November 3, 2021

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Three Democratic incumbents win Athens City Council At-Large Seats PG 5 Levy supporting senior citizen facilities passes PG 10 Independent candidates continue to influence elections from the outside PG 15

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Election Day is pivotal in the Postie experience

ABBY MILLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

There are some things that just always go hand in hand. For journalists, Election Day is synonymous with pizza and the thrill of working on hard deadlines every year.

Election Day has always been one of my favorite nights to be a Postie. As both a journalism and political science student, Election Day lets me combine my passions for politics and journalism. I love discussing my election predictions with news reporters and contributing to our live blog with real-time election updates for the second year in a row. Everything taking place on Election Day culminates into our annual Election Edition, and it’s a highly collaborative project that wouldn’t be possible without a large team of reporters, columnists, photographers, videographers, coders, designers and more.

In the weeks leading up to Election Day, our news, projects and opinion staffs began to brainstorm ideas for election features and columns. News reporters interview candidates, write features and

prepare stories on local races that they complete once results come in. Columnists research elections and candidate platforms while crafting their own political arguments. Our projects team produces quality long-form writing, this year featuring Athens’ favorite orange cat.

But the best part is the energy our newsroom holds every Election Night.

The Post has its yearly Election Night pizza before scattering across our newsroom and Athens to call up winning candidates for comments, photograph the reactions of Athens residents and blog analyses of the results in real time. The atmosphere of the newsroom becomes electric, buzzing as we all divide and conquer to produce quality reporting on the election results. We hop from room to room to answer questions, work with each other on projects involving multiple staffs and, as a whole, put together the product online and in print this week.

Election Night isn’t just great from an experiential learning standpoint. It also

brings us all closer together as a newsroom. While sitting and waiting for election results to come in, we all detail our election predictions, reflect on the day so far and have time to chat outside of the realm of journalism. It’s inadvertently some of the best bonding we do as a staff, and it’s one of the few times we have so many people in the newsroom at the same time working on one goal.

I love to see new members of The Post interact with each other and veteran reporters during this night. Amid a night of chaos, we all come out closer and, with hands-on experience, build a product bigger than any one staff at The Post. I’ll never forget the nights spent in Baker 325 until 3 a.m. watching the TV as results pour in, and I’ll always be grateful for all that election days have taught me.

Abby Miller is a senior studying journalism and political science at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post.

Have questions? Email Abby at am166317@ ohio.edu or tweet her @abblawrence.

COVER PHOTO BY TANNER PEARSON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Abby Miller MANAGING EDITOR Bre Offenberger DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Geiger EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Emma Skidmore, Ryan Maxin ASST. NEWS EDITOR Molly Wilson PROJECTS EDITOR Taylor Burnette SPORTS EDITOR Jack Gleckler ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Eli Feazell CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Kayla Bennett OPINION EDITOR Mikayla Rochelle ASST. OPINION EDITOR Hannah Campbell THE BEAT EDITOR Madyson Lewellyn ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer COPY CHIEF Anna Garnai SLOT EDITORS Anastasia Carter, Ashley Beach, Bekah Bostick, Isabel Nissley ART ART DIRECTOR Mary Berger ASST. ART DIRECTOR Olivia Juenger DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nate Swanson PHOTO EDITOR Jesse Jarrold-Grapes DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Brianna Lender AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jack Hiltner ASST. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Claire Schiopota DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Noah DeSantis BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan 2 / NOV. 3, 2021

THE

POST

ISSUE 11, VOLUME 112

ONLINE thepostathens.com FACEBOOK thepostathens TWITTER @ThePost INSTAGRAM @thepostathens

Send us your letters Do you ever find something in The Post thoughtprovoking, questionable or even infuriating? Let us know!

We are always interested in hearing about the way our readers respond to our content every day.

Your opinion is welcome. Letters should be fewer than 500 words. Longer submissions will be considered as guest commentaries, but space is limited. All letters must be signed by at least one individual; anonymous letters will not be accepted. The Post does not accept letters soliciting donations or news releases. Please include your year and major if you are a student. Letters can be submitted online at www.thepostathens. com, by email at editor@thepostathens.com or at The Post’s front desk in the media wing on the third floor of Baker University Center.

We reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, vulgarity and Associated Press Style.

IN PERSON Baker Center, Room 325 ONLINE thepostathens.com/letters

BY EMAIL letters@thepostathens.com

The Post is an 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.

FRONT DESK HOURS 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Closed Saturday and Sunday.

1 Park Place Baker University Center, Room 325 Athens, OH 45701 (740) 593-4010

Advertisement Policies The Post will not print advertising that violates local, state or federal laws. The Post will not run advertisements that violate the Fair Housing Act, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policies. The Post reserves the right to reject advertising deemed to adversely affect the integrity and credibility of the publication or be in conflict with the educational mission of the university or community it serves. The Post retains the right, at its discretion, to approve or reject an advertisement that negatively affects the relationship with our readers or that promotes content, services, or activities

that violate our advertising policy.

If an error occurs, and an advertisement is published not as ordered, please notify The Post by the end of the business day following publication, a corrected advertisement will run without charge in the next print edition.

Cancellation requests for advertising must be received and acknowledged by staff no later than 2:00 pm on Wednesday for the Thursday print edition. Refunds will not be given for ads that have been printed. These advertising policy rules can be changed at any time without prior notification.

Russo wins Athens County, loses district to Carey ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST Republican Mike Carey won the special election for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District seat Tuesday with 58.42% of the vote as of 11:11 p.m on Tuesday.

Carey has 92,795 votes as of 11:11 p.m. while his Democratic opponent Allison Russo has 66,030 votes. 97.54% of precincts were reporting as of 11:11 p.m. In Athens County, however, Russo led with 62.83% of the vote, whereas Carey had 37.17%. Historically, Athens County, especially the city of Athens, votes Democratically.

The seat was vacated by Republican Steve Stivers on May 16, following his decade-long stint in the position. The elected representative serves to communicate interests of the 15th District, which includes most of Athens County to Madison and Clinton counties, in Congress.

“I think her showing is very strong considering the Republican nature of the district,” John Haseley, chairman of the Athens County Democratic Party, said. “I feel that’s reflective of the strong race that she’s run and the fact that she’s a really strong candidate.”

Pete Couladis said he was surprised

Former President Donald Trump also publicly congratulated Carey on the win.

“I am very proud to have endorsed him early and strongly. He will be a great congressman!” Trump said in a statement.

Russo thanked supporters and staff for her campaign as well as congratulated Carey on his win. In a press release, Russo said she knew winning would be difficult, as Republicans won the seat in 2020 by 27%.

Russo said her fight is just beginning, and she believes the 15th District deserves more congressional leaders who will fight for workers rights, affordable health care and a right to vote.

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Republican Congressional Candidate Mike Carey (R-OH) speaks at Shade Community Center in Athens County to local supporters and Athens community leaders on Thursday night, Sept. 30, 2021. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

at the size of the margin by which Carey won but is pleased with the win. He believes Carey will be questioning many of the Biden administration’s policies, which

he deems unnecessary.

Mike Pence, among other national Republican leaders, tweeted messages of congratulations to Carey on his win.

DAD’S WEEKEND

Tasting F Tour WITH LEAD DISTILLER & CIDER MAKER

scanZTickets The West End family of spirits are available for purchase at

THE DISTILLERY RETAIL SHOP 237 W. State Street open Tuesday - Saturday

ATHENSWESTEND.COM THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

NEWS BRIEFS

COVID-19 costs university $45 million in lost revenue; OU introduces new virtual reality major SOPHIA YOUNG STAFF WRITER COVID-19 causes $45 million in lost revenue for university

Ohio University lost about $45 million in revenue between fiscal years 2020 and 2022 due to the purchase of personal protection equipment, COVID-19 testing, procedures and contact tracing.

While the university was forecast to lose $84 million, the financial impact was offset by nearly $80 million in COVID-19 grants provided by the state and federal government.

A significant contributor to the lost revenue was the university’s reimbursement for housing, Culinary Services and tuition fees given to students who were not on campus due to the pandemic.

In addition, when students returned to campus, the university had to spend a significant amount on PPE and COVID-19 procedures, including cleaning, signage and protective barriers to keep students and staff safe.

The OU Board of Trustees reported at its October meeting the university expected to decrease its COVID-19 spending by $3 million, which is left over from a federal grant. However, the $3 million may not be repurposed for other university ex-

penses, only future coronavirus-related expenditures.

John Day, interim budget director, said due to rising vaccination rates among students and staff, it is likely that needed COVID-19 spending will continue to decline. However, he acknowledged the uncertainty around how winter may impact cases.

Virtual reality major to begin fall 2022

Virtual reality and game development, or VRGD, will be offered as a major for OU students in the fall of 2022. The major was approved last spring and has been almost six years in the making.

Currently, students in the information and telecommunications systems, or ITS, major can pursue a virtual reality and game development track. However, there is no independent major.

The new degree will be offered through the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies in Schoonover Center.

Classes and curriculum was designed by professors Eric Williams and John Bowditch and professor in the School and director of undergraduate studies Charles Linscott. All three team members will teach degree courses next fall.

The curriculum went through university and state accreditation requirements and will include an emphasis on augmented reality and introductory classes focusing on digital design for immersive media.

The new degree was inspired, in part, by award recognition for the university’s virtual reality track in ITS. An Immersive Media Initiative grant helped jumpstart interest by providing funding for projects.

County reports five new COVID-19 deaths

The COVID-19 death toll in Athens County reached 88 after the Athens City-County Health Department reported five new deaths Friday.

Athens remains in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s red level, indicating a very high level of exposure and spread.

Six more active cases were reported, with the total amounting to 283. Last week, the department reported 342 cases.

Of all Athens residents, 48.56% have started the vaccination process, and 45.65% are fully vaccinated.

@SOPHIELISEY SY951319@OHIO.EDU

POLICE BLOTTER

Vehicle shot with paintball gun; vehicle stripped with owner nowhere to be found TAYLOR BURNETTE PROJECTS EDITOR

parently left the scene.

Further investigation is pending.

Keep an eye out

There’s a spot on your truck

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a caller’s neighbor was videotaping them when they arrived at their house.

Because the same neighbor was recently charged with assaulting the person making the report, the dispatcher encouraged them to get in touch with the Athens County Prosecutor’s office to try and get a protection order to get the neighbor-turned-videographer to stay away from them.

That wasn’t very cool

A man in Coolville called the sheriff’s office to report his vehicle had been stripped, but when a deputy responded to the scene, he was unable to find the caller. The caller had ap-

STARTING AT per person/month

$

Oh, deer!

The sheriff’s office responded to a complaint about trespassing where the suspect was said to have shot the caller’s vehicle with a paintball gun. After shooting it, the suspect left the scene.

Deputies patroled the area but were unable to locate the suspect.

To vandal or not to vandal?

Deputies were dispatched to the old school in Chauncey in response to a call about vandalism and found three minors.

The three were asked to leave the property. However, no evidence of vandalism was found.

450

PRIME LOCATION

2 UNITS AVAILABLE $

The sheriff’s office received reports of multiple hunters trespassing on a property in Coolville, and it called in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources because the report was a hunting issue.

The Department of Natural resources responded to the scene, but no further action was needed.

Which way?

A report came in about a concern that the caller’s neighbors may be shooting in an unsafe direction. Deputies talked to the neighbors and made sure they had a safe area to shoot in.

@TAYLORBURNETTE_ TB040917@OHIO.EDU

TOP OF MILL ST. 2022-2023

150

SIGNING

BONUS CALL TO SCHEDULE A VIEWING TODAY! 4 / NOV. 3, 2021

OUrentals.com

740.594.9098

4 BEDROOM & 7 BEDROOM unit available

Off Street Parking, steps away from uptown,

HUGE740.594.9098 YARD & PORCH

Ben Ziff, Micah McCarey, Sarah Grace retain Athens City Council At-Large seats SOPHIA YOUNG STAFF WRITER The Athens City Council At-Large seats went to incumbents Ben Ziff, Micah McCarey and Sarah Grace, who defeated Independent candidates Iris Virjee and Damon Krane.

Incumbent Councilwoman Sarah Grace will be serving her third term on Council after being reelected with 26.54% of the vote. Grace has spent much of her time since her election to Council in 2017 emphasizing environmental sustainability, city safety and fiscal responsibility, according to a previous Post report.

Prior to her election to Council, Grace unsuccessfully ran for Ohio’s 94th House district, losing by 16% to Jay Edwards (R). Afterward, Grace returned to Ohio University to get a master’s degree in public health in an effort to continue to serve her community.

Grace expressed her thanks to voters for their continued support this election cycle.

“I am honored to serve on Council and look forward to working with my fellow Council members,” Grace said in a message. “Thanks also goes to my family and all of the volunteers this election cycle. I couldn’t do this without them.”

Current At-Large Councilman Ben Ziff also retained his seat this year, winning 26.14% of the vote. Ziff joined Council after former Councilman Peter Kotses resigned.

Some of the goals Ziff outlined when he announced his candidacy was to listen to constituents and not go into the election with a set agenda. However, he also believes that as a customer service

employee, renter and a candidate in his early 30s, he can continue to bring a fresh perspective to Council.

Ziff congratulated his fellow incumbents on their reelection and expressed his g ratitude to the people of Athens.

“This election cycle has been incredibly stressful, and I am very excited to be able to focus solely on doing my best for the people of Athens,” Ziff said in a message.

Athens City Council At-Large incumbent Micah McCarey also retained his recently obtained seat this election with 26.6% of the vote. McCarey was appointed earlier this year after former member Beth Clodfelter resigned from her At-Large seat.

McCarey graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a master’s degree in human development and has served as interim director of OU’s LGBT Center since 2019. While on Council, McCarey has advocated for issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity.

He is Council’s only current openly gay and Black council member and is also one of the younger members of Council. To Krane, McCarey and Ziff represent an expansion of diversity in age, sexual orientation, race and living situation that the body historically lacks.

The Post was unable to reach McCarey for comment before publication.

Independent candidates Virjee and Krane lost the race by a wide margin with 11.22% and 9.5% of the vote, respectively. Both candidates ran on a progressive platform, emphasizing issues of tenant rights, racial equity and

affordable housing. Both Virjee and Krane heavily emphasized the importance of student voices in local politics during their campaigns.

Despite the political loss, Krane remains optimistic that his campaign had some success in bringing certain progressive issues into the public eye and plans to continue lobbying for change within the Athens community.

“I can be an ally who helps officeholders advance truly progressive legislation, or I can be one of the people lighting a fire under them to get them

to act,” Krane said. “But either way, people like me aren’t going away. We’re here to stay, and we’re going to keep winning change, whoever holds office.”

Virjee as unable to be reached for comment before publication.

@SOPHIELISEY SY951319@OHIO.EDU

The City Building spans the Athens horizon toward the end of Election Day. (ASHLYNN MCKEE | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

Nelsonville elects 6 At-Large City Council members DONOVAN HUNT FOR THE POST Justin Booth, Gregory Clement, Elizabeth Pidcock Jones and Cory Taylor were elected as full-term Nelsonville City Council members At-Large, beating Opha Lawson, who received 13.87% of votes.

The results of the election were 23.19% for Taylor, 22.3% for Jones, 18.34% for Clement and 22.3% for Booth.

Daniel Sherman and Gregory Smith were elected to unexpired term positions on Council. Sherman received 52.74% of the vote while Smith received 47.26%.

Smith, a former police officer who has spent 23 years on Council, was previously removed by Council in a special meeting held on Sept. 8 for violating city residence requirements.

Jones, assistant dean of graduate student success at Ohio University, focused her campaign on improving infrastructure and economic growth. Jones is especially worried about recent breaks in Nelsonville waterlines.

Jones was appointed as a member of Nelsonville Council for the first time in 2020. She received a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and MBA from OU. Clement, a self-employed man, wants to push for more community involvement by allowing virtual access and promoting citizen attendance at meetings.

Clement previously served on Council from 2004 to 2005.

Booth, an automotive service director, was appointed at the same time as Jones. He plans to expand law enforcement and jail capacity to combat the increased crime rates that Booth believes are caused by prisoners released from Southeast Ohio Regional Jail, which is located in Nelsonville.

“I’m excited to continue serving the city of Nelsonville,” Booth said. “The work this team is doing is nothing less than transformative for the city.”

@DONOVANHUNT9 DH322621@OHIO.EDU

6 / NOV. 3, 2021

Nelsonville City Council At-Large seats were up for grabs for candidates on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.

(TANNER PEARSON | FOR THE POST)

GAMES

NOW LEASING

1to 6 BEDROOM UNITS

PRIME CAMPUS LOCATIONS Palmer • Hocking • Stewart Milliron • Coss E. Union • W. Washington W. State • Franklin

BobcatRentals.net

740-594-4441

info@BobcatRentals.net | 86 N Court Street THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

Pumpkin and the Polls TAYLOR BURNETTE PROJECTS EDITOR Naturally, many Ohio University students become concerned when they don’t see Athens’ favorite chubby orange icon in the window of the County Board of Elections office, but there is no need to worry.

Pumpkin is at “kitty camp” this time of year.

Every year during the election, Pumpkin heads off to kitty camp at Kroner Animal Care, Debbie Quivey, director of the Athens County Board of Elections, said. Elections make him nervous, Quivey said, with all of the people and equipment streaming in and out of the office around Election Day. Because of Pumpkin, many students make their way past the Board of Elections to catch a glimpse of him basking in the sunlight on his bed near the window.

How many students make it to the polls because of Pumpkin is a mystery, but he is only one factor of many that affect students registering to vote in Athens as well as those getting in their vote in their hometown.

Students are the only group that has the right to choose between two places, Quivey said.

Sarah Poggione, a professor of political science and an associate dean at Ohio University, said this can affect where students decide to vote.

“There are some options that folks can think about in terms of their residency, and that disproportionately affects young people here in Athens,” Poggione said. “They really may be more connected to the local politics in their home community in some ways ... They might really consider Athens their home community. They could potentially have a big impact on outcomes.”

Although the Board of Elections doesn’t keep specific records on how many students vote each year, Quivey said she has noticed trends over the years of working in the office.

“Students always come out and vote heavy during a presidential (election),” Quivey said. “Now, that didn’t happen here last year because of the pandemic because the students were not here.”

According to a previous Post report, overall voter registration in Athens County this year only slightly declined from the 2020 election, with 38,960 voters registered this year and 39,342 registered in 2020. However, around 2,000 more voters were registered in 2019: 40,919, according to the Ohio Board of Elections website, before the COVID-19 pandemic sent OU students home and added a complex layer to elec-

STARTING AT per person/month

$

Pumpkin’s popularity has added to his celebrity namesake in Athens, Ohio. (ZOE CRANFILL / FOR THE POST)

tions in 2020.

Poggione believes more students who may have voted in Athens during a typical school year were more likely to vote in their hometowns because of the pandemic.

“They might have had a different relationship to Athens, and that’s going to mean that registration will need to change if they’re planning on voting and considering voting here in Athens this time around,” Poggione said.

In off years in which there is not an election for president or governor, Quivey said she sees fewer students voting, though some do get in on select local elections.

500

UPTOWN

AVAILABLE

“Here in the city of Athens, they do vote for City Council and At-Large and, sometimes, the students will get involved, but I don’t see a big turnout with them in an election like this,” Quivey said.

However, where Quivey does see a large turnout of students is those looking for Pumpkin at the front window at the Board of Elections. Students stop by frequently for pictures of him, she said, and many will stop in and pet him — only if he allows, though, Quivey said.

“He’s very temperamental,” Quivey said with a laugh. “We are at his beck and call. He has an attitude. When he wants to

95 WEST STATE 2022-2023 $

150

SIGNING

BONUS CALL TO SCHEDULE A VIEWING TODAY! 8 / NOV. 3, 2021

OUrentals.com

740.594.9098

5 BEDROOM & 2 BATH HOUSE

Off Street Parking, steps away from uptown, hosting friends?

2 BRAND740.594.9098 NEW PORCHES

interact with you, he will.”

Quivey said she has no way of knowing how many people come out and vote because of Pumpkin, but she does think he might affect the medium they choose to vote through.

“I think a lot of students will come in and early vote so they get to see him rather than to go to the polls,” Quivey said.

Pumpkin does serve as a very visible reminder to vote, beckoning students on Court Street with his big golden eyes, ginger fur and uniquely inquisitive expression.

“I think that seeing him in the (Board of Elections) window can remind people to either register to vote, early vote, or make a plan for voting on Election Day,” Grant Perry, the president of the Ohio University College Democrats, or OUCD, and a senior studying political science and geography, said in an email. “A few weeks ago I was walking down Court on my way to campus and saw him sitting in the window and it reminded me to stop in and early vote.”

Campus political organizations also have an effect on voter registration to some extent, whether they encourage their members to register to vote or hold general drives to get people registered. Organizations like the OUCD and Ohio University College Republicans, or OUCR, encourage their members to vote in Athens to support local candidates.

OU College Democrats hosted a campus-wide voter registration day with other organizations in September, Perry said. Also, some members of the organization worked with Allison Russo’s campaign for the 15th District in this year’s special election to help register voters as well.

“We have had more students register to vote this year than in the past through our events,” Perry said in an email.

“Our organization, in partnership with the Allison Russo campaign, (has) registered more voters than usual.”

OUCR encourages students to vote at its meetings, Ciera Kent, a sophomore studying nursing and the communications director for OUCR, said.

“We always have registration stuff on the tables when people come in,” Kent said, “Especially for people that are out of state and, in state, we can always change that address and everything for them.”

Both groups encourage their members to vote in Athens because of the effect those votes can have both locally and state-wide.

“The decisions made at the municipal level here in Athens, the state level, and the federal level by our Congressional 15th representative play a major role in our lives during our time in Athens,” Perry said in an email.

The size of the area doesn’t mean elections here don’t have a big impact, Kent said.

“It’s really important to get our voice out there, especially because we have such influential people here,” Kent said.

Ohio University Moderates, or OUM, also encourages its members and others to vote, Ryan Gwin, the president of the group and a junior studying elementary education, said. The organization has had social media campaigns encouraging students to vote as well as highlighted local upcoming elections.

Unlike the party-specific political groups, OUM doesn’t endorse any specific candidates. It doesn’t necessarily encourage students to vote in Athens but, rather, wherever they feel most comfortable placing their vote, Gwin said.

“We understand that students may have a big election in their hometown as well,” Gwin said.

Gwin personally votes in his home district in Northeast Ohio, he said, but if there was an impactful enough race, he would switch his registration to Athens, which has yet to happen.

For many students in Athens, the location of voting can simply come down to convenience.

“Last year was the first time I voted, and I voted here just

Emily Sudnick greets Pumpkin, Court Street’s resident cat who lounges inside the Athens County Board of Elections. (ZOE CRANFILL / FOR THE POST)

because I was in town,” Holly Pearson, a senior studying management, said. “If I was at home, I’d vote at home. So, it’s really just wherever I am at the time.”

The same stands for Taylor Deleruyelle, a junior studying biology. Although it mostly comes down to the convenience, she said, she also feels like her familiarity with her hometown plays a factor.

“I know what’s going on there,” she said.

The older a person is, the more likely it is they will have voted in an election, Poggione said. Nationwide in the 2020 presidential election, Poggione said, more people in the college student age bracket voted than in the 2016 presidential election. Student-aged individuals also participate in a growing amount of activism.

This probably isn’t because of support for a particular political candidate, Poggione said.

“I think there might be a little bit more evidence that it’s really these younger voters were mobilized by sets of issues that they are concerned about: racial justice, environmental issues, voting equality, a number of different things,” Poggione said. “If it’s really those issues that are driving them, those issues are still really relevant right now. So, that could really argue that we might see a real change, that this is not just a temporary blip associated with one candidate or one particular campaign but perhaps a much stronger, more permanent change.”

One of the biggest indicators of whether a person votes or not is if they have voted before, Poggione said, and with more young people registering and voting in 2020, this trend could continue into future elections.

Also what is likely to continue is the growing impact of the younger generations’ activism affecting the political sphere, Poggione said, especially when candidates are encouraged to address certain issues.

“We could see different kinds of candidates that are really

addressing issues that those voters care about — more likely to run both for primary campaigns but also then succeed and do better in general elections,” Poggione said. “We could see the parties and all candidates be more likely to address some of those key issues.”

The lasting impact of college-aged individuals’ activism could affect candidate agendas, Poggione said, and have a lasting impact beyond election season as well.

Poggione also believes Pumpkin could have an impact on helping students become more familiar with the Board of Elections, serving as a reminder for them to get out and cast their ballot, however they choose to do so.

After election season, Pumpkin will once again return to his perch in the Board of Elections window to be adored by his loving fans throughout Athens and beyond.

Quivey said he was dubbed a “Democat” because of his love for Penny Brooks, a Democrat and the former deputy director of the Board of Elections who died in 2020. She took Pumpkin back to the Board of Elections with Quivey after a student, who was in an argument with her boyfriend who threatened to kick the cat out on the street, asked the two women to take him.

“He absolutely adored Penny,” Quivey said. “We could tell that he mourned her and looked for her and, since she’s been gone, he has made up with me a lot more.”

Going into the election season, Quivey hopes to see a higher voter turnout and said that each year, the Board of Elections gets a much larger number of people registered than who make it out to vote.

“It’s a privilege, and it’s our right to vote,” Quivey said. “I wish more students would vote in off years.”

@TAYLORBURNETTE_ TB04097@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Issue 2 passes, senior citizen facilities maintain funding ALYSSA CRUZ FOR THE POST Issue 2, a ballot measure that renews a tax benefiting senior citizens by providing services for those in need, passed with 76.95% of votes in favor in Athens County.

23.05% of Athens citizens voted against it.

The amendment of Issue 2 means services and facilities will continue to receive funding to help aid the geriatric community of Athens.

Athens is home to a number of organizations that offer critical services to senior citizens.

Some of those services include transportation to and from medical appointments, insurance enrollment help, health education and exercise assistance.

Each township in Athens has groups and organizations that are funded by this levy.

A handful of the organizations are for social reasons, such as helping seniors to fi nd volunteer work or hosting group meals to increase fellowship. Others organize small group meetings and help with vaccine

scheduling.

The United Seniors of Athens County is a multi-purpose service provider in Athens that is fi nancially supported by the Senior Services Levy. The center is a not-for-profit organization and is open to all Athens residents 60 years of age and older. Seniors are able to take advantage of its services free of charge, but the organization does accept donations.

A majority affi rmative vote was necessary for the passage of the levy. As it is a renewal, Athens County citizens will not be subjected to a tax increase.

The support provided by the county will not exceed 0.75 mill of valuation. This amounts to $0.075 for each $100 of valuation for five years, commencing in 2022, fi rst due in the calendar year 2023.

@ALYSSA_DANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER

Athens County EMS tax levy renewal passes with 75.56% of votes ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST A renewal of a tax levy to partially fund Athens County’s emergency medical services passed with 7,744 votes, or 75.56% of ballots cast, during Tuesday’s election.

The levy is brought forward for voting every five years in order to give voters a chance to continually improve its use, Rick Callebs, Athens County EMS chief, said. The particular levy is one of three used to fund EMS services.

The funds from it are used to pay for the operating costs of ambulances, EMS buildings and staff salaries.

“The EMS system in Athens County is funded — about 50% of it, maybe a little bit more; 50 to 55%, let’s say — by what we get off of those three property tax levies,” Callebs said. “The other half of what we get, as far as revenue, comes from patient billing.

And that’s about 45 to maybe 50% of our to-

tal operating budget every year. Dividing it up and having about half of it paid for with property taxes and the other half paid for with EMS billing, the property owners are not on the hook for 100% of the bill.”

Callebs emphasized not all EMS calls are billable, however, which increases the importance of tax-based revenue. Calls to which EMS responds but no service is needed or calls involving EMS standing by during police operations are unbillable.

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER 10 / NOV. 3, 2021

Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services District levy passes LYDIA COLVIN FOR THE POST Issue 20, a renewal of a tax benefiting the Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services District, or the 317 Board, passed with 69.63% of votes in favor of the levy in Athens County, 55.80% in Hocking County and 54.01% from Vinton County.

In order to pass, the overall vote of all three counties had to be in favor of it.

Approximately 30% of votes were cast in opposition in Athens County, in addition to 44.2% being cast in opposition in Hocking County and 45.99% in Vinton County.

The passing of this levy is important to the organization because it supplies more than 20% of its operational funding, and it supports more than 50 community nonprofits and programs throughout the Tri-County area.

Revenue from the levy will go to support local mental health and substance use disorder service providers, including My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence shelter, Hopewell Health Centers, Athens, Hocking and Vinton Counties Opiate Task Force and Athens and Hocking County Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Because it was a renewal, the levy will not raise the amount of money that people pay in taxes, even with in-

flation.

The levy allows for the 317 Board to tax at a rate that doesn’t exceed one mill for each $1 of valuation, amounting to $0.10 per $100 of valuation. The tax will last 10 years, commencing in 2022 and first due in the 2023 calendar year.

Marissa McDaid, communication and community engagement specialist for the 317 Board, was hopeful before the election that people would see the need for the levy.

The 317 Board has funded local mental health and substance use disorder service providers for more than 50 years, and the passage of this levy will help it continue.

McDaid said all of their levies have passed in previous years.

“We talk to people every single day who talk about how our services are needed and how we need more mental health care in the region,” McDaid said. “You hope that people remember that on Election Day.” McDaid said the 317 Board has two 10-year levies that are staggered by years, with the last levies put on the ballot in 2011 and 2017. She said the next time a levy from the 317 Board will be on the ballot is in 2027.

A sign sits outside the Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board building in Athens, Ohio, sits in support of the levy for mental health and addiction services on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.

(CARRIE LEGG | FOR THE POST)

@COLVIN_LYDIA LC844519@OHIO.EDU

AVAILABLE 2022-2023 Close to Campus & Uptown

3

Bedroom HOUSES

14 SMITH STREET

45 N LANCASTER STREET

99

199

$

$

450

$

38 MOUND STREET

Security Deposit

Security Deposit

per person /month

OUrentals.com

740.594.9098 AVAILABLE NOW for 2021 - 2022

35 MOUND STREET

73 FRANKLIN STREET THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

Joe Marks gets his ballot from Mary Lewis at Shade Community Center in Shade, Ohio, on Nov. 2nd, 2021. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI / FOR THE POST)

A Glimpse at Election Day

WELCOME OU DADS N Eclectic Wine Selection N Ohio Craft Beer on Draft N Signature Mocktails & Cocktails N Lunch Menu & Evening Gourmet Appe-

located at 14 Station Street 12 / NOV. 3, 2021

Monday- Thursday 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm F Sunday Brunch 10- 3pm

$10.00

off your check

Limit ONE per person must present coupon IN-HOUSE only For upcoming valid through Events & Friday night 12/31/21

Specials visit our page

@AthensUncorked

From left to right City Council At-Large candidate Damon Krane, right, reacts to preliminary election results at the Smiling Skull Saloon in Athens, Ohio, on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (CARRIE LEGG / FOR THE POST) Poll workers sit inside waiting for people as they trickle in to vote at Alexander High School in Athens, Ohio, on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (TANNER PEARSON / FOR THE POST) Debbie Quivey, the director of Athens Country Board of Elections, poses for a portrait on Nov. 2, 2021. Quivey has been working for the Board of Elections for 30 years. “I wear red, white and blue up until election day.”

(TANNER PEARSON / FOR THE POST) Election Day takes place in Athens, Ohio, on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.

Dona Marks puts her ballot in the casting Machine at the Shade Community Center polling location in Shade, Ohio, on Nov. 2nd, 2021. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI / FOR THE POST)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

A Race to Represent Chairmen of Athens County Republicans, Democrats discuss candidates of 15th Congressional District race ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST Following nearly a decade with a Republican incumbent as the U.S. representative of Ohio’s 15th Congressional district, Allison Russo and Mike Carey went head to head Tuesday to fill the seat.

Steve Stivers, who served in the position from 2011 to 2021, stepped down May 16 to become the CEO of Ohio’s Chamber of Commerce. In the previous Congressional election, he won the race by 63.6% of the vote, with his opponent, Joel Newby, only receiving 36.4%, according to a previous Post report.

Athens County voted to elect Newby with more than 57% of the vote. However, the rest of the district voted overwhelmingly to elect Stivers, according to a previous Post report.

On Sept. 26, Russo (D) made a day trip to the city to help make students aware of her campaign focuses. On College Green, she spoke with students about her goals to increase the rights of working families and focus on addressing climate change.

She also emphasized the importance of college-aged voters being involved in the voting process and being aware of the special election.

Russo was not alone in visiting part of her constituency, as Carey (R) spoke at a dinner hosted by the Athens County Republican Party on Sept. 30. His speech was focused on revamping the coal industry and preventing President Joe Biden from using public funds to implement programs he considers to be counterproductive.

Additionally, Carey told The Post he hopes to help college-aged voters return to a more traditional university experience.

The 15th District spans from Athens County to Madison County and parts of Franklin County, and the winner of the race will serve to represent the interests of citizens in those areas in Congress.

14 / NOV. 3, 2021

Pete Couladis, chairman of the Athens County Republican Party, said he believes voters should focus on the big picture of the race rather than the local effects.

On a national scale, keeping the seat Republican and potentially gaining a few more as well could help to slow down Biden’s agenda, Couladis said.

“Some of the things (the White House is) trying to push, some of the spending plans and other things, they are going to bankrupt our country,” Couladis said.

However, a local perspective was emphasized by John Haseley, chairman of the Athens County Democratic Party, who believes it is important to have someone in Congress representing Athens County, as it faces multiple unique challenges.

“Because of where we’re located in the state, in a more remote region, we face more significant economic chal-

lenges, and a prime example of that is the lack of broadband,” Haseley said. “We’re being left behind because we don’t have the broadband infrastructure to allow us to compete in that economy.”

The Republican Party has pledged its support to Carey for the race and, in June, former President Donald Trump expressed his support for him. In a press release, Trump said Carey has his “Complete and Total Endorsement.” “(Stivers) was basically a conservative member of Congress, and he did a good job,” Couladis said. “He kept in touch with constituents in his district. It’s a big district, and he did a good job. Hopefully, his replacement will also continue to do a good job.”

The Democratic Party is backing Russo, who was endorsed by Biden on Nov. 1.

“She’s the kind of leader we need as we build back an economy that creates good-paying jobs, delivers more affordable health care, and puts middle-class families first,” Biden said in a press release. “I am proud to endorse Allison Russo for Congress to represent Ohio’s 15th District.”

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Athens citizens walk to the County Board of Elections office on Court Street. (ZOE CRANFILL | FOR THE POST)

Independent Opinions Independent candidates offer competition, choice in elections, but are rarely elected ADDIE HEDGES FOR THE POST Independent candidates are rarely elected over a Democrat or Republican candidate, but the 2021 Athens City Council election included two Independents vying for an At-Large seat on the all-Democrat council.

Damon Krane and Iris Virjee ran for one of three At-Large seats against three Democratic incumbents: Sarah Grace, Ben Ziff and Micah McCarey.

As Independents, Krane and Virjee are not associated nor representative of either the Republican or Democratic parties. Their positions are considered to be separate from each party but may align with one more than the other. Krane, for instance, considers himself to be further left than the local Democratic party on the political spectrum.

Krane said as an Independent, he is allowing for healthy competition for Council seats in which voters can have a choice between candidates with different politi-

cal views.

“When I announced that I was going to run (in 2019 for mayor) … I looked at every member of City Council. Some had been in office for 10 years. Some had been in office for two years, but I looked at all of them, and I added up all the opportunities they had to run in a competitive election: every possible primary, every possible general election,” Krane said. “I found that more than two-thirds of the time, they ran unopposed. So, more than two-thirds of the time, voters had no choice but to elect them.”

The role that Independents play in local, state and national governments varies depending on the political climate of the location in which they are running.

Independent candidates have the highest chance of winning an election during a time when people are concerned with a number of state, local and national issues and when party affiliation does not outweigh the importance of solving those issues, DeLysa Burnier, a political science professor at Ohio University, said.

“The last (time) I can actually say was … an ideal climate was in the 1970s,” Burnier said. “Voters were less partisan-identified and were more willing to look at a full range of candidates. But in today’s political environment, where people are very much identified with political parties, it makes it very hard for Independents to maneuver and … peel off votes. People are very wedded to their party identifications right now.”

Independent candidates offer perspectives on political issues that are different from the stances that candidates from the two major political parties hold, she said.

Independents’ platforms can also influence the platforms on which Republicans and Democrats run.

Despite their widespread influence on elections, Independent candidates are usually not successful in winning elections.

“The main reason why (Independents are rarely elected) is a lack of money,” Brad Kennedy, a senior studying political science and president of OU College Republicans, said. “When you affiliate yourself with a major party and you’re willing to throw your support behind that party, you generally have people who align with your views (and) who are more likely to throw money your way to make sure that you’re elected.”

Essentially, Independent candidates

must rely on their own platforms to gain enough supporters to elect them into office.

All members of City Council prior to Election Day were registered as Democrats. A one-party Council is a problem because the Republican party does not have its own candidates running, and it tries to influence Democrats, Krane said.

Krane said voters may avoid casting a vote for an Independent candidate for fear it will negatively affect them in the long run.

“In most places where there actually is a competitive race between a Democrat and a Republican, (the concern) is, ‘If I enter this race as an Independent or as a third-party candidate, will I take votes away from the major party candidate who is most similar to me and then end up electing the candidate who is most dissimilar from me, as a result?’” Krane said.

“It’s the spoiler effect.”

However, people who voted for an Independent candidate in the Council election did not inadvertently elect an opposing party, Krane said.

“The nice thing is that we don’t have to worry about that in Athens because … there’s no further right party running,” Krane said. “It’s just all Democrats.”

@ADDIEHEDGES AH766719@OHIO.EDU

100

$

SIGNING BONUS

per unit/ for limited time

THE POINTE on Mill Street starting at

3&4 $495 bedroom units

740.594.9098

per person /month

ourentals.com

199

$

deposit /per person

2 bathrooms off-street parking Full-Time Maintenace close to campus & uptown THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

Urging Diverse Representation Athens City Council member discusses diversity, barriers people of color face running for office LYDIA COLVIN FOR THE POST With elections for Athens City Council that took place Tuesday, the body’s only member of color recognizes the barriers present for people of color to run for office, especially as Council is predominately white.

Micah McCarey, D-At Large, who is Black and queer and ran for reelection Tuesday, said he wished he had seen a person of color or queer person of color in city leadership before he was elected to Council. He is now proud to be part of increasing the voices of people of color in the community.

“I have already connected with queer and Brown people who now see an entry point into this work,” McCarey said.

“Part of the work of social justice is removing barriers to opportunities, and I’m open to hearing anything that people perceive as a barrier.”

Before McCarey joined Council, it was composed of members who were largely white and straight. McCarey said entering a predominantly white space as the only person of color was challenging, but he believes it was a calling for him.

McCarey said part of having more diversity in predominantly white spaces comes from uplifting people from diverse backgrounds.

However, on Oct. 18, during the portion of Council’s meeting when citizens are allowed to speak about items not covered on the agenda, Damon Krane, an at-large candidate for Council, said McCarey and Ben Ziff, D-At Large, who

stARtiNG At per person/month

$

was also up for reelection Tuesday, were being “tokenized” by Athens Mayor Steve Patterson.

McCarey said he understands he is going to have to deal with others’ perceptions that come with being a person of color in a predominantly white setting.

“Suggesting that I’m only on City Council because of the demographic boxes that I check negates the qualifications and the passion and the care,” McCarey said. “I always appreciate the complexity of things, that there were obviously strategic, even campaigning advantages to having more diversity on City Council.”

Chris Knisely, president of Council, said diversity on the body has helped to add to conversations about different issues. She said McCarey has worked to change Athens City Code to have gender-neutral language and that it has been helpful to have McCarey’s perspective on Council.

Knisely also said Ziff brings a different perspective to Council that she thinks is beneficial to the body, as he is a renter and a manager at Donkey Coffee, 17 W. Washington St. The last time Knisely remembers a person of color being on Council was Patricia Gyi, who was the fi rst Black person to serve on Council and was elected in 1987.

One reason for the lack of racial representation on Council may be the demographics of the region. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Athens is 83.9% white, 6% Asian and 5.6% Black or African Amer-

550

ican.

Despite those estimates, McCarey said he would like to work on making Athens a place where people of color want to move.

“I do believe that if we can broadcast those amazing stories beyond our county borders that we will attract people to this region and, oh, my gosh, there’s so much good stuff happening here,” McCarey said.

Knisely said she believes because of

UPTOWN

AVAILABLE

53 EAST STATE 2022-2023

99

deposit per person

16 / NOV. 3, 2021

@COLVIN_LYDIA LC844519@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER

$

CALL TO SCHEDULE A VIEWING TODAY!

Ziff and McCarey’s presence, there is more diverse representation on Council, which has been lacking.

Additionally, Knisley said the significant time commitment and the parttime pay with no benefits — except for a life insurance policy — may discourage people from running for office.

Council members will earn about $8,400 in 2021, and Knisely, as president, will earn about $10,400.

OUrentals.com

2

5 BEDROOM units

Off Street Parking, hardwood floors, basement storage &

740.594.9098

BIG740.594.9098 FRONTPORCH

Representation Rundown

City Council members, candidates discuss the distinction between At-Large and Ward council seats

MOLLY WILSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR Though Athens City Council operates as a united representative body, there are slight distinctions between the positions and each representative’s reasoning behind serving.

Council is composed of nine members, three of whom are At-Large representatives, tasked with representing the city of Athens and their constituents as a whole.

Four of the other six members are Ward representatives who represent a specific subset of individuals within Athens.

Councilman Sam Crowl, D-3rd Ward, said he was originally interested in running as a Third Ward candidate after the former Third Ward councilwoman approached him about running for the position, indicating she would be vacating it.

Having grown up in the Third Ward, Crowl believed he would fulfill the position well due to his knowledge of the area and the issues those individuals face.

“I thought Ward Three is not only obviously where I live now, but it is also where I grew up and where my parents live, so I felt like I knew this area of the city very, very well,” Crowl said. “I care a great deal about (Athens), so I thought I might be a voice of reason or a solid voice on Council.”

However, Crowl said in practice, the distinction between an At-Large representative and a Ward representative is only visible when a constituent of his Ward approaches him regarding a specific issue.

“For example, we are talking about parking fee changes. The city administration has proposed a change raising some of the parking fees, and I have a local neighbor of mine who approached me about these changes, particularly to the motorcycle permit fee increase,” Crowl said. “Because he’s in my Ward, I want to represent him. So, I contacted the city to find out why they were proposing that they raise these rates and what had their rates been in the past and what do other cities charge for this or the university charge for this? So, I can provide that information to him.”

However, for Councilman Micah McCarey, D-At Large, the decision of running At-Large versus for a Ward seat wasn’t one he had to consider initially. He was appointed by the Athens Democratic Party in June for the seat he is currently in after former councilwoman Beth Clodfelter vacated the position.

“I feel very fortunate to be in an At-Large position. I understand from even just conversations with our City Council president that, practically, there’s not a big difference between the At-Large seats and a Ward seat,” McCarey said. “Conceptually … it’s, for me, really enjoyable for me to be able to think pretty holistically about the city.”

McCarey reiterated that all council members weigh in on decisions that impact the city beyond a specific Ward.

At-Large members, despite representing a larger number of individuals, do not possess more power in decision-making within Council, he said.

Damon Krane, a candidate for an At-Large seat this election season, said one of the biggest reasons he decided to run for one of the three seats this year is due to the nature of the race itself.

“The only race we see in the city where there are four, five, six candidates (running) is the At-Large race, and I think a result of that is that the discussion that happens at candidate forums and in questionnaires tends to be much richer. It addresses a lot more city issues,” Krane said. “I wanted to also run in that context where there’d be that opportunity to talk more about a wider variety of city issues with a wider variety of candidates.”

With his interest in the position resting upon open debate, Krane said he was disappointed with the Democratic candidates’ absence at candidate forums that are open to all of them over the past few weeks.

There are five individuals running for the three seats Tuesday, with Krane and Iris Virjee running as Independents and McCarey, Ben Ziff and Sarah Grace running for reelection as Democrats.

Contrary to Krane’s reasoning, Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, said he doesn’t enjoy running in an election that is opposed by members of his own party. Risner is running for his sixth term on Council unopposed, and he has served on the body for nearly 10 years.

“I wouldn’t want to try to bump someone out of their seat, or maybe they did better than me, and I’d be beaten,” Risner said.

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER Risner said he has focused on issues such as traffic control, flash flooding and a lack of commercial space within his Ward. Additionally, based on the way the Ward maps are drawn, part of the Ohio University campus falls within Risner’s jurisdiction, and he wishes students would be more active in voicing the issues they face.

“My attitude has been that when I’m on Council, I represent the Second Ward for their interests and, then following that, I represent the city as a whole,” Risner said.

Despite representatives and potential candidates expressing different rationale for running for Council, the distinction remains minimal.

“I do think that being At-Large is an interesting position because you do have more flexibility about how you get involved because you don’t have this parameter of you’re really just this Ward representative,” Crowl said. “But, in essence, when we are all up sitting in Council talking about things, there’s not a great distinction between being a Ward representative or being an At-Large.”

@MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

Students walk past signs directing voters to booths in Baker University Center on Election Day. (NATE SWANSON | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Student Voices

PAYTON DAUGHERTY FOR THE POST

Most students agree on the importance of voting, but some have varying opinions on what issues are most important to them as college students living during a global pandemic.

Taylor Horman, a freshman studying social work, said on a scale of one to 10, the importance of voting sits at about a seven for her.

“I know that there has been talk about eliminating absentee ballots, but I think that they’re really important, especially for college students like myself where my drive home is three hours,” Horman said.

“On a traditional voting day, I would not be able to leave school and go home and vote.

18 / NOV. 3, 2021

I would just have to miss the election.”

Horman said her concern coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic is on mental health issues.

“I think there was a lot of people, mostly students, who were in isolation for a long time,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of people struggling mentally with the transition coming out of the pandemic.”

Ashley Harris, a freshman studying criminology, said voting is important and encouraged everyone to go out and vote in the upcoming election. Harris said she felt previous elections had an impact on the pandemic.

“COVID-19 was made political, which I don’t agree with,” Harris said. “It should not be politics. It should just be handled as healthy as possible so everyone can move on.”

She said she feels the current national administration is handling the pandemic the best it can and is most concerned about how the workforce will handle an upcoming generation of students who experienced online education.

Vernon Kluding, a junior studying political science, said despite the fact he thinks voting is extremely important, he believes the way that we vote in America is “fundamentally flawed.”

“Providing opportunities for every citizen to be able to vote is important. That’s not really my criticism,” Kluding said. “It’s more so the fact that the way we vote and have historically voted is tribalistic, and this is why I don’t like either of the parties: that divides people, and it gets in the way of actual problems that are facing us systemically as a country.”

Kluding echoed Horman’s concerns about the psychological effects the pandemic has induced and feels there has not been enough focus on the mental effects of COVID-19.

“Getting back on track to that preCOVID world is very important, I think, for the health of everybody,” he said.

Manny Velazquez, a freshman studying professional pre-med, said he does not have any concerns as a college student coming out of the pandemic and feels it’s important to start taking steps back to normalcy.

“I think the one thing that’s so special about human beings is that we are very adaptive, and so I think we can easily go return … (to) partying or social gathering and stuff,” Velazquez said.

@PAYTONDAUG PD162120@OHIO.EDU

Campus Involvement Center, OHIO Live, and UPC present:

An Evening with

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

Known as “Gustavo” from

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

TRE’S TAKES

SAVE THE TREES OR I’LL BREAK YOUR KNEES

Student voters matter

Allison Russo is best candidate for environment

TRE SPENCER

is a sophomore studying photojournalism at Ohio University This year, general elections in the U.S. fell on Nov. 2, and numerous representatives, congressmen and state officials were be elected in different districts in every state.

This matters especially for young voters, like college students, who are the emerg ing generation. Without the sect of votes from students and young voters, like myself, election results would not be ref lective of young A merica.

The majority of electoral candidates is out of touch with the needs of college voters and have different views on the direction of the country. According to the U.S Census Bureau, since 2012, voting turnout has increased for millennials aged 18-29, whereas turnout for other age groups has decreased.

Social media campaigns, endorsed by celebrities and political candidates, have also increased in the new digital age. According to an article from Forbes, digital media campaign advertising has proven itself in the contemporary political cycle to be a costly way to reach voters. During the 2019-2020 election cycle, “total political advertising spending reached $8.5 billion across TV, radio and digital media,” and that is only from a span of one year.

With younger people as predominantly the largest users of social media platforms, they are beginning to realize their votes matter, and they

stARtiNG At per person/month

$

want their voices heard. As a student and college-aged voter, I have found it increasingly frustrating to have issues that impact me addressed by my local representatives, and I have found that many of them are out of touch.

College-aged voters in Athens are affected by many of the laws and codes that City Council passes. Many students have no clue about some of the things that are being passed in the town we choose to call home, but there are several student political organizations on campus that attempt to bridge this disconnect between students and local political issues. Ohio University College Democrats, OU College Republicans and OU Moderates have all launched numerous tabling and voter registration campaigns to get students on campus to vote.

We have a duty to vote — not only as citizens of Athens but as Americans.

Tre Spencer is a sophomore studying photojournalism 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 Tre know by tweeting him @ trerspencer1.

550

MEG DIEHL is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University The special election is upon us, and while there are no environmental policies on the ballot, the winner of the Congressional seat for Ohio’s 15th district — in which Athens falls — will have great implications for the well-being of the planet. Democrat Allison Russo and Republican Mike Carey are both in the running, but Russo is the better candidate for the planet.

Just as Russo has proven herself as an advocate for the planet, Carey has proven to regularly put money above the climate as president and chairman of the Ohio Coal Association. Russo has also received a 10 out of 10 rating from the Ohio Environmental Council and has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, or LCV. To contrast, Carey’s official website has an entire section dedicated to the defense of fossil fuels and slandering conservationist policies, such as the Green New Deal, claiming that it will “destroy” the U.S. economy and “give the Chinese Communist Party the advantage it needs to expand its role as the world’s largest energy producer.”

His website also directly attacks various policies and makes heated accusations toward Democrats, including claiming the implementation of critical race theory within schools will be “teaching our children to hate America.”

It is unclear what Carey thinks the CCP has to do with clean energy, especially since China is one of the most polluted countries on Earth, with pollution-related causes accounting for 19.5% of the nation’s deaths.

UPTOWN

AVAILABLE

53 EAST STATE 2022-2023

99 deposit $

per person

CALL TO SCHEDULE A VIEWING TODAY! 20 / NOV. 3, 2021

OUrentals.com

More than likely, he is dropping the term “communism” to fear-monger older generations who lived through events such as the Red Scare and the McCarthyism of the Cold War and still harbor anxiety around far-left ideologies.

While harsh rhetoric is typical of politicians, the vigor with which he attacks the other side would be better allocated toward efforts of working across the aisle, as opposed to further inflaming the already strained relationship between the Democratic and Republican parties in Congress.

Russo, on the other hand, makes a point of including her willingness to participate in partisan collaboration for the sake of creating jobs in Ohio, something Carey seems to believe cannot happen, while simultaneously cutting the usage of fossil fuels. Russo, however, proves creating greener energy practices and creating jobs are not mutually exclusive ideas.

While Russo is known for her work on the environment and advocacy for clean water, she does not have a section about her stance on the environment on her website, which is strange and definitely will not help her win votes as the issue becomes more dire. Regardless, she has still shown more commitment to the planet than Carey.

Although Russo is the best option for the environment, polls have been predicting Carey to have a solid lead over Russo. Even if the election pans out as such, Carey will be but a minor setback in the mission to save the planet, which is much bigger than just one candidate.

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

2

5 BEDROOM units

Off Street Parking, hardwood floors, basement storage &

740.594.9098

BIG740.594.9098 FRONTPORCH

SO LISTEN

Voting in levies is important to Athens MIKAYLA ROCHELLE is a graduate student studying public administration at Ohio University Voting is important. I won’t be the first or last person to tell you that this week. While the years in which there are huge statewide or nationwide elections feel more important and are covered more in the news, the off-year elections are important, too. Oftentimes, fewer people vote in off-year elections. In a presidential election, voting rates are around 60% while, in midterm elections, only about 40% of people vote.

On an off year like this year in which it is neither a presidential election nor a midterm, that turnout is even lower.

The irony in these results is that the smaller and local elections have a bigger impact on people’s lives than who the president is.

The presidential election may decide who the leader of our country is, but the president himself doesn’t decide what funding your community gets. You get to decide that. That’s the beauty of democracy and local elections: if you find the issue important and want it funded, you can vote to get it funded. Unfortunately, this is a pitfall of democratic participation.

People tend to skip elections that aren’t sensationalized on the news.

Recognizing the importance of these local issues is the first step in centering our voices through democracy. There is no better way to do this than voting in local elections. Levies are an important yet overlooked aspect of elections that fund the issues and programs that we voters care about.

Levies can be complicated to understand if you have never heard of them. A levy is a compulsory tax imposed in a municipality, sometimes based on property value, in order to pay for government services and public expenditures. Put simply, levies are the taxes we pay to receive services from our local government.

This election cycle, in Athens County, there are three levies up to be voted for — all for renewal. A renewal levy allows for the county to continue to collect taxes as scheduled year to year. The other type of levy is a replacement levy, which replaces levies with a revamped plan when their time frame ends.

The first of the three levies up for renewal provides emergency medical services funding. This levy provides $1 million over five years beginning in 2022, with tax payments first due in 2023. This levy is pretty important to the function of the county. EMS is one of the most essential functions for the county and for Athens County citizens.

The next levy is a renewal levy for senior service and fa-

cilities. This levy is for $750,000 over five years beginning in 2022, with tax payments first due in 2023. This levy is of course important as well because it supports senior citizens.

Since they are one of the vulnerable populations, they should certainly be a goal of all voters.

The final levy on the ballot is a renewal levy for a general fund for operation, acquisition, construction and renovation of mental health and recovery services and facilities. This levy is for $1 million over 10 years beginning in 2022, with tax payments first due in 2023. It should also be a simple choice for voters, as mental health services are increasingly important in our lives, and these services should remain accessible.

Voters should vote in support of all of these levies. Levies are crucial to the function of our government. Just because there are no large national elections on the ballot this year doesn’t mean this election cycle isn’t important.

Go vote, and make sure to support these levies and support our community.

Mikayla Rochelle is a graduate student studying public administration at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post.

What are your thoughts? Tell Mikayla by tweeting her at @mikayla_roch.

TUNES WITH TATE

Politics and music are more interconnected than you may think HANNAH CAMPBELL is a sophomore studying strategic communication at Ohio University When looking over music released in the past century, there are certain moments in our modern history that have had such a big impact on the world that individual artists and bands felt compelled to use their musical gifts to comment on it. From protesting the war to slandering presidents, music has been influenced by politics for a long time.

In doing my own research about songs that fall into this category, I wasn’t surprised to find how many were about war but, more specifically, the Vietnam War. Well-known tunes like “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield, “Give Peace a Chance” by Plastic Ono Band and “The Unknown Soldier” by The Doors all have their own expressions of disdain toward the Vietnam War. They simultaneously created an outlet for their own anger and provided validation for anyone who was also displeased with the state of the world.

Themes from the Civil Rights Movement are found in a lot of 1960s music. In a statement for the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. commented on how music affects our lives.

“God has wrought many things out of oppression,” he said.

“He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create, and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.”

At the March on Washington in 1963, Harry Belafonte; Mahalia Jackson; Peter, Paul and Mary; Marian Anderson; Joan Baez; and Bob Dylan were among those who gave live performances. All of them were activists in their own right, and their music reflected that. From Jackson’s “We Shall Overcome” to Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the need for the songs of the Civil Rights Movement has bled into the need for them in today’s Black Lives Matter movement.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” Lauryn Hill’s “Black Rage” and Janelle Monae’s “Hell You Talmbout” are among newer songs that have become anthems of the Black Lives Matter movement. They are still among long time freedom songs like “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday and “Mississippi Goddam” by Nina Simone. Songs new and old have been added to the collection of the music people march to at Black Lives Matter protests, but it’s concerning that the songs of the marches of the ‘60s are still being played during the fight for equality 40 years later.

There’s something to be said about songs claimed by the LGBTQ+ community, like “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls, “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn, “Born this Way” by Lady Gaga and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. They are all favorites of queer-identifying music fans and are among many songs played at Pride events, protests and marches. Queer people have had a huge role in shaping the music industry as far back as the emergence of the blues in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Black people are rightly linked to the era, but the genre also created space for queer people: more specifically, queer women. Bessie Smith’s “Empress of the Blues,” Ma Rainey’s “Prove It On Me Blues” and Lucille Bogan’s “B.D.

Woman’s Blues” are all examples of songs that blatantly expressed same-sex desire.

Another example of the impact of the queer community is in the music of the 1970s and 1980s. It emerged the way it did because of increased visibility of fluidity with gender and sexuality. Artists like Grace Jones, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Prince were then able to exist, break boundaries and create safe spaces in the way they did.

The exPlanations of how music has been influenced by politics and social issues in this column do not cover all of the bases of this subject. There is so much more to be said about how music has evolved and the political and social changes that have taken place because of women, Black people, the LGBTQ+ community, Latinx people and Asian people, etc.

Music reflects their impact because of the musicians WHO have chosen to document the events of the world through their art form.

Tate Raub is a sophomore studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Tate by tweeting her at @tatertot1310.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Ride Through Time Guided Bicycle Tour shares rich history of Athens LAUREN SERGE STAFF WRITER

Rural Action and Appalachian Understories will host a Ride Through Time event Saturday, which will capture the history of Athens County through a guided bicycle tour.

The tour will outline the Athens back roads, with numerous historical and scenic stops made along the way. The guided tour will begin at the Nelsonville Public Library parking lot, 95 W. Washington St., at 9:30 a.m. and will go until 1:30 p.m.

Madison Donohue, the tourism specialist at Appalachian Understories, pursued this idea of bike tours in the Athens area two years ago. The Ride Through Time event has occurred a couple of times prior, with different locations and information provided.

Donohue described the trail for this particular version of the event, which will encompass 17.5 miles.

“It’s a really fun route,” Donohue said. “We start at Nelsonville, and then we bike to Haydenville, where we meet a historian. Then we will cycle to the Ora E. Anderson Trail, where we will meet another historian.

Then we will bike to Carbon Hill … Tyler (McDaniel) will also tell us about the history of Carbon Hills, the industrial history of that time, and then we’ll cycle back to Nelsonville.”

McDaniel, one of the historians for the event, said in his time working these events, the participants are often amazed at the various historical changes that have occurred in the landscapes they may pass by often.

“It startles people how much has changed and how these small little towns that you can just drive through or even ride your bike through in a couple minutes once had hundreds or even a couple thousand more people than they do now,” McDaniel said. “And they were these full-functioning coal mining communities or industrial communities and were important to the cultural and social landscape of the region. They may seem that way anymore, but they are there still.”

Donohue said one of her fondest enjoyments of these events is getting to discover new locations for the tours to cover, which allows her to witness the adventure herself the participants will also experience.

“I really like scouting them out,” Donohue said. “I go to (a) location and ride my bike all around and try to find other cool things in the area and fun ways to get there via bike. That exploration is really fun, and then 22 / NOV. 3, 2021

also sharing that with the participants the day of the event is very exciting and enjoyable for me as well.”

The outdoor and physical activity element of the guided tour, McDaniel said, enables the participants to think more freely and feel more connected to the natural world.

“Being on the bike, it allows people to … slow down their mind and slow down their thought process,” McDaniel said.

“They’re absorbing more, and they’re listening. I think because they’re exercising, their minds are more active, too. We get some really great conversations happening, so that makes it really fun.”

Boone Troyer, the executive director of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the exposure to the rich nature of Athens inspires participants to view the area more fondly and raises awareness of environmental issues.

“A sense of wonder and pride in the natural world often motivates people to be advocates for the health of their environment,” Troyer said in an email. “Our tours will draw upon the knowledge and passion of local people to provide participants with experiences rooted in community and place, all while supporting those who call this region home.”

Donohue stressed the enjoyment of the event is often the connections built both between the participants and the historians and also the newfound understanding the participants have for the Athens area.

“I think what I’ve heard most is that people enjoy the camaraderie that is built throughout the tour,” Donohue said. “Doing something that you wouldn’t normally do with other people who have similar interests is a great way to make friends. I think people also really like the stories that are told throughout the event. Some of them are lesser-told stories that maybe you wouldn’t find in a textbook or something like that

but more of the colloquial stories that are shared by the local historians.” @LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU

IF YOU GO WHAT: Ride Through Time Guided Bicycle Tour WHERE: Nelsonville Public Library parking lot, 95 W. Washington St. WHEN: Nov. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

ADMISSION: $30

WHAT’S GOING ON? Rock out with Ohiobased bands at The Union, play mini golf in Alden ISABEL NISSLEY SLOT EDITOR THURSDAY, NOV. 4 Mass Vaccination Clinic at Heritage Hall at 12 p.m., hosted by multiple campus partners at Ohio University. The clinic will be held at 16 W. Green Drive. Get vaccinated against COVID-19 before Nov. 15, the deadline for OU’s vaccine requirement. To make an appointment to get the vaccine, visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov. Walk-ins are welcome, and all people 12 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Admission: Free Diversity & Inclusion Panel at 6 p.m., hosted by OU’s College of Business, 4 President St., Bentley Hall, room 140. Learn about the importance of intentional inclusion from panelists Sly Mata, Justin Jackson and Nana Agyekum. Although in-person attendance is preferred, the event will also be streamed via Microsoft Teams. The link can be acquired by emailing jordank1@ohio.edu or kh325320@ohio.edu.

Admission: Free

Admission: $15 for Southeast Ohio History Center members as well as students; $20 for general admission.

RADATTACK concert with Girlfox and In Flow at 7 p.m., hosted by The Union, 18 W. Union St. Hear the distinctive music of RADATTACK live at The Union. RADATTACK will be joined by Girlfox and In Flow, two other Ohio-based bands that create music with a rock sound. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Admission: $8 for people 21 and older; $10 for people younger than 21

A SYMPHONY OF HORRORS

BEER, BROWNS, BENGALS & BLUES COWBOYS

The perfect place to gather ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK! we have 32 Beers on Tap & Don’t Miss Bengals/Browns games every Sunday.

Admission: Tickets are $10 for general admission; $7 for seniors; $5 for students online or free student rush tickets at the venue

Wednesday night live music with The Blues Cowboys.

Ticketed guests will take home a West End glass after a guided tour and tasting with the lead distiller and cider maker Kelly Sauber.

The Southeast Ohio History Center’s 2021 Helen and Foster Cornwell event features world renowned organist Dennis James accompanying the 1922 classic silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors.

The History Center’s organ will sing out as the vampire County Orlock pursues his interest in a new home and the wife of the real estate agent. This familyfriendly event will feature classic movie snacks, and a red carpet! Costumes are encouraged!

Saturday, Nov. 6th 1:00 pm

Be sure to ask about our Family Bundle, which includes 4 tickets, movie snacks and drinks for $60

TASTING AND TOUR W/ LEAD DISTILLER & CIDERMAKER

Tuesday night trivia.

@EclipseBeerHall Open to All

SATURDAY, NOV. 6 Athens Farmers Market at 9 a.m., hosted by the Athens Farmers Market, 1002 E. State St. Shop for locally grown and locally made foods and goods at the farmers’ market.

The market accepts SNAP and credit cards.

Masks are recommended, and social distancing protocols are in place.

Admission: Free Alden Open 2021 at 10 a.m., hosted by Alden Library, 30 Park Place. Celebrate Dad’s Weekend with a round of mini golf in Alden Library. It’s set up throughout three floors, students and families can play nine or 18 holes. Tee times can be reserved online. Jen Harvey can be contacted with questions and requests for accessibility accommodations via phone at 740-593-2906 or email at harveyj1@ohio.edu.

Admission: $5 for nine holes or $10 for 18 holes

The Market on State

ART MARKET

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

Locally made by members of the Athens Art Guild.

LACUNA and The Van Gogh Affect at 10 a.m., hosted by the Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle. Explore two distinct art exhibits on display at the Kennedy Museum. Masks indoors are mandatory in both galleries, and the number of visitors will be limited, per OU guidelines.

Visiting Artist Henry Kramer, Pianist, in Concert at 8 p.m., hosted by OU’s College of Fine Arts, Glidden Hall, 3 Health Center Drive. See award-winning pianist Henry Kramer perform at OU. Kramer has a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.

Admission: Free

@ISABELNISSLEY IN566119@OHIO.EDU

scan to reserve your ticket!

Sign in 12:30-1:00, tasting begins at 1:00.

Tasting and tours generally last about one and a half to two hours with questions.

Please bring a mask as we follow all local mandates pertaining to COVID-19.

Friday, Nov. 5th 7:00 pm $15 for SOHC members and students $20 for adults

Call 740-592-2280 to purchase tickets

athenswestend.com

Saturday, Nov. 6 9 am - 12 pm

th

Masks required

ADVERTISE LARGE BOX

SUNDAY, NOV. 7

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror accompanied by Dennis James at 7 p.m., hosted

by Southeast Ohio History Center, 24 W. State St. The movie will be accompanied by world-class organist Dennis James. Tickets can be purchased by calling 740-592-2280 or by visiting SOHC’s front desk.

NOSFERATU

School of Theater presents: Summer and Smoke at 8 p.m., hosted by OU’s College of Fine Arts, Kantner Hall, 7 S. College St. Experience one of Tennessee Williams’ most subtle and tender works, Summer and Smoke. A sensory-friendly showing will be on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online or at the show.

FRIDAY, NOV. 5

Admission: Free

Southeas Ohio History Ctr.

$25

Various locations

BLOOD DRIVE

The need is constant, the need is urgent, sign up and give today.

per week

$300

per semester

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

visit the Red Cross online.

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

scan to schedule your donation

LORD OF THE RINGS TRIVIA NIGHT Join us for an exciting night of Lord of the Rings Trivia, hosted by our LOTR enthusiast MC, Nathan Becker!

We’ll be focusing on moviebased questions for this evening. Teams max out at 6. No unseated guests or Proudfoots!

Thursday, Nov. 18th 8:00 pm Reserve a table by messaging us on Facebook

@AthensUncorked Open to All Must be 21 to attend

Want to read more about Music, Arts, Events? visit : thepostathens.com/culture/

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

Now Leasing New beginnings

PRIME UPTOWN & CAMPUS LOCATIONS 2022-2023

CHECK OUT OUR HOUSES 199

$

$

Security Deposit

199

Security Deposit

2-12 bedrooms with locations in every neighborhood

& APARTMENTS LEASE SIGNING

BONUS $150 cash

13 Kurtz Street

12 Palmer Street

4 Bedroom . $525* $

on any unit with 5 or more Bedrooms

4 Bedroom . $525*

199

Security Deposit

199

$

Security Deposit

$ LOW SECURITY DEPOSIT

☞ CLOSE TO CAMPUS

98 W. State St.

4 or 5 Bedroom . $450*

AVAILABLE NOW for 2021 - 2022

*Security deposits are per person, monthly rates are per person/per month

OUrentals.com

& TOWNHOMES

4-5 bedrooms • 2 bath FEATURING: separate living area, on-site parking, trash included, and access to the bikepath.

· NO HIDDEN FEES

& UPTOWN & MANY MORE EXTRAS

4 bedrooms • 2 bath FEATURING: off-site parking, balcony, trash included, in prime neighborhood

40 Smith Street

4 or 5 Bedroom . $450*

199

$

99

$

Security Deposit

Security Deposit

2 Milliron Apt. A

4 or 5 Bedroom $450*

97½ Playground Ave 4 or 5 Bedroom . $475*

740.594.9098 Call TODAY to schedule a viewing