremendous amount of input as part of the process. And that’s what we wanted,” Nellis said. “I’ve had the opportunity — and I know (interim Executive Vice President and Provost) Dr. (David) Descutner has as well — to meet with the different senates (and) various constituencies across the university.”

Moving forward, Nellis said the plan is to appoint an advisory committee within the next week. The committee, which will review comments on the policy, will be composed of students, faculty, staff and university administrators.

The interim “Freedom of Expression” policy bans “demonstrations, rallies, public speech-making, picketing, sit-ins, marches, protests and similar assemblies” indoors, other than reservable spaces on campus, and allows the university to limit conduct that disrupts its operations, interferes with student activities or poses safety risks.

-Ziad Abu-Rish, assistant professor of history

ty Officer Jason Pina.

According to the results of a Student Senate survey sent to Athens campus students, 58 percent of students said the “Freedom of Expression” policy “needs major change/rewrite,” 23 percent said the policy is “good as is” and 19 percent said the policy “needs some change.”

A proposed Student Senate rewrite of the policy, titled “Rules and Regulations for Demonstrations on the Athens Campus,” makes several revisions and reworks the provision on demonstrations and similar assemblies indoors.

The interim policy forbids those activities in-

side university buildings, but the senate rewrite proposes the activities be “permitted to the extent that they do not inhibit the safety of any individual, deny the right to education of another individual, or stop the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.”

Center for International Studies Senator Zach Reizes, the main sponsor of the policy rewrite, addressed the senate on Oct. 11 and said the proposed changes “hit on the safety of students.”

“I believe that the tone we struck is really good,” he said.

@LAUREN__FISHER LF966614@OHIO.EDU

Athens schools aim The Pointe to fix low test scores MAGGIE CAMPBELL FOR THE POST

T

he Athens City School District is figuring out how to integrate students from across the district to address inequality in student performance.

Data provided by the Ohio Department of Education’s report card and observations by the district show a performance gap between the district’s four elementary schools.

Based on data in the report card, The Plains Elementary and East Elementary had a difference in performance index of roughly 26.5 percentage points. The performance index has seven levels — advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, limited, untested and advanced plus — that measured the test results of all students.

Thomas Gibbs, the superintendent of the Athens City School District, said it is “common knowledge in the field” that low student performance on tests is correlated to poverty, and he thinks the Ohio Department of Education has unreasonable expectations for schools in high poverty areas like The Plains.

“They tend to think that is going to miraculously change, and it’s been that way for years and years,” Gibbs said.

The Plains Elementary is the only elementary school in the district that receives Title I funding, Gibbs said. Title I provides federal funding to schools with students who are from low-income families “to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

The Plains Elementary struggles the most academically compared with other elementary schools in the district, with an average of 38.6 percent of third- through sixth-grade students passing state tests, according to data on state testing. An average of about 44 percent of third- through sixth-grade students passed the state’s English exams, about 40 percent passed the state’s math exams and about 30 percent of fourth- and sixth-grade students passed the state’s social studies exams.

In comparison, on average about 69 percent of third- through sixth-grade students in the district passed state exams.

On average, 69 percent passed state English exams, 66 percent passed state math exams and about 74 percent of fourth and

sixth grade students passed the state’s social studies exams.

On average statewide, 66 percent of third- through sixth-grade students passed state exams, 63 percent passed state English exams, 66 percent passed state math exams and about 70 percent of fourth- and sixth-graders passed state social studies exams.

The elementary school in the district with the second-lowest percentage of third- through fourth-grade students passing state exams was Morrison Elementary with 70 percent. The elementary school with the highest percentage of third- through sixth-grade students passing state exams was East Elementary with 86 percent.

Gibbs said the district uses the data from state testing performance to identify areas of weakness in the curriculum, but he does not “beat teachers over the head with test scores.”

“We discuss those as a group of professionals, and we talk about what we’re doing and what we can do differently and better,” Gibbs said. “The district sets its goals not by focusing on test performance but on making sure students are prepared for whatever they decide to do after high school.”

The district uses test results to figure out how it could improve as it prepares students for success beyond high school, Gibbs said.

“We talked about it in terms of not a specific measure but ensuring students have a set of academic and social skills that they can define what their success is and they can go out and do whatever they decide to do with their lives,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs said the district wants to find ways to decrease disparity. As of now, he said the best solution for the district to decrease disparity and raise the bar for students is socio-economic integration.

“There’s no evidence it pulls anyone down,” Gibbs said. “It lifts one group up and everyone performs well.”

Jenny Kline, a candidate for school board, said she supports socio-economic integration to address inequality and is in favor of redistricting.

“If redistricting is done carefully and with all stakeholders in mind and given a voice, I think that this would be a part of a good solution for our district,” Kline said in an email.

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@MAGGIESBYLINE MC987015@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

An absence of health care Appalachian Ohio has one of the nation’s highest mortality rates, but technology, including telemedicine, aims to change that BENNETT LECKRONE SLOT EDITOR

A

s soon as people develop symptoms of a stroke, every minute they wait to get help increases the risk of their deaths.

In Appalachia, where there are only about 67 doctors per 100,000 citizens, it might take longer to get help in a health emergency, and more people could die because of it.

The mortality rate from strokes per 100,000 people throughout Ap-

12 / OCT. 26, 2017

palachia was 43.8 from 2008 to 2014, according to a report the Appalachian Regional Commission, or ARC, released earlier this year, whereas it was 38 in non-Appalachian regions in the U.S. That is 14 percent higher than the national average.

That number is just one in a trend of higher mortality rates and poorer health care availability in Appalachia than in the rest of the country.

a council of governments in Appalachian Ohio, including Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry and Washington counties — said the problem of limited health care access extends into Ohio.

“It can be staggering,” Allphin said in an email. “In 2015, we found there to be an approximately one to 4,000 ratio of primary care physicians to residents in our region, and a one to 8,000 ratio of dentists to residents. It doesn’t get much more limited than that.”

Allphin said although access is limited, the quality of care in Appalachia is not any worse than it is in the rest of the U.S. “I think there is a misconception that the health care services available in rural areas are second-rate services,” he said in an email. “I feel it’s quite the contrary. The service is excellent. The effort necessary to obtain that service for some citizens provides a challenge that is difficult to overcome.”

Much of the pressure to improve health care often falls to local health commissions.

DeRolph has been taking a “grass-roots” approach to health care by getting residents of Perry County involved. She said there’s more to improving public health than simply providing more doctors.

“I really think the first step is to recognize that health care is more than just what happens at a doctor’s office,” DeRolph said. “It’s really the places where we live, work and play. We need to make sure that we work to address not only physical and mental, but also our social wellbeing.”

DeRolph said communication is one of the most difficult aspects of improving health care in rural areas.

“One of the things that we’ve identified in Perry County is although we’re lacking resources, there are a lot of cool things happening, but they’re not getting out to the community,” she said.

Allphin said access to health care and communication could both be addressed with ever-advancing technology.

“Technology plays a crucial role in the future of rural health care access in Ohio,” Allphin said in an email. “The reality is that healthcare providers cannot afford to build and operate the vast network of healthcare facilities we would need to fully address the need that is present in rural Ohio communities.”

Telemedicine, or the delivery of medical services such as doctor’s appointments online, could help alleviate the issue of access and cost of health care, Allphin said.

“Telemedicine, and all the technologies that encompass that concept, will be crucial for rural areas,” Allphin said in an

“

Folks are facing all kinds of social and economic factors that really limit their ability to get good clinical care. Whether it’s maybe education or maybe employment and income, they may not have the family and social support that you may see in other areas.

- Angela

“

The region’s heart disease mortality rate is 17 percent higher than the national rate. The cancer mortality rate is 10 percent higher. The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, mortality rate is 27 percent higher. The injury mortality rate is 33 percent higher, and the diabetes mortality rate is 11 percent higher.

“Folks are facing all kinds of social and economic factors that really limit their ability to get good clinical care,” Perry County Health Commissioner Angela DeRolph said. “Whether it’s maybe education or maybe employment and income, they may not have the family and social support that you may see in other areas.”

Appalachia’s poor health extends beyond just physical health. The region has one of the highest suicide rates in the country at about 17 percent higher than the national average. In Central Appalachia, the suicide rate is 31 percent higher than the national average.

DeRolph said lower incomes can force people to choose between their mental and physical health and providing for their families.

“When it comes to putting food on the table or paying to go to an athletic facility to make sure you keep your weight down, you’ve got to pick and choose,” DeRolph said.

About 17 percent of households in Appalachia are impoverished, according to that ARC report, compared with the 15.6 percent national average. That equates to more than 4 million impoverished households in the region.

Poverty and poor health go hand-inhand, a report by the Institution for Research on Poverty, or IRP, of the University of Madison-Wisconsin found.

“Research has shown a link between poverty and poor health,” that IRP report reads. “People with more income tend to be healthier and live longer.”

People living below the federal poverty level have a lower life expectancy rate than those living at or above that level, according to that report. That is because of lack of access to health care to both physical and socioeconomic factors, that IRP report states.

The number of primary care physicians per 100,000 residents is 12 percent lower than the national average, the ARC report found. In Central Appalachia, that number is 33 percent below the national average.

Additionally, the number of mental health care providers is 35 percent lower than the national average.

Bret Allphin, the development director for the Buckeye Hills Regional Council —

DeRolph, Perry County health commissioner

email. “This technology has many benefits.

The patient gets quality and timely medical care, long travel times are avoided, patients can receive diagnosis and treatment in a comfortable setting and the overall cost of providing that care is lowered due to reduced overhead costs.”

DeRolph said telemedicine is promising, but low connectivity in rural areas could complicate the delivery of services.

“The problem we have here in Perry County is sometimes poorer connectivity,” DeRolph said. “We just don’t have internet services, or not everyone has a computer.”

Internet access can be limited in southeast Ohio, and many residents in rural counties have to use public Wi-Fi to access high speed internet, according to a previous Post report.

Broadband can also be expensive to residents in rural areas. According to that previous report, internet access in Vinton and Meigs counties — where the median household annual incomes are about $40,000 and $37,000, respectively — costs about $45 per month for a 50 to 99 megabits per second, or mbps, download speed. In Fairfield County, where the median household income is about $60,000, the cost per month for 50 to 99 mbps internet is the same as in Vinton and Meigs counties: $45.

Since some residents don’t have the quality of internet access they would need to videoconference with doctors, and many health companies don’t have the financial incentive to move into rural areas, alternatives to conventional telemedicine may be necessary.

DeRolph said the Perry County Health Department would consider setting up a central location where people could come to access specialist care via internet, preventing them from having to drive further to meet with doctors in person.

Telemedicine, as it currently exists, could never fully replace a real doctor, the ARC report states.

“The growing popularity of telehealth may provide an avenue for generalist physicians to provide more sophisticated services with support from remote specialty consultation,” that report reads. “However, without policy and medical practice changes, rural areas will continue to experience barriers to receiving specialty care.”

@LECKRONEBENNETT BL646915@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

FOOTBALL

The selfless Ohio running back CAMERON FIELDS FOR THE POST A.J. Ouellette walked into the news conference room Saturday wearing a white Ohio tank top. Linebacker Chad Moore was already sitting at the table.

“You did OK today,” Ouellette said to Moore as he walked to the table.

“You did decent,” Moore replied.

Of course, both had done well. Moore notched his third interception of the season against Kent State, but Ouellette did something more than just “decent.”

During the second quarter against Kent State, Ouellette etched his name into Ohio’s history books. As Ouellette passed 28 rushing yards, he broke into the top 10 of Ohio’s all-time rushing list, surpassing former quarterback Dontrell Jackson.

And as Ouellette walked into the news conference room, he entered not knowing he had accomplished the milestone. At the beginning of the season, Ouellette said the running backs looked at game and season records. But that’s all they knew about.

Still, Ouellette isn’t one to boast about achieving an individual accolade. Ouellette has split carries with Dorian Brown, who sat next to him at the table.

Ouellette and Brown haven’t complained about sharing playing time, though.

“We rotate every two series, so we just stay fresh,” Ouellette said.

He’s focused on doing well, brushing the thought of achieving individual success aside.

14 / OCT. 26, 2017

When running back David Burroughs, a walk-on, broke a 60-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats’ bench cheered him on.

Ouellette, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, couldn’t see from where he was in the back.

But he watched the replay on Ohio’s videoboard, and he’s expecting Burroughs to contribute as he earns opportunities to play.

“No matter who’s in there, if someone makes a great play, the team’s going to get excited,” Ouellette said.

While Ouellette and the Bobcats don’t boast about success, they aren’t quick to ignore it, either. When he came into the news conference room, coach Frank Solich didn’t know about Ouellette’s opportunity to put his name into Bobcat lore, either.

But when he heard, pride beamed across his face.

“To be able to get some individual records is great, too,” Solich said.

Solich emphasized Ouellette’s selflessness, particularly in terms of Ouellette sharing playing time with Brown. Ouellette has rushed for 100 yards or more in four of the past six games. So he could conceivably tell Solich that he wants to have most of the carries, that he wants more playing time.

But he doesn’t.

“I don’t know what he had, 90-something yards?”

Solich said. “He didn’t come up and say ‘Hey, coach, man, I’d love to keep a string of 100-yard games going.’ ” Ouellette had 91 yards, and the week before, against Bowling Green, he had 123. In September, he won the Mid-American Conference East Offen-

EMMA HOWELLS / FILE

sive Player of the Week for two straight weeks — the first for his performance against Kansas, the other against Eastern Michigan.

While Ouellette’s selfless nature is an admirable quality, that same personality still holds competitiveness.

After Brown rushed through the Kent State defense for a touchdown in the third quarter Saturday, Ouellette came in for his turn on the offense’s next series. The Bobcats called the same play for Ouellette, and they had the same result.

With the questions for the players finished, Ouellette, Moore, Brown and quarterback Nathan Rourke got up from the table to leave the room. As they exited, though, Ouellette had to remind Moore something — an echo of their joke before.

“You did good today, Chad,” Ouellette said.

“You did decent,” Moore said.

If his performance against Kent State was “decent,” then Ouellette has played decent his entire career.

@CAMERONFIELDS_ CF710614@OHIO.EDU

From healthy scratch to a top-six forward Bryan Lubin has worked his way through injuries to become one of Ohio’s most crucial veterans

Bryan Lubin poses for a portrait at Bird Arena.

(EMILEE CHINN / FOR THE POST)

ANTHONY POISAL FOR THE POST

B

ryan Lubin is in a spot he’s never been in before with Ohio. The junior has tallied 10 points and has played in all 10 of Ohio’s games so far this season.

Those numbers are nothing flashy at first glance, but when compared to Lubin’s statistics from his first two years at Ohio, they stick out in a big way.

The 23-year-old was a healthy scratch in 11 of the Bobcats’ 37 games in the 2016-17 season and played in 22 of Ohio’s 40 total games his freshman year, missing a large chunk of the latter season due to a dislocated shoulder.

In his 48 games played before this season, Lubin accumulated 22 points. He’s on pace to smash that number in his third year, having surpassed his sophomore season’s point total of nine just eight games into this season.

The Commerce, Michigan, native has also matched his career total with seven assists, stands at third on the team in points and is tied for first on Ohio with his +14 plus-minus rating. He scored six goals in each of his first two years as a Bobcat and already has three goals this year.

Lubin has been able to fill a large chunk

of the void created from the Bobcats’ 10 senior departures last season and has fit into the plan that fourth-year coach Sean Hogan envisioned in his recruits since arriving with the Bobcats.

“You want your top six to be older guys as much as you can and your bottom-six to be the younger guys, and then they transition into those roles,” Hogan said.

“Lubin is a perfect example of it.”

Lubin’s steps toward improvement started as early as last season. While Lubin’s point total wasn’t substantial, it was his first injury-free season in “seven or eight years” and allowed him to focus solely on training throughout the previous offseason.

The full summer’s worth of training and gym work has paid off so far this season, and the question now for Lubin is no longer whether he’ll play — it’s how much he’ll produce in the top-six forward role he’s earned.

“There were some games where I was out of the lineup and other guys were in,” Lubin said. “That’s part of the game. But I finally feel like, now that I’ve gotten a full season under my belt, that I’m doing great.

I continue to try and stay strong and get to the gym. ... I think that plays a big role.”

While Lubin’s personal production has been key in Ohio’s 7-2-1 start, he’s also pro-

pelled his linemates to similar success. After finishing his freshman season with 24 points and eight goals in 30 games, forward Tyler Harkins has already registered 14 points and six goals in nine games this season.

Lubin has been Harkins’ linemate in five games this season, and Lubin’s added confidence in handling the puck has been a key component in their success.

“He’s fast, he can see the ice, he moves the puck very well,” Harkins said of Lubin. “It’s just kind of the little things he does, helping out in the corners and really battling for us.

He kind of makes it easier to play the game.”

With Harkins frequently positioned on his left side, Lubin, a center, has also found success with the new players who have skated on his right. Sophomore Timmy Thurnau, who transferred from Elmira College, and freshman Kyle Craddick have frequently lined up at right wing, with at least one of the two players paired with Lubin every game so far this season.

Lubin’s the type of player Craddick looks to model his game after.

“He’s awesome,” Craddick said of Lubin.

“He’s one of the first guys who started talking to me when I got here, and he really kind of sets himself out to be a leader. It’s good to have a guy like that. ... It gives you something

to look up to, and it gives you something to strive for, to play like him and be like him.”

Lubin’s early jump from his previous performances with Ohio, and doing so with a new linemate comes at no surprise to Hogan, who believes the line of Lubin, Harkins and Craddick creates a formula that allows each player to maximize their talents.

“Craddick’s a guy that hunts pucks and stays on pucks and wins battles,” Hogan said.

“Lubin gets the pucks first, and then you got Harkins that can distribute it — so I think it helps that all three guys in that line compliment each other.”

Hogan will likely rely more on Lubin’s line in the future. With a shortened roster and the occasional injury bug, the Bobcats’ forward depth is expected to be thin for the next two months.

Regardless of his team’s size, Hogan can feel comfortable that Lubin has taken a step forward and has transitioned into a leadership role with the team.

“He’s more confident, for sure,” Hogan said. “I think that comes from preparing and he’s preparing the right way. He’s working hard and I think you build confidence that way. It’s not given to you.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

Athens’ habit of two Halloween costumes

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alloween weekend will have some students wearing chill costumes Friday and more complicated costumes for events Saturday.

The Athens Halloween Block Party and other Halloween festivities will see students, locals and visitors alike dressed in various costumes during the Halloween celebration to show extra spirit.

Monica Kizis, a junior studying international business and marketing, said she wore two different costumes during Halloween weekend last year.

“I heard that you do wear one on Friday and you do wear a different one on Saturday,” she said. “And plus, I didn’t want to wear the same costume two days in a row.”

To kick off the weekend, she wore a Batman T-shirt that had a cape because she wanted a “laid-back” costume for night plans, when no one can see what you’re wearing. For Saturday, she was a vampire decked out with fake blood and “jarring” makeup, but her costume was missing the fangs because they wouldn’t fit her teeth, she said.

Brandon “DJ B-Funk” Thompson, an Athens local who DJs at the block party, said he always wears a costume. Because he’s participating in one of the biggest Halloween celebrations in “the world,” he said he feels like it’s a “duty” to the people.

Thompson said he tries to create a pop culture theme that ties together his costume and music choices at every block party. Last year, he went as a character from Stranger Things and played clips from the show throughout his set.

He recently started trick-or-treating in Athens with his daughter and said he might pull out an old giraffe costume for the occasion.

People may also wear a second costume during Halloween weekend if they can find an easy one to assemble or if they can reuse a previous year’s outfit, Thompson said. During the holiday ruckus, it’s also likely that someone’s original costume could be ruined before the night’s over and they’ll want a back-up.

Corder Van Bibber, a sophomore studying chemistry and psychology pre-medicine, said he’s going home for Halloween

“

I heard that you do wear one on Friday and you do wear a different one on Saturday.

And plus, I didn’t want to wear the same costume two days in a row.

-

“

MEGHAN MORRIS FOR THE POST

Monica Kizis, junior

weekend to attend barn costume parties in his rural hometown and plans on being a Hershey kiss because he saw some cool designs for it on the internet.

Van Bibber will not be wearing a second costume because it’s not worth the effort, but said he knows a few people who will wear two costumes during Athens’ Halloween weekend. He said they might be participating in the costume contest and only wear their complex, “uncomfortable” outfits for the judging.

Whether someone’s wearing a costume that only makes sense with other people could also be a contributing factor for them having multiple outfits, Van Bibber said.

“Someone might have a couple costume or a group costume and they’re going to a different party without their group,” he said.

Another benefit of having two costumes could be experiencing two entirely different nights. People who transform into a character will react and interact with others differently, depending on who they are at that moment.

Thompson said he’s going to be Bob Ross this year because he already owned some of the materials and other staple props were easy purchases. Putting on costumes is fun for him because he gets to take on that person’s appearance and mannerisms.

“When I dress up in that costume, I like to become that person,” he said.

@MARVELLLOUSMEG MM512815@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE HANNA

Sexy costumes take over Halloween market JACKIE OSBORNE FOR THE POST

S

hort hemlines, tight leggings and cleavage-bearing dresses — those are not components of your grandmother’s Halloween costumes.

Those styles are typical when it comes to today’s Halloween costumes. Anything from a beloved cartoon character to a public service worker is recreated with a “sexy” twist, a trend that would likely shock those who first began celebrating the spooky holiday.

Halloween costumes first gained strong popularity in the early 20th century, when outfits were simple and often made of paper mache or black clothing, according to TIME. Even when the holiday adapted to focus on children and trick-or-treating, sexy costumes were still nowhere to be found.

Sierra Holt, a second-year graduate student studying apparel, textiles and merchandising, said adult costumes, as they are known today, connect back to the 1970s, when the trend of homemade costumes declined following the second wave of fem-

inism. As women began leaving the house, sewing skills, along with the free time to make garments, lessened.

“A lot of people just don't have the time or the skill to create any of these costumes, so that's where we see the connection of people actually buying their costumes,” Holt said.

Manufacturers took over the business of making Halloween costumes, realizing they could make money off demand for cheap and easy-to-find costumes. But they also gained control over what costumes were made and how it affected society.

The sexual revolution of the ’70s brought about a more widely accepted sexualized image of women.

“We went from this really conservative idea of what women should wear to women starting to embrace tighter clothing, shorter clothing,” Holt said.

As society changed to allow women more freedom of expression, manufacturers used that growing sexual image to their advantage by creating sexy costumes.

“Sex sells,” Haesun Park-Poaps, an as-

sociate professor of human and consumer sciences, said.

When the sexy costumes proved to be more popular, manufacturers, in turn, created more.

“They make what consumers want, and consumers have a better response to those, so that's why they make more,” Park-Poaps said. “It’s a reciprocal relationship. … They want what consumers want.”

But some consumers don’t want to follow in the trend of a promiscuous costume.

In a Bustle article, writer Erin Mayer complains about how there are no “unsexy” costume options for women today.

“Unless you make your own costume, you'd be hard pressed, as a woman, to find one that isn't short, tight, and skimpy,” Mayer said in the article.

Kenyetta Whitfield, a senior studying journalism and pursuing a women’s, gender and sexuality studies certificate, finds the lack of creative costumes for women very discouraging.

“It's really unfortunate that you start off as a child and have the opportunity to be in all of these costumes, but then you get

older and you realize that once you're a preteen or teen, you can't be anything like that,” Whitfield, a former Post columnist, said. “That's really unfortunate for girls to have to learn.”

Mijeong Noh, an associate professor of retail merchandising and fashion product development, said consumers may be able to take power over costumes back from manufacturers with the rise of do-it-yourself trends. “(Students) can contribute to sustainability by modifying older costumes,” Noh said. “If I had a chance to make a Halloween costume, I’d do it myself.”

Several news outlets have contributed to the growing movement of do-it-yourself costumes year after year, including articles from BuzzFeed and USA Today. Nearly none of those options include a sexy costume.

“I think that's interesting that we're starting to see a rise in anti-commercialism,” Holt said. “That's a big defining moment for millennials.”

@JACKIEOU_OHYEAH JO019315@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

Before Athens’ Halloween celebrations were rather subdued in the years leading up to the first block party KAITLIN COWARD MANAGING EDITOR

T

he stage is set, and the bass of the beat blares throughout the crowd of several thousand people. Witches, clowns and pop culture icons like Wonder Woman stroll down the bricks, props in hand.

Police officers line the street, and students stroll into and out of bars, to and from house parties to the huge annual celebration that spans almost the entirety of Court Street.

Spending fall in Athens often draws those images of Athens’ famous Halloween block party.

But those images of Halloween were not always a mainstay of Athens. In fact, Halloween used to be so tame that it

barely even garnered any media attention in the years before the first block party.

In 1974, students trapped a Baskin Robbins tractor-trailer, and those in costume took over the streets for two hours, ultimately starting the modern Athens Halloween Block Party.

“Last night’s full moon brought out all the crazies,” a 1974 Post report reads.

But in the five years leading up to that street takeover, Halloween was much quieter. In some cases, it was actually partnered with Homecoming.

In 1971, the focus was geared more toward Homecoming and the festivities — and protests that came with it.

“It was a terrible Homecoming if you hate festive crowds,” a Nov. 1 Post photo caption reads.

In 1969, the weekend of festivities was coupled with Dads Weekend. The theme of the three-day event was “Gruesome Twosome: My Dad and I.” The weekend began with a varsity band show and featured formal visitation with academic deans and administrators.

Some residence halls even sponsored a “Casino Party” and a “Playboy Bunny Club Party.”

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Members of different sororities paraded and carolled during Halloween in 1973.

(PROVIDED VIA THE MAHN CENTER FOR ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS)

Other Halloweens were geared more toward children and families. One event in 1969 included Cigam the Magician — or magic spelled backward. The event was part a Children’s Program in Baker Ballroom and brought a large crowd.

Oktoberfest also came to be in the early 1970s, generating most of the buzz around Halloween celebrations at the time. Homecoming was partnered with the fest in 1971 and 1972. The Carpenters performed at the 1971 Oktoberfest and drew a crowd of more than 12,000, according to a Nov. 1, 1971, Post photo caption.

A photo essay in 1972 also captured the spirit of Oktoberfest, which was the closest to a Halloween spectacle that year.

The 1972 event was particularly overshadowed by politics. Former President Richard Nixon visited Ohio in late October in 1972, garnering most of the public’s attention as opposed to a Halloween spectacle.

The next year, the most attention drawn to Halloween was to sorority car-

ollers on the front page of the Oct. 31 edition of The Post.

The carollers “invoked the ‘great pumpkin’ ” as they paraded around Athens by candlelight, according to a Oct. 31, 1973, photo caption.

The next year would bring the first hint of a Halloween takeover, and the block party became an Athens tradition not long after. In 1976, more than 500 people took to the streets after they left the bars, and the street was closed just after 11 p.m., according to a previous Post report.

Since then, the party has grown to 10,000 attendees or more, and draws a large crowd from other schools and throughout the state.

The days of calm Halloween carollers are long over.

@KCOWARD02 KC769413@OHIO.EDU

Bars in Athens are offering Halloween-themed drinks to celebrate the spooky season

With Halloween right around the corner, bars in Athens are prepping for the upcoming festivities with season-themed drinks.

Many of the bars will have special fall-themed brews on tap, as well as themed shots to celebrate the holiday with many drinks featuring pumpkin flavors.

The C.I., 32 N. Court St., has had Leinenkugel’s Harvest Patch Shandy on

tap since early October, Sophia Ginocchio, a bartender at the C.I., said. Ginocchio is a senior studying international business, management and marketing. The C.I. will have the pumpkin spice brew on tap until November, when they will move on to a Christmas-themed beer.

The Harvest Patch Shandy is Leinenkugel’s “traditional weiss beer with natural pumpkin spice flavor to give you notes of nutmeg, allspice and clove for a refreshing

fall seasonal,” according to its website.

Tony’s Tavern, 7 W. State St., has a pumpkin pie shot as their shot of the week, but will keep it throughout Halloween.

“The shot has pumpkin spice liquor, Rumchata and pumpkin pie spices,” Colin Glover, a bartender at Tony’s, said.

Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina, 6 W. State St. already has two different autumn-themed beers on tap. They have Great Lakes Nosferatu and is

Jackie O’s offers a hot “Spooky” cider, left, and a “Brain Hemorrhage” shot for Halloween season.

(EMILEE CHINN / FOR THE POST)

featuring Devil’s Kettle Brewing’s Oktoberbreast.

Devil’s Kettle is at 97 Columbus Road.

Devil’s Kettle’s Oktoberbreast was named to “commemorate the changing of the seasons and Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” according to the microbrewery’s website.

“I like the theme of Nosferatu, since he was the original vampire,” Thom Hirve, operations coordinator at Casa Nueva, said.

Great Lakes Nosferatu is an imperial red ale, which is thicker with a higher alcohol content, making it better for the colder months of the year, Hirve said.

Courtside Pizza, 85 N. Court St. has pinnacle pumpkin pie liquor so they decided to make a movie-themed shot. However, their current number one

“

Since it’s got orange in it, it’s basically James and the Giant Pumpkin.

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JESS UMBARGER FOR THE POST

-Hadley Smiddy, bartender at Courtside Pizza

best-seller is a shot called James and the Giant Peach, Hadley Smiddy, a bartender at Courtside, said.

“Since it’s got orange in it, it’s basically James and the Giant Pumpkin,” Smiddy, a senior studying health sciences, said.

Following the theme of using fall fruits to create drinks, Jackie O’s, 22 W. Union St., created a “spooky cider.”

The drink includes hot apple cider and a choice of either vodka, bourbon or rum. “Spooky cider” is the drink of the month.

The current shot of the week at The Over Hang, 63 N. Court St., is the black cat shot. The shot is a mixture of vodka, Coke and chocolate liquor.

@JESS_UMBARGER JU992415@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Exploring the art of tarot cards BAYLEE DEMUTH FOR THE POST

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20 / OCT. 26, 2017

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Ashley Safran, a freshman studying creative writing, displays some of her tarot cards. (HANNAH RUHOFF / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

keep the results vague so the person can interpret it however they want.

Taylor Highbloom, a freshman studying journalism, believes in the mysticism of tarot cards.

“I just feel like the practice has a lot to do with the spirits and the signs the psychic gets from you,” she said. “It’s definitely a cool gift to have, but I also know there are posers out there.”

Highbloom believes there are people out there that are truly gifted with the practice of being able to read into someone’s life through tarot cards.

“I don’t actually think what a psychic says about someone’s life has anything to do with cards,” Highbloom said. “I just think some people are capable of spiritually reading into you and the cards are just there to maybe lead them.”

Grant Guggenbiller, a freshman studying chemical engineering, does not believe in the powers of tarot cards.

“The practice of tarot card reading

It’s very useful when I come across a card I haven’t seen or dealt with very much before. To me, tarot cards are similar to an Ouija board. The cards decide your fate and answer any type of question you might have.

- Ashley

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shley Safran has always been interested in the supernatural elements. Tarot cards always intrigued her, so when she saw them being sold in a bookstore, she had to check them out. “(Tarot cards) just seemed right up my alley, and I’ve actually tried learning how to read the cards on my own,” Safran, a freshman studying creative writing, said.

“But I have a variety of books on what the cards mean to help guide me.”

The ancient art of tarot card reading has awed and amazed the public for centuries. It is a mystical practice that has changed since its early beginnings, but its history reveals how the practice has evolved into what it is today.

The earliest known tarot decks were not actually designed for mysticism, but meant for playing a game similar to the modern game bridge, according to Collectors Weekly.

Wealthy families in Italy paid artists to handcraft decks known as “cards of triumph.” Those cards were marked with suits of cups, swords, coins and polo sticks, which were eventually changed to staves or wands, and courts consisting of a king and two males of lower rank.

Tarot cards later incorporated queens, wildcards and the fool to the system, for a complete deck that usually totals 78 cards.

Today, the 56 suit cards are commonly called the Minor Arcana, while the remaining 22 wildcards are known as the Major Arcana.

There are different layouts for tarot cards: The basic three-card layout tells the past, present and future; then there are more complicated ones, like the celtic cross layout, which is more useful when you might have a specific question in mind to ask, according to ThoughtCo. Safran has her own deck that she uses for the purpose of divination, the practice of obtaining knowledge of the future.

Safran’s particular deck of cards comes with a little book that helps her interpret what the cards might mean.

“It’s very useful when I come across a card I haven’t seen or dealt with very much before,” she said. “To me, tarot cards are similar to an Ouija board. The cards decide your fate and answer any type of question you might have.”

A lot of what Safran reads from people is based on inference. It helps if she knows the person she is reading, but she tries to

seems too far-fetched to me,” Guggenbiller said. “I think it’s just a way to trick people into believing some sort of magic that doesn’t exist for monetary purposes.”

Guggenbiller thinks the practice is so popular because the mystic arts are intriguing to people, and someone who has never seen or heard of tarot cards before would still pay just to check them out.

Despite the fact some people do not believe in the art of tarot card reading, it does not stop Safran from wanting to delve deeper into what tarot cards have to offer.

“There’s still a lot I have to learn about the practice of tarot card reading,” Safran said. “But it’s always kind of been my thing to be interested in this type of stuff, so I’m eager to learn more.”

Safran, freshman @BAYLEEDEMUTH BD575016@OHIO.EDU

Pop culture in costumes Anything from political figures to TV characters can affect Halloween costume choices

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH OLIVIERI

ALEXIS EICHELBERGER STAFF WRITER Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and clowns.

That’s what Athens Halloween block partygoers will likely see the most of this weekend, according to TIME’s analysis of the most Googled Halloween costumes of the year. The top three predicted most popular costumes in the U.S. is influenced by three different blockbuster movies that hit the screen in recent years. It’s more than common for Halloween partygoers to use colorful characters and celebrities as inspiration, whether it be from American or foreign media.

Akil Houston, an associate pro-

fessor in the department of African-American studies, said the impressionability of pop culture figures is what often makes them popular icons to draw from when deciding on a Halloween costume.

“I think that’s something that people immediately kind of gravitate toward, maybe even subconsciously,” he said. “You want to live out your fantasies, and why not take those cues from pop culture?”

Houston said the internet has also made pop culture more accessible, which may contribute even more to the vast influence it has on costume choices. Popular internet memes have even generated new costume ideas.

He predicts in addition to Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn, Donald Trump and Mar-

vel heroes like Black Panther will also be popular figures on Court Street this Saturday. Last year, he saw many people dressed as political figures like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and Houston said he wouldn’t be surprised to see more this year.

“I actually saw some little kids, I think they were brother and sister,” he said. “One was Hillary and one was Trump, so it’s kind of interesting.”

Janet Santone, owner of Uptown Costumes, 12 S. Court St., said packaged costumes of popular licensed characters like Wonder Woman must be purchased in bulk orders, which can be expensive for a small business. Instead, Uptown Costumes carries pieces and parts that

Halloween partygoers can combine to create their own look.

This year, Santone hasn’t seen a clear trend toward a few popular costumes. But nonetheless, each year she tries to predict which looks might be in high demand and order costume pieces accordingly.

“It varies,” she said. “Sometimes something is really popular.

Like a lumberjack was pretty popular a couple years ago, and I think that was some internet thing.”

Santone agreed that Wonder Woman would likely be a popular costume this year, particularly for children.

“Wonder Woman is, I’m sure, going to be popular this year because the movie was so big,” she said.

Molly Owens, a sophomore studying middle childhood ed-

ucation, chooses to draw from Japanese pop culture instead of American and dresses as anime characters for her cosplay and Halloween costumes.

Owens said although it’s sometimes difficult to find the perfect piece to capture an anime character’s look, like a specific colored wig or style of gloves, it’s still easier than finding a costume of an American figure that she likes.

“The prepackaged (costumes), especially for women, it sucks,” she said. “They’re some variation on sexy whatever, and it gets really annoying. So that’s why I do more (anime) characters.”

@ADEICHELBERGER AE595714@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender A guide to the Halloween block party ELIZABETH BACKO/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF When choosing acts for the Athens Halloween Block Party, Brandon “DJ B-Funk” Thompson “always keeps it local.”

Finding performers with roots in Athens has been his focus the five years he has booked musicians, but he still likes to “keep the talent high.”

This year is no different. Many talents from the region will perform on Court Street’s famous bricks at the Halloween party Saturday.

“I don’t want to just put anyone up there,” he said. “It is an honor to be on that stage.”

Jonathan Holmberg, the Athens Clean and Safe Halloween Committee chairman, keeps the same sentiment when choosing bands for the other stage. He and his nephew, Michael Holmberg, receive albums from bands and approach other performers, but they always like to keep the acts local.

“I like to keep it local because it’s our party,” Jonathan said.

He is “keeping his fingers crossed” that warmer weather will find its way to Athens. Regardless of the forecast, he said he is “looking forward to the energy of the crowd.”

Before the performances, the Honey for the Heart parade participants will march down Court Street with puppets that take flight.

Thompson encourages all of the acts he books to dress up, as it’s the biggest party of the year. With newly trimmed features, Thompson said more people began to say he looks like Bob Ross, so he will be dressed as the painter Saturday.

There are two stages: the Slip n Fly Fest Stage, hosted by Thompson, and the North Stage with emcee Michael Holmberg.

22 / OCT. 26, 2017

Slip n Fly Fest Stage

(At the intersection of Union and Court streets) DJ B-FUNK — 11:15 P.M. Growing up in Athens, Thompson always wanted to perform for Halloween, so he considers it an honor to perform on the stage. Thompson has been working on his set list the week leading up to his 11:15 p.m. performance.

His set will cover a variety of genres and even feature clips from horror movies.

Last year, Thompson dressed as Lucas from Netflix’s Stranger Things, so he opened his set with the show’s theme song.

“At the end of the day, I just want to rock that party,” Thompson said.

GET WEIRD — 10:30 P.M. The duo from Columbus will perform its disco-esque set on Court Street. Get Weird samples from different genres, according to its Facebook page.

Get Weird has opened for musicians like Skrillex and performed at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2015.

BOBBY BOOSHAY — 10 P.M. Bobby “Bobby Booshay” Fleck is excited to perform at the block party because he made it a goal his freshman year to DJ the biggest party of the year. Fleck, a junior studying music production, will play his set at 10 p.m., a time slot he is excited to play.

“It almost feels like a headlining spot,” he said. “(It’s) humbling to see.”

TANGLED ROOTS — 9:20 P.M. The “not your typical jam band” will blend funk with electronic mixings, bass player Jeremy Martin said. The group, from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is excited to play its first block party and grow its audience during the 9:20 p.m. time slot.

“It should be a pretty hot time to play on Court Street,” Martin, who will dress in scrubs with fake blood splattered on them, said. “It’s going to be a really good time.”

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We don’t get the opportunity to play music on a sound system that big all the time. So, it’ll be fun to just let it rip and just play the loudest and heaviest (songs) we can.

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GEORGIA DAVIS/CULTURE EDITOR MAE YEN YAP/CULTURE EDITOR

Kevin Fagan of Ape Mode

APE MODE — 8:30 P.M. For the past four years, playing at the Halloween block party has always been “the best day of the year” for Ape Mode.

“It’s the best weekend of the year, how the whole city comes together (with) the university, it’s fantastic,” OU alumnus Kevin Fagan said.

Fagan is looking forward to return to Athens, reunite with Evan Amerio and “just do it all over again” after a long break from DJing since the two graduated from OU. Although Ape Mode will not have a particular theme for its music, it’s planning to keep the music dark and heavy for the occasion.

“We don’t get the opportunity to play music on a sound system that big all the time,” Fagan said. “So, it’ll be fun to just let it rip and just play the loudest and heaviest (songs) we can.”

DJ RICK WEB — 8 P.M. Although this will be Rick “DJ Rick Web” Weber’s first time participating as a DJ in

the block party, he’s not nervous about it.

“I’ve been backstage all year — I just chose not to play (until now),” Weber said.

Weber has not decided any particular music sets or a Halloween costume, but said he’ll come up with something in time for the block party.

EVAN DAVIS — 7:30 P.M. Despite the threat of rain this weekend, Evan Davis is looking forward to having more lights, a louder speaker system and a larger stage this weekend at the Halloween Block Party.

Davis, a senior studying entrepreneurship, will dress up as Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and is excited to play a set again for Athens — this time by himself as a solo act.

“I’ll mostly be playing my own remixes, some of the more classic songs (and) new rap songs with an EDM twists to (them),” Davis said. “I’ll be sliding in some oldies but goodies that people can sing along to.”

BASED CHASE — 7 P.M. Chase “Based Chase” Harman had played together with Evan Davis last year as “Before Common Era,” but for their senior year, the two decided to do their own individual acts due to their different DJ styles.

Harman will be dressed in a Charmander onesie from Pokemon alongside friends dressed as other characters from the series, such as Pikachu, Ash Ketchum and Team Rocket, while including as many songs as possible in his set.

“I’m gonna be playing a lot of dubstep. …

It’s gonna be really heavy,” Harman said. “I want people to headbang, you know?”

VAANCE — 6:30 P.M. Born and raised in Athens, Eli Catania is more than ready to command the stage as “Vaance.”

The block party will be Catania’s first time playing solo without his brothers, and he’s excited to include several original tracks in his Halloween-themed set. Cata-

The Dysfunktional Family performing on the Four Loko Stage at the 2016 Athens Halloween Block Party.

(BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)

DJ MARCELLUS DOE — 6 P.M. Opening the Athens Halloween Block Party will bring some added pressure to “get the crowd ready, Kaylen “DJ Marcellus Doe” Spears, a sophomore studying computer science, said. But he is excited to play the biggest event he has ever done.

“I’m super excited to get up there and do an awesome set and let Ohio University students know who I am,” Spears, who might wear a onesie from The Walking Dead, said.

North Stage (Near Courtside Pizza)

QIET — 11:15 P.M. Partygoers will find “every genre under the sun” at Qiet’s performance, lead gui-

tarist Christopher Vincent said. The band, which has six to nine members depending on the night, mixes together several genres of music and has been playing the Athens music scene for a few years. Recently, the group performed at Boogie on the Bricks.

“It’s going to be thousands of people and complete madness. We’re just going to go — as sportsball player people say — we’re just going to go and give 110 percent. That’s all you can do, put on a good show,” Vincent said.

CONSCIOUS PILOT — 9:45 P.M. Conscious Pilot will don pilot uniforms for the second year in a row at the block party. The band will play a set of mostly original songs and bring “high energy,” bassist and singer Jake Gust said. The band hopes to be part of “a night to remember” to its second home, Athens.

Halloween will serve as the “grand finale” to its mini tour.

“There is a lot of music that maybe a lot of Athens friends haven’t heard,” Gust said.

D-RAYS — 8:15 P.M. Members of the D-Rays aren’t new to the Athens spotlight. The group formed in Athens in 2011 and has played at plenty of big events since then, including the Nelsonville Music Festival and the Pawpaw Festival.

The band, which consists of three mem-

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It’s going to be thousands of people and complete madness. We’re just going to go — as sportsball player people say — we’re just going to go and give 110 percent.

That’s all you can do, put on a good show.

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nia hints at a possible guest appearance by a rapper he had collaborated with recently, but said he’ll “leave that a surprise.”

“I’m really excited about the opportunity, and I can’t wait to see everybody out there,” Catania said.

Catania will be in his annual costume as the Blue Ranger with his friends as the other Power Rangers, and he invites others dressed as Power Rangers to join them.

“We’ll definitely take pictures with anybody,” he said. “Maybe I’ll show my face, maybe I won’t. We’ll see.”

bers, draws on influences of “garage/surf/ punk,” according to its website.

In 2015, the band played at the 12:10 a.m. slot at the block party and engaged the audience with some “energetic surfer rock,” according to a previous Post report.

BLUE MOTH — 6:30 P.M. Rock ’n‘ roll trio Blue Moth is known to “float around some ’60s genres” but includes a multitude of different sounds, bassist and singer Eben Tobar said.

The group formed in summer 2016 and played the 2017 Nelsonville Music Festival.

For Halloween, partygoers can likely expect a set that “ranges from blues, surf, jazz, punk, and garage that forms a high-energy, soulful projection of Rock n Roll,” according to the band’s Facebook page.

Christopher Vincent of Qiet @GEORGIADEE35 GD497415@OHIO.EDU @SUMMERINMAE MY389715@OHIO.EDU @LIZ_BACKO EB823313@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

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24 / OCT. 26, 2017

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