October 27, 2022

Investigative Team makes its ‘Post’ debut

The Post has introduced its newest editorial section, the Investigative Team.

Working as a subset under the Projects section, the Investigative Team addresses the biggest stories in the Athens community and behind closed doors.

I joined The Post last fall, writing extensively for the News, Culture and Sports sections. After my first semester, I realized that many stories I produced could have been greatly improved with more time for intensive research.

Though the Projects section offers a place for stories to come to life, it specializes in human interest stories rather than hard-hitting news.

timeliness and intensive news angles. We are dedicated to producing content that goes above and beyond in its research, interviews and writing. We take these precautions to ensure that our information is compelling, illuminating and 100% accurate.

Investigative journalism is often considered controversial and invasive. Though the Investigative Team will not shy away from in-depth stories at the risk of potential backlash, our goal will never be to target or antagonize parties involved in an article. Rather, we strive to uncover narratives that provide a voice for those without a platform.

have the means to conduct. Our team’s content serves as an avenue of information that would otherwise go unseen and unheard.

This week, the Investigative Team makes its debut with a piece from Senior Writer Isabel Nissley covering Athens parking law and enforcement. The story is a prime example of investigating under a microscope and not leaving any details uncovered. As the year continues, we look forward to putting out countless more stories of the same investigative caliber and journalistic standard.

Editor-in-Chief

IMWALLE

When the decision was made last May to introduce an investigative editor to the Projects section, I immediately applied for the position. It was an opportunity to provide an environment for writers to create hard-hitting content on a realistic timeline.

Thus, the Investigative Team was born.

By adopting the same long-form storytelling methods that the Projects section utilizes, the team will take on comprehensive stories with an emphasis on their

In the same vein, Investigative reporting primarily covers one side of a story is incomplete. Balanced interviewing, sourcing and writing are cornerstones of the Investigative Team’s journalistic process. Ensuring that each source has the opportunity to comment on the relevant subjects of a story is crucial to keeping our final products as all-encompassing and transparent as possible.

True investigative reporting requires research that the general public does not

Finally, we call on all Ohio University students and Athens community members to let us know their accounts of any topics that require more in-depth coverage. Our team values feedback and is eager to begin more investigations that Athen’s residents care about and have a stake in.

Alex Imwalle is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University and the Investigative editor at The Post . Interested in chatting more with him? Email Alex at ai687120@ohio.edu and fi nd him on Twitter at @AlexImwalle.

COVER PHOTO BY MEGAN VAN VLACK

Send us your letters

Have you ever find something in The Post thought-provoking, questionable or even infuriating? Let us know! We are always interested in hearing about the way our readers respond to our content.

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The Post is an editorially independent media outlet run by Ohio University students. We distribute the paper free of charge in Athens, Ohio, when classes are in session. Editorial page material represents the opinions of the editors, columnists and letter writers. Opinions expressed are independent of Ohio University and our printer.

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Property stolen from Wray House, possible sighting of man with chainsaw walking

KENDALL WRIGHT FOR THE POST

Menace to society

Ohio University Police Department officers were called to The Convo on suspicious activity, including menacing.

According to the OUPD report, the activity occurred on social media.

False alarm

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office reported that a man was seen walking on Lang Road in Nelsonville with a gun.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the male and found the gun to be fake. No further action was necessary.

Stolen property

OUPD reported that property was stolen from a dorm room in Wray House.

OUPD took a report on criminal trespass and theft without consent.

Chainsaw man

Deputies from the sheriff’s office received a report of a suspicious person, possibly carrying a chainsaw in Chauncey.

Upon arrival, no one fitting the description was observed

and deputies saw no signs of suspicious or criminal activity.

Act normal

An underage person was consuming alcohol at Ryors Hall, according to OUPD.

Officers issued the individual a summons for underage consumption by intoxication.

Woman screaming

The sheriff’s office received a complaint in reference to a woman screaming that a train would hit her in Trimble.

Deputies were unable to locate the woman while patrolling the area.

Poor pet

Deputies from the sheriff’s office reported to Shady Lane in The Plains in response to an animal abandonment complaint.

Deputies took a report, and the investigation is pending.

Find my iPhone

A man reported to the sheriff’s office that his phone was stolen. He told officers that after he left his phone at a friend’s house, it went missing.

Deputies made a report and advised the male of the next

steps to take with the phone provider.

Just a scratch

A private property vehicle accident was reported on Columbus Road in Athens, according to Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The caller said someone had hit her parked vehicle. A report was taken.

Adults acting like children

A report of criminal damage was taken at Brown Hall, according to OUPD.

The report included damage done to multiple exit signs and a table.

Couch-surfing

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Barnes Road in Millfield regarding squatters occupying an abandoned building.

Deputies are looking for the suspects, as they had fled before deputies arrived.

@KENDALLKWRIGHT KW229520@OHIO.EDU

Palmer • Hocking Stewart • Milliron Coss • E. Union W. Washington W. State

Franklin

Housing and Residence Life prohibits guests

SUZANNE PIPER FOR THE POST

Ohio University Housing and Resi dence Life announced it will con tinue its policy of refusing guests of OU students to enter residential hous ing during Halloween weekend due to COVID-19 concerns.

Although the university’s COVID-19 restrictions have been reduced, Hous ing and Residence Life decided early in the 2022 Fall Semester that guests would not be permitted in residence halls from Oct. 28 to Oct. 31. An email was sent to students living in residen tial dorms announcing that residential assistants would plan floor meetings to review Halloween weekend guest re strictions.

The no-guest policy also pertains to OU students living in River Park Apart ments, and a heightened presence of staff throughout the complex will be present during Halloween weekend, Jim

Sabin, a university spokesperson, said.

“While we do not have COVID re strictions at this time, the planning ef forts for Halloween begin early in the semester so a decision was made to not allow non-residential guests in the hall as a precautionary decision based on not knowing how COVID would impact the university and community,” Direc tor of Residence Life Operations Jenni fer Maskiell said in an email.

The policy is not permanent but a temporary one to address the current needs of the university and community, Maskiell said.

The last time guests were allowed to stay in residential housing was in 2019 and they were required to pay a $50 fee, Sabin said.

RAs will enforce the rule and if a res ident is found with a guest, they will be asked to leave. Failure to leave will re sult in documentation and incident re ports, which would then be reviewed by the Office of Community Standards and

Student Responsibility, Maskiell said.

Despite Halloween weekend respon sibilities being included in RAs’ yearly stipends, they will receive $100 in Bob cat Cash from Housing and Residence Life to thank them for their time on duty.

Mia Pishotti, a sophomore study ing studio art, said she believes that COVID-19 cases are low enough on campus not to have the housing restric tions she experienced as a residential student last year.

“I agreed with it last year just because the COVID-19 numbers were rising so I felt like it was almost necessary to keep it down,” Pishotti said. “I do think it’s a little bit ridiculous that they are keep ing it around this year.”

Eden Nichelson, a freshman study ing industrial and systems engineer ing, said the guest policy for residential buildings would not affect her plans for the weekend.

“Personally it doesn’t really affect

(my Halloween plans),” Nichelson said. “I just plan on spending Halloween with friends, rather than on the frat scene.”

Maskiell said the guest policy was set purely for the university’s COVID-19 concerns; however, William Chiacchria, a freshman studying physics, said he thinks the rule will also help keep alco hol-related activities at bay.

Chiacchria said that during Hal loween weekend, prioritizing student safety on campus is more important as non-students possibly come to campus with alcohol and drugs.

“I personally really enjoy the rule as someone who is already scared for safe ty at OU sometimes,” Nichelson said.

Maskiell said Housing and Residence Life would continue to review its poli cies for Halloween weekend each year to determine what is best for the uni versity’s students at the time.

The windows of Bromley Hall in Athens, Ohio, begin to light up with the warm light of students’ fairy lights and lamps on the evening of Sept. 12, 2022. (ALIZA DUTT | FOR THE POST)

Housing and Residence Life prohibits guests

ANNA MILLAR NEWS STAFF WRITER

While some students continue to mask and COVID-19 mandates are lifted, one stu dent is concerned the university needs to do more to accommodate students who con tract COVID-19.

Darcie Zudell, a freshman studying jour nalism, experienced this firsthand in Sep tember when she contracted COVID-19. She was able to quarantine in her room in True House because she lives in a single. However, she ran into some issues regarding the re stroom.

Zudell’s bathroom is shared between herself and five other people, she said. That caused some concern for one of her suitem ates, as she was worried about the contagion levels through the shared space.

“I was kind of panicked with what to do with that, but I really couldn’t do anything besides just assure that I will be wiping ev erything down,” Zudell said.

Zudell said she believes her concerned

suitemate stayed with a friend through the majority of Zudell’s isolation.

“Which is sad that she had to make those arrangements when I was the one who was sick,” Zudell said.

Zudell said she was not provided meal de liveries through the university. She said she also experienced delays receiving medica tion from her pharmacy.

In previous years, OU provided students with on-campus COVID-19 isolation hous ing, isolation period requirements, testing and meal options. It also had a mask require ment in place during a portion of the 2021-22 academic year.

This year, however, there is no mask re quirement in place and the university is of fering limited isolation housing to students who test positive for COVID-19.

Jneanne Hacker, executive director of housing and residence life, said the housing contract outlines that students are expect ed to find their own opportunities to isolate off campus. In extenuating circumstances, there is very limited on-campus isolation

housing offered to students.

“This shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone,” Gillian Ice, special assistant to the president for public health operations, said. “Students and parents were notified during bobcat student orientation, before the ori entation, during the orientation, after the orientation and in the housing contract.”

The university also asks students to test at home if they are not feeling well and re port positive cases through an incident re port.

Zudell was concerned about students not receiving direct support through the univer sity. After she completed the COVID-19 in cident report, she only received automated messages, she said.

“I don’t think the university is doing a great job at reporting it and keeping track of it because as far as the university was con cerned, I was just like staying in my room willingly even though I reported that I had COVID,” Zudell said.

Ice’s COVID-19 management team was reduced from about 50 people to herself, one

part-time employee and a couple of interns, she said.

“We’re in a really different place than we were the last two years or the last two years. … Now, we’re in this odd place where we still have a pandemic, but much of the world has moved on,” Ice said.

Although the university’s COVID-19 man agement team is not as large, Ice is still working with the Athens City-County Health Department to track reported cases.

“We’re trying to inform the community about levels of risk, but we’re expecting peo ple to take some ownership about managing that risk and managing the experience,” Ice said.

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Darcie Zudell is one of the many Ohio University students who have been isolated due to COVID-19. She, among others, shares her experience. (MEGAN VAN VLACK | FOR THE POST)

Athens’ Halloween Block Party includes new events

GRIM

THE POST

Athens’ annual Halloween Block Party is back for the first time since 2019. The event will follow multiple family-oriented activities and the Honey for the Heart Halloween Pa rade.

Athens’ Halloween celebration on Oct. 29 will include activities for children and adults at the intersection of Court and Union streets. Family activities will be offered from 1-5 p.m., and the Block Party, geared toward adults, will occur from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Be tween the family activities and the Block Party, Passion Works Studio’s Honey for the Heart Halloween Parade will take place.

The Block Party will include performanc es by Brandon Thompson, also known as DJ B-Funk, the Dysfunktional Family Band, ATL NTS+Cloudboi and four acts from Brick City Records.

Thompson, also the city’s coordinator for the Block Party, will perform his set from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thompson said most of his act will consist of EDM, hip-hop and dance classics.

For the first time, the Athens’ Halloween Block Party will be accompanied by Hallow een-themed events for children and their families organized by the Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation Department, Erin Helms, the department’s assistant director, said.

“I think there’s been a discrepancy that a Block Party is a lot of activities that maybe aren’t family-friendly,” Helms said. “We want the families to know that it’s an event that everyone should feel welcome to attend and then to enjoy and to get into the spirit of the season by being in Athens.”

Helms said there will be numerous activ ities for children, including performances by Hocus Pocus Drag Queens who will sing songs, tell stories and face paint.

Children can also participate in hands-on activities, including a craft where they can make witch hands. Helms said that a catwalk showcase would also allow children to walk across the Block Party’s stage and show off their costumes, and a photo booth will be available.

“We generally close the streets begin ning at 7 a.m.,” Andrew Chiki, Athens depu

ty service-safety director, said. “During that time, there’s a lot of stuff that occurs and it made sense to incorporate more activities throughout the day and then culminate with the adult portion of the block party in the evening.”

The budget for the family events was provided by the Arts, Parks and Recreation Department, Helms said. However, the exact amount spent on the acts and supplies is un known.

The city will not know the total expendi ture of the Block Party until after the event, Chiki said. However, the city typically bud gets for the use of $30,000, which will cover the cost of the stage, overtime pay for Ath ens Police Department officers, musical acts and payment of the event’s organizers.

Throughout the event, APD officers will be present. However, there aren’t any safety issues expected, Chiki said.

“We don’t really perceive any problems arising,” Helms said. “Typically, OU students are respectful of the families in the town and we assume that will also be the case this time.”

Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said 2010

was the last time there were major issues with larger crowds and multiple arrests during Halloween weekend. Since then, APD has directed its focus to safety precautions rather than arrests.

Pyle said he believes this year’s Hallow een Block Party will be more relaxed than past years due to fewer people coming from out of town to attend the event. However, he said he still expects the event to be well-at tended.

Thompson said he expects thousands of people to be present at the Block Party and hopes the energy that typically accompanies Athens’ Halloween celebrations will be pres ent.

“I don’t want people to think Halloween is losing its edge,” Thompson said. “It’s still the wildest party anywhere. Thousands of peo ple are coming to Athens for this party and to enjoy themselves and so I just want it to be really good fun for everybody.”

A backyard party held at 60 N. Congress St. holds one of many wristband festivities in Athens during Halloween Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (NATE SWANSON | FOR THE POST)

ATHENS FARMER’S

MARKET

Friday,

Local non-profit raises funds for Athens artists

Athens Artists Memorial Project, or AAMP, a local non-profit organization, raised over $3,000 during its first annual benefit concert on Oct. 11.

AAMP was created in memory of local artists to provide music and art assistance to those needing arts funding. Earlier this year, AAMP earned its official 501C3 non-profit organization status and elect ed its first board of directors.

“When we started out we were pretty meager, we only had maybe $500 or $300 in our account, then we’d get money and spend it, but now as a full non-profit we are looking to create a bigger fund and to expand more into not just music but other arts endeavors,” Doug Brooks, president of the board of directors, said.

To celebrate its legitimacy, AAMP host ed its first benefit concert at Casa Can tina, raising funds to continue aiding the arts community.

“This is the first time that we’ve ever put on a fundraiser for ourselves, and that’s sort of the history of several de cades of being informal, then this year be coming more of a legitimate organization,” Roman Warmke, treasurer of the AAMP board of directors, said.

The concert consisted of musical per formances by Frank McDermott, Jerrod Goggans, and Stuart’s Opera House’s Af terschool Music Program.

There was also a raffle and silent auc tion with several items donated by local businesses, including Jackie O’s, Stewart McDonald Guitar Shop, Passion Works Studio, the Stitcherhood, Milo’s Whole Food Gourmet, the Athens Cinema and Quinn Westenbarger Pottery.

Though the members of AAMP did not set a fundraising goal, they raised around $2,500 from the concert before anoth er $1,800 was donated by two of AAMP’s benefactors, Lucian and Lori Spataro.

“We just didn’t know what to expect for our very first one,” Warmke said. “That was more than I expected.”

Although AAMP began in 2020, the idea behind the project started in 1994 as the Johnny B. Fund. Since then, it has helped several local community arts initiatives, such as the Afterschool Music Program at Stewart’s Opera House and the Athens County Children’s Service’s Santa Tree Project.

“(The Afterschool Music Program) is basically a program for middle school and high school students to play music with

their peers in a manner that is a little dif ferent than maybe how you play music with your parents,” Stuart’s Opera House’s Assistant Director of Arts Education Adam Remnant, said.

The program continues to grow in pop ularity, attracting more students interest ed in being a part of a band.

“This year we’re getting near 30 stu dents…and we’re kind of maxed out. We’re already filled up for students this year,” Remnant said.

The students in the program were one of the acts who performed at the AAMP benefit concert.

Remnant said the benefit concert was a good opportunity for the students be cause the venue is a possible business where they could play after graduating high school or college.

“Doing things and supporting programs

like (Stuart’s Opera House’s After School Music Program), seeing your musicians getting the opportunities to get out and play,” Brooks said. “That means a lot. It’s a cool thing to do. It’s like playing Santa Claus, but not limited to just Christmas.”

Brooks got involved with the Santa Tree Project when he taught at Federal Hocking secondary school and thought it would be great to introduce to AAMP.

“At the high school, every homeroom raised money, in whatever way you could, to buy a kid from the Santa Tree Project Christmas presents,” Brooks said. “When I quit teaching, I took that from them, and thought that it would be a great thing for this organization to do.”

Brooks encourages those who know about AAMP and its mission to spread the word about the project so it can continue giving back to the arts community.

“The more people that know about us, the more people that we can help, and the more people that can help support us,” Brooks said. “That is the biggest thing that I want right now is for more people to know about us to request funds, to donate funds and to hopefully reach out to bigger things instead of just supporting individ uals.”

The top of an “air guitar,” hand painted by Thaddeus Semsel, up for auction during the Athens Artists Memorial Project, on Oct. 11, 2022. (CHLOE EGGLESTON | FOR THE POST)

The McKennas rise as a family of breadwinners

not very good at it.”

At Athens Bread Company, located just off campus at 284 E. State St., Ohio University graduate Tim McKenna can be found baking bread and running the shop.

Tim owns the shop with his wife, Devon, and the two run a successful baking business. However, Tim didn’t begin his career in Athens. Working in the food service industry in New York, he found himself working as a butcher, then as a baker.

But his interest in working with food may go further back than this.

“For the first 18 years of my life, I was more interested in eating food than making it to be honest, but I must have had some sort of interest sparked back then or seed planted or something (because) my parents cooked a lot at home,” Tim said.

According to the Pillsbury Company, Tim’s mother, Laurie, is quite the cook.

Laurie was announced as the winner of the 2022 Pillsbury Ovens Off Bake-Off Contest where she made air fryer Greek crescent nachos.

“Even though I won the baking competition, I’m not a baker like my son,” she said. “I love to cook and try different recipes but baking is a lower priority for me because I’m

Laurie began to think about entering the contest after she was served Greek nachos at her book club. Inspired by these nachos, she started to think about how to incorporate a Pillsbury product.

“I started doing some research online to see what people had been making in an air fryer with crescent dough because I thought I don’t want to do something that somebody’s already done because then that won’t stand out,” she said.

Participating in the contest was a family affair as well, with Laurie’s sisters competing in the contest too.

A week after her sisters entered, Laurie officially decided to give it a try herself.

“I had to get on Amazon … and I literally ordered an air fryer the day before the competition was over, went to the store, got the crescent dough and the toppings and just started experimenting with how to make those chips in the air fryer,” she said.

To enter the contest online, participants had to send in a recipe with eight ingredients, one of which being a Pillsbury dough, attach a photo and add a brief story about how they came up with it.

Since Laurie considers herself more of a cook than a baker, she took a savory route when coming up with the recipe.

Laurie’s Greek nachos were made of Pillsbury crescent chips and classic Greek toppings like tomatoes, cucumbers, Tzatziki sauce and feta cheese.

“I got my sister on FaceTime, I was showing her what I made and we’re both like, ‘I think this could be a winner because it’s not sweet, it’s different,’” she said.

After getting the email that she won, Tim was worried about his mom’s internet safety from the contest.

“I was pretty sure she was getting scammed to be honest,” he said. “I was really pretty wary of the whole thing.”

After being announced as the winner, Laurie wasn’t sure how to react.

“(There was) a lot of disbelief, especially from my children that I couldn’t possibly have won, but then that was pretty wild when they found out it was legit,” she said.

Even though her sisters did not win, the whole family was very excited about Laurie’s accomplishment.

“They were very supportive,” she said. “It’s quite funny, in my family now everyone is pretty excited about it.”

As a prize for winning, Laurie was given $50,000 and $50,000 more to donate to a charity of her choice, which was No Kid Hungry.

“I volunteer at the Freestore Foodbank

down in Cincinnati, so I do have a passion for making sure that kids do have food,” she said.

Since the family seems to have a shared interest in cooking and baking, one can wonder if the McKennas will ever open a shop together. The answer to that question is probably not.

“We’re control freaks, both of us, and so I don’t know how that would ever work,” Tim said.

Laurie feels the same way and predicted exactly what her son would say too.

“My answer would be no because we’re a lot alike and I think we would probably clash when it comes to working together so I’m going to guess he said something like that,” she said.

Even though they might not ever run a shop together, Laurie still likes to provide some motherly advice to Tim and the Athens Bread Company.

“I like to give him my advice on the bakery and he takes it or he leaves it,” she said. “He takes it or he leaves it,” she said. “He has not taken my advice on Joe Burrow bread.”

@CAROLINE_KAM12

‘My Culture is Not a Costume’ campaign sparks awareness, appropriate decisions

MCKENNA CHRISTY CULTURE STAFF WRITER

The brainstorming process for halloween costumes is intense for some students at Ohio University and last minute for others. Whether people buy a random costume online or dedicate hours of planning to find the perfect pieces to their festive ensemble, there are ways people can make choices that offend or mock cultures they aren’t part of.

The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, or ESC, defines cultural appropriation as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of costumes, practices, ideas, etc. of a social group by members of another and typically more dominant social group.”

Cultural appropriation during Halloween is common because costumes typically mock or resemble another person or thing. Blackface, brownface, yellowface and redface are also common and occur when a person changes their skin tone and/or physical features to match that of another race. According to Pew Research Center, 53% of Americans believe it’s unacceptable for a white person to use makeup to darken their skin tone for a Halloween costume. Only 37% of Americans said it’s “never acceptable.”

But the harm done by cultural appropriation is a lot. The ESC said cultural appropriation is problematic because “it reduces traditional clothing, customs and practices to a joke or simply an aesthetic.” Costumes that culturally appropriate often use stereotypes, “which perpetuate harmful ideas and ideologies rooted in hate.”

In 2011, an organization at OU, Students Teaching Against Racism in Society, or STARS, formed the “My Culture is Not a Costume” campaign, which was meant to bring awareness and education surrounding cultural appropriation and its harm.

The campaign was revitalized for this school year by Duane Bruce, the executive director of diversity and inclusion, and OU Communications and Marketing. The Division of Diversity and Inclusion has peer educators called diversity leadership ambassadors, or DLAs, who take on a different topic each month to educate others about.

“We get requests all the time all the time around October outside of the university to use the ‘My Culture is Not a Costume’ campaign,” Bruce said. “And this year when we started getting the requests, I talked with my colleagues, and I was like ‘We should put this back up.’”

Although the campaign was revitalized, the message remains just as valuable and educational as it was in 2011. Bruce said some students may not be aware that certain cos-

tumes are harmful and fall into the category of cultural appropriation.

“I think the important message of this particular campaign is that we want our students to be mindful that there are some harmful realities of cultural appropriation,” Bruce said.

“It’s not just Halloween, but this is particularly salient whenever you’re thinking about costumes for Halloween because people dress up as something that’s different from themselves.”

The Division of Diversity and Inclusion’s website for the campaign details some culturally inappropriate costumes. These include “anything representing Blackface, brownface, or yellowface,” “costumes that represent harmful racial or ethnic stereotypes,” making a mockery of mental illness,” “wearing hairstyles of people of color” and “transphobic/ homophobic costumes.”

Students can choose other costumes that are creative and sensitive. Hadley Alford, a senior studying nursing, said she will be wearing a traffic cone costume for Halloween this year. Alford’s boyfriend is a heavy equipment operator and she said he’s going as himself on the job.

“I looked up some stuff on Pinterest and

then I ended up actually just raiding his closet and found an orange reflective long sleeve shirt,” Alford said. “And I’m just gonna wear my leggings and try to find a little cone to put on my head.”

Alford also said it’s important for people to be aware of how their Halloween costume may affect others.

Sophie Neilson, a junior studying communications, said she is going as Kang Sae-byeok from the South Korean drama series, “Squid Games.”

“I basically chose her because I’m Korean, so I felt like it was appropriate for me to dress up as her,” Neilson said. “I wouldn’t be offended if I saw someone wearing a ‘Squid Games’ costume, but it really just depends on how they act in the costume.”

There would also be a problem, Neilson said, if people were to mock Asian languages or physical features of, for example, the South Korean actress who plays Kang Sae-byeok.

Jazmine Amoako, a junior studying economics, said she agrees with Neilson and said that if people are going as a fictional character who isn’t the same race or ethnicity, there is no reason for people to alter their skin tone or features.

“Say you do choose to do something that’s outside of your race and culture, you don’t have to make yourself look like it,” Amoako said. “Outside of the clothing, you can still be white.”

The campaign, Bruce hopes, will open more dialogues between students and other people on campus about respecting and appreciating all cultures instead of mocking or stereotyping them. The My Culture is Not a Costume campaign is connected to the university’s Make Respect Visible campaign and Bruce said they have intentional ties to one another.

“One of the things that we’re really hoping that takes on with Make Respect Visible is not just that we have these expectations and that they’re words, but that campus community members begin to engage with each other in these conversations,” Bruce said. “If we look forward, our goal is to make sure all members of our community know the expectations, and if they see something, they say something.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBIE KINNEY

DORI GRAY FOR THE POST

The event wristbands resembled official hospital bracelets, the photo backdrop bore the Nationwide Children’s Hospital logo and upon tables, sat 3D models of human anat omy. Before entering the Baker Ballroom, attendees could feel the effort Phi Delta Ep silon Ohio Eta Chapter put into planning its first annual Anatomy Fashion Show.

“This planning actually started back last year in June,” Eunice Prasojo, a senior study ing nutrition science, said. Prasojo is also a member of Phi Delta Epsilon and served as the Anatomy Fashion Show chair.

Phi Delta Epsilon is an international med ical fraternity founded in 1904, and the Ohio Eta chapter was founded in 2012.

The Anatomy Fashion Show is a “trade marked program of Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity, Inc. benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals,” according to the official Phi Delta Epsilon website. The concept has existed since 2012, but this year was the Ohio Eta chapter’s first stab at the runway.

All funds from the Anatomy Fashion show will go to Children’s Miracle Network, or CMN, Hospitals. The Anatomy Fashion Show

Macro-attendance for Anatomy Fashion Show

benefits the closest CMN Hospital, Nation wide Children’s in Columbus.

“(Nationwide Children’s is) a part of the CMN network, which is a network of 170 children’s hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada,” said Robbii Miller, director of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Nationwide Children’s. “And so we opt into this network to be able to have access to the corporate partners and programs that have committed to fundraise for their local chil dren’s hospital.”

The Phi Delta Epsilon, Ohio Eta Chapter, raised $3,234, surpassing its $2,500 goal.

“Fundraising allows us to do what we do best, and that’s provide the highest quality of care to our patients and families,” said Mill er. “So with these funds that (Phi Delta Epsi lon) commit to their local children’s hospital, we’re able to … support our families as best we can.”

At the Anatomy Fashion Show, Baker Ball room’s walls were lined with tables for re freshments, raffles and silent auctions. Lo cal vendors, including Passionworks, Kismet and Tony’s Tavern pitched in. Magenta-hued mood lighting framed the main, u-shaped stage.

Three professors donning sparkly blaz

ers served as the event emcees, and sequins the color of bronze, dark gray and turquoise glinted in the overhead lights. Corey Beck, associate professor of instruction in chem istry; Shadrick Paris, professor of instruction in chemistry and Ian Klein, associate profes sor of instruction in biology, commanded the stage with charismatic ease.

People of all ages followed an entertain ing and informative story of fictional twin Ohio University students, Aaron and Kar en, as they traveled from Athens to Colum bus to see their pregnant mother give birth. Amidst the narration of the tale, models in hand-painted, sand-colored morph suits strutted along the runway. The artists’ ana tomically correct work was intricate, and the models nailed their comedic timing.

Leighton Heiner, a sophomore studying philosophy, modeled the respiratory system. She recommended others volunteer in the future.

“It was really fun, and I’ve been super im pressed with all of the time and planning and passion that everyone’s put into this project,” Heiner said. “I’m really excited to see what this looks like in the coming years.”

The rousing halftime game of “Are You Smarter than a Med Student?” challenged

an audience of all ages. A medical student and undergraduate sat on stage for a spin on the early-2000s game show “Are You Smart er than a 5th Grader?” Over 100 audience members played along via Kahoot!, and af ter 13 questions, the undergraduate reigned supreme.

Two weeks before the show, Prasojo said she was most worried about technical diffi culties.

“I’m just hoping that the mic doesn’t go out,” Prasojo said.

Her worst fear came true — an emcee’s mic went out mid-monologue. Without pause, the dead mic was placed on the ground and a live mic was passed to the speaker. The show went on. Seamlessly, the mics were effort lessly passed between hands.

“Everything was fine. … everything went amazing,” Prasojo said after the inaugural Anatomy Fashion Show concluded. “I’m so happy about how everything turned out, and I can’t wait to see what we have for next year.”

Ohio Phi Delta Epsilon puts on an “Anatomy Fashion Show,” where Ohio University students dressed up as various body systems and posed on a runway to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals on Oct. 23, 2022, in Athens, Ohio. (DYLAN TOWNSEND | FOR THE POST)

Parking Not Permitted

ISABEL NISSLEY SENIOR WRITER

Drivers have tried to run over Stephanie Foster while she was working. People lob negative comments at her on the street and over the phone. Most days, though, Foster enjoys her job.

She likes the familiarity of the people along her routes. She appreciates being able to travel around the city on foot. And she is proud to work for the Athens Police Department.

But at the end of the day, being a parking enforcement officer is just a job for Foster.

“I work to feed and clothe my children,” Foster said. “When I make people mad, I feel bad, but at the same time, I’m doing my job.”

In Athens, five officers are tasked with enforcing the 35 parking ordinances written by the city council. According to the Code of Ordinances, Athens’ parking regulations promote safety, aid businesses, ensure equitable access to public parking spaces and keep traffic flowing.

Enforcement of those regulations elicit resident frustration and have disparate impacts while also generating funds for the city’s operation

Resident frustration

When Meadow McCarthy contracted COVID-19, safety became her primary concern. So, McCarthy, a former Franklin Avenue resident, quarantined at home to recover.

While quarantining, McCarthy did not move her car from the on-street space it was parked in. McCarthy feared that going outside would compromise her neighbors’ safety.

After more than a week of quarantining, McCarthy finally went outside and found a ticket stuck under her car’s wind-

shield wiper.

McCarthy was cited for violating Athens’ ordinance regarding continuous parking in the same location for more than 24 hours. She said the rigid enforcement of that regulation is incompatible with the uncertainty of people’s lives.

“There’s no leeway,” McCarthy said. “And I think that the enforcement is just that—it’s just enforcement. It’s not about the point, which is to keep people safe on the roads and make sure that everybody has space to do what they need to do.”

According to the city’s parking FAQs, the purpose of the 24-hour rule is to allow all residents equal access to parking on city streets and to curb storage parking.

From August 2021 to August 2022,

parking on the street for a continuous period longer than 24 hours was the fifth most common reason for issued citations, according to public records obtained from Athens Police Department. In total, 384 tickets were given to cars that violated the 24-hour rule.

McCarthy said that when she lived on Franklin Avenue, enforcement of the 24hour rule failed to serve its intended purpose.

“It just made everyone more frustrated,” McCarthy said.

Heavy enforcement on rental-filled streets

Most parking ordinances apply to public streets. People with driveways and ga-

rages attached to their homes do not have to worry about receiving a ticket for violating the 24-hour rule as much as people who do not have access to private parking spaces.

For example, West Washington Street is majority rental housing, not single-family homes. The higher-density population, coupled with limitations of the built environment, including hilly terrain and lack of driveways, cause many people to park on the street.

From Aug. 1, 2021, to Aug. 1, 2022, nearly 60 tickets were issued for violations of the 24-hour rule on West Washington Street, according to public records obtained from APD. Other rental-dominated streets saw similarly high numbers. Parking enforcement issued 36 citations on each Mill Street and North Congress Street.

During the same time, 10 24-hour violations were issued on Morris Avenue, which has a mix of rental and owner-occupied houses with driveways built beside nearly every house.

Noli Brazil, a spatial demographer at the University of California, examined similar ticketing disparities in Los Angeles in a 2018 study. Brazil found that areas with higher percentages of renter-occupied housing units and 20 to 35-year-olds experience greater parking ticket rates.

Parking revenue and the city’s general fund

Enforcement of ordinances via ticketing is not the only concern of Athens’ parking enforcement operations. Annually, the department generates hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue for the city. In 2021, collections from street meters, college lot meters and tickets yielded $656,575.91, according to the Athens Police Department Annual Report.

That money is deposited into Athens’ general fund, Sam Crowl, City Council Finance and Personnel Committee chair-

Stephanie Foster writes a ticket in Athens, Ohio. (ISABEL NISSLEY | SENIOR WRITER)

man, said.

Crowl said the general fund is used to pay for repairs to city infrastructure, code enforcement, postage and other expenses. City employees’ salaries and the APD are also primarily supported by money from the general fund.

“I think (what) a lot of people don’t understand is we’re not asking for you to put money in the meter just to have money for whatever; it’s to improve city streets, it’s to improve city buildings, it’s to improve anything,” Foster said. “So by putting money into the meter, you’re basically helping Athens stay repaired.”

Money collected from parking garage meters is added to a separate, proprietary fund that is used to pay for garage maintenance. During 2021, $78,308.32 was collected from the parking garage.

“All the revenue that is earned in the parking garage goes back to the maintenance of the parking garage itself,” Crowl said.

Athens parking enforcement generated more money for the city before the pandemic. On average, $900,000 of parking revenue was paid into the general fund annually. In some years, the total would be closer to $800,000. Others it would reach $1,000,000, according to data in the Athens Police Department Annual Report.

Foster joined the Athens parking enforcement team in December of 2021 and attributes the relative revenue consistency to the routine nature of her job. Almost every day, Foster clocks in at 8 a.m. and clocks out at 5 p.m. During her shifts, she patrols a set route. So do the other officers who work on foot.

“We don’t have a quota,” Foster said. “We do not have to make any kind of quota.”

Claims of undeserved ticketing

For commuters like Hannah Fowler, a graduate student studying visual communications, the lack of parking options is a constant struggle.

According to the 2021 Census, approximately 25,000 people live in the city of Athens. Foster estimates there to be at least 250 spaces in the city parking garage

and 500 metered spots.

Although she has a commuter pass through OU, Fowler sometimes will park in the city parking garage, which is closer to her classes, due to the weather or flare-ups of her chronic pain.

During Spring Semester, Fowler began to receive expired meter tickets in the parking garage, despite still having time on her meter through the ParkSmarter app, she said.

Since April, Fowler has received three expired meter tickets in the parking garage that she believes were issued unfairly. A few months ago, Fowler said she was given a ticket at 3:15 p.m., even though her meter was paid through 6:24 p.m.

“It begs the question for me: Are they even paying attention to the meters or the app?,” Fowler said. “Or are they just writing tickets as they feel? Or, is there some sort of malfunction with the way the app works in correspondence with computers?”

Officers can check if a meter is expired in two ways: by the red light on the physical meter or by the data provided to them on their handheld devices that connect to the Park Smarter app, Foster said. If both sources show that a meter is not paid, the enforcement officers can write a ticket for an expired meter.

Caleigh Russell, a fourth-year studying psychology, also received a ticket when her meter was paid.

“I paid on my phone and because (the enforcement officer) didn’t see me visually pay, I got a ticket,” Russell said.

Russell successfully contested her ticket. After calling the Parking Enforcement Office and explaining her situation, the ticket was voided.

Officer forgiveness and officer error are two common reasons for ticket voiding, according to a representative of APD.

Parking enforcement receives reports from people who claim they received a ticket undeservingly daily. The officers who issued the parking ticket have the ability to decide whether those tickets should be voided or not.

Fowler tried to contest her most recent ticket at the police station, but she

was told that the officer who issued it to her was not available. When the officer would be in the office, Fowler was not available.

Captain Ralph Harvey of the Athens Police Department said that if people, like commuter students, are not available when the issuing officers are, they can try to contact the office via phone. There is not an online process for ticket appeals.

“I mean, at the end of the day, it’s a parking ticket, and it’s not the end of the world because they’re $15,” Fowler said. “But the principle is the same. I didn’t violate any parking rules. I was well within the allotted time I had paid for.”

Parking tickets can be contested by calling the Parking Enforcement Office at (740) 592-3308 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Callers can ask to speak with the officer who issued their ticket and discuss why they feel it should be voided, Harvey said.

If a resolution is not reached through conversation, the person who received the ticket can request that their case be taken to the Municipal Court.

“Parking enforcement officers and the parking clerk work hard to balance the needs of residents, employees, delivery people, students and others while fairly enforcing the parking regulations,” Harvey said.

At the end of the day

Parking enforcement evokes a strong response from some, like McCarthy and Fowler, who feel that rules are not being enforced properly.

For others, like Athens Enforcement Officer Stephanie Foster, parking enforcement is straightforward and a necessary duty that she performs to help keep the city maintained.

“We’re not here to make your day miserable,” Foster said. “We’re not here to make you mad. We’re just here to help you understand the ordinances, we are here to enforce the ordinances. We’re just like anyone else, we really are.”

Parking meter on Court Street in Athens, Ohio. (MEGAN VAN VLACK | FOR THE POST)

David Butcher recognized for telling stories of forgotten community

sons were not allowed to inherit a white man’s property.

This story holds special significance to Butcher because he is a descendant of the Tablers. With Michael Tabler being his eighth-great grandfather, Butcher’s family had passed down oral accounts of their fam ily history.

The first document that was found is a manumission document, a document that legally frees an enslaved person, which is on display at the museum. Gesturing toward the document, Butcher explained how much sig nificance it truly possesses.

“Michael Tabler freed his six slave chil dren,” Butcher said. “You got to imagine, this is early slavery in 1830, and the most import ant word on this document, he says ‘I’m do ing this because of the affection I have for them.’ That’s very powerful for a white man to say about a slave in 1830.”

The role of Hannah in this story should not be overlooked, however. According to Butcher, she could have potentially given birth to 18 or 20 more children, as enslaved women were often expected to give birth every year. Despite being born on the plan tation, Hannah found a way to become a free woman.

to his great-aunt giving him military shells from World War I when he was four years old, Butcher has never stopped learning and never stopped collecting.

The People of Color Museum is located on Butcher’s property in a former pole barn. Al though modest in size, the museum is chock full of historical relics. Some of the items on display include Butcher’s great-uncle’s wooden leg, canned groundhog and a Native American arrowhead that an archaeologist identified as being around 15,000 years old. Whether the items are family heirlooms, brought to him by neighbors or items he has purchased in an auction, Butcher knows the significance and importance of every single item in his museum.

The museum, opening in 2018, is truly Butcher’s passion project. He still works his day job nearly 100 miles away, and uses his days off to lead tours of his museum. As soon as interested parties step foot into the for mer pole barn, they are in for an education much richer than anything taught in schools.

ALYSSA CRUZ ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

David Butcher has many titles: husband, father, genealogist, historian and muse um founder. On Sept. 27, he was able to add one more title to his resume, an inaugural recipient of the the Black Appalachian Sto rytellers Fellowship.

Residing in Stewart, Butcher is the only recipient from Ohio to be awarded this fel lowship. His fellow winners include a Civ il Rights Activist and a Ted-Talker. Despite working a full-time job, Butcher did not win this award because of his occupation, or at least his paid occupation.

Butcher is the curator and founder of The People of Color Museum. The People of Col or Museum is dedicated to the cultural his tory of the region, specifically the history of Tablertown.

Tablertown cannot be found on a GPS, but it still very much exists. Now known as Kilvert, the community is located about 20 minutes from Ohio University’s campus. Although small in size and population, the town has an active church and community center.

It is passed over, however, when it comes to recognition and representation. The town

is left out of the Route 50 sign, denoting the upcoming cities off the highway. Nestled be tween Stewart and Amesville on State Route 329, Kilvert, or Tablertown, is completely omitted on the sign, a fact Butcher laments.

“We’re four miles closer than Amesville,” Butcher said. “We’re on a state highway. We have an active church and an active commu nity center. See how it’s easy to leave people out? Like we don’t exist.”

The real significance of the exclusion and erasure of Tablertown lies in its history. Founded nearly 200 years ago, Tablertown is a shining beacon of hope, pride and love in American history.

Michael Tabler, the son of a white plan tation owner, fathered six bi-racial children with an enslaved woman on the plantation named Hannah. Most likely having grown up together, there is evidence their relation ship was a love match. To prove his devotion to her and their children, Tabler moved his family to Ohio.

Butcher said this move was due to him re ceiving a large inheritance from his deceased mother and father. Moving from Virginia to West Virginia was significant because the state passed laws that made it difficult for formerly enslaved persons to remain in Vir ginia. Furthermore, formerly enslaved per

“Somehow, my grandmother Hannah fig ured out how to get herself free,” Butcher said. “She was freed by a will, and six of her children were free. This is almost 30 years before Harriet Tubman, so almost unheard of legally. She must have just been a tremen dous, amazing woman.”

Once the Tabler family came to the re gion, Michael purchased the mill and began farming.

“They’re here in the 1830s,” Butcher said. “They have a mill producing lumber and white flour and flour, and then coal’s discov ered. Everything changed.”

After coal was discovered, railroads came along quickly. As there were to be railroads intersecting in the town, Tablertown caught the eye of Sam Kilvert. After Kilvert paid a visit to the courthouse, Tablertown was offi cially deemed Kilvert.

“How the town name changed from Ta blertown to Kilvert is that it was never given an official name,” Butcher said. “Everybody calls it Tablertown, from my generation back.”

A goal of Butcher’s and many others in Tablertown is to change the name back, fur ther preserving the history of the region.

Butcher’s fascination with his family’s history and history in general has been part of his life since he was a young boy. Thanks

Having already purchased property in Tablertown, Butcher has high hopes for the museum. Along with the fellowship, Butcher will have the opportunity to attend the 40th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival in Baltimore, Maryland and receive a cash prize. Butcher said this money will go back into the museum and be used to construct a building on the newly purchased land.

Humble as ever, Butcher is adamant that the credit for The People of Color Museum should not be given all to him. He claims people from the community, family members and complete strangers were all very instru mental when it came to making his dream a reality.

“I’m very honored,” Butcher said, regard ing him receiving the fellowship. “You don’t feel worthy because there are so many peo ple. This isn’t just me; this isn’t just David Butcher. This was a community. I wouldn’t even say I got it started – I just helped push.”

All parties who are interested in touring The People of Color Museum should contact David Butcher at 740-590-6368.

@ALYSSADANCCRUZ

David Butcher poses for a portrait on Oct. 21, 2022. Butcher is a historian, genealogist and curator, and he is the founder of the Tablertown People of Color Museum. (ALYSSA CRUZ | ASST. CULTURE EDITOR)

Q&A with Nolan McCormick

MOLLY BURCHARD ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Ohio has seen a lot of new faces on the field this year, including Nolan McCormick. The running back redshirted last season but has played an important role on Ohio’s of fense in 2022. He’s played in every game so far and is Ohio’s second-leading rusher with 219 yards.

The Post got to chat with McCormick about his first season, his influences and fa vorite players in the NFL.

The Post: It’s your first season playing at Ohio. How’s it going so far?

McCormick: I feel like it’s been going good so far. I think my role has been a little more than maybe we expected it to be this sea son, but I’ve just been doing my best to try to make the most out of every opportunity I’ve had so far.

TP: You mentioned your role, which brings up my next question. You’ve played in every game this season. How does it feel to be making such a big impact on the team this early in your collegiate career?

McCormick: It definitely feels great. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win. We’ve had some good games so far, so just trying to keep grinding out the wins the rest of the way.

TP: Is there anything you had to adjust or do differently due to your increased role?

McCormick: Not really. I think the coach es do a great job in the offseason preparing us to play. Coach (Brian) Smith and Coach (Tim) Albin have gotten me ready to this point. I felt ready when the opportunity pre sented itself.

TP: Describe the emotions you felt when you scored your first touchdown against Ak ron.

McCormick: It was definitely a really cool experience. Honestly, it was kind of nice to get the monkey off my back a little bit get ting that first touchdown. But, I mean, shout out to the offensive line for doing their thing and making my job easy.

TP: Did they let you keep that football?

McCormick: Yeah, I got the touchdown ball after that, so that’s really cool.

TP: Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re

a walk-on, right? What has that experience been like?

McCormick: It’s been awesome. Once you get here, you’re treated just like everybody else on the team. Honestly, besides the fi nancial aspect of it, there’s really no differ ence between being a walk-on and being a scholarship player here.

TP: Has there been anyone on the team that’s been mentoring you through your first season?

McCormick: There’s definitely been guys, especially walk-ons, above me that show me how to get on the field, make (my) way through special teams. Julian Ross has really helped a lot with his experience as a running back.

TP: We may have seen on Twitter that you have a Christian McCaffrey “shrine” in your room. If that’s true, can you describe that?

McCormick: There’s no truth behind that. That’s just a joke that one of our for mer coaches had. I’m a big fan of Christian McCaffrey, but yeah, no shrine or anything like that.

TP: Is he your favorite NFL player?

McCormick: Yeah, he’s got to be.

TP: Do you have his jersey?

McCormick: I have his college jersey from when he was at Stanford. Can’t have a Pan thers jersey as a Bengals fan.

TP: That’s fair. Are there any other run ning backs in the NFL that you look up to?

McCormick: I’ve been watching Nick Chubb a lot because I like the way he plays. He runs downhill, (he’s) physical, kind of a one-cut guy.

TP: Do you try to emulate that in your own playing style?

McCormick: I try not to mold my game after anybody else’s too much. I try to be my own player and do my own thing. But you can still pick up great things from players that you see playing on Sundays.

@MOLLY_BURCHARD8 MB712319@OHIO.EDU

Running Back, Nolan McCormick, runs with the ball during Ohio University’s game against Fordham University at Peden Sta dium on Sept. 24, 2022. (JUSTIN DELGADO | FOR THE POST)

Ohio picks up two key wins as regular season winds down

BEN WILK FOR THE POST

Ohio faced off against Toledo and West ern Michigan this week, going 2-0 and pick ing up two important Mid-American Confer ence wins as the MAC tournament is quickly approaching. Here’s what you need to know about Ohio’s two victories:

Thursday

The Bobcats traveled to Toledo to take on the Rockets for a much-needed MAC win. The scoring started off in the 16th minute with a goal from junior forward Aubrey Rea, putting Ohio up 1-0. Both the Ohio and Tole do defenses tightened for the rest of the half, and the score stood 1-0 at the break.

Toledo broke through in the second half with a goal in the 49th minute from redshirt junior forward Madison Medalle. Ohio would

respond just two minutes later in the 51st minute with a goal from senior forward Re gan Berg, and would soon add to its lead in the 55th minute when redshirt senior Haley Miller knocked in a goal set up by Berg’s fifth assist of the season to put Ohio up 3-1.

The last bit of offense came from Berg once again, as she scored another goal in the 85th minute to put Ohio up 4-1. The goal gave Berg the team lead in goals on the year with eight.

Sunday

After picking up a crucial MAC win, Ohio returned home to Chessa Field and looked to carry the momentum into its match against Western Michigan. Ohio came into the match sitting behind Western Michigan in the MAC standings with only two matches remaining before tournament play began.

Ohio got off to an early lead in the 14th

minute on a goal from the team leader in points, Abby Townsend, and assisted by top scorer Regan Berg to put Ohio up 1-0. Ohio would later add to its lead in the 42nd minute when senior midfielder Olivia Darrow netted her first goal of the season off of assists from Rea and freshman forward Scout Murray.

Western Michigan cut Ohio’s lead in half in the 65th minute when sophomore for ward Jaden Peck found the net, assisted by fellow sophomore Emily Pagett. Ohio would strike back quickly in the 68th minute, with Townsend netting her second of the match off of an assist from junior forward Shae Robertson and putting Ohio up 3-1.

Ohio’s defense upped the physicality to maintain the two-goal lead, but that result ed in a penalty kick for Western Michigan, which was converted in the 75th minute by Jenna Blackburn, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

That penalty kick would be the last goal

scored in the match as Ohio held on to top Western Michigan 3-2 and pick up a crucial MAC win with one match remaining in the regular season.

Ohio has positioned itself to earn a spot in the Mid-American Conference Tourna ment if it can secure another victory.

“We want to just keep extending the sea son,” head coach Aaron Rodgers said. “I think if we have a good performance like we did today, I think we can win the game.”

Ohio takes on Akron on the road this Thursday to finish off its regular season schedule and potentially secure a spot in the MAC Tournament.

Ohio University Freshman Maia Kaufman (4) passes the soccer ball at the game against Ball State on Chessa Field on Oct. 16, 2022. . (ZOE CRANFILL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Ohio cannot let this opportunity pass

WILL CUNNINGHAM SPORTS EDITOR

We are officially two-thirds of the way through Ohio’s season, and it is going better than anyone could have expected.

Entering the 2022 season, Ohio was coming off its worst record in over a decade, 3-9 in 2021, and facing a huge season for second-year head coach Tim Albin, who was still trying to convince people he was the right man for the job.

Ohio also lost several talented players before this season. De’Montre Tuggle and Armani Rogers departed for the NFL, and Cam Odom and Isiah Cox transferred. Things only got worse in that department, as O’Shaan Allison and Ty Walton, Ohio’s top two returning producers, have barely seen the field. Allison was ruled out for the year before the season started, and Walton has only appeared in the first four games of this season.

Despite this, and having arguably the worst defense in the Football Bowl Subdi-

vision for the first six weeks of the season, Ohio is currently 5-3, one win away from securing bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.

However, the Bobcats set their sights on a bigger prize: a Mid-American Conference Championship. With four games remaining, Ohio controls its own destiny in the MAC East. A win over Buffalo next week would put it in poll position for a spot in the MAC title game.

A look at Ohio’s results and season statistics would suggest that it is not quite as good as a 3-1 conference record. For example, Ohio’s defense was so bad for six weeks that despite allowing fewer than 400 yards in each of the last two games, it still ranks 130th in FBS in yards per game and 129th in yards per play.

In addition, the offense, which was one of the best in the MAC through six weeks, has

faltered over the last two games, recording fewer than 400 yards in both. The only other games in which Ohio’s yardage total was that low were its road games against Penn State and Iowa State.

It could be argued that after almost blowing a 17-point lead against Florida Atlantic, allowing 52 points to a Football Championship Subdivision team, giving up 736 yards of offense to Kent State and barely escaping with a win against 2-5 Northern Illinois, Ohio doesn’t “deserve” to be in this position.

But that doesn’t really matter. The Bobcats are here. They’ve won three games in a row, and with one more, a trip to Detroit for the MAC Championship becomes a likelihood, not just a possibility.

Ohio got to this point with six weeks of a high-flying offense and a defense that allowed big plays on seemingly every other drive, and two weeks of a sputtering offense

and a defense that has suddenly turned a corner.

Buffalo, undefeated in MAC play with a one-game lead over Ohio in the MAC East, is coming to Athens for the 2022 debut of midweek MACtion. Ohio now faces its biggest game since a loss to Western Michigan in the 2016 MAC Championship game.

With a win, Ohio has an inside track to return to that game. With a loss, it is still looking at a solid bowl season, but this is an opportunity that Ohio cannot afford to let slip through its fingers.

Whether the Bobcats are as good a team as their record suggests doesn’t matter. It matters what they do with the opportunity their record has given them.

@WILLOCUNNINGHAM WC425318@OHIO.EDU

Week 8 Student Media Poll picks from ‘The Post’

Each week, the Sports editorial team selects its Top 25 Division I college football teams for the Student Media Poll.

The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 122 student journalists from all Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. There are voters from 69 different schools across 34 states.

The Post Sports will break down its ballots each week. Here are the top five, those it kicked out of the Top 25 and those it added:

Molly Burchard, Asst. Sports Editor

Top 5

1.) Ohio State

Georgia

Tennessee

Clemson

Michigan

Surprisingly, this may be the first time my Top 5 has not moved all season. I was impressed by all these teams this week and didn’t feel the need to shake things up.

Right below my Top 5, however, TCU took Alabama’s spot at No. 6. It is the only other undefeated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and it deserves to be up there with all the other undefeated teams.

Will Cunningham, Sports Editor

Top 5

Ohio State

Georgia

Tennessee

Michigan

Clemson

After making changes in Weeks 5 and 6, my poll is back to having an unchanged Top 5. Ohio State kept the top spot after a 54-10 demolition of Iowa, and Tennessee stayed put in third after easily dispatching UT Martin. Georgia and Michigan both had bye weeks.

Clemson was the only team in my Top 5 that faced any significant challenge, with a game against Syracuse coming down to the wire. The Tigers escaped with a win, but they are probably the least convincing undefeated team remaining.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was benched in the second half of the game against Syracuse after what was probably his worst performance of the season, and 5-star freshman Cade Klubnik came in to complete the comeback. Clemson coach

Dabo Swinney confirmed Clemson’s commitment to Uigalelei as the starter after the game, but now that the move has been made, the question will continue to hang over the Tigers for the rest of the season.

Clemson is firmly headed toward what I would call “2014 Florida State” territory. The Tigers may go undefeated, win the ACC and make the College Football Playoff. I remain convinced they are not one of the four best teams in the country and have virtually no chance of winning one game in January, much less two.

Ashley Beach, Sports Writer

Top 5

1.) Ohio State

Georgia

Tennessee

Clemson

Michigan

There’s been a big change in my Top 5. Alabama has fallen to sixth in my poll after its loss to Tennessee and its meager win against Mississippi State. Entering the Top 5 is Tennessee.

Ohio State now tops my poll. It has been unstoppable and smacked Iowa without some of its best players. Also, Georgia had a bye-week, so it had no merit compared to Ohio State this week.

Clemson and Michigan are stuck where they are. Clemson nearly lost to Syracuse and Michigan had a bye. They’re not going anywhere until one of them hits a losing streak, which is unlikely to happen.

to read the rest? Check it out online!

John Carpenter the Master of Horrors

BENJAMIN ERVIN

You are sitting in a coffee shop. Perhaps you are there to do John Carpenter has become synonymous with the horror genre. He cemented his legacy with the Gial lo-style ‘80s slasher “Halloween” (1978). His film “The Thing” brought body horror to a wider audience and is considered one of the best pieces of horror cinema.

After his last feature film in 2010, “The Ward,” Carpen ter stepped away from directing to follow his other inter ests. On top of writing and directing, he scored his films and has built a second career as a musician, reprising his role as director to direct the “Christine” music clip.

In his time behind the camera, Carpenter contributed to the horror genre with other classics like “Christine” and cult hits like “In the Mouth of Madness.” During this time, he created a cinematic language that can be traced throughout his career, a method that defines Carpenter’s horror films.

Carpenters’ films begin with well-thought-out char acters. They are often our window into a film, be it the opening campfire scene of “The Fog” or the introduction of the main cast of “Halloween.”

Carpenter’s characters are often people before vic tims. They have interests, goals and lives outside the nar rative that are interrupted by the approaching horror. A

building tension takes form in the killer.

Carpenter builds the impending threat through mu sic. These are the themes of “Halloween” and the “Fog.” Where the rhythm often becomes uncanny as conven tional orchestration is replaced with synthetic music.

Compare these two scenes from the contemporary horror films “Christine” and “Hellraiser.” The former evokes a dread, a rhythmic pattern that gets into a view er’s head, while the latter of the pair has a near-operatic tone that evokes a triumph and art within the horrific. Music becomes a way for Carpenter to build tension that he then captures on camera.

Throughout Carpenter’s career, his use of cameras has been a unique feature of his films. Horror is often brought into a frame with a lean fluid movement or is presented in full view. He does this through long shots and wide shots, which brings a studied eye to scenes.

The long shot is replicated in his later film “The Thing,” to establish a sense of space and claustrophobia within the Arctic base. A similar wide shot after a kill is used in “Prince of Darkness,” where the victim and the perpetra tor are placed near the center.

The smooth nature of the camera work places the viewer within the moment. Rather than moving the cam

era away or using a match cut to end the scene, Carpen ter lingers; the lens of the camera often mimics the view er’s eye, unblinking and flinching amidst violence.

Carpenter’s style comes from well-written characters, tense music and well-shot scenes. He brings horror out in a display. This is the defibrillator scene of “The Thing” or the final shooting of Michael Myers in “Halloween.”

The craft put into each film gives John Carpenter’s horror catalog its legacy. His ability as a storyteller and an artist has created classic horror films that have stood the test of time.

Benjamin Ervin is a senior studying English literature and writing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Benjamin know by emailing him be425014@ohio.edu.

MEG DIEHL

& PLANET

The painful reality of abortions

Nearly every argument against abortion is wrought with fallacy. An evangelical group appears on campus to harass students for being gay or pro-choice, aiming to make them feel small, ashamed and powerless. It makes sense considering manipulation and guilt are the only tactics this dying subset of people has left.

They extend beyond their proselytizing ideas and claim, “if we make abortion legal then people will use it as birth control” or “only a whore would need an abortion.” These notions oversimplify the problem and endanger those with female reproductive systems.

As Ohio abortion laws are in limbo and another hateful group showed up at Ohio University to yell at students and hide behind the shield of religion, it is an appropri ate time to talk about what really happens when someone gets an abortion.

Hint: it is not the easy way out that many want you to think it is.

There are two forms of abortion: surgical abortion and medical abortion. During a surgical abortion, medicine is provided to relax the cervix and manage pain. A speculum

is inserted to dilate the cervix and pregnancy tissue is removed through suction. A person will likely bleed for a few weeks, sometimes accompanied by episodes of pain. They may feel exhausted and nauseous, typically for the next three days. If the procedure is performed after 14 weeks of pregnancy, they will likely need to stay over night in a hospital.

A medical abortion typically involves several consul tations before taking the pills. First, a medication called mifepristone is taken to block the body’s progesterone, the sex hormone that allows pregnancy to continue. Fi nally, misoprostol is taken to empty the contents of the uterus. Though it is often considered the easier method because it happens at home, the abortion pill is a serious drug with severe symptoms, such as bleeding, uterine and stomach cramps, nausea, chills and fevers.

It is a gory and painful process, even when done pro fessionally. Jokes on TikTok about using coat hangers, vi tamin C and Ibuprofen to terminate a pregnancy are an unfortunate reality for those living in states where abor tion is illegal or highly restricted.

However, there is an even darker side to the effects of abortion that anti-abortion activists downplay. Various studies have shown that having an abortion heightens the risk of addiction, depression, suicide and PTSD.

No one who has received an abortion is a heartless baby killer. They were a person in a difficult situation. Many have to choose between an abortion or being harmed by their partner, disowned by their parents, dropping out of school, etc. Others can’t manage a pregnancy while fac ing homelessness or other unsafe living conditions.

There must be more patience, appreciation and empa thy toward human beings and the decisions of those who can bear children.

Megan Diehl is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. The views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Megan about her article? Tweet her @megandiehl02.

The downfall of Kanye West

ZACHARY KNIGHT FOR THE

Kanye West is one of the biggest icons of our time. He has a massive platform and influence without even trying. Recently, however, that influence has been used to perpetuate incredibly problematic messages.

Long-time fans of West understand that he has a history of speaking his mind and that he will rarely filter himself or hold ideas back. This tendency can be seen through things like his “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” comment on NBC’s hurricane relief broadcast in 2005, his infamous interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 Video Music Awards and his more problematic 2018 TMZ rant where he implied that slavery was a choice.

Controversy continues to follow Kanye, and his most recent track record of incidents began with his Yeezy season 9 show at the beginning of October. His new line of clothing included shirts with White Lives Matter printed on the back, a phrase used primarily by white supremacists as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kanye doubled down on his statement on Instagram, writing, “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam now it’s over you’re welcome.”

This post resulted in his account being banned from Instagram. Just a few days later, however, Kanye made a return to his Twitter, which has remained inactive since his 2020 presidential run.

In a series of Tweets, Kanye made several comments against Jews, accusing them of having control over rapper Diddy, and ultimately climaxing with him claiming that he plans to go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”

This action led to the removal of West’s Twitter account, and neither Twitter nor Instagram has reinstated his accounts since the incident.

His tirade continued when he did an interview with conservative public commentator Tucker Carlson, where he made comments which were unaired of his claiming that planned parenthood was a conspiracy to control Black people.

After this, Kanye’s media run resumed with an episode of LeBron James’ talk show “The Shop,” which never aired due to hate speech from West. After this, Kanye turned to Drink Champs, a popular podcast that he also appeared on in November of 2021. In this episode, Kanye made incredibly bold and controversial statements. West claimed that he was being targeted by Jewish media and

that George Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose, not police brutality.

This string of actions has caused massive repercussions for the artist. Many of his peers and fellow celebrities have denounced his actions, and will likely no longer continue to support or work with West. Likely the biggest loss for Kanye was the cutting of all ties with Balenciaga, the high-end fashion brand which he has made numerous collaborations with.

Kanye recently went on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” where he reluctantly apologized for his antisemitic comments, but it seems that the damage is already done. Many fans have turned to their own social media platforms to denounce Kanye’s actions, and redact their support of him and his products. Other fans, however, continue to support Kanye, and just want the best for the artist.

Kanye has had a long history of mental illness, which may be the cause of some of his behavior. In 2016, Kanye was hospitalized after a series of rants during performances, and in 2019, he revealed that he suffers from bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that can cause violent mood swings and manic episodes.

While his mental health issues don’t justify his actions, they provide some context on why the world may be seeing this behavior. Many people are calling for Kanye to step away from his platform and get assistance to take some time to rehabilitate himself.

Who knows what’s next for Kanye. He’s always been a complicated figure but has maintained a consistent level of status and fame. He’s one of the biggest artists of this generation, and many just want to see him get better. Between his recent losses resulting from his actions, the immense pressure due to the constant spotlight and attention placed on him, and his severe mental health struggles, Kanye will definitely remain in the public eye, for better or for worse.

‘Midnights’ shows Taylor Swift alone with her thoughts, past and present

It’s only been two years since Taylor Swift released her last album, but in that time, she’s dropped re-recorded versions of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” “Red (Tay lor’s Version),” and created an entirely new album. This new album, “Midnights,” is Swift’s 10th studio album. It’s a glorious array of new songs resulting from restless nights and faraway memories.

Collaborating with an iconic group of creators such as Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey and Zoe Kravitz, Swift has created a concept album centered around the ideas of self-loathing, heartbreak, love, lust and karma; it is her darkest and most revealing album yet.

“Midnights” could easily accompa ny Swift’s 2014 pop breakthrough, “1989,” with lush, glossy and energetic tracks that transport you to the singer’s bedroom fan tasies and nightmares. Yet, unlike “1989,” this album is more mature. Swift is now a singer in her 30s, reflecting on her career and past relationships. She has learned that not everything has to work out, but when it does, it’s important to savor the beauty of love.

With 20 tracks instead of the 13 previ ously teased since late August, Swift be comes a storyteller. The album gives lis teners an insight into her life, hinting at events back to her “Speak Now” era. The album in itself is an open book.

“Lavender Haze” opens the album, ref erencing a “Mad Men” episode. “Meet me at midnight” is the first line, painting a picture of the singer falling deep and fast in the beginnings of a relationship, a ref erence to her own with actor Joe Alwyn.

“Talk your talk and go viral / I just need this love spiral / Get it off your chest / Get it off my desk (Get it off my desk)” is a perfect bridge, a lyric that Swift uses to acknowledge how all of her relationships go viral as soon as they’re discovered by the public, encouraging critics to say what they want about her significant other; it simply won’t affect her anymore.

An interesting turn in the album hap pens just two tracks later with “Anti-Hero.” In this track, Swift lays out all her flaws, singing, “It’s me, hi / I’m the problem, it’s me / At teatime, everybody agrees / I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.” While this song is super upbeat, reminiscent of “Death By A Thousand Cuts,” deep down, it’s ex tremely sad, proving that even the singer still struggles with her insecurities amidst the success and accolades she receives.

Meanwhile, in “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Question…?” Swift reflects on the sexism she’s faced in the music indus try, as well as missed opportunities. The first of the two contains some of the al bum’s most telling lyrics, “I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss / The jokes weren’t funny / I took the money / My friends from home don’t know what to say / I looked around in a blood-soaked gown / And I saw some thing they can’t take away,” a dig at Swift’s past of being a people pleaser and letting her body image take control of her every day life. On the other hand, “Question…?” doesn’t stray away from asking the hard questions revolving around a lost chance

at love, with Swift creating a scenario that she’s probably been in herself, one where the person she wants to love is struggling to admit their feelings.

Revenge is another theme that arises in songs such as “Vigilante Shit” and “Kar ma.” “Vigilante Shit” could directly allude to Swift’s past feuds, particularly with Kanye West. The lyrics of this track raise eyebrows, especially as the singer targets them toward him, “Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man / You did some bad things, but I’m the worst of them / Some times I wonder which one’ll be your last lie / They say looks can kill and I might try.” Swift also claims that she, as well as other women, have been deceived by this man, making it her job to now get revenge and avenge the other women involved, hence the vigilante theme.

In “Karma,” Swift is comforted by the thought that all her past enemies will be eventually called out for their misdeeds. She sheds light on her past drama and actions by accepting what happened and fully moving on, making this track a se quel to the storyline of “reputation.” Swift sings, “Karma’s a relaxing thought / Aren’t you envious that for you it’s not? / Sweet like honey, karma is a cat / Purring in my lap ‘cause it loves me,” coming to terms with the new woman she’s become and letting go of drama that doesn’t concern her anymore.

The 13th track, “Mastermind,” is all about Joe Alwyn, and if you don’t believe it, the lyrics reveal Swift’s initial thoughts when they first met, comparing herself to a mastermind of how she tactfully planned

her way into the actor’s life. The track overall is sweet and a touching shoutout to him, lifting the mood momentarily as the singer counts her blessings.

Additionally, fans suspect “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” to be about a miscarriage Swift endured due to its lyrical content and dark undertone. “Goodbye, good bye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time,” Swift sings, the “short time,” representing a false pregnancy.

In the last stretch of the tracklist comes “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” another allusion to her teenage years. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve / If you’d never looked my way I would’ve stayed on my knees / And I damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil / At nineteen,” is Swift pos sibly calling out her previous relationship with singer John Mayer, and is a beautiful track nonetheless.

Overall, “Midnights” is a catastrophi cally beautiful feat, an album that is ma ture in subject matter and a work one can listen to alone in the dark with their thoughts. Swift has truly come into her shell not only as a singer and songwrit er but as a woman who is no longer being controlled or forced as a commodity.

Ranking: 5/5

GRACE KOENNECKE

5 fall-themed treats that scream autumn

ROHLING

THE

What better way to celebrate the season than with some yummy fall treats? Here are five recipes to get you in the autumn spirit:

Pumpkin pie

Is there really any dessert that screams fall more than pumpkin pie? Lillian Demellia, a senior management and strategic leader ship major, made a pumpkin pie from scratch with her boyfriend this fall.

“I love baking,” Demellia said. “I think it’s really relaxing and fun. Pies can be harder to bake than cakes because it can be difficult to tell when it’s done, (but) we were also able to roast pumpkin seeds and add seasonings like cinnamon and sugar as well as salt and garlic.”

Pumpkin sweet cream

Want to give your coffee a fall kick with out the extra charge of pumpkin sweet cream from Starbucks? Fear not; there are plenty of

copycat homemade pumpkin sweet cream recipes. This one uses six ingredients and has a prep time of only five minutes – perfect for those with quick and rushed mornings.

Sophomore and political science pre-law major Ava Hamilton likes pumpkin sweet cream in her vanilla chai lattes.

“The vanilla syrup makes the drink itself sweeter,“ Hamilton said. “It makes the chai less aggressive and the milk sweeter. Some times I want my chai to have more spice to it and that’s where the pumpkin cold foam steps in. The pumpkin spice added to the sweet cream cold foam adds a bit of spice to the drink without it being too overpowering.”

Pumpkin sweet cream is the perfect way to add a touch of fall into your coffee or oth er drink.

Pumpkin bread

Another treat that totally screams fall is pumpkin bread. Making pumpkin bread should take around 20 minutes according to this recipe. Pumpkin bread has a variety of fall-like spices mixed into it and pumpkin

puree to make it moist and not dry. If you’ve never had a bite of pumpkin bread, you’re missing out!

Pumpkin seeds

So you made a pumpkin pie from scratch, hooray! But what do you do with all the left over pumpkin seeds? Easy: make roasted pumpkin seeds. This is such a fun recipe be cause there’s so much wiggle room. They can be made sweet or savory. This recipe shows you how to make cinnamon sugar-flavored pumpkin seeds. As a bonus: They should only take about five minutes to make from start to finish.

Not in the mood for something sweet? Have more of a salty and savory palette? Fear not! There are a plethora of savory pumpkin seed recipes out there. This article shows six different recipes for savory pumpkin seeds from ranch-roasted pumpkin seeds to dill pickle-flavored seeds. There really is a lot of creativity to be found in making roasted pumpkin seeds. You really don’t even neces sarily have to follow a set recipe. Throw your

favorite spices together with some seeds, bake ‘em and you’re all set.

Caramel apples

Caramel apples are quite the fall staple. The best part is you really don’t have to make anything, you just have to melt the caramel. This recipe claimed as “easy” should set you on the right track. After you dunk the apples in caramel, that’s where the fun begins. You can then dip your apple in a plethora of dif ferent toppings to spice them up. The recipe suggests toppings like crushed Oreos, choc olate chips, sprinkles, flakey sea salt, coco nut and so much more. Get creative!

Happy baking!

BY TREVOR BRIGHTON

the weekender

‘Rocky Horror’ seduces Stuart’s Opera House WHAT’S GOING ON?

Return of Athens Halloween Block Party, paddleboard with witches

KATIE MILLARD CULTURE EDITOR

For Athens students and locals who lined up past Chipotle last weekend and were denied from The Union, fear not: The Time Warp returns this weekend.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, performers will take the stage at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square in Nelson ville, for a performance of “The Rocky Horror Show – LIVE!,” the musical theater inspira tion for the cult classic film.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” follows the goody-two-shoes engaged couple, Brad and Janet, as their car breaks down outside a spooky mansion. This twist of fate leads them to the lab of the eccentric Dr. FrankN-Furter, meeting a quirky, sexual band of characters in an outlandish plot full of sex, singing and acceptance.

“I think Rocky is a lot about body positivi ty and just being as weird and funky and sexy as you can be and I think that’s great,” said Alexandro Ramirez-Nagy, a freshman study ing journalism and a “phantom” in the pro duction, or a member of the chorus.

The performance is a partnership be tween Stuart’s Opera House and Ohio Valley Summer Theater, or OVST. Stuart’s Opera House reached out to the company with the idea, and both sides were equally enthusias tic about undertaking the show, finally pos sible as COVID-19 precautions adjust.

“We have a very diverse cast,” RamirezNagy said. “We have students, we have pro fessionals. It’s a really well-rounded cast.”

Kit Parsons, the executive director of OVST and a curriculum specialist for Ohio University, is playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter. For Parsons, who has now performed in around 25 musicals, this will be a revival of his gate way role to musical theater.

“I had done lots of plays and things like that and sketch comedy shows and stuff, but I’d never done a musical,” Parsons said. “I just loved the movie so I auditioned for the mu sical and got it somehow, probably just by sheer luck because I had never done a musi cal before. And it was my favorite. It was my favorite thing I’d ever done.”

Parsons met his wife, Alexis Parsons,

through the show, and for 11 years, they have worked alongside each other. In their first show, Alexis played Janet and she is directing the “Rocky Horror” performance this week end. Parsons was cast as Frank-N-Furter by third parties and said he was glad to know he earned the role aside from his personal connections, making the performance all the more special.

This weekend, Janet will be played by Samantha Pelham, who works as a media relations specialist for OU. When she’s not donning fishnets, Pelham also serves as the board president for OVST. For Pelham, the sexual freedom of the character has boosted her confidence.

“I’m built like a woman: I have muscle, I have fat in some places and I, at first, was a little nervous to be on stage in front of hun dreds of people being a woman,” Pelham said. “God bless Susan Sarandon, she looks phenomenal still to this day – I am not that thin and so I’m like, ‘gosh, is it gonna be okay being up there and dancing and having just my bra and slip on and some you know, fat rolls hanging out?’ And truthfully, it has nev er even crossed my mind once I get up on stage.”

CAROLINE KAMMERER FOR THE POST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

Fall Color and Tree I.D. Hike at Burr Oak The Radcliffe Sales Team of e-Merge Real Estate is hosting an Athens Community Trunk or Treat. All are welcome to attend, and vehicles can be registered at athenstrunkortreat@ gmail.com. Set up begins at 4:30 p.m and the trunk or treat will occur from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Market on State, 1002 E. State St.

Attendance: Free

Morgan’s Message match is at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The Ohio Volleyball team is playing Western Michigan and rais ing awareness for the importance of mental health. Morgan’s Message works to eliminate the stigma that surrounds mental health for student-athletes. Fans at the game will re ceive green glow sticks and mini volleyballs.

Attendance: Free for Ohio University stu dents, general admission $5

Attendance: Free

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

The Athens Halloween Block Party is fi nally back after a two-year hiatus. The par ty goes from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the adult party beginning at 6 p.m. There will be a va riety of family activities such as face painting, trick-or-treating, and live music. There will also be musical performances from artists such as B-Funk, Dysfunktional Family Band, ATLNTS + Cloudboi and a Brick City Record showcase that consists of four acts.

Attendance: Free

The Chosen Pathways Spiritual Empori um will be hosting the Trip the Light Fan tastic for Samhain. There will be vendors, readers and kids’ crafts from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

After 6 p.m., there will be a potluck and scary stories from paranormal investigator Gina Kruzel. This will all be followed by a costume contest/parade, games, an ancestor ritual and music from a DJ. Guests are encour aged to bring food to share and memories of passed loved ones for an altar.

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The sixth annual Athens Area Women’s+ Summit will be held at Stuart’s Opera House from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal of the summit is to empower and inspire local women. The summit provides opportunities to network, to attend speaker sessions, professional headshots, mammogram screenings and a keynote address by Ohio’s Poet Laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour.

Attendance: Tickets required

New Leaf Marketplace will be having its grand opening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at New Leaf Market Place, 31 Public Square in Nel sonville. New Leaf Justice Enterprises is the justice enterprise division of the Survivor Ad vocacy Outreach program and works to pre vent sexual violence and substance misuse in Southeast Ohio. They provide economic support and other supportive services to those who have been impacted by trauma and substance misuse.

Attendance: $5 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., for eve ning activities it is $20 for adults, $10 for kids aged 12-17, free for kids 11 and under

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