SKATE JAM
Skaters shred sound, boards at Devil’s Kettle Brewing
Not even flash thunderstorms could stop the rockers and skaters at the fourth annual Spring Skate Jam. During the band Jackoff Demons’ set, the rain bore down on the crowd, which flowed to the shelter of Devil’s Kettle Brewing.
The taproom’s capacity limit of 46 was put to the test, and then some. The downpour only lasted about 20 minutes and afterward the music started right back up. Unfortunately, the waterlogged ramps made for poor skating.
The event had been planned since January, and rock, punk and metal bands from all over the area were invited.
“(Dogman Kills You) played a Columbus Skate Jam pre-party last fall,” Andrea Baird, one of the Skate Jam organizers, said.
Dogman Kills You is an experimental synth punk band from Columbus. It wasn’t the only band from Columbus; Desespera and Plain Grit also shredded the soundwaves.
Left Behind and Sub Zero, which were formed from the Stuart’s Opera House Afterschool Music Program, kicked off the concert. Baird became familiar with the program when she was going to Hocking College. Local bands such as Big Fat Head, The In-Sect, Jackoff Demons and Jobsite Porta John rocked the crowd as well.
Skate Jam organizers, Baird and Emmett Mascha, are a part of Jackoff Demons, and Mascha plays in Jobsite Porta John.
Jacuetta Pittenger joined for one of their last songs with energetic vocals. She was a member of Jackoff Instructions, as were most of the members of Jackoff Demons, and she left when she became a mom.
“We do raise more funds at the bigger event, but the bigger event has a lot more expenses,” Baird said. “So, this is a great kind of seed fund for the larger event that helps us cover the costs of that, because our expenses are much lower for this, because it’s much less involved.”
In the past, Baird has told The Post that Skate Jam raises $15,000 annually.
Before the rain, Athens Ohio Roller Derby, Flipside Studio and Stuart’s Opera House AMP were tabling and Sojourners Care Network was selling Skate Jam merch.
“I liked the cause that it was behind, as well as being a lot of fun and obviously profitable for both of us,” Cameron Fuller, the owner of Devil’s Kettle Brewing, said about why he got involved with Skate Jam.
Baird said Devil’s Kettle is perfect for Skate Jam because of its open patio,
public restrooms and easily accessible parking lot, and of course, the beer.
Fuller created his own beer for Skate Jam, called Skaterhosen. All profits from the sale of Skaterhosen will be donated to Sojourners.
“It’s a Helles lagerpilsner hybrid,” Fuller said. “Should be really easy drinking, but flavorful.”
The money raised at Skate Jam, including suggested $15 donations, will be split between Sojourners Care Network and the city department Arts and Rec, which is responsible for repairing and making additions to the skate park.
“(Sojourners Care Network) works across seven counties, primarily helping youth experiencing homelessness,” Hannah Allenson, manager of the Resiliency Center, said.
The Resiliency Center is a drop-in youth center located at 5 N. Shafer St.
“We have a food pantry, a clothing pantry, and hygiene supplies,” Allenson said. “We do programming every day of
the week.”
A portion of the funds from Skate Jam will be used to help the Resiliency Center.
“We work with the same concrete construction designer and builder each year, Ridge Runner Construction,” Baird said.
Ridge Runner Construction donates, too. Fuller said the people at Sojourners give people opportunity and opportunity is hope.
RENAE HEFTY | FOR THE POST
Big Fat Head performs at the Skate Jam Fundraiser at Devil’s Kettle Brewing in Athens, April 19, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
(ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
Man breaks into Keith Chapman Jeweler
The Athens Police Department responded to a break-in at Keith Chapman Jeweler located at 8 S. Court St. April 1 at 5:37 a.m.
Once officers arrived on the scene, they found 36-year-old Ben Blackburn, who was later found to be on methamphetamine, leaving the business. Blackburn began to flee on foot from officers and was then arrested by officers behind Lucky’s Sports Tavern, located at 11. N. Court Street, at 5:40 a.m.
During the break-in, the man destroyed cases and displays and stole jewelry, which the Athens Police Department recovered.
After being arrested, Blackburn was taken to the hospital and then to jail. When Blackburn appeared in court, Athens County Municipal Court Judge Todd Grace released him without bail and required him to submit to a blood test to test for blood-borne diseases in response to claims Blackburn made.
Bob Prebe, the owner of Uptown Realty Group, said these types of crimes do not happen often in Athens. Most of the crimes Prebe sees are drunken acts and brick thefts.
“It seems to me that was a targeted kind of situation, like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna break into this jewelry store, and perhaps, maybe it’ll be worth my while if I cause all this destruction and damage,’” Prebe said.
City Service-Safety Director Andy Stone said the incident was brazen, especially with someone breaking the front window of a store on the city’s main street.
“I can see where that would create some shock,” Stone said. “The guy got caught within minutes ultimately of doing it. He indicated to the officers the next day that he was high on meth when he did it and didn’t remember anything about it.”
Keith Chapman, the owner of Keith Chapman Jeweler, did not respond to a request for comment.
Hearing about the incident was hard for
Prebe. Crimes such as these have heavy economic ramifications on businesses Uptown.
“These are local, small businesses that operate on a very thin margin, and that kind of loss isn’t even something you can run through your insurance,” Prebe said. “That’s just money right out of your pocket, and for a small business, that’s tough.”
APD Chief of Police Nick Magruder wrote in an email that crime has been down in Athens over the last two years.
“Athens is one of the safest cities in the state and in the country,” Stone said. “As far as we’re concerned, we’ll continue to deal with the crime that we do have, but I really don’t think people should be particularly worried.”
Stone said much of the crime in the city is driven by drug abuse or alcohol.
“Alcohol related crime — assaults, fights, sexual assault and that sort of thing — that happens surrounding the college demographic, so you’re 18-24 years old,” Stone said. “Then, I think that the poverty-driven crime, drug crime, is probably slightly older.”
Stone said there have been some previous planned crimes in Athens by groups, such as the theft of cash from parking meters and the burglary of drug stores, but they are very rare.
Businesses can discourage crime in Athens by locking their doors and installing alarms. Stone said cameras have made it easier to catch petty thefts.
“Actually, I think a couple of times I’ve been asked to view the camera feed (by OUPD),” Prebe said. “I think that for a lot of Uptown businesses, if they don’t have a camera system, they really should. It’s they’re relatively inexpensive these days to run and certainly come in handy when it comes to situations like this.”
Prebe said there is always a concern of theft in Athens; however, he feels safe in Athens at all times.
“I think the students are better,” Prebe said. “They’re better at behaving, they’re nicer and they’re more considerate.”
Proposed Ohio law takes hit at legal marijuana
DREW HOFFMASTER NEWS STAFF WRITER
The Marijuana Control Law, also known as the Senate Bill 56, is being considered by the House of Representatives.
If passed, the law would repeal most of the Cannabis Control Law, also known as Issue 2. The Cannabis Control Law was passed in 2023 with 57.19% majority, legalized the growing, processing, selling and use of marijuana, and created the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce.
The Marijuana Control Law will also change and combine the regulations for the cultivation, processing, dispensing and use of marijuana into one chapter of the Ohio Revised Code. Additionally, the Division of Marijuana Control will be consolidated into the DCC.
Previously, the bill passed the wSenate 23-9, and now has been referred to the Ohio House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Bill Demora (D-Columbus) disagrees with the proposed bill, calling it an assault and threat to the Ohio adult-use marijuana program.
“This is not the first time the Ohio Sen-
ate has attempted to legislate adult-use marijuana,” wrote Demora in a statement.
“Last General Assembly, House Bill 86 was the vehicle for change … Unlike that bill, S.B. 56 is a clear attempt to crack down on a market that is already thriving.”
Under the bill, out-of-state marijuana is contraband, according to Research Analyst Nick Thomas and Ohio Legislative Service Commission staff in the bill’s summary.
“Similarly, current law allows an adult-use consumer to possess or use marijuana received from another adultuse consumer, without any exchange of payment, whereas the bill prohibits such an exchange,” Thomas said.
Currently, the DCC is required to set a THC limit for adult-use marijuana to 35% for plant material and 90% for extracts. The Marijuana Control Law will lower the percentage for extracts down to 70%
and will not allow vapor and combustion products to contain more than 10 milligrams per serving and exceed 100 milligrams per package.
Demora wrote in a statement that the bill will harm marijuana producers. The Marijuana Control Law will remove level three adult-use cultivator licenses and put a cap on the number of dispensaries active in the state to 350.
“This will stifle competition and lock out communities that want access to legal marijuana. It reduces the area available for cultivation, despite Ohio’s current supply shortage,” Demora wrote.
The law will also reduce the number of plants allowed in homes from 12 to six, prohibit the sale of cannabis products targeting children with their advertising or packaging and limit the adult use of marijuana to private residences only.
“Now that S.B. 56 has passed out of the Senate, the House must make a choice,” Demora wrote in a statement. “Will they stand with the voters who overwhelmingly supported marijuana legalization, or will they abandon the people and allow this harmful bill to move forward?”
Photo illustration of a bag of marijuana and lighters 2023. (PHOTO STAFF | FOR THE POST)
DREW HOFFMASTER | NEWS STAFF WRITER
Keith Chapman Studio on Court Street, Athens, April 18, 2025. (TALITHA MALLOY | FOR THE POST)
A printed notice and jewelry displays sitting in the front window of Keith Chapman’s Studio on Court Street, Athens, April 18, 2025. (TALITHA MALLOY | FOR THE POST)
Commencement Preview: From books to ‘Blizzards’
Diplomas and DQ: Spring Commencement features OU Alum John P. Gainor, retired DQ CEO.
Ohio University will celebrate its newest class of graduates May 3 at Spring 2025 commencement.
The upcoming ceremony will feature OU alumnus John P. Gainor, who served as President and Chief Executive Officer of International Dairy Queen before retiring in 2017.
Gainor oversaw the management of Dairy Queen’s supply chain functions, including purchasing, logistics, distribution, dairy, frozen novelties, equipment and supplies.
“We are honored that John has agreed to deliver the Commencement Address for both of our undergraduate ceremonies,” President Lori Stewart Gonzalez told OHIO Today. “As a business executive, skilled leader and dedicated OU alumnus, John’s success serves as an inspiration to Bobcats near and far. I am grateful he has agreed to share words of wisdom with our Class of 2025.”
Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in communications, Gainor went on to hold a number of executive positions in the food service industry.
“It’s a true honor to have the opportunity to give remarks at my beloved Alma Mater for this year’s Spring Commencement,” Gainor said in an interview with OHIO Today. “Ohio University was a place that fostered both personal and intellectual growth, and I’m excited to share some valuable advice with this year’s graduating class of Bobcats.”
Ceremonies span across the weekend, with the Graduate ceremony May 2 for doctoral and master’s degrees at 9:30 a.m. Undergraduate ceremonies will be at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. May 3.
The morning ceremony will feature graduates from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Communication, Education, University College and Honors Tutorial College. The afternoon ceremony will feature graduates from the Colleges of Business, Health Sciences and Professions, Engineering and Technology and Fine Arts.
ADA parking will be available in the outer lots of the Convocation Center, with general admission parking taking place in
dark green and purple lots, according to OU Transportation and Parking Services. TPS will also offer free event shuttles and accessible transportation from several parking lot locations to the Convocation Center from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Commencement ceremonies at OU also offer a number of traditional elements, including the Alma Mater Ohio, the Ceremonial Mace and more.
OU’s Alma Mater dates back to 1915, with Kenneth S. Clark, a Princeton University graduate, winning $150 for a first
prize entry.
“When e’er we take our book of mem’ries and scan its pages through and through, we’ll find no days that glow so brightly as those we spent at old O.U.,” the song reads.
OU’s Ceremonial Mace is also featured, modeled after a Cutler Hall original stairway. The mace can be seen at official ceremonies, weighing 16 pounds and cast in bronze.
The ceremony is set to last approximately two hours, with doors opening for
CAMPUS EVENTS
Social Engagement & Student Org Events
Wednesday, April 23
Amnesty International Meeting
5:00 - 6:00 pm Gordy 203
Midweek Bible Study hosted by: Encompass Campus Min.
7:00 - 9:00 pm Baker 503
Thursday, April 24
Planting Healthy Roots hosted by: Engineers Reducing Anxiety & Stress
9:00 - 5:00 pm ARC
Friday, April 25
RISE Collegiate Recovery Meeting
3:00 - 4:00 pm Baker 313
End of Year Shabbat 7:00 - 9:00 pm Chabad 33 N Court
Monday, April 28
The Encampments: Movie Screening hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine
7:00 - 9:00 pm Scripps Hall 016
Wednesday, April 30
Midweek Bible Study hosted by: Encompass Campus Min. 7:00 - 9:00 pm Baker 503
SCAN for
guests around one and a half hours prior to the start of each ceremony.
Graduates who still need to purchase regalia can do so in the Baker University Center, room 366. It will be open Friday, May 2, from 7:30-9:30 a.m. and Saturday, May 3, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
@EMTHEGEMMY ES542222@OHIO.EDU
SENIOR WEEK SENIOR WEEK
The outside of the Convocation Center, off of Richland Avenue, in Athens, 2023. (AIDEN KINGERY | FOR THE POST)
Greek life sees surge in student involvement post-pandemic
Membership in Ohio University’s sororities and fraternities has nearly doubled since 2022, helping students build community.
Student participation in Greek life at Ohio University has increased significantly since the pandemic, nearly doubling from 954 members in 2022 to 1,823 in 2024.
OU currently hosts 31 fraternities and sororities for students to join and get involved in. Chris Medrano Graham, director of Sorority and Fraternity Life, said that number may soon expand.
“We’re definitely working on bringing back two of our historically Black sororities, so Sigma Gamma Rho is coming back in the fall semester … and we’ve been in conversations with Zeta Phi Beta to bring that sorority back on campus, as well,” Medrano Graham said.
Although the Sorority and Fraternity Life offices are working to continue expansion and growth, many students have joined the various sororities and fraternities on campus.
Jack Golla, a junior studying nursing, joined ACACIA when he was a freshman. Golla said he found a second community within ACACIA’s brotherhood.
“I knew I needed to get out there and meet some new people, kind of get out of my own head, and I did, and I ended up loving it. All of the guys were super cool,” Golla said.
OU offers students the option to join in the fall or spring. The recruitment process, commonly known as “rushing,” helps prospective members explore different chapters. The experience can range from formal events to more casual gatherings.
Golla said he rushed in the spring of his freshman year and had a positive experience with the process.
“I went out to the rush events … All the brothers were there, and I got to meet them. I just loved it,” Golla said. “Here I am, and I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Golla noted that the number of people involved in ACACIA has increased in the last couple of years.
“I think when I joined, we had 40-something guys. Now we’re up to almost 70,” Golla said. “It’s getting bigger, and I love to see Greek life grow as a whole.”
Not every student joins through traditional recruitment.
Michelle Nie, a junior studying integrated social studies education, is a part of the Alpha Omicron Phi sorority and joined informally her freshman year.
Nie said she was looking for a good group of other women to help her with the adjustment from high school to college.
“I reached out to a good friend from
back home who I knew was involved in Greek life when she was in college, and she kind of helped talk me through what the informal process looks like,” Nie said.
Nie said she thinks Greek life may have expanded due to more students joining post-pandemic as well as from the influence of social media.
Medrano Graham said the growth of Greek life was an intentional effort on behalf of the Sorority and Fraternity Life offices.
“COVID, obviously, caused a lot of memberships to decline, so I worked with our grads and my team to work on rebranding for sorority and fraternity life, and give it a little bit more pep, more life, make it seem more engaging,” Medrano Graham said
Medrano Graham said through each of the office’s efforts with organizations on campus, Sorority and Fraternity Life has worked to build a community and a family.
Sophia Cianciola, a sophomore studying communications, is in Alpha Omicron Phi and joined in fall 2024.
Cianciola said she thinks involvement may have increased due to “BamaTok,” a TikTok sensation where girls rushing for sororities at the University of Alabama took viewers on their rushing journey.
“People started to want to know what that’s like or want to join one, or we’re already planning on it,” Cianciola said.
Cianciola said Greek life offers students the opportunity to find a community outside of the classroom.
“I think it offers students a way to create a community within themselves.”
Cianciola said. “It also can provide a routine for a lot of people. It’s a stability in some people’s lives.”
Medrano Graham said although some participants of Greek Life may join for the party aspects, there are four core components that make up sorority and fraternity life: scholarship, philanthropy and service, leadership development and brotherhood and sisterhood.
“They’ve been trying to exemplify those things, as well as a good wholesome balance. It takes a balance to be a good human,” Medrano Graham said. “You can definitely have fun, but you always need to take care of business. Work hard, play hard.”
Police Blotter: That’s not a toy, a flock of robbers
DREW HOFFMASTER | NEWS STAFF WRITER
11-13 Fri - Sun __________________
Actually never mind
Athens County Sheriff’s Office
deputies received a well-being check request for a person in Coolville who had been experiencing pain.
The person refused treatment from emergency medical services, so the well-being check was canceled.
Perfect day to take a walk
According to a report from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, a wellbeing check was filed for a woman with children and a dog walking on state Route 682.
The woman said to deputies she received a ride into town and did not need any further help.
Out of the street, you darn kids
A complaint for kids playing too close to the road at East First Street in The Plains was filed with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies spoke with the kids and their parents and told them about the complaint. The kids then went inside their home for the night.
No, you check first
Suspicious activity was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office at a residence located at Mill Street in Chauncey.
Once on the scene, the homeowner asked deputies to walk through their house because a door was found open. No one was located inside the house, so deputies returned to patrol.
You’ll never get through my impenetrable fort
The Hocking County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Athens County Sheriff’s Office to Haydenville Road in Haydenville with a man barricaded in a vehicle.
Deputies made contact with the barricaded man. Eventually, he was arrested without incident.
That’s not a toy
A call with an open line from Depot Street in Albany was received by the Athens Sheriff’s Office.
At the scene, deputies discovered the call came from a kid playing with the phone, and no emergency was taking place.
14 Mon__________________________
Mental health concerns
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a woman experiencing mental health concerns at Mineral Road in New Marshfield.
Deputies spoke with the female and found no emergency present. The woman decided to try to sleep.
Meal prep gone wrong
A structure fire was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office at First Street in Stewart.
Deputies and the fire department responded and discovered a small kitchen fire, which was extinguished.
15 Tue __________________________
A flock of robbers
According to a report from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, there were three suspicious individuals wearing all black and masks around the area of Washington Road and state Route 681.
Deputies patrolled the area; however, no individuals matching the description were found.
Unruly meeting behavior
Deputies responded to community members upset at a Federal Hocking School Board Meeting, according to a report from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
Once deputies arrived at the scene, the meeting continued with no problems.
16 Wed _________________________
Turn off the generator, man
A noise complaint was filed with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office for a loud sound coming from Center Street in New Marshfield.
Deputies on scene heard a loud noise being made from a generator running on a property, so they advised the owner of the complaint.
The deputies proceeded to patrol the area afterward but did not observe any criminal activity in the area.
Udder chaos
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a cow on the loose at Marshfield Road in Athens.
Deputies located the cow, but lost it when it ran into the woods. Deputies tried to contact the owner but were unsuccessful.
17 Thur _________________________
Ap’paw’hended
According to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, a report was received for a runaway dog in Chauncey.
Deputies were able to locate the dog and learned the owner was on the way to get the dog.
Just leaning
At the Peach Ridge Overpass on U.S. Route 33, people were reportedly leaning over the side of the bridge to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office. Once on the scene, the people were gone.
MARY KATE MCNAMEE | FOR THE POST
(HANNAH KIRKPARTICK | FOR THE POST)
My Morning Jacket brings superfans to Athens
honestly the best live band of this generation.”
In between visits to Arkansas and Wisconsin on its spring tour, indie rock titan My Morning Jacket stopped in Athens. Thursday night, audience members including Ohio University students, Athens residents and fans from all over the Midwest filed into the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium to see the eclectic group perform.
My Morning Jacket was preceded by Grace Cummings, an alternative singer/ songwriter from Australia. Cummings hit the stage for her opening act at 8 p.m. sharp, followed by her three-piece band. The instrumentalists shared playful gestures and looks with the singer throughout their 45-minute set, setting the tone for the dynamic of the headlining band.
The singer also performed a few solo songs, proving an aptitude for the acoustic guitar as well as the keyboard through folksy ballads and existential rock numbers. Harnessing an alto resonance in her vocal cords, Cummings’ voice is reminiscent of both Bjork and Eddie Vedder while remaining something totally original, tinged with an angered melancholia that another voice would be hard pressed to replicate. By the end of her performance, Cummings had replaced the sleeves of her cardigan with her sleeve of tattoos and swapped her acoustic guitar for an electric. She transformed into a sensual and powerful leading lady without skipping a beat or sacrificing her initial folksy image.
After sufficiently revving up the audience, Cummings ended her set and left the crowd in antsy anticipation for half an hour, growing more restless with each passing minute until a sweeping orchestration ushered the band members to the stage. Shrouded in kaleidoscopic lights and hypnotic, spiraling projections, My Morning Jacket began the performance with “Beginning from the Ending,” a track off the new album “is.”
Hearing new songs from the album was a highlight for members of the audience such as Lyndsey Fulton, a Columbus resident who travelled to Athens for her 35th My Morning Jacket Show.
“This is the first time I’ve seen them on this tour with the new album, so the songs they did from the new album just blew me away,” Fulton said.
Songs like “Beginning from the Ending” revealed a consistent balance between the five musicians. Technicians swapped out guitars of all shapes, sizes and colors from song to song, while the band proved each time that it is possible for a group to sound just as tight on stage as it does in the studio.
“When I first started listening to them, I thought their music was good, and then I went to a live show … and I was hooked,” Fulton said. “Their live show is unbelievable, I think they’re
Chris Presutti, another Columbus resident and longtime fan, enjoys witnessing the group dynamic during live shows, of which he’s seen upward of 30.
“One of the things you really like about them is they seem to be having such a good time,” he said. “It’s contagious, the joy they make.”
Presutti also believes the homecoming of the band’s keyboardist, Bo Koster, factored into the special energy of the show; Koster studied political science and economics at OU and graduated in 1996.
“Bo’s been waltzing down memory lane all day,” Jim James, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, said between songs. James, the undeniable powerhouse behind the band's energy, brought two different personas to his two roles on stage: the guitarist, a hardcore shredder with natural headbanging hair, and the vocalist, a charismatic master of nasal belting and delicate falsetto. He showed off smooth dance moves when unencumbered by his guitar, giving songs like “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1” an infectiously groovy quality.
Each song received an uproarious response from the audience, but most palpably for “Off the Record” and “One Big Holiday,” both tracks off albums released in the early 2000s. The swell in audience reactions during these early tracks is a testament to the dedicated fans who have witnessed the band's journey across decades. Along with these crowd favorites, each fan has a personal track they hope to hear at each show.
“I always like it when they play ‘Steam Engine,’ and this was probably the best arrangement that I’ve ever seen at any of the shows,” Cathleen Presutti, who travelled from Columbus with Chris, said.
In addition to this more mellow track from their repertoire, the band performed intense instrumental interludes, experimental electronic songs and jazz-inspired numbers complete with a saxophone and disco ball. The band maintained this eclectic mix with high energy throughout its two hours on stage; the duration of the concert alone justified the ticket prices, which ranged from $49-$99.
For the encore, the band featured Cummings’ chilling vocals on a cover of “Knockin' On Heaven's Door,” and included songs like “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” and “Wordless Chorus” in their final few minutes on stage, having put on an electric show that will not be the last for many audience members.
“There was something really special about it tonight … they were just emotional, energetic, just put their heart and soul into every single song, it was so much fun,” Cathleen Presutti said.
HTC, graduate students showcase culminating projects
CARLY DELUCA | SLOT EDITOR
The academic year is wrapping up, which for many seniors means reminiscing around Athens, taking graduation pictures and soaking in every moment left of college. For Honors Tutorial College students and graduate students, this is when they are presenting their theses and dissertations, projects that consumed their last year of education.
According to Ohio University, every HTC student must complete a thesis or professional project by the end of their senior year to show an original contribution in their field upon graduation. Each student chooses a faculty mentor to serve as their thesis or project advisor to help them throughout the process.
All HTC seniors have vastly different projects that help them stand out in their desired career paths. Stan Yerrick is a senior studying political science, and their thesis project was about the intersection between those working in academia and involvement in political activism, specifically in the Palestinian Solidarity Movement.
“The thesis idea came from, actually, a protest that I was helping organize last May with Students for Justice in Palestine,” Yerrick said. “And that day during the protest, I saw faculty there, and I saw my professors and other professors there, and that began my research question … What were they risking by being there? What motivated them to be there?”
Anne Mathew, a senior studying neuroscience, is also in HTC. Her
thesis analyzed data from worms and flies being sent to space to see how those organisms react to microgravity. Mathew has been intrigued with space biology since her first one-on-one tutorial class her freshman year with her faculty advisor.
“I learned a lot about astronaut cognition and how bodies change in space and how your brain changes in space, and I thought that was so fascinating,” Mathew said.
This month, HTC students have been presenting their theses to field experts who present feedback and grade the project, determining if a student can graduate. Both Yerrick and Mathew shared the fulfillment of finishing such a long project and presenting it in front of family, friends and mentors.
“I’ve been doing research since freshman year of college, so that’s been a very formative part of my college career, and being able to have one big final ending on Thursday when I present is very exciting,” Mathew said.
One main purpose of completing a thesis is to use that research in future career paths. Yerrick and Mathew will both attend graduate school after completing their undergrads, Yerrick at George Washington University and Mathew at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I definitely want to bring the stories I’ve learned into these new spaces that I’ll be entering with my master’s program,” Yerrick said. “And I hope to bring that humility that the scholars I interviewed possess into my research and not give up my own activist endeavors for the sake of objectivity.”
Not only do HTC undergrads present theses at the end of their senior years, but graduate students present master’s theses at the end of their respective programs.
Chris Guder is the subject librarian for education and the head of learning services at OU, and he is on the mentoring side of theses and dissertations. Guder assists master’s and PhD students with their projects’ literature review sections to ensure they can effectively build their arguments.
Guder has also sat on five dissertation committees and shared how rewarding it is to learn from those students and provide research help.
“You’re interacting with someone’s huge point in their life, and it’s this product that they’ve spent a lot of time getting ready for with their previous education,” Guder said. “I think it’s really rewarding to be able to be a resource for them.
HTC and graduate students are all finishing up their education and presenting original research; to friends, family, professors, faculty advisors and the students themselves, this fulfilling experience will showcase the years of dedication and perseverance from fellow students.
@CARLYDELUCAA CD057322@OHIO.EDU
Ivy Posey reimagines Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’
Senior Ivy Laine Posey tells a powerful story about gender identity in her thesis play.
SOPHIA
ANNESS | ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
“Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus” is a classic story by English novelist Mary Shelley about Victor Frankenstein’s creation and the consequences of his invention. Now, Ivy Laine Posey, a senior studying acting through the Honors Tutorial College, developed a play adaptation of the classic gothic novel, “Victor Built a Body; or, the Modern Modern Prometheus.”
Growing up in New Albany, Posey stumbled onto acting as all of her friends were doing it. After developing a passion for the arts, she realized acting and playwriting were something she wanted to explore during college.
“I wrote my first full-length play in my sophomore year,” Posey said. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is it. This is what I love to do.’ … I like acting a lot. I love it. But there’s nothing quite like the fulfillment that writing and directing give me.”
The show took place from April 17-19 and was free for anyone who wanted to see Posey’s thesis project come to life.
“Victor Built a Body” is a powerful story about transgender identities and coming to accept oneself. The play follows Victor Frankenstein, a college student trying to find a way to be comfortable in his skin, and he believes the only way to do this is to use a body that
is not his own.
“That desire to make something perfect and being so loathsome of yourself for not being able to attain that perfection in what you made as an artist,” Posey said. “That’s how I came to relate to Victor, and everything else sprang forward.”
Posey came up with the idea for “Victor Built a Body” after engaging with the original literature. She saw a larger story and found a way to relate it to transgender experiences and create a narrative that tells of body dysphoria and “trans angst.”
For the last year and a half, Posey worked on developing this story for her thesis project alongside her advisor, Ellie Clark. The process consisted of many revisions to the script and a long, tedious casting process.
“I wrote over the course of a summer, essentially,” Posey said. “I wrote half a draft, but thought, ‘This is horrible’ and started over. Then, I wrote a second draft, and then I did a reading with some of my friends in the acting program and wrote another draft. Then I cast the show in November 2024 and did a reading with them. Then I did final drafts after that.”
Posey said she even learned a lot
from the people she cast, explaining that there were times the cast knew their characters better than she did.
“I cast people who I knew understood the characters as well and better than I did,” Posey said. “That was really like what I looked for, people who had really strong presences, who could improvise together and who could draw themes from the characters, the books and the text. The cast came very naturally from that.”
Atlas Nielsen, a freshman studying acting and classical civilizations, discovered the show after Posey was the TA for a class they took. After hearing Posey explain what the show was about, they knew they had to take the opportunity to audition.
“We did a full reading, like a table read of all the scenes at one of the first rehearsals,” said Nielsen. “It was really fun because you could genuinely see how people were already working off of each other and reacting to each other.”
Being the youngest in the cast, Nielsen was nervous about how they would interact with students who were further along in their education. However, they quickly learned that would not be an issue.
“It was me trying to put myself out there and make new inside jokes
between these people, and it worked,” Nielsen said. “I have genuine friends who are in different grades than me, and it was so beautiful.”
Molly Nixon, a sophomore studying acting, was more nervous than usual before auditioning for the show, as she had heard about how amazing Posey is to work with. Going into the audition room, she was met with a unique auditioning experience.
“What surprised me is that usually you walk in, do your monologue and leave,” Nixon said. “She had me stay there, and she worked with me, gave me notes and saw how I applied them. So she was testing how I take direction, and I also got to see what working with her would be like.”
Beyond college, Posey hopes to end up in various cities across the world. She is getting her Master’s in Literature in Scotland and hopes to travel after that.
The tight-knit cast and Posey’s personal direction and writing made “Victor Built a Body” a special show. Its powerful message will stay with audiences long after watching.
Honors Tutorial College house, Ohio University, Athens, Nov. 5, 2024. (TALITHA MALLOY | FOR THE POST)
Miami sweep proved Ohio to be the best in the MAC
A huge sweep against Miami comes at the right time before the season ends.
CHARLIE FADEL | SPORTS STAFF WRITER
Heading into this weekend’s Battle of the Bricks matchup, the stakes were high as Ohio (31-12 overall, 14-4 Mid-American Conference) was set to face off against its bitter rivals in Miami (26-22 overall, 15-7 MAC) in what has been one of the best rivalries in the conference.
Adding in the fact whoever won the series was going to be the leader in the conference standings, as well as it being Ohio’s senior day on Saturday, the rivalry, which was already highly anticipated, got a boost in importance.
After a brutal non-conference schedule for the RedHawks, which included a slew of Big 10 and SEC opponents that tanked their overall record, they started out blazing hot in MAC play, winning their first nine games against MAC opponents.
That hot start to MAC play put Miami firmly in the top spot of the conference standings, blocking Ohio from the top spot after hiccups against Northern Illinois and Akron. Ohio’s non-conference schedule was much lighter, and it claimed the overall best record in the MAC, just not the best record in MAC play.
That changed starting Friday, after Ohio picked up two wins in the Friday doubleheader, with each game playing out as a pitchers’ duel as two of the best pitchers in the MAC in Miami’s Madilyn Reeves and Ohio’s Skipp Miller, faced off.
Miller ended up getting the better of Miami’s lineup, throwing a complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts and just five hits. The only mistake Reeves made was giving up a two-run homer to Maddie Wilcox in the third inning, which were the only runs scored in the game, as it ended 2-0.
The following game was another pitchers’ duel, this time between Miami’s Lea Chevrier and Ohio’s Anna Wise, with Ohio again coming out on top by a score of 3-1.
Miami struck first this time with an
RBI single in the fifth, bringing home an unearned run, which was the only one for Miami with Wise on the mound. Wise finished her day with a complete game, only giving up one run while striking out six and giving up five hits.
Later in the fifth, Brenna Farmer delivered a two-run shot for the Bobcats, and in the next inning, Shelby Westler knocked through an RBI double to give Ohio an insurance run to seal a close win.
The Saturday game was full-on madness, featuring a walk-off in the seventh inning to secure Ohio’s senior day win.
The Bobcats led by as much as five in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run home run from Shelby Westler, RBIs from Brenna Farmer and Abby Kennelly, and a wild pitch scored Belle Hummell in the fourth. Miami scored six runs in two innings and stormed back to take a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning.
Ohio’s clutch player of the day was senior outfielder CiCi Keidel, who scored both RBIs to tie the game in the sixth and win the game in the bottom of the seventh, completing the sweep.
Any sweep is huge in softball, but this sweep of Ohio’s rivals feels more important. Ohio won the first two, coming out on top in pitchers duels, and the final game with a late comeback in the seventh inning. This series showed Ohio can beat the best teams in the conference in many different ways.
With a big stretch of games coming up against Ohio State and MAC contenders Central Michigan and Ball State, a series sweep of this magnitude can inspire tons of confidence moving forward at a key time where the Bobcats will play some big MAC games to end the season before hopefully heading to Akron to compete for a MAC title.
@CHARLIEFADEL CF111322@OHIO.EDU
Ohio outfielder Belle Hummel (22) bats against Miami at the Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 18, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
Ohio catcher Jordyn Wycuff (3) gloves the ball against Miami at the Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 18, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
Football: Spring game provides look into 2025 season
Ohio hosted fans in Peden Stadium for one final event of the 2024-25 academic year before kicking off next season this fall with the annual Spring Football game.
ROBERT KEEGAN III | SPORTS EDITOR
For the final time in the 2024-25 academic year, Ohio took the field at Peden Stadium. Though games throughout the season have featured historic wins, record-breaking numbers and teeth-clenching moments, Saturday’s Spring Football Game was on the more lighthearted side of things.
In what has become a dying tradition in college football, new Ohio coach Brian Smith decided to use the Spring Game as an opportunity for his athletes to compete and allow fans in the area to come and watch.
Although the scrimmage between Ohio players was at the forefront of the event, Ohio also treated the event as a way to celebrate a historic season in 2024 that included the team’s first Mid-American Conference Championship since 1968.
Fans stuffed the lower bowl of Peden Stadium as Ohio took part in a more advanced style of practice. The most action came toward the end of the practice when Ohio ran seven-on-seven with a roster featuring a few of the athletes who could become standouts on next year’s team.
“You’re always just trying to get better, develop your depth and establish what your culture is going to be for the next year,” Smith said. “A lot of those things we were able to get done this spring.”
Among the most attention-grabbing plays of the day was Anas Luqman’s interception. Luqman, a transfer defensive lineman out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, made a spectacular read on a speed-option intercepting a Nick Poulos pass before returning it for a touchdown.
Luqman was one of a few transfers and freshmen who stood out during play Saturday. Incoming freshman running back Mike Taylor Jr., who arrived on campus a semester early to join the team for spring practice, was given a couple of handoffs that resulted in positive yardage.
Defensive lineman Walter Bob Jr. was at the
center of another exciting play, where he forced and recovered a fumble. Bob, along with Luqman, is playing for the right to start on a defensive line that will look completely different in 2025. With each making an exciting play during the Spring Game, fans have reason to be optimistic for a position group that will enter 2025 with a lot of unknowns.
“We have really good coaches that are great teachers, so I’m very confident in our ability to get guys ready to play fast, which is what we’ve done these past few years,” Smith said.
It isn’t just the defensive line that will have to answer questions going into 2025; the Ohio linebacker room has also been hit hard. In the spring transfer portal window, Ohio lost starting linebackers Shay Taylor and Kadin Schmitz after already losing Blake Leake to graduation.
Key participants at the linebacker position during spring practice included juniors Michael Molnar and Jack Fries, as well as freshman Charlie Christopher. It’s unclear what role Christopher will play, but he seems like a good candidate to be a significant member of the defense.
Among the best on the field for the Ohio defense were defensive backs Michael Mack, Tank Pearson and Jalen Thomeson. Although there are some holes to be filled on the Ohio defense, the defensive backs have proved to be one of the deepest parts of the team.
“I think our guys are getting a good understanding of how to move within our schemes and how hard we want them to play, and that creates some disruption for us,” Smith said.
Similarly to the defensive backs, Ohio proved its depth at the wide receiver position with a handful of guys looking like potential options to catch passes in 2025. Senior Eamonn Dennis displayed his elite speed during practice while players such as Eian Pugh, Chase Hendricks, Rodney Harris and Caleb Gossett further proved what they’re capable
of at the receiver position.
Though Ohio was able to put some of its best players on the field in front of a crowd of die-hard Bobcat fans, a few key contributors were noticeably absent from the field of play. Sieh Bangurra, who recently returned to Ohio after a brief stint in the Big 10, was unable to play in the game, which gave backup running backs such as Taylor and Duncan Brune prime opportunities to prove themselves to both coaches and fans.
Perhaps the most exciting returner in all of the MAC, senior quarterback Parker Navarro, was also unable to play, giving both Nick Poulos and Mathew Papas a similar opportunity to impress. Poulos, who was Ohio’s primary backup in 2024, took most of the snaps while Papas was sprinkled in every couple plays.
Following the end of practice, fans were given even more opportunities to interact with players and key figures in the program. Fans were welcomed onto the field for a chance to meet players and take pictures with the two trophies that Ohio won in 2024.
“I think there was an unknown of how many were going to come, because it’s Easter weekend,” Smith said. “I think with that being said, I was very pleased with the amount of people that were here. The energy that was here is a reflection of the players in the program. There’s a lot of respect for what our players have done and the energy that they play with.”
The overall Spring Football event came to an end with an egg hunt in Walter Fieldhouse that both children and players participated in.
With the Spring Football Game, Ohio said goodbye to what was an incredible 2024 season and provided a preview of what fans are hoping will be an equally exciting 2025.
Ohio players line up with the ball during the Bobcats’ game against Buffalo, Oct. 26, 2024. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
Bobcats have worst weekend in MAC against Kent State
Ohio tallies just 11 runs over three games, giving up 12 or more in each one.
Week after week, Ohio (9-29, 4-14 Mid-American Conference) is stacking up losses. It hasn’t won a series since its home opening weekend against Butler at the start of March; now, closing out April, this streak continued with a sweep against Kent State (24-13, 14-4 MAC).
GAME ONE
The Bobcats recorded just four hits in their opening loss to the Flashes, succumbing in seven innings, 14-3. Ohio started with three scoreless offensive innings while Kent State went up 2-0 early with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the first.
The defense, led by freshman pitcher Hunter Winston, held it down in the second before conceding one of its more explosive innings in the third, in which the Flashes scored 8 runs to take a 10-0 lead.
Half of those 8 third-inning runs were awarded to Winston, as he allowed four of his six batters to reach base before being relieved by redshirt junior Dylan Eggl. Eggl didn’t have much success cleaning up the situation, despite coming in with two outs. He allowed each of Winston’s baserunners to score before adding 4 more runs to the Golden Flashes’ tally.
Eight of the nine Kent State batters who stepped up to the plate recorded a hit against Ohio’s pitching staff, led by sophomore outfielder Alejandro Covas with three hits and 4 RBIs. A 2-run ho-
mer from fifth-year third baseman Nick Dolan got Ohio on the board in the top of the fourth, but the damage was done as the innings wound down
GAME TWO
Ohio recorded its second seven-inning outing in a row Saturday afternoon, as Kent State increased its margin of victory by 1 run, coming out on top 14-2.
Senior pitcher Blake Gaskey moved from being the Friday to the Saturday starter in the absence of senior Dillon Masters, and gave up 9 runs in his six innings of play, with his offense only being able to bring in 2 of its own.
Through four innings, Kent State held a 4-0 lead, scoring on small-ball plays forced and unforced. Its opening run was a hit-by-pitch to score with the bases loaded, with the most explosive play being a fourth-inning single-run home run.
On the other side, Ohio struggled to do much of anything. Ohio’s top-ofthe-lineup pairing of freshman infielder Matt Ineich and sophomore outfielder Ben Slanker struggled to make much of their plate appearances until Slanker’s third at-bat in the top of the fifth went out of the park, finally scoring for Ohio.
That was answered, however, by Kent State’s most explosive innings. The Golden Flashes scored 5 runs in the fifth and sixth, locking up the 10-run lead necessary to end the game early, taking a 2-0 series lead into Sunday’s game.
GAME THREE
Ohio kept it closer in the closeout game of the weekend, going the full nine innings for the first time in its 12-6 loss. The offense was better, notching 11 hits, but it didn’t result in runs as the Bobcats went scoreless in six of those nine innings.
Starting on the mound was senior righty Hudson Boncal, who, like Gaskey, allowed 9 runs. Ohio struck first blood for the first time in the series, with a bunt from sophomore infielder Trae Cassidy to score Slanker, only for Ohio to be popped up on its next at-bat.
A 3-run homer from freshman des-
ignated hitter Sawyer Solitaria brought the Flashes right back in front, never relenting its lead from that point. After a single Kent State run marked the only score of the second, Ohio’s defense conceded another 3-run inning in the third, making it a 7-1 deficit. Finding itself down 11-2 entering the eighth, Ohio showed life, scoring 4 runs in the top of the second-to-last inning before going scoreless in the ninth, ending the series on the wrong end of a sweep.
LOGAN ADAMS | SPORTS EDITOR
Senior pitcher Hudson Boncal winds up to pitch in Bob Wren Stadium, April 12, 2025. (JACKSON MCCOY | COPY CHIEF)
Catcher Jackson Cauthron during the Bobcats game against VMI, April 11, 2025. The Bobcats beat VMI 8-5, in Bob Wren Stadium. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
MAC is only getting better, Ohio lags behind
While other MAC schools fly the flag week-after-week, Ohio seems to be getting worse.
Ohio’s 0-3 weekend against Kent State cemented in the standings what had been shown all year: this is the worst team in the Mid-American Conference. If not convincingly, the 4-14 record the Bobcats currently hold is tied for the bottom spot in the conference.
Meanwhile, across the MAC, Ohio’s contemporaries are earning the right to Fly the Flag, referring to when a MAC team upsets a High-Major team, at a seemingly more common rate than ever.
Even Northern Illinois, which holds the tie with Ohio for last place in the conference, was able to Fly the Flag. Last week, in a game against Big Ten program Northwestern, Northern Illinois scored a program-high 27 runs in the upset victory.
About two weeks ago, Ohio’s vanquishers from this past weekend, Kent State, went into Columbus for an 8-3 victory over Ohio State. Two weeks before, Eastern Michigan did the same in Ann Arbor, taking a 9-8 victory over Michigan.
While the rest of the MAC is proving the conference as one of the best in Mid-Major baseball, Ohio has struggled to prove itself capable of winning a series. Ohio’s home-opening weekend against Butler was the last time it was able to do so, just three weeks into the 2025 season.
Looking at the offensive numbers, it’s difficult to gauge why Ohio is so bad. The Bobcats possess the conference’s leader in home runs in sophomore outfielder Ben Slanker, who also ranks second in RBIs and first in slugging percentage. Ahead of him in Ohio’s lineup is freshman shortstop Matt Ineich, ranking third in batting average and hits.
Ohio’s offense is undoubtedly one of the most explosive in the MAC, ranking third in home runs. However, when it comes to finding consistent, small-ball scores, Ohio has struggled, ranking eighth in total runs scored.
Although Ohio’s offense, especially towards the top, has been incredible, the team’s opponents outmatch them in every regard. The Bobcats’ batting average of .293, ranking fifth in the MAC, looks much less impressive compared to the .316 average their opponents have tallied against them.
Pitching has been a major issue for Ohio. The season-ending injury senior pitcher Dillon Masters sustained at the end of March was a hit to the team’s depth, forcing Ohio coach Craig Moore to shift around his typical rotation of starters.
Ohio has been without the help of 2025 Brooks Wallace Award Watchlist selectee in sophomore shortstop JR Nelson since the end of March, going out in the same game Ohio lost Masters. Although it has allowed Ineich to slide over to his more natural position, from second base to shortstop, Ohio has been left with holes to plug in other spots.
Most notably, Ohio has yet to answer the question of who plays first base. The most common answer has been sophomore Trae Cassidy, but with the defensive utility he brings to his natural position at catcher, it’s a give-and-take for Moore.
On the other side of the diamond, fifth-year third baseman Nick Dolan has been out of form, lacking the shutout glove he had last season. Dolan’s 13 errors lead the team, seeing a rise in misses and a drop in his overall fielding percentage in 2025.
The most consistently returning issue for Ohio, however, has come in the bullpen. The Bobcats’ opening series of MAC play against the Falcons of Bowling Green was a sign of things to come. Ohio held a lead or a tie through seven innings in all three games, before blowing up in the eighth in every game to start MAC play 0-3.
All these factors have contributed to a more discouraging product every time the Bobcats take the field. In the most recent series against Kent State, Ohio was outscored 40-11, only going the full nine innings in the third and final game.
With the persisting issues, uncomfortable conversations will need to be had as the offseason nears. With a month left, Ohio’s dug itself into a hole so deep its chances of doing more than watching come time for the MAC Tournament are all but certain.
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Rising cost of entertainment goods impacts OU
Concert tickets, books, video games and even beer have gone up in price. Director of OU’s performing arts and concert series, Andrew Holzaepfel, discusses the rising prices.
“College is the best time of your life,” has been uttered by every alumni, parent and older person since, what seems to be, the beginning of time. Yet, the best experiences often require a monetary exchange. With the rising costs of entertainment goods, can college students truly have the best time of their lives?
Entertainment comes at a price. Every purchase is a splurge, every exchange is calculated and many college students hesitate to spend on anything not a necessity.
Hardcover books prices have increased 7.7% since 2018. In the same time, average concert ticket prices have gone up by 34%. Video game prices, including consoles, are expected to rise dramatically as a result of President Trump’s tariffs.
The Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium is a hub of entertainment in Athens, for both community and college students. Unfortunately, Ohio University’s largest auditorium has been hit by the price surge.
Andrew Holzaepfel has been the executive director of the OHIO Performing Arts & Concert Series for 14 years. He manages around 65 public performances and about 80 outreach activities a year, most which take place in MemAud. He has seen the rise of entertainment costs first hand.
“I've been doing this for about 26 years, and I do agree that the costs have gone up … It was a steady climb over those years, but then our favorite COVID hits and seemed to accelerate
everything greatly,” Holzaepfel said. Inflation surged in summer of 2021, reaching a record high of 9.1% in June 2022. Holzaepfel suggested the increase in concert prices were a result of supply chain issues, which made acquiring equipment significantly more difficult. Many consumer goods remain at higher prices than before the pandemic, even with inflation rates considered.
“As artists charge more and as our expenses to produce a show go up and up, we have to figure out a ticket pricing model that can cover those expenses,” Holzaepfel said. “So we have probably seen our ticket prices rise since six years ago, for sure. The flip side is we are very sensitive, and we always want to have a very affordable ticket for both our students and the Southeast Ohio Appalachian region.”
To keep entertainment accessible, Holzaepfel and his team look at the situation from an all encompassing view, and consider each show’s role in the overall budget.
“A quartet or a classical group or a dance company, you can't necessarily charge the ticket price that it costs to bring those acts together…a country show might have a positive income, and that might help supplement a visiting artist that we're putting with our School of Music students,” he said. “It's an ecosystem that plays together.”
Lower costs for lesser known performers also increases awareness and potentially brings new audiences to the venue. Well-known artists typically cost more and require certain ticket prices at their shows.
My Morning Jacket performed at the
MemAud April 17. Tickets near the front averaged $105, while tickets on the balcony went for $55, not including fees. Holzaepfel said the cost disparity is an intentional choice to increase attendance likelihood.
“I always err on having a more expensive first 10 row seats so that I can provide a cheap seat somewhere in the space for a student or community member who might not be able to afford that higher price ticket,” Holzaepfel said.
The annual median income in Athens is $33,524, while the annual cost of living is estimated at around $38,880 for a family and $29,200 for a single person. For the average Athens resident, very little disposable income is left behind for entertainment and is likely used on more pressing expenses.
Although the exact divide is unclear, a large majority of Athens’ population is a result of college students, many of whom are reluctant or unable to spend their extra cash on entertainment.
Many individuals come from outside of Athens to attend these shows, whether they be nearby community members, visitors or relatives of students. OU’s sprawling hub of entertainment
“I certainly imagine that the prices will always be barriers for people, and that will always hurt my heart, because for us, if we could provide all this for free, we would, but there's expenses no matter what,” Holzaepfel said.
ALEXANDRA HOPKINS FOR THE POST
The outside of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, April 17, 2025, in Athens. (MEGAN VANVLACK | PHOTO EDITOR)
Coachella takes stage as its popularity is questioned
CATALINA LITTS | FOR THE POST
Coachella 2025 ended April 20, with impressive headliners such as Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone. Since 1999, the music festival has captivated audiences with its memorable performances, eclectic fashion scene and bohemian vibe.
Though known for being one of the biggest music festivals in the United States, some people are beginning to wonder if Coachella has lost the plot. With ticket prices skyrocketing, questionable fashion choices being made and a lack of crowd enthusiasm, recently the energy at Coachella has felt off to many.
In an effort to understand if Coachella is still as big as it once was, students offered their insights. Most of their concerns about the music festival declining in popularity is centered around celebrity privilege and fashion.
“It’s kind of turned into a privilege party,” Vivian Dennis, a sophomore studying psychology and sociology said.
Dennis said she feels as though Coachcella has turned into a “high society.”
She commented on how the basic human needs of the general public are not being accounted for.
“I saw the videos about the communal showers and I was like, dare I say, this is worse than a campus dormitory shower,” Dennis said.
Furthermore, in relation to the celebrity privilege being amplified this year, the term “influencer olympics” is a new way of describing Coachella. The term refers to how Coachella has become a competitive event for influencers to flaunt their fame and receive clout.
Haley Henighan, a junior studying fashion retail merchandising, said the music festival has turned into a symbol of status.
“It's not like we can just go to the Met Gala, it is more for people that are on that higher level,” Henighan said.
Dennis shared a similar opinion.
“It doesn't feel like it's something that the general public can access anymore,”
Dennis said.
Audiences are beginning to see Coachella as an exclusive event because of the excessive amount of influencers they see going.
Kelly Prim, a junior studying commercial photography, said she doesn't think students care for the music festival at all.
“A lot of people that I have talked to here at OU, like my friends and stuff, don't really care,” Prim said.
Dennis had a similar reaction.
“I didn't realize that Coachella was happening until it started,” she said.
Although celebrity privilege is contributing to a lack of enthusiasm towards the music festival, many are also questioning the fashion scene lately. Known for being one the most notable fashion events of the year, Coachella has always upheld an image for showcasing eclectic outfits.
In the past, Coachella was known for its bohemian vibe. However, the fashion has evolved alongside the music festival.
“I think the influencers who are wearing that type of edgy style are definitely trying to express a different type of Coachella,” Hanighan said. “They are try-
ing to revolutionize it into more of 2025 instead of 2015.”
Dennis offered a different perspective.
“People are so angry and so eager to cancel someone,” Dennis said, referring to TikToker Carter Kench.
Dennis expressed how the backlash Kench faced for dressing up as a telephone to see Gaga instead of dressing according to the festival theme was uncalled for.
Although there are mixed opinions on the evolution of fashion at Coachella, the music festival remains a bucket list experience for many. The festival’s reputation of being one of the best music festivals in the nation continues to draw crowds every year.
“I love (Coachella) so much, like it's literally on my bucket list of something I want to do,” Prim said.
Hanighan said the desire to go to Coachella was like a major sports event.
“It's like the Masters golf tournament,” Hanighan said. “Everyone who likes golf and stuff, if they have the opportunity to go, they are going to go, because it's just such a monumental thing.”
Every year, there seems to be more controversy surrounding Coachella. The celebrity privilege and fashion scene are causing audiences to question if the music festival upholds the same image it once did.
Regardless, people continue to flock to Coachella because of its cultural significance.
“It lowkey is modern day Woodstock,” Dennis said. “Who knows, maybe in the future Taylor Swift will play Coachella, and people will set fire to it.”
Coachella sustainability falls flat without audience participation
Coachella’s sustainability efforts are making a difference, but require attendees to stay green.
The desert is a wasteland, literally. Every year, thousands of attendees file into the Colorado Desert to see their favorite artists perform at one of the biggest mu-
of nowhere, far from civilization. The festival is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, surrounded by country clubs and resorts. Manicured grass fields cover the event space, water is free (if you bring an empty, plastic bottle) and shuttles run throughout the valley (for a $140 fee).
This year, the festival welcomed about 125,000 people each day, as well as dozens of celebrities and influencers. Over 100 artists performed on six stages over two weekends.
With this many concert-goers flooding into the desert, they must leave something behind.
Concerns of the festival’s environmental impact are at an all time high. Massive Attack turned down a performance at Coachella, citing concerns for the festival’s environmental impact. Numerous studies list the staggering numbers of waste and emissions caused by attendees every year.
However, the festival does implement a sustainability plan, which attempts to mitigate the environmental impact. Included in this plan is “Carpoochella,” which encourages attendees to drive with four or more friends to the festival and
decorate the car for a chance to win a prize, such as VIP for life, backstage passes and merchandise vouchers.
The festival also mitigates food waste by donating, composting or recycling leftovers. The grass is watered by non-potable water and a “comprehensive waste diversion strategy” attempts to limit waste.
However, despite the festival’s extensive sustainability efforts, outside influences remain uncontrollable.
Every year, Coachella generates around 1,600 tons of waste, of which, only about 20% is recycled. It would take 1,777 people a year to produce this much waste.
Apart from the music, Coachella may be best known for its campy, eccentric outfits, most of which are only worn once and then forgotten or trashed. Fast fashion is the unfavorable reality of festivals.
A 2019 study estimates that, every year, 7.5 million outfits are worn for music festivals and then never used again. These single-use fits cost around $307 million and many are thrown in the trash, never to be seen again.
Greenhouse gas emissions for transportation to the festival are 1,181,864.50 kg CO2e, equivalent to the emissions of
“251 average passenger vehicles driven for one year,” according to a 2020 study. When it’s not festival season, Coachella Valley is home to over 40,000 residents. The community, largely Mexican American, are subjected to “some of the nation’s unhealthiest concentrations of a pollutant known as PM10 — particles of dust small enough to inhale,” according to CalMatters.
Days before the second weekend of the festival this year, an air quality warning was issued for Coachella Valley. The warning was later extended to Saturday at midnight. At risk attendees were encouraged to seek shelter and everyone was advised to avoid pollution-causing activities, including driving cars. Although the festival itself causes a myriad of environmental harms, the region’s environmental issues are exacerbated by human activity. To truly reach its sustainability goals, Coachella must encourage attendees to be green or stay out of the desert.
(MIA PISHOTTI | ART DIRECTOR)
ALEXANDRA HOPKINS FOR THE POST
‘Sinners’ revitalizes Southern gothic horror genre
ALEXANDRA HOPKINS FOR THE POST
“Sinners” (2025) highlights the stark reality of all who have lost their identity and their land. Set in the Mississippi Delta in 1932, historical realism takes a dark turn into supernatural horror as tales passed down generations come to life.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, known for “Black Panther” (2018) and “Creed” (2015), “Sinners” brings new life to the horror genre and vampire narratives through a southern gothic lens.
Michael B. Jordan stars as the Moore twins, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack,” who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, after years in Chicago. They purchase an old saw mill in hopes of turning it into a juke joint, a place for blues-music, dancing and drinking. Alongside their cousin Sammie "Preacher Boy" Moore, a debut performance by R&B singer Miles Caton, they gather old friends and former lovers for an opening night that descends into a Bram Stoker novel.
One scene, a hypnotic blend of young and old blues, captures the power of music as a cry to the ancestors and of shared memories and history. It is undeniably incredible. Music brings both life and death to the forefront, keeping people together as well as tearing them apart.
Stories of love play out in a kind of musical elegy, which strings audiences along on the three Moore’s mirroring love stories. Long-standing history, old love and new passion dive deeper in the movie’s main core: the power of music and the want for freedom that brings people together.
“Sinners” leans into the traditional portrayal of vam-
pires, reminiscent of classic, southern folklore instead of the glittering creatures of today’s zeitgeist. It comes as a breath of fresh air after years of flat, almost boring, caricatures of the classic monster. These vampires are terrifying because they seem possible, and also come with some bone chilling visual effects.
Coogler doesn’t stop at reimagining the monsters, he digs deep into the history of systems that made them. The inclusion of Native American, Asian American, African American and Irish American stories weave together a story of displacement and struggle. In “Sinners,” supernatural evil and folktales mirror historical trauma.
In “Sinners,” music is a tool, a motive and a death sentence, and simultaneously tells the story of life and suffering.
The characters are well written, fleshed out and are perfectly fit for the world they’ve been thrust into.
“Sinners” amends the biggest flaw of nearly every horror movie, the main characters are rational. Their decisions are based in reality and outbursts are pragmatic instead of impractical. Steeped in realism, their decisions are relatable and reflect the personalities the viewer has just begun to learn.
The story didn’t rely on gore or cheap jumpscares to scare the wits out of its audiences, instead relying on tension and unrelenting dread.
Coogler’s movie reminds audiences embracing the old, and the classic, can still produce something entirely new, while simultaneously hypnotizing audiences into a blood-thirsty story. In “Sinners,” Coogler boldly reclaims the vampire genre without putting on the breaks.
@AHOPKINS909 AH875121@OHIO.EDU
Paparazzi work is challenging, controversial
ASHLEY POMPLAS | FOR THE POST
Everyone knows those photographers who are present everywhere. From red carpet events to the streets to
ty routines and habits. Most people who work for the paparazzi often freelance, relying on the sales of their photos to magazines, websites and newspapers to make money. The job can involve significant expenses with low pay but comes with the potential for higher earnings
job is being overly prepared. One has to carry not only a camera, but also things like lenses, batteries and any other equipment that might be needed depending on how long a paparazzo camps in a location. To acquire the greatest image, paparazzi also need to be incredibly skilled with a camera, knowing the settings, perspectives and strategies to snap the perfect shot.
Paparazzi work more on the freelancing side, so it can be hard to make an income with the line of work. The lucky ones are able to take lots of photos of various celebrities, and can make a living doing the job. For others, it can be challenging to be successful in this position. One of the parts to consider when freelancing in this business is it can be lonely due to the nature of the job and the often isolated work environment.
The biggest thing to consider when working for the paparazzi is how to remain ethical and follow the laws. Many laws go into being with the paparazzi. There are specific rules they must follow when being part of the paparazzi, and Ohio has laws set in place.
In Ohio, the paparazzi activity is regulated by laws protecting individual privacy, specifically concerning the dissemination of images and the recording of conversations. According to Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, disseminate means to post, distribute, or publish on a computer device, computer network, website or other electronic device or medium of communication.
Some of the laws in Ohio include sections particularly speaking on trespassing and secretly filming or photographing another person. Generally, the paparazzi have the right to photograph in public spaces in Ohio, but they must avoid harassing or stalking. They cannot take photos of private property without the owner's consent, except for areas in the public domain.
According to Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, violating some of these laws can lead to a misdemeanor of the first, second or third degree and can even lead to a felony of the fifth degree.
Although working for the paparazzi can be a blend of exciting opportunities, it is full of its own challenges. It is a competitive field that follows celebrities, which can be both exhilarating and stressful. Some individuals have found it rewarding and engaging, but it is also important to remember the high level of competition and challenges that can come with the job.
Cuestiones con Cruz: What comes next?
ALYSSA CRUZ | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Graduation comes with a lot of emotions. There are feelings of joy, relief, sadness and certainly stress. For me in particular, there has been an overarching sense of disbelief: how is this all over?
I can truly say I have loved college. The people I’ve met, the experience I’ve had and the lessons I have learned have truly blown all my expectations out of the park. Coming into Ohio University, I thought I had a good grasp of who I was and what I wanted to do, but I’m leaving campus with an even clearer vision. Since coming into college, I have been to eight different countries, and lived in two of them for a summer. I have completed a dream internship in New York City. I have served as editor-in-chief of The Post. I have earned two bachelor’s degrees.
I say all these things not to recite my résumé, but rather to reflect on my time here. How I feel as a person surpasses these accomplishments. I have met dozens of people who have changed my life. The friends I have made here have taught me what it means to be loved wholly and fully for your true self. One of my mantras is “Who is going to love you when you don’t even love yourself?” I’m a big proponent of knowing yourself fully and truly, and a way to do that is to make sure you like the person who looks at you in the mirror. The best way to do that is by surrounding yourself with people who love and care for you. If you can’t see your best qualities reflected in those who surround you, you are investing your time in the wrong people.
I carry a deep love for the people of this university, and I will always be grateful for the ways they’ve shaped me. I may not remember every detail of media law, but I’ll never forget how Dr. D. made me feel—special, seen and inspired. I’ll remember Mark Turner for his sharp humor and quiet wisdom. I’ll remember Dr. Suddes for his deep knowledge and his uncanny ability to make you feel like you’ve just received the best compliment in the world. I’ll remember Dr. Debatin for his thoughtful nature and a moral compass so strong, it makes you reflect on your own. And I’ll remember Nerissa Young and Bill Reader for always making me laugh—and for never being afraid to speak their minds.
Thank you to Greg Moeller and Jenna Lehr for letting me bother you in your offices and making work fun. Thank you to Andrea Lewis for providing guidance and tough love when needed. Thank you, Beth Novak, for never failing to brighten my day. Thank you to Drs. Hippolyte and Delgado for sharing your passions with me– who knew I cared about Spanish
art? The list could go on and on, but the main takeaway is that OU is home to some true gems. It is not the bricks or the traditions that make it feel like home, it is the people. I could have gone to college anywhere, but these people are only here.
I have learned to grow from both the good and the bad, the dark and the light. Yes, I’m leaving with a full résumé, but I’m leaving with a fuller heart. To feel truly known is a privilege, and it’s something I will never take for granted.
Looking forward, I am ready for the change. I have loved my time here, but I know it is coming to a natural end. I have grown up and grown out of college, and I know I have no choice but to start discovering the new me.
This has been an excellent time in my life, but I refuse to subscribe to the notion that this was the best time of my life. More memories are going to be made, more fun to be had. There is a saying in Spanish that has stuck with me. My dad would always say it to my sister and me when he finished reading a book aloud: “Colorín, colorado, este cuento se ha acabado.” This chapter has ended, but a new one is just beginning.
Alyssa Cruz is a senior studying journalism and Spanish at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Alyssa by tweeting her at @alyssadanccruz.
Madalyn’s Message: Start saying ‘yes’ more
MADALYN BLAIR | MANAGING EDITOR
When the clock struck midnight and marked a new year, I knew 2025 would be my year of yes.
Bestselling author and ABC executive producer Shonda Rhimes’ book “Year of Yes” inspired me to seek out new opportunities for personal growth and follow the possibilities that come my way from saying a simple “yes.”
“It’s about saying ‘yes’ to things that scare you or challenge you – and to things that may seem entirely random –to contribute to your wholeness.”
I’d consider myself a very nostalgic person, and I focus too much on past happy memories. I realized in the last few years I was subconsciously limiting myself. It could’ve been that I was limiting myself from having fun, gaining new experiences or trying something different. For the last year, I told myself 2025 is about being present and saying “yes” to the now.
Throughout my time in college, I have tried to immerse myself in just about everything that interested me. However, entering every organization, club or leadership position didn’t always come easily. Oftentimes, I thought too much about a position, creating a sense of impostor syndrome, rather than tackling a challenge head-on, which led me to miss out on opportunities.
I entered The Post as a scared freshman. I had never written journalistically and didn’t really know what it meant to be a reporter. I remember walking through the newsroom door to attend the Monday news meeting and immediately feeling a pit in my stomach grow. I kept thinking, I shouldn’t be here; I’m not experienced enough yet; what if I fail and make a fool of myself?
News flash: It all ended up working out because now I’m the managing editor of the publication.
I entered campus at 18 years old, thinking I had everything figured out and was sure of myself. Looking back as a 22-year-old, I couldn’t have been further from reality.
For the past four years, everyone has told me to soak in every moment of college because it’s the best time of my life. I don’t want to say these past four years haven’t exceeded my life experiences, but I’m walking away from college with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for this place because these years have been consequential every time I rode the wave and just said “yes.”
I’m leaving college with a knowledge of experiences I know I would not have gotten anywhere else. As I worked my way up the ladder at The Post – reporter, news editor and managing editor – I want to thank the people who helped advance
my career as a student journalist. I now know I want to be an editor in my professional career, and I want to thank Donovan Hunt and Alyssa Cruz for supporting my ideas and challenging me to think in new ways. In another lifetime, we’d be editing alongside each other again.
A couple of months ago, if I were in this position, I would be torn up every day leading up to graduation, thinking about how college is over. Now, I take it one step at a time and treasure these times. I cherish my moments walking on College Green, sitting around my living room couch with my four roommates and saying yes to a last-minute text to meet at Jackie O’s for Power Hour.
As my time at Ohio University comes to a close, I’m filled with appreciation knowing I accomplished what I wanted here and made the most out of every experience I entered. Now, I welcome the next stage in my life. The unknown scares me, but I realized the most fun part of the year of yes is saying yes to the things that scare you.
My last piece of advice is to consider dedicating one of your years to saying yes. The chances are, if you start saying yes more, then you are more likely to improve your life than make it worse. The year isn’t over yet, and I can attest that since I’ve committed myself to saying yes, I’ve never felt more joy, just saying.
Madalyn Blair is a senior at Ohio University. Talk to Madalyn by tweeting her at @madalyntblair.
ALAINA DACKERMANN
ALAINA DACKERMANN
GAMES
From the Copy Desk: Be more like Pope Francis
JACKSON MCCOY | COPY CHIEF
The world lost its shining example of humility, kindness and understanding early Monday morning. Pope Francis, a figure with many historic firsts as the sovereign leader of the Vatican, died just hours after calling for an end to the mistreatment of immigrants and preaching for a ceasefire in Gaza on Easter Sunday.
Up until the end of his life, Francis led the charge for a common understanding of what Christianity can be. Instead of focusing on upholding traditional moral standards, he used his papal influence to push for respect of LGBTQIA+ people, an end to poverty and dialogue between religions. Francis was known not for populist appeals and anger-stoking sermons, but instead for promoting what he believed to be the base Christian value of empathy.
The accomplishments Francis had before his death are many. Before he
SINNERS
THE
was selected as the next pope in 2013, his name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the premier Argentine representative of his faith. After being selected, he chose his papal name after Saint Francis of Assisi, a preview of what his teachings would be focused on — uplifting the economically disadvantaged and the world’s most vulnerable, a radical new step for the Vatican. When Bergoglio became Francis, he became the first Latin American pope, the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from outside of Europe since the 8th century.
Francis’ papacy’s achievements did not end at his selection. His global outreach put refugees, the impoverished and immigrants at the forefront, calling for increased liberties and protections for them. He derided capitalism and overconsumption repeatedly and aimed for more integration of women into Catholicism. He played a crucial role in reinstating diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S.
Perhaps most importantly, Francis called the Synod on Synodality in October 2021, a series of meetings between 364 bishops, cardinals and Catholic theologians to discuss what the church’s future should look like. Synods are incredibly important meetings where foundational church policy is decided. Traditionally, only bishops were invited to Synods, but Francis changed this to include a wide variety of Catholics.
The Synod of Synodality was the most important event in the Catholic Church’s recent history. Francis, instead of promoting fundamentalism, used it to call for swift and immediate action against climate change and promote women’s involvement — five women and one man were appointed as consultors to the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church.
However, Francis’ legacy should not be solely defined by the steps he took in making global peace a possibility. It should instead be defined by his many small acts of humility, goodwill and abounding love for humanity.
The pain felt by the loss of Pope Francis is impossible to describe. I was raised Catholic, and although my own religious identity is ever in flux, the weight of Francis’ death is still felt. All Catholics should mourn the loss of a man who went to great lengths to prove that the Bible is not a weapon for the mighty, but a boon for the weak. When all around you the core principles of Jesus’ teachings are gone, be more like Pope Francis. Be kind.
Jackson McCoy is a sophomore studying journalism and environmental studies at Ohio University. Want to share your thoughts? Let Jackson know by emailing or tweeting him at jm049122@ohio.edu.
JACKSON PENNINGTON COMIC ARTIST
A year in review at The Post
ALYSSA CRUZ | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As classes start to wrap up and the school year winds to an end, The Post is also stepping into a new chapter. Thursday is our last day of daily content, and it is also our last day with this current editorial staff.
Serving as editor-in-chief of this publication has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I am so proud of all we have accomplished this year.
The first major change the publication went through this academic year was the redesign of our print issue. We transitioned from a square, 24-page tab to a rectangle, 16-page tab. The redesign was one of my goals coming into the year, and I am happy to say I have been blown away by the results. The change took some getting used to, but our incredible design team, Alaina Dackermann, Mia Pishotti and Nicole Reese, took it in stride. The result helps us to showcase our content more and ensure our readers know we are a newspaper first.
Another big event for our publication was the election. It goes without saying this election was pivotal for many reasons, and our newsroom was focused on delivering the best possible content we could. From about 5 p.m. Tuesday to about 3 a.m. Wednesday, there were Posties running in and out of the newsroom gathering results, editing photos and writing stories. Shout out to Jackson McCoy and the rest of the Copy Staff for always being relentless in their search for AP Style errors.
This year we decided to be extra adventurous and create an 8-page paper to be distributed Wednesday in addition to our online coverage. Stories were being researched, written and designed all in the same night. A special shoutout to The Post’s news editors Emily Stokes and Maggie Amacher for working their tails off that night and the weeks before.
To zoom out, every person in the newsroom was a valuable cog in our election night machine. Data visualization was being created, tweets were being crafted and photos were being taken. Our videographers were running around Court Street to listen to voter testimonies. Thank you to Kendall Timms and Hailey Dunne for always helping us build our multimedia presence. Every Postie stepped up and did his or her due diligence to make sure our content was accurate, thorough and fast. The outcome was
record-breaking numbers on engagement, and even the opportunity to partner with 100 Days in Appalachia to give our perspective on being student journalists during the election.
In the realm of politics, there were many opportunities for our staff to cover breaking news. From the pausing of federal grants to Ohio Senate Bill 1, our staff was on top of the latest information, ensuring OU students and community members were informed. Abby Waechter and Drew Hoffmaster led the charge of covering these developments.
It was also a big year for sports. The football team was exceptional this year, winning the MAC Championship for the first time in 56 years. Our football writers, Bobby Keegan and Charlie Fadel, were there through it all. They also traveled to Florida, where the Bobcats were victorious in the Cure Bowl. Basketball was not quite as victorious, but, nevertheless, Posties delivered on the coverage. Logan Adams and Bobby Keegan were at nearly every men’s game, with Charlie Fadel at the women’s games. This trio has proved their value in the spring season as well, with exceptional reporting on the baseball and softball teams.
Thank you also to our human interest staff for consistently delivering community news, especially the increase in local music coverage. Abby Jenkins and Sophia Rooksberry have made this a priority and accomplished it beautifully. Additionally, our entertainment staff continues to be one of our biggest sections, with a multitude of writers passionate about pop culture, music and movies. Trey Barrett and Sophia Anness have ensured that our content is up-to-date as well as varied.
All these accomplishments have accumulated quantifiably in awards. As a publication, we have received over 20 awards this year from various areas. Some standouts include a Pinnacle Award for Alaina Dackermann’s design, as well as recognition for Best Editorial by Brianna Tassiello. She and Megan Diehl have built our opinion section up, especially by consistently delivering quality editorials every week.
And, of course, this was all made possible with my amazing co-executive editors, Madalyn Blair and McKenna Christy. This editorial staff is truly the best of the best, and it has been an honor working with them. Thank you for reading The Post this year and beyond.
