January 17, 2019

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

Drawing Outrage P 10

Trustees considering tuition increase P12

Ohio basketball’s superfan P16

Athens’ Airbnb industry P20

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

New year brings new changes to ‘The Post’

LAUREN FISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The snow is thawing, the students have returned and all across Athens, the campus is beginning to come back to life. Full of new energy and in some cases, new resolutions.

I’ve always been a little too enthusiastic when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.

Ever since the year began, it’s been smoothie bowls for breakfast, early morning yoga classes and meticulous bullet journaling.

Those who know me well might not see that to be very far from my normal habits. I’m a creature of habit and a bit of a control freak, so I’m typically able to stick to my routines throughout the year. New Year’s, if anything, simply serves as a reminder to re-examine my habits and figure out what’s working.

At the end of the day, I believe that the best resolutions are the ones you can consistently stick with. And that’s why here at The Post, we’re using the start of the semester to reorient ourselves and set realistic goals for the betterment of our newsroom and our readers. These goals and changes might not be visible on the surface, but know that we’ll be making internal strides to make our publication stronger.

For instance, we hope to bolster our social media presence by creating content specific to our Instagram feed (give us a follow if you haven’t already). We’ll also be experimenting internally with a new system for deadlines in an effort to get you the news you need more efficiently and at a higher quality.

We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming rebranding of one of our most popular sections. For the past two years, our “blogs” have been some of the most-read pieces.

However, the content we produce under that section has often been difficult to categorize.

Seeing as they aren’t “blogs” in the traditional sense, we knew something needed to change. So after months of deliberation, we decided it would be best to create our own moniker — something a little more original than “blogs.” We settled on “The Beat,” and in the coming days, that change will be reflected on our website.

In other exciting news, we’re close to hiring our first ever Student Media Sales Internship Manager — an exciting step in the right direction for our business department,

which has stayed afloat this year despite lack of a figurehead. This person will be working with a team of business interns to keep advertising revenue flowing and find innovative ways to connect with readers.

At the end of the day, we realize that these changes, whether big or small, are necessary. We know that in today’s media environment, in order to meet the wants and needs of our readers, we must continue to evolve and develop creative solutions to keep our presence on campus relevant. As valued readers, your feedback and ideas are always welcome and encouraged.

Here’s to a year of changes, big and small.

From all of us here at The Post, have a wonderful semester.

Lauren Fisher is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editorin-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Lauren at lf966614@ohio.edu or tweet her @Lauren__Fisher.

Cover Photo by Meagan Hall

THE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LAUREN FISHER MANAGING EDITOR Maddie Capron DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Alex McCann ASST. MANAGING EDITOR Jessica Hill CREATIVE DIRECTOR Abby Gordon EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Sarah M. Penix, Ellen Wagner INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR Bailey Gallion SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Holbrook CULTURE EDITOR Alexis Eichelberger OPINION EDITOR Chuck Greenlee COPY CHIEF Laila Riaz ART ART DIRECTOR Abbey Phillips GRAPHICS EDITOR Riley Scott DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Meagan Hall DIGITAL DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR Megan Knapp SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kate Ansel BLOGS EDITOR Georgia Davis DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Alex Penrose

POST

ISSUE 15, VOLUME 109 1 PARK PLACE, ROOM 325 EDITOR@THEPOSTATHENS.COM PHONE | 740.593.4010 FAX | 740.593.0561

ONLINE POST BLOGS thepostathens.com/blogs FACEBOOK thepostathens TWITTER @ThePost

FRONT DESK HOURS 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Closed Saturday and Sunday.

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

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.

Advertisement Policies The Post will not print advertisements that violate local, state or federal laws.

All advertisements must display good taste. The Post reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. If questions arise, the editor will make the final decision.

The Post will not run real estate or employment advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation or national origin.

All advertisements are subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act. Phone numbers will not be printed in the Personals section.

If errors are found in a classified ad, please notify The Post by 4 p.m. the day the ad runs. Though The Post cannot be responsible for errors, a corrected ad will run free of charge on the next publication date. Cash refunds will not be given.

Notify The Post by 4 p.m. of cancellations for the following day.

JOIN THE POST! news // culture // sports // blogs opinion // copy editing // podcasts design // social // photo // multimedia Looking for an enriching college experience centered around teamwork and creativity? Email editor@thepostathens.com to get involved.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

EDITORIAL

OU needs to give the public a clear reason for LGBT Center director firing It is the duty of a public institution to hold itself to high standards of truth and transparency. And as one of the state’s largest public institutions of higher education, Ohio University owes it to itself — but also to its tuition-paying students — to be honest about how the university makes crucial decisions. The recent dismissal of LGBT Center Director delfin bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, is no exception to that expectation.

By only releasing statements from the university public relations team and not allowing reporters to get comment from Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Gigi Secuban (bautista’s supervisor) and other higher-ranking officials, the university is leaving the public confused, angry

and desperately seeking real answers.

When news broke that bautista had been removed from their position as director of the LGBT Center, our campus deserved an immediate and complete explanation as to why that decision was made.

We’re still waiting on that explanation.

As bautista is a prominent figure on our campus, their removal sent shockwaves through the student body. Between the protest in and outside Cutler Hall on Jan. 11 and the outcry on social media, it was made clear that many people on our campus were deeply upset by the university’s decision.

As reporters, our job is to tell the full story, and we try our best to always do so.

That job, however, is made exceedingly more difficult without transparency and

access to university officials who were involved in the decision-making process.

It’s disturbing to see that, in records of bautista’s emails to the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, they expressed fear of retaliation from the university for filing a harassment and discrimination complaint.

We are also extremely concerned with bautista’s claim that all interview requests they received — requests that are routinely submitted by local news outlets, including The Post — have required approval from high-level university officials.

We have commented before on our frustrations with the practice of sending interview requests through university spokespeople. It’s a practice that not only restricts our reporters’ abilities to do their

jobs but makes us question the information we receive.

Our hope, both as reporters and as OU students, is that officials present the public with the answers they deserve in regards to a decision as crucial as this.

People need more than a PR statement and a lack of comment from positions of power. They need a clear answer, and they need it now.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Lauren Fisher, Managing Editor Maddie Capron, Digital Managing Editor Alex McCann, Assistant Managing Editor Jessica Hill and Creative Director Abby Gordon. Post editorials are independent of the publication’s news coverage.

CINEMA AND SYNTAX

I have seen six Quentin Tarantino films. I still don’t like him.

GEORGIA DAVIS is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University.

A little over a year ago, I wrote a column that received a lot of backlash. I talked about how not everyone likes Quentin Tarantino films. *gasp* I know. How blasphemous of me to critique art and its artists. At that time, I had only seen one of his films, so I suppose it was warranted that the comments section was longer than the article itself. Now that I have seen six of the acclaimed filmmaker’s works, I can definitively say I do not like Tarantino films. I want to like them, but I just don’t.

I went on a huge Tarantino kick when I lived with a group of people at my summer internship. I have seen both Kill Bills, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, well you haven’t seen Inglourious Basterds or Jackie Brown. Those are definitely his best.” Well, that’s what people told me before I watched Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight and Reservoir Dogs, and those were huge letdowns. Res-

4 / JAN. 17, 2019

ervoir Dogs is one of my least favorite films I’ve ever watched. So when people tell me to try out his other movies and I don’t like them, it’s hard for me to take fans of the movies seriously. The track record speaks for itself.

The only two I can say I liked to an extent were Django Unchained and Kill Bill Vol. 2. With those ones, everything in the movie felt necessary. The dialogue was top-notch, and the scenes didn’t feel like 15 minutes long.

My biggest gripe with Tarantino films is not the gore. Goriness is not bothersome when it is used effectively. My problem is the movies are three hours long and it feels that way. His films don’t reel me in and forget about the rest of the world. Instead, I sit there and wonder how long I’ve been watching and when it will be over. People end up telling me to go back and watch the movie again to see what I missed.

That’s really hard to do when you don’t like the movie

the first time.

Now, I do understand the appeal of his movies.

They take viewers into complex worlds where morality is at the center. The bloody affairs showcase dialogue that ropes most viewers into the mind of Tarantino — no matter how self-indulgent that world is.

Still, I will go see Once Upon A Time in Hollywood when it premieres this summer, and I’ll try to sit through Inglourious Basterds because my friends insist on it. But if I don’t like yet another one of his films, I just ask for some respect while I tear the movie apart.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you think people who don’t like Quentin Tarantino are horrible people? Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS

LARGE 1-TOPPING

QUERY A QUEER

delfin bautista’s dismissal troubling for many delfin bautista has been the director of Ohio University’s LGBT Center since 2013. As many may know, delfin was dismissed at the start of Spring Semester 2019. The LGBT Center is now without a permanent director, the Latinx student union is without an advisor, Athens children go without an after-school program and many go without faith of our administration at Ohio University.

How do we trust our own university to protect and care for us?

What many may not know is how generous delfin (who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name) has been with their time, energy and love to not only this campus, but to all of the Athens community. Perhaps a list with all the roles delfin played on and off campus would be easier to show all delfin has done for our community. From director of the LGBT Center to advisor for SHADE’s to working on the planning committee for Walk A Mile Together, delfin has managed to be an influential and useful member of several diverse groups on campus.

They were also a part of many important changes on campus such as the preferred name policy and gender-neutral bathrooms. They spent energy trying to network our LGBT Center with other centers around the country through events such as the national convention for midwest queer college students, called MBLGTACC. From helping trans students change their name and be able to afford their medications while at school to frequently visiting our regional campuses because the only queer resources available for these students are in Athens, their energy and care for Ohio University was unrivaled. delfin showed true solidarity to other queers and people of color in Athens.

Our center was constantly holding and cosponsoring events with other organizations on campus. They helped out international students and Athens locals by providing financial, legal, mental health and personal assistance to those in need. delfin’s support and love for our community transcended the typical duties of an LGBT Center director.

delfin has also given this school something that cannot be measured. delfin made you feel like you were protected and a part of a community, that someone was there for you and going to help you until things were okay, and then would check in later to see how you are. Their motives were to make sure that everyone in this community had a space to feel safe and be themselves. delfin offered hope and love in a space that for many feels bankrupt of such. For many people, losing delfin means losing a mentor, an ally, a support team, a role model and a friend.

I spent my Monday in the LGBT Center. There was a constant flow of students, Athens residents and Ohio University staff offering their support and grieving our loss together. Every person who came in had a different story of love and kindness to share about delfin: why they meant so much to them, how they helped them, how they would not even be here without delfin. Some people said delfin supported them during suicidal challenges or that delfin offered them services that no one else on this campus had provided. delfin is a beloved member and an immeasurable asset to this community.

The amount of effort delfin gave every single person, every single day is unparalleled. delfin is a genuine person made up of strength, forgiveness, patience, understanding, kindness and love. I cannot change the action’s of Ohio University.

Despite delfin’s dismissal, the LGBT Center will continue to serve as a resource for those who need it and make sure queer voices aren’t silenced throughout this administrative decision.

Athens & The Plains

PIZZA CODE :799

443 E. State Street

7

$ 99

594-7272

(740)

(PAPA)

Offer good for a limited time at participating Papa John’s restaurant. No double toppings or extra cheese. Certain toppings may be excluded from special offer pizzas or require additional charge. Additional toppings extra. Not valid with any other coupons or discounts. Limited delivery area. Delivery fee may apply. Customer responsible for all applicable taxes. Prices mat very in Alaska and Hawaii

Late Night Special

Wacky Wednesday

Early Bird Special

One Large 1-Topping Pizza

One Large up to 5-Topping or Specialty Pizza

One Large 1-Topping Pizza

599 $999 $699

$

PROMO CODE: LN599

PROMO CODE: WW999

PROMO CODE: MT699ATH

9pm to Close. Expires 12/31/18

Wednesday Only. Expires 12/31/18

Monday & Tuesday Only. Expires 12/31/18

SUMMER IN MAINE Males & females. Meet new friends!

Travel! Teach your favorite activity.

Tennis Waterski Gymnastics

Dance Swim Land sports

Kayak Archery Arts

June to August. Residential. Enjoy our website. Apply online.

TRIPP LAKE CAMP for Girls: Have questions? We have answers! Send your questions via email to lgbt@ohio.edu or oulgbtcenter@gmail.com; via Tumblr at oulgbtcenter; via Twitter @oulgbtcenter with the hashtag #qaqueer; or post/message to Facebook oulgbtcenter. So bring it on, do it to it and query a queer.

Destiniee Jaram is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University and is the Query a Queer writer for Ohio University’s LGBT Center.

1-800-997-4347

www.tripplakecamp.com

Correction: Due to errors in The Post’s analysis of this dataset, the story titled “A look into faculty and staff diversity at OU” in the Dec. 6, 2018 edition greatly underestimated the salary of many university employees.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

POLICE BLOTTER

Dog tears up garbage; mysterious cones placed MEGAN CARLSON FOR THE POST One dog went to extremes to find himself a treat while his owner was gone.

On Sunday, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Campbell Road in Athens for an animal complaint.

The caller said the neighbor’s dog had torn out trash along the roadway and was in other people’s yards, according to the report.

The dog was found on the porch of the owner’s resident.

Deputies were unable to make contact with the owner.

NOSY NEIGHBOR The sheriff’s office responded Monday to a report of a trespasser on Route 356 in New Marshfield.

On the scene, deputies found that the trespasser was a neighbor trying to get their vehicle up a slick driveway, according to the report. The complainant was told about the situation and no further issues were observed. The case was closed.

WHAT’S THE HOLDUP? On Friday, the sheriff’s office received a report of several cones placed on State Route 278 South, near Hocking County.

The cones had not been placed by the Ohio Department of Transportation or any agency with permission to do so, according to the report. Deputies removed the cones from the middle of the road, and no further action was taken.

PARKING PROBLEM On Saturday, the sheriff’s office received a parking complaint on Carr Road in Nelsonville.

The caller said a car was blocking access to emergency services. Once deputies arrived, they found that the car was parked on the side of the road due to snow, and it was not blocking emergency access.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? Deputies responded to an activated residential alarm on Sunday on Fork Street in Butchel.

While on the way, the homeowner called back to cancel the response and said her dogs had set off the alarm.

THOSE DARN KIDS The sheriff’s office responded to a 911 call from a deactivated phone on Thursday.

Deputies located the callers, who were juveniles.

They were “spoken to in depth” about calling 911 when there is no emergency, according to the report. The juveniles were warned, and their parents said they would take care of the issue.

FAILED THIEF On Tuesday, deputies were dispatched to Oxley Road in Athens for a report of individuals trespassing.

On the scene, the caller said an individual was observed tampering with a vehicle on her property. Upon investigating the area, tools were located. It appeared the suspect was attempting cut off a part of the vehicle, according to the report.

Deputies advised the complainant that the sheriff’s office would conduct extra patrols in the area. The tools that were left behind were then collected as evidence.

CLOWN CAR The sheriff’s office received a patrol request on Baker Road in Waterloo Township on Friday.

The caller stated that as they were leaving for work, they saw a car full of people in their driveway. The car then drove off. The caller requested a patrol of the area to make sure the car did not return after the caller had left for work.

Deputies patrolled the area but made no contact with any persons or vehicles near the residence. No further action was needed at the time.

@MEGCHRIISTINE MC199517@OHIO.EDU

NEWS BRIEFS

Winter break yields campus improvements; former student senator writes apology letter SARAH M. PENIX NEWS EDITOR

making false alarms after OUPD discovered that Ayers wrote the threats herself.

reached substantial completion in November 2018. Ellis Hall opened Monday for classes this semester.

FORMER STUDENT SENATE MEMBER WRITES APOLOGY LETTER TO SENATE Former Ohio University Student Senate member Anna Ayers wrote an apology letter to Student Senate after being found guilty in December on three charges of making false alarms.

In the letter, Ayers explained she has bipolar I disorder and was suffering from a manic episode.

“Since being officially diagnosed a year ago, I have been inadequately treated for the severity of my illness and was left on a medication that is known to exacerbate the symptoms of mania,” Ayers wrote in the letter.

Ayers said individuals who experience manic episodes act in ways entirely uncharacteristic of their typical behavior and, in her case, their values.

In September, Ayers told the Ohio University Police Department that she received three death threats, two in the Student Senate office and one to her residence.

In October 2018, she was arrested on three charges of

OHIO UNIVERSITY CAMPUS RECEIVES IMPROVEMENTS OVER WINTER BREAK Winter break construction focused mainly on the continuation of ongoing projects, including upgrades made to Washington Hall and the construction of the new Clippinger Hall building.

Projects finished prior to or during winter break include renovations made to Ellis Hall; the asbestos abatement of The Ridges buildings 13, 14 and 18; and the planned campus power outage on Dec. 21 and 22 meant to renovate the campus electrical network.

The ongoing upgrade of Washington Hall will include domestic water and restroom improvements, as well as the addition of new cooling pipes, study rooms and a community kitchen.

The new Clippinger Hall has been under construction since September, and is targeted for completion in October 2020 with a budget of $42.6 million. It is considered the first phase of the three-phase Clippinger renovation project.

The renovation of Ellis Hall began in October 2017 and

OHIO UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES STUDENTS HAD $13 MILLION IN DIRECT SAVINGS Ohio University students have saved $13 million in the 2018 fiscal year in a statement from Ohio University on Friday.

The savings come from the result of “unique, institutional affordability” that initiatives implemented in fiscal year 2018, according to the report.

Of the $13 million savings, $11.3 million comes from the OHIO Signature Award Program, which are scholarships and grants that balance support for financial need and recognition of achievements and contributions of each student, the report said.

Another $1.637 million was saved by students because of textbook initiatives. It includes the university’s partnership with Top Hat, which saved $1 million for textbooks in the program’s first year.

6 / JAN. 17, 2019

@SARAHMPENIX SP936115@OHIO.EDU

CLASSIFIEDS

Spring 2019 Career and Internship Fair and Pre-Conference Pre-Conference

Saturday, February 9 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Living Learning Center 102/104

Career and Internship Fair Wednesday, February 13 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Baker Ballroom

Pre-Register through Handshake: ohio.joinhandshake.com

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

Avoiding gendered language Event hosted by the Women’s Center and the Career and Leadership Development Center will teach better ways to write recommendation letters BAYLEE DEMUTH STAFF WRITER

Not much is more deflating for a job candidate than a lackluster letter of recommendation from someone they respect. It’s all too common that the writer failed to capture the candidate’s best qualities.

Geneva Murray, the director of Ohio University’s Women’s Center, found in her studies that recommenders may use different language to describe the attributes of male and female candidates.

“Descriptors for men may include more affirming absolutes, where men may ‘achieve excellence’, but women may be described as, ‘She tried hard to achieve’,” Murray said.

In order to counteract that, the Women’s Center and the Career Leadership Development Center will host “She Was Caring and Helpful”: Avoid Gendered Language in Writing Letters of Recommendation on Thursday.

The workshop will give attendees the tools they’ll need to write letters of recommendation in the best ways possible, without the help of gendered language.

During the workshop, attendees will discuss trends that have been identified in research and provide sample letters for other participants to analyze.

“The goal of the workshop is for participants to be able to apply the skills they learn to their own letters,” Murray said. “So that they are supporting those that they are recommending in as best a way as they can.”

The use of gendered language in recommendation letters has been seen to negatively affect the applicant, specifically if that applicant is a woman, Murray said.

“If a recommender uses hedging in letters for women, but not for men the person reading it may see those doubt raisers as a bigger issue than what was necessarily intended by the recommender,” Murray said.

When it comes to looking at how gendered language may affect men differently, Murray notes that men are not a monolithic group, and how the purpose of the workshop is not aimed at singling out one specific group of people.

“Unconscious bias on the part of recommenders may impact them in different ways,” Murray said. “Our workshop is really geared to help people — regardless of who they are recommending — to write the letter 8 / JAN. 17, 2019

of recommendation that accurately reflects the skills of the applicant.”

Many individuals have never been taught how to properly write a recommendation letter, so Murray hopes attendees can greatly benefit from the workshop.

“This workshop provides a gendered lens in which we can think about writing letters of recommendation in the best way possible — one that is transferable to all letters of recommendation, regardless of the gender of the applicant — but with an awareness of that gendered lens,” Murray said.

Nicole Reynolds, a women’s, gender and sexuality studies professor at OU, believes the workshop many individuals should take advantage of.

“I think it’s a great idea for the Women’s Center to hold this workshop,” Reynolds said. “Anyone who writes recommendation letters would benefit from being coached to recognize gendered descriptors and how detrimental they can be to an applicant.”

Kelsey Nelson, a sophomore studying marketing, recognizes how using inappropriate gender descriptors can negatively affect the way a woman especially may be perceived.

“

This workshop provides a gendered lens in which we can think about writing letters of recommendation in the best way possible, one that is transferable to all letters of recommendation regardless of the gender of the applicant, but with an awareness of that gendered lens,” - Geneva Murray, director of the Women’s Center “I think if you’re writing a reference letter for someone who identifies as a woman and you state, ‘She is a hard-working girl,’ that might make an employer believe that this applicant isn’t very

mature, because they weren’t referred to as a woman or a person,” Nelson said. “If you continually refer to a woman applicant in a letter as she, an employer might be biased toward women and prefer a male applicant.”

In Nelson’s experience regarding her male colleagues, she sees the way gendered language affects them differently in the real world as well.

“Gendered language affects men differently because if they are taking action and giving instructions to people, they aren’t ‘bossy,’ they’re intelligent and making correct decisions,” Nelson said.

Nelson finds having a workshop that teaches people how to avoid gendered language is one that people who plan to write recommendation letters should look into.

“It sounds like a very beneficial workshop people should take, because not everyone identifies as a certain gender, so it can be beneficial to those people because then there isn’t any bias when it comes to being hired,” Nelson said. “The workshop information will hopefully resonate with the attendees so they stop using gendered language in their everyday lives.”

There are many ways people can avoid using gendered language in writing recommendation letters as well as in real life and Nelson believes this workshop could be the first step in a positive direction.

“It’s definitely important to ask people their preferred pronouns,” Nelson said. “It’s also helpful to get to know people for themselves and their work ethic, so then letters are more about who they are as a person and less how they are as a specific gender.” @BAYLEEDEMUTH BD575016@OHIO.EDU

IF YOU GO WHAT: “She Was Caring and Helpful”: Avoid Gendered Language in Writing Letters of Recommendation WHEN: Thursday, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.

WHERE: Baker 233 ADMISSION: Free

Government shutdown affects Athens programs and locals TAYLOR JOHNSTON FOR THE POST Saturday marked day 22 of the partial government shutdown, a new record, passing the second longest shutdown that lasted 21 days under the Clinton administration.

The shutdown is driven by President Donald Trump’s demand for a $5.7 billion wall to be built along the Southern border of the United States, according to NPR. Federal workers and programs all over the country, and even those in Athens County, are affected.

The Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program, or SAOP, is funded by the Victims of Crime Act as well as a state fund called the Rape Crisis Fund, Jennifer Seifert, the executive director for the program, said.

“So, we are funded through that program and we specialize, of course, in advocacy services for relational violence,” she said. “Since the shutdown, we are not at the place where we are having to close services or there’s not a disruption in services yet but in the next month or two if it does last, we will have to start making those decisions.”

Seifert said similar agencies and nonprofit organizations have a mix of different funding streams and the shutdown has come at a time where SAOP is less vulnerable to its effects.

As the shutdown continues to occur, Seifert said while the program is dealing with crises every single day, she and her colleagues have to be careful about what they allow to add to the already high trauma work environment that they have.

“Our kind of philosophy right now is we are just going to not act like anything is happening right, like ignore it, but it’s kind of like we will make those decisions when we have to,” she said. “Until then we can’t let it impact our clients and that’s kind of where we are at right now. It’s on our minds, but it’s also really out of our control as an agency.”

When calling the Wayne National Forest, there isn’t a greeting but instead, a pre-recorded message stating voicemails and emails will not be answered “due to the lapse in federal government funding.”

Nicole Rhoads, a resource assistant and public affairs intern for the Wayne

National Forest, is one of the many affected by the shutdown.

While Friday was the first time many didn’t see a paycheck since the shutdown began, Rhoads received a stipend for the federal holidays.

“I got paid for the federal holidays today, so December 24, December 25 and January 1, which was a total of 24 hours, so I saw 24 hours worth of pay,” Rhoads said.

A normal paycheck is worth 40 hours of work, she said. Luckily, she has had the help of her family to pay rent and other expenses while the shutdown continues.

“But if this goes on any longer than February, I’m going to be in some hot water,” she said.

While the forest management called Rhoads into work last week, she still won’t be paid until the government opens back up.

“I’m trying to stay as optimistic as possible. I’m really hoping that it will open up within a week or so and that everything will just sort of go back and start working as normal again,” she said. “But like I said, if this goes on any longer than February, my supervisors know that I may be looking for another job. But, I really don’t want to do that.”

Rhoads said it is really difficult going into work without pay.

“It makes morale really low. It is really hard to go into work and do this job knowing that I’m not going to see a paycheck until whenever the government decides to reopen,” she said.

As a recent Ohio University graduate, Rhoads is also faced with impending student loans.

“So, my grace period just ended for like my non-payments. So I had to start paying December 22, as soon as the government shutdown, and I was in the middle of refinancing some loans,” she said. “So, it kind of made things a little uncertain.”

Other students at OU, whether undergraduates or graduates, may rely on federal grants or financial aid to help pay for their schooling. President Duane Nellis worries about how the continuance of the shutdown may affect those aspects.

“There’s some bridging needed where we’ve had to, with some of the grant activities depending on when the transfer of funds occurs, but also so far the student financial aid transfers as I understand, it continues to be made.

But, I do worry about that as that continues to occur,” he said.

Many grants that already exist may become an issue, Nellis said.

“The transfer of those dollars to the university, there may be delays in getting those dollars,” he said. “I think they’ll eventually come once the government reopens but right now some of those grants, we’re having to backfill because we don’t want people like a graduate assistant who may be working on a research grant to not be paid.”

There are services that workers affected by the shutdown can use for assistance of different needs.

The Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, or HAPCAP, is an organization that offers services in child development, employment training, energy assistance, housing, community development, transportation, and food and nutrition, according to Claire Gysegem, the public relations manager for HAPCAP. To reach out to those who may be in need, the organization has sent out a note on social media and to local press, urging workers and others to seek help if needed.

Since the shutdown began, Gysegem said it is too early to tell whether there has been an increase in usage of HAPCAP’s services.

“Most furloughed employees missed their first paycheck last Friday and SNAP/WIC funds are expected through February,” she said in an email. “If SNAP lapses, then the Southeast Ohio Foodbank will certainly expect an increase in numbers for February.”

@TF_JOHNSTON TJ369915@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

LGBT CENTER DIRECTOR DISMISSED delfin bautista filed a discrimination complaint before being placed on administrative leave BAILEY GALLION INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR ELLEN WAGNER NEWS EDITOR he removal of delfin bautista as director of the LGBT director Jan. 10 drew outrage from LGBT people and activists, especially after news that bautista had filed a complaint in September about their supervisor before their removal. bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, will remain on paid administrative leave through June 30 for the remainder of their appointment, according to the letter from Chief Human Resource Officer Colleen Bendl. They will not report to work during the leave period or perform work duties on behalf of the university.

Nearly 60 people gathered outside Cutler Hall Jan. 11 to protest delfin’s removal. Members of the group, which included Ohio University students, faculty and Athens residents, spoke about bautista’s impact and criticized the university’s unexpected and hasty decision to remove bautista from their position.

Carly Leatherwood, a university spokeswoman, said in an email that the university appreciates the work bautista accomplished as the LGBT center director and wishes them the best in their endeavors.

“The University cannot comment on personnel matters, but it is important to note that this is not a decision that was made or communicated lightly,” Leatherwood said in an email. “Diversity and inclusion is Ohio University’s top priority, and this very difficult decision was made in order to advance our commitment to and support of the LGBTQ+ community.”

A demonstrator listens to a speaker during the “Instant Uprising Against delfin’s Termination” rally outside Cutler Hall on Jan. 11. (MEAGAN HALL / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

10 / JAN. 17, 2019

On Wednesday, Tyrone Carr was appointed as the interim director for the LGBT Center while the university conducts a national search for the center’s next director as soon as possible.

Carr most recently acted in a dual-role at OU as executive director of the Interlink Alliance, reporting directly to President Duane Nellis, and special assistant for Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Gigi Secuban.

Before bautista was put on paid administrative leave, they filed a harassment and discrimination complaint against Secuban, their supervisor. bautista wrote to the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance (ECRC) on Sept. 25 of their concerns that Secuban may be discriminating against them.

They expressed fears of retaliation.

“It is with mixed emotions and much fear that I write this narrative,” bautista said in the email to ECRC. “I am writing with concerns that have been perlocating for some time now and I am not sure how best to address them.”

Throughout their five years as LGBT Center director, bautista said people have not questioned their commitment to the university and told them to they work too hard and need to take care of themselves.

“Affirmations and commendations for my work go unacknowledged by Dr. Secuban,” bautista said in the email. “I share these things with her not to brag about myself but in the spirit of reflecting the work I do and that the center does so as to make the university proud.” bautista said they felt undermined and micromanaged by Secuban by showing up to the office unannounced, restricting purchases, monitoring schedules and preapproving all media communications.

“To be blunt, I am being treated like a child and the lack of trust from Dr. Secuban has created a fear-filled, demoralizing work environment,” bautista said in the email.

At the same time, bautista said Secuban expressed little interest in the LGBT Center, which had created fear in the work of the center and the student staff.

“I am not sure if it is because I am Latinx, trans, queer... I am not sure if it is because she perceives me as male...I am not sure if she just doesn’t like me,” bautista said in the email. “I do not feel safe coming to wok and do not feel safe in my position.”

In response to delfin’s complaint, OU Civil Rights Investigator G. Antonio Anaya said the situation does not meet ECRC standards for harassment or dis-

delfin bautista poses for a portrait in their office in Ohio University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion on Sept. 24.

(MIDGE MAZUR / FILE)

Bee Irwin and their partner, Bailey Stein, embrace each other during the Jan. 11 demonstration outside of Cutler Hall. (MEAGAN HALL / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

“

To be blunt, I am being treated like a child and the lack of trust from Dr. Secuban has created a fear-filled, demoralizing work environment.”

- delfin bautista, former LGBT Center director crimination and that Secuban was “well within (her) authority” as an administrator. bautista said that since Secuban was hired, they have been paranoid and constantly second-guessing themselves. Secuban’s three visits to the LGBT Center have been brief, bautista said, and she leaves quickly when bautista attempts to introduce her to the staff and students of the center. Her quick visits made bautista feel as if she is trying to catch them doing something wrong and intimidate them. bautista said in the email that many of their emails are often dismissed or responded to with “I need to think about that” or “I have not thought about that yet.” They felt as if they would be penalized if they raise concerns or continue to ask questions.

Secuban’s hiring has come with increased scrutiny of spending for the LGBT Center. bautista said Secuban informed them that the center was $30,000 over budget in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, but bautista had never been

told the center was over budget. bautista said in the email that they left the hiring process for the center’s administrative assistant after being told it was not pertinent for candidates to have a background working with LGBT people.

“The message that I feel being sent is that Dr. Secuban will hire whom she wants and is trying to push me out,” bautista said in the email. bautista also described a demeaning meeting with Diversity and Inclusion staff where Secuban told administrators they had to be at work and showered by 8 a.m. delfin had previously worked from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. under a flex time policy because of evening programming, but Secuban did not respond to an email from delfin asking for clarification.

At the end of the meeting, delfin said staff signed a statement agreeing to the new changes “under duress and fear of consequences” without time for discussion.

Deflin said in their complaint that

no concerns about their media relations, spending or work ethic have been raised in the past.

They said they are being treated differently from their colleagues — pay discrepancies exist between Diversity and Inclusion directors, and other directors have received pay increases.

“I am filing this because she is sending a clear message that the voices of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff do not have value and that we are second class citizens on campus whose experiences matter very little to her,” delfin said. “I question her commitment to diversity as well as professional ethics ... she treats each of the directors differently.”

In order for behavior to constitute harassment under university policy, the behaviors must be severe or pervasive enough to deny or limit the full benefit of employment or to create an objectively intimidating, hostile or abusive environment.

“If you, yourself, are not sure if Dr. Secuban’s behaviors are subjectively on the basis of your being a member of a protected class, it is almost impossible to determine that they objectively constituted harassment,” Anaya said.

@BAILEYGALLION BG272614@OHIO.EDU @EWAGNER19 EW047615@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

Ohio University President Duane Nellis opens the Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 19, 2018. (BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)

Board of Trustees to discuss tuition increase IAN MCKENZIE FOR THE POST The Ohio University Board of Trustees will consider raising tuition, housing and dining fees for undergraduate students for the 2020 fiscal year during its meetings Thursday and Friday.

For Ohio residents, annual tuition would increase from about $12,192 to about $12,618 annually. Housing would be about $7,060 and dining would be about $5,905, according to a previous Post report.

The board will also review the operating reserves and financial position of the university.

OU was originally budgeted to draw $17 million from its reserves. However, the university is predicting that there will be $25.7 million drawn from reserves for operating units.

The net undergraduate tuition and fees was $235.8 million, while OU only has $233.6 million in revenues forecasted. The agenda attributes that to the decline in freshman enrollment, declining non-resident headcounts and a “significant decline” in summer credit hour production results.

There are certain construction and design projects that the board will vote on. All construction and renovation projects that have a budget of $500,000 or more need to be approved by the board, 12 / JAN. 17, 2019

according to the agenda.

The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Phase 1 Academic Replacement Space is a project that will consist of construction of a four-story building in the Union Street Green. The project will cost $65 million; the money will come from the HCOM department reserves and external funding.

Another project that is up for approval is a chilled water plant. The $16 million project will be paid by utility distribution costs. There will also be $15.6 million for associated utility distribution costs. The plant will contain equipment that is capable of producing 2,500 tons of chilled water, but the building will be designed so that, in the future, there can be construction of equipment to produce 7,500 tons of water as well as hot water boilers.

The Konneker Alumni Center could receive funding of $1.7 million to, among other things, add provisions with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The university could also repair the roofs of Buildings 33 and 37. Both of those buildings are beyond repair. Building 33 would cost $925,000, and it would remove abandoned equipment that is currently on the roof. Building 37 would cost $850,000 to replace the roof.

There will also be a $1.1 million project to upgrade Sargent Hall’s heating, venti-

lation and air conditioning.

OU President Duane Nellis will give a report including topics such as Fall Semester commencement, 2018 Homecoming, and student recruitment in Malaysia and Japan.

Nellis will also report on some “Bobcat Beacons of Excellence,” including The Chronicle of Higher Education naming OU as one of six institutions that encourage innovation in teaching, according to the agenda.

Additionally, one of the areas that Nellis will recognize is that OU has joined a movement with other universities to eliminate the achievement gap and award more degrees by 2025.

Nellis will also recognize OU’s football team, their successful season and Tim Albin, offensive coordinator and running backs coach, on being named the 2018 FootballScoop Running Backs Coach of the Year by Astroturf.

Jim Schaus, OU director of athletics, will present an update on the intercollegiate athletics dashboard, according to the agenda.

In the agenda, Schaus said all 16 athletics teams have a score of 970 or higher on the academic progress rate (APR). There are 12 teams that earned a perfect 1,000 for the 2017-2018 year. That is a decrease from 2016-2017, when the APR was at 992.

According to the agenda, the average APR

for Division 1 schools is 987.

Schaus will also report that student-athletes increased their average GPA from 3.195 in 2016-2017 to 3.204 in 2017-2018.

Another topic being presented is a discussion on regional higher education by Chaden Djalali, executive vice president and provost.

“We need renewed focus as a unified university system on serving an educational access and workforce development mission with distinctive quality, affordability, and student success,” according to the agenda.

One recommendation Djalali said in the agenda is that the administration at regional campuses should work closely with Athens campus leaders. That includes having executive leadership more visibly engaged for university operations and communication between campuses.

Djalali recommended that programs at regional campuses should be aligned with programs with the colleges on the Athens campus.

OU Student Senate will request to present to the Board of Trustees on an annual basis and will establish an autonomous constitutional process for Student Senate’s constitution.

@IANMCK9 IM581017@OHIO.EDU

Generations of music Athens Community Music School has taught students music since 1979 JILLIAN CRAIG FOR THE POST The Athens Community Music School, located in Glidden Hall, is celebrating its 40-year anniversary.

The ACMS was established in 1979 by Marilyn Remonko and continues today through the programs offered to students.

“We routinely enroll 300 students each semester,” Wendy Blackwood, the director of the school, said.

She noted changes school officials made over the years, which include new directors and adding the popular children’s chorus in 1987.

Marsha Reilly, a retired instructor of the Athens Community Music School, said the children’s chorus was once a children’s opera.

“I was asked to train a group of children to participate in the OU Opera production of Carmen. That led to the beginning of the Athens Children Chorus.

Around that time also, there was a Children’s Opera group in Athens which was disbanded. So Marilyn Remonko, the original director and I decided to start the Children’s Chorus,” Reilly said in an email.

For a while, the school continued to include the opera as a spring production and only run the chorus in the fall. The first opera was Albert and Tiberius,

which is about a lion in the circus. Jonah and the Whale, where a movable whale was created by a parent specifically for the show, was another. ACMS members also performed Clowns, in which a professional clown helped in teaching students the movements and techniques. After a number of years, however, the Athens Community Music School made the transition to a children’s chorus instead of an opera.

While the operas may have ended production years ago, the impact was significant on students.

“The person who sang the part of ‘Jonah’ is now back in Athens, and she, along with my daughter, still remember a lot of the songs,” Reilly said.

The operas are not the only part of ACMS that impacted students, though. While she was heavily involved in the children’s chorus and children’s opera, Reilly also taught piano privately and noticed the lasting effects of her time as an instructor.

“I know the impact of being able to take lessons through ACMS has led to many students continuing their participation in music as adults,” Reilly said.

“Recently, I have had the opportunity to chat with parents of some of my former students.

One of these students is finishing a degree in physics with a

Two students enter Robert Glidden Hall on Jan. 16. (BLAKE NISSEN / PHOTO EDITOR)

minor in music. Two others are freshman music majors.”

Besides continuing music careers, some former students who have become parents are encouraging their children to pursue music in school in any form, whether it’s “being a participant in band, orchestra or chorus, or even becoming a professional musician.”

Daniel Mullins, a violin and viola instructor for ACMS, has noticed how taking lessons has impacted students’ lives outside of music.

“The Athens Community Music School provides such a good service for students in the area,” Mullins said. “And, of course, wherever there is music, there is culture (and) there is higher learning.”

Mullins also commented that music education affects other parts of students’ lives such as academics and extracurricular activities, and students who learn music at ACMS have a “higher appreciation for everything.”

“

The Athens Community Music School provides such a good service for students in the area. And, of course, wherever there is music, there is culture (and) there is higher learning.”

- Daniel Mullins, a violin and viola instructor for ACMS

Mullins and Reilly both said going to the ACMS for instruction gives music students more opportunities than anyone could imagine.

“Just in general, this is an area that is really nice because if you come here, it’s a very big school. But especially in the music school, there’s so many opportunities,” Mullins said.

“This is such a good school because you get so many opportunities that you wouldn’t get other places.”

The school is thriving and providing education to students

in southeast Ohio, but as Mullins said, he hopes things can become more streamlined toward that goal.

“Where will ACMS go from here?” Mullins said. “I think that this school has a lot of potential to grow and become a really, really, really, really good music school.”

@JILLIANCRAIG18 JC986517@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

Singular education RILEY RUNNELLS FOR THE POST The Associated Press Stylebook, a standard reference for English grammar in the United States, has changed over the years. Those changes include the recent addition of the singular “they” to its list of pronouns.

The change seems to be reflective of society in which “they” has gradually become a more common and acceptable way to address people who don’t identify with either half of the traditional gender binary. Though the AP Stylebook and many people have adapted to the change, it seems to raise two questions: How does the education system go about teaching children that new development in identification, and how will the lesson impact children as they are growing up?

Using “they” as a singular identification most affects the language arts area of study. Instead of merely teaching the he/his and she/her(s) pronouns, the idea that the word “they” is not just a reference to two or more people must also be taught. “They” may be singular and act as the pronoun for people who identify as nonbinary.

Mathew Felton-Koestler, an associate professor of teacher education in the Patton College of Education, recognizes the inclusion of the singular “they” pronoun and encourages his students, who will soon be teachers themselves, to be understanding and accepting toward the 14 / JAN. 17, 2019

pronoun as well.

Felton-Koestler begins the semester by asking students for their personal pronouns, hoping to instill the idea of asking for pronouns into his students. He also believes it is advantageous to start teaching kids about preferred pronouns at an early age.

“My kid learned that at a very early age,” Felton-Koestler said. “Learning that different people use different pronouns and that individuals get to decide what those are, and they get to decide how they identify themselves. I’m not an expert on early childhood development, but the idea that it is beyond a child’s capability to start learning these things early is false. The earlier you do it, the more normalized it is.”

Felton-Koestler is fully aware that the first uses of “they” in a singular sense has been dated back centuries. Over time, it’s become more accepted in style guides, education settings and workplaces.

Though Felton-Koestler is aware and accepting of all pronouns, he doesn’t take specific measures to teach them to his students because there isn’t a college-wide plan to communicate that to students. In past courses, he has included readings about young children who were genderqueer to show that it’s relevant at all ages, even as a child.

“To me, the pronoun issue should be a non-issue,” Felton-Koestler said. “If someone wants to be called something, you should be respectful and use that to

refer to them. Occasionally I have students who disagree, but I see that as your responsibility to set that aside as a teacher and think about what makes the most welcoming environment for your kids.”

Teagan Rabuano, a former New York University ambassador for GLAAD who uses they/them pronouns, spent their whole college career coming to terms with their identity. Now, as NYU’s graduate outreach and engagement coordinator for the LGBTQ Student Center, Rabuano understands firsthand the importance of teaching the lesson of inclusion and acceptance early on.

“Generally speaking, if we don’t know someone’s gender, we usually refer to them as ‘they,’” Rabuano said. “Especially when we are talking to young children.

It’s something that’s already taught, so clarifying that it’s actually used as a pronoun at a young age can be really helpful.

It not only helps cisgender people to be more understanding and respectful, but it also allows young children to grow up knowing that there are more options and releases children from stigmas around LGBTQ+. It certainly will save a lot of time and heartache.”

Students studying education also understand the importance of teaching the lesson of preferred pronouns and feel honored to free children from being categorized.

Sydney Liptak, a freshman studying education, is excited by the progress and acceptance of more inclusive pronouns

and believes it’s essential for children to learn at an early age.

“I think it’s a good thing to start teaching pronouns at such an early age,” Liptak said. “By doing so, we’re giving children more of an opportunity to decide for themselves. Instead of telling children what they should be, we will just provide all of the information to give them options.

It makes me so happy to teach children at a younger age so they can start becoming more understanding earlier on.”

Liptak, Rabuano and Felton-Koestler all agree teaching children the serious and important lesson of pronouns is imperative. The earlier the idea of inclusion is planted into their heads, the earlier they learn. In this day and age, it’s been difficult for people to fully adapt to the singular “they” pronoun, as it had not been taught in their early education, and some style guides reject the pronoun altogether.

The three also agree that whether the pronoun is he, she, they or anything else, the most important aspect of teaching children about the different pronouns is to allow them to be free and explore themselves so they don’t feel categorized in a specific role or persona. The earlier the lesson begins, the earlier people’s inclusivity and understanding will also begin.

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

Exhibit explores race and police violence KERI JOHNSON FOR THE POST A new exhibit at the Kennedy Museum of Art is illustrating the ways in which people assign meaning to colors and the effects of such perceptions.

Carrie Mae Weems’ The Usual Suspects exhibition opened Jan. 11 in the Kennedy Museum of Art at The Ridges.

The exhibition is a powerful, pensive experience. One enters and is immediately confronted with a five-piece panel featuring still images of the dash cam footage of Laquan McDonald’s death.

The caption asks the viewer to take a moment and think about what each image has to say.

Weems uses color blocking in her photographic work. It is particularly powerful. Blocks of primary colors on blackand-white portraits, some featuring faces of fame such as Dinah Washington, convey a message that is layered and nuanced — people assign meaning to color. People make decisions and have impulses based off those meanings.

Another set of panels feature the real police reports of the deaths of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland, among others, which demonstrates the chilling reality that all of those cases have similar features.

The exhibition culminates in Weems’ “People of a Darker Hue,” a three-part, roughly 15-minute video that uses narration, music, images of anonymous people, images of a man running on a treadmill in a closed space and actual footage of nationally known cases of police violence, such as Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

In “People of a Darker Hue,” Weems makes it a point to notice the similarities in each case. “Always stopped, always charged” is her refrain. She also uses humanizing language and points to the roles the people shown in the video played in their own lives — mother, son, uncle, cousin, etc. Weems ends the video with commemorations to those whose lives were lost to police violence, to black men and “those who have the ability to endure.”

Weems is an internationally known American contemporary artist who has produced works for about three decades.

The Usual Suspects is just a small fraction of her work, Lisa Quinn, educational programs coordinator for the Kennedy Mu-

The Usual Suspects gallery will be on display at the Kennedy Museum of Art from Jan. 11 to March 31.

(MEAGAN HALL / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

“

(Weems) speaks eloquently, bringing grace into the conversation about how we deal with the violence that we are faced with in our world today.”

- Lisa Quinn, educational programs coordinator for the Kennedy Museum of Art

seum of Art, said.

Organizing the exhibition has been years in the making, Courtney Kessel, Ohio University Art Galleries gallery coordinator, said. She first made contact

with Weems more than three years ago.

Weems has been on campus before, Kessel said, as a juror for an exhibition in the 1990s. Now, her involvement with OU has come full-circle, Kessel said.

If gallery-goers want to familiarize themselves with Weems and her work, both Kessel and Quinn recommend doing a quick Google search and watching Weems’ performance piece, Grace Notes: Reflections for Now. The exhibition contains disturbing content. Viewers are warned of that for their own well-being, but not to minimize the reactions the content may provoke.

“It’s very disturbing that these things are happening and what we’re trying to do here is be a part of the conversation and be part of the discussion about these things,” Quinn said. “(Weems) speaks eloquently, bringing grace into the conversation about how we deal with the violence that we are faced with in our world today.”

Angela Schmitz, a senior studying marketing and data analytics, called The Usual Suspects “the humanitarian wakeup call we all need.”

The exhibition is just another piece of Weems’ work and what’s to come with her week-long residency at OU. Weems will also give a lecture in the Baker Center Ballroom on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.

A reception for The Usual Suspects will be held in the Kennedy Museum of Art on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.

A master class performance through the School of Theater will be held on Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. in The Forum Theater in the Radio-Television Center. Tickets may be reserved online and seats are first-comefirst-serve. All events are free through Arts for Ohio.

@_KERIJOHNSON KJ153517@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

FROM ONE FAN TO ANOTHER Meet Norm Emmets, an Ohio superfan on a quest to keep another fan’s spirit alive in The Convo

Norm Emmets cheers on the men’s basketball team on Jan. 15 in The Convo. (HANNAH RUHOFF / PHOTO EDITOR)

Editor’s

note:

This

is

an

excerpt

from the full story. The complete version of this project is available online at thepostathens.com.

ANTHONY POISAL STAFF WRITER

N

orm Emmets stands along the front row of the mostly empty bleachers near midcourt in The Convo. Sporting a green Ohio sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, he cups his hands over his mouth and shouts at a Cleveland State player, who attempts the first of two free throws.

One problem: Norm, a round-bellied 70-year-old, is the only person trying to rattle her. His screams echo amid the drone of the 547 others in the crowd, and

16 / JAN. 17, 2019

he is sick about it.

Norm turns to his left, takes a few steps and chats with students in the Ohio band who, when in tune, make the only noise that can drown out his voice.

“Convo’s falling asleep here!” he shouted.

He is right; The Convo was falling asleep.

But in Norm’s eyes, the arena, which seats 13,080, has been asleep much longer than for those few minutes of the Ohio basketball game Dec. 1.

The place has kept quiet for nearly five years.

That’s because the “O Zone,” a cheering section that used to pack the student side of The Convo, has lost its mojo. The arena isn’t what it once was, back when opponents feared coming into Athens to play the Bobcats. Members of the O Zone who still attend games are mostly indistinguishable from a casual student.

Now, Norm wants to help wake up the O Zone. University officials have picked him to revive it, and the reasons they did are simple: His energy and passion are contagious.

“I’m tired of seeing students go to games and not cheer for their team,” Norm said. “I know what it used to be.”

A day earlier, Norm was spotted uptown.

As students crossed the intersection of East Union and Court Street, Norm, wearing an Ohio sweatshirt and sweatpants, strolled in front of the Alumni Gateway on College Green in the cold to preach his message.

“Everybody go to the game!” he yelled amid the buzz of cars rolling along the brick street. “3:30 with the boys! Let’s pack it!”

The roots for Norm’s passion extend deeper than a love for Ohio sports. Whenever people ask Norm where his energy for the Bobcats originates, he issues them a task.

“What I tell them is Google ‘Daniel

Lowe,’” Norm said. “Then you’ll understand why I act like I do and cheer like I do.

“That’s what it’s about.”

It was a cold, gloomy January 2002 day in Athens, but it didn’t matter to Dan Lowe, whom everybody called “D-Lo,” as he waited outside The Convo. He had another four hours before the doors opened for students to enter and reserve seats for the second half of the Ohio basketball season, and he wasn’t taking any chances.

D-Lo had to snag his spot: Row 1, Seat 1. It was a few steps away from the midcourt logo, and in his mind, it was his seat to lose.

Row 1, Seat 1 is where it all started.

A year earlier, he and about six or seven friends attended nearly all of Ohio’s football games and wanted to continue the fun

with basketball. They tried to sit as close as possible to the court and be loud because, well, why not.

Everyone in the group bought the same gray Ohio T-shirts and created a small student section. D-Lo was front and center in Row 1, Seat 1. With a thundering yell and 6-foot-9 frame, he stuck out more than any other fan willing to lose their voice and perhaps a little dignity to support a mid-major basketball team.

“He stood out because he was loud,” said Rob Metzger, one of Dan’s closest friends. “I was loud, too, but he was, you know ... there was just something where he stood out in a good way.”

Luke Sayers and Shelley Binegar, marketing employees back then in the Ohio Athletic Department, noticed D-Lo and his friends’ passion and wanted to jumpstart something bigger. If a small group in gray T-shirts can make a scene at every game, why couldn’t more students?

“We started brainstorming ideas for a dedicated student section,” Binegar said. “If we’re going to do it, let’s try to make it a thing. A big thing.

“So we came up with the O Zone.”

Then there was fear. If the efforts, which included reserving a couple of sections for dedicated students and heavily promoting the idea of a raucous student fan base, flopped, it’d be an embarrassment to the athletic department. Not just for the athletic department, but the men’s basketball team, which would be greeting students who showed up to reserve tickets before a random practice in January.

“Frankly, we didn’t know if we’d have five people show up or 50,” Sayers said.

When Sayers and Binegar walked through The Convo parking lot the morning of the event, they couldn’t believe it.

They spotted a line of students, hundreds of them, wrapped around the perimeter of the arena. D-Lo was first in line. When the doors opened, he sprinted inside, nearly fell over when the band started its music and grabbed his ticket when he finally reached his spot.

Row 1, Seat 1 was officially his, and when the other students followed his lead and dashed inside to snag a seat, anyone’s doubts about the project’s success were

Ohio basketball fan Norm Emmets celebrates after Ohio scores a basket during its game against Northern Illinois on Jan. 5. (EMILEE CHINN / PHOTO EDITOR)

Norm Emmets cheers for the Bobcats with D-Lo’s crew on Jan. 15 in The Convo.

(HANNAH RUHOFF / PHOTO EDITOR)

pushed aside.

The O Zone with its nearly 600 new members was going to be a hit, and it was all because of D-Lo and his energy. He talked to his friends, who talked to their friends, and even went door-to-door in dormitories to drum up support for what became the craziest student section in the Mid-American Conference.

With D-Lo at the helm, the energy in the O Zone was infectious. Students continued to flock to the sign-up sheet and then the seats, and the chants from the O Zone, which D-Lo led, only grew louder.

The Convo rocked.

Norm Emmets watched from several rows above as his son Jake joined D-Lo and others as they screamed at Coles and other coaches who came into The Convo.

Norm was mesmerized at how Dan rallied hundreds of students and made the atmosphere inside the arena rival the best in the country.

“They had everything down to a T,” Norm said. “They were highly organized.

I watch Duke now, and the intensity was right up there.”

Norm also saw how important D-Lo was to his son and the Bobcat community. He knew Jake had befriended Dan and other members of Campus Crusade for Christ, but Norm didn’t realize their friendship stretched beyond weekly Bible studies, which Dan hosted, and going to church on Sundays.

Jake was a part of something much more exclusive — a group that changed the outlook of a school’s entire fan base. That’s how Norm, a then 26-year high school football coach and University of Findlay graduate from Richfield Park, New Jersey, fell in love with Ohio sports.

“It’s like, that’s where his son went,” Jake said. “I think he just enjoyed going every time. I don’t think he has a school of his own that is big going into sports. With the

amount of people he’s met, with my friends and all those people, I think he just stays a good fan.”

Even after Jake graduated in 2005, Norm’s admiration for Ohio and the O Zone never waned. His 90-minute drive from his Dublin, Ohio, home to Athens was worth it. The O Zone wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was Norm’s fandom.

Then the unthinkable happened. Just weeks after Jake’s graduation, Norm received terrible news.

Dan Lowe collapsed during a pickup basketball game June 24, 2005, in The Convo. Doctors pronounced him dead at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital. An autopsy revealed he suffered cardiac arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat.

The news shocked the Ohio community. Friends and family mourned and tried to grasp how something so sudden could happen to a young, energetic and athletic man.

“He played pickup games of basketball all the time,” Jake said. “Why was this different?”

Norm was among the hundreds of mourners in attendance for Dan’s funeral six days later in Canal Fulton, Dan’s hometown.

As he glanced around the church, Norm saw the same people he and Jake cheered with in Athens, the same friends Norm had hosted in his house when they needed to get away from school, the same group that showed him how to root for Ohio.

It’s an emotional scene he still remembers.

“We made sure to be up there and be with them,” Norm said. “You could just imagine, those guys being that old and losing your friend.

“It was just that …” he said before pausing. “They were stunned.” @ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

BASKETBALL

A dive into the wide open MAC, with an exception SPENCER HOLBROOK SPORTS EDITOR As Mid-American Conference play heats up in January, Ohio is in a predicament. The Bobcats are 1-3 in the conference play, and two of their losses are at home.

The Bobcats could easily be 2-2, and even 3-1 in league action, but they aren’t.

Now, they’re staring at a final two months that will determine a lot about the trajectory of the program.

Through a couple weeks of conference games, some points can be made.

Let’s break down the outlook of the MAC as of Jan. 16: Let’s be clear from the beginning: Buffalo is by far and away in a class of its own. The Bulls currently sit at No. 16 in the latest AP Poll, and that’s well-deserved. They went on the road in November and beat West Virginia in overtime.

They went on the road and earned a double-digit win over a Syracuse team that just beat Duke on the road. The Bulls’ only loss is on the road against the class of the Big East, Marquette.

Buffalo is 14th in the NCAA’s new ranking system, NET, which ranks teams based on a number of things including game results, location, efficiency, margin of victory and quality of wins and losses.

Talk of the MAC earning two bids is picking up steam, and rightfully so.

“It’s a very level playing field, probably with the exception of Buffalo, out there right now,” coach Saul Phillips said.

But can anyone beat the Bulls in the MAC Tournament and make it a twobid conference? Well, after Buffalo, the league has as much parity as it has in quite some time.

The coaches in the conference know that, too.

“This conference is so, I don’t want to use the word ‘balanced’ because I don’t know that that’s the word, but it’s just a very competitive league,” Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said after the Golden Flashes beat Ohio on Tuesday night.

“If you don’t play well, whether you’re home or away, you’re going to struggle.

That hasn’t always been the case.”

Parity isn’t a bad thing; it might even be an overused word that doesn’t mean a 18 / JAN. 17, 2019

Ohio University’s Teyvion Kirk receives a teammate’s pass during the game versus Kent State on Jan. 15. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

“

It’s a very level playing field, probably with the exception of Buffalo, out there right now.”

- Saul Phillips, Ohio head coach

lot. But in the MAC, that term takes on a new meeting. Road teams are winning at a historic clip through the first two weeks of conference play. Anyone can win.

Conference standings may reflect that.

Bowling Green is hot right now. The Falcons have won eight straight games, and they’re a surprising 4-0 in conference play under coach Michael Huger.

Northern Illinois is 3-0 in conference play, and of course, Buffalo is undefeated in the league. The other nine teams each have a loss already. Eight have at least two losses.

The MAC could be a race for second place as long as Buffalo continues on its pace. And that race is wide open.

“There are a lot of teams that have really good players on them,” Phillips said.

“On a given night, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

For the Bobcats, they’ve had their chances early in MAC play. They hosted NIU to open the new year, and they had a big lead but blew it in the second half and lost in overtime. On the road, where the Bobcats have struggled all season, they hung around with Bowling Green for 30 minutes, but wore down in the final 10 minutes and lost.

Those problems seemed to be corrected in Saturday’s blowout win over Ball State in Muncie, Indiana. Ohio went on the road and defeated one of the better teams in the MAC. It moved the ball well and allowed only 52 points. Everything seemed to click.

Then there was Tuesday against Kent State, when Ohio faced an early deficit, never seemed to have enough energy and, after tying the game in the second half, was destroyed down the stretch.

It’s been a frustrating start to conference play for the Bobcats. The downs have far outweighed the ups.

And it’s been four games. There is plenty of time to recover, but it needs to happen quickly.

Ohio’s upcoming schedule includes a trip to Savage Arena to play Toledo, rematches with Ball State and NIU, and a marquee matchup with former coach John Groce and Akron. If Ohio can get through those five games with a winning record, the Bobcats will find themselves in good standing in the league. If they continue to struggle, however, things could go south in a hurry.

The bottom line for the remainder of conference play is simple. If any team can find a way to upset Buffalo, the MAC will be a two-bid league. If not, the Bulls will run through the next two months with ease and likely make an NCAA Tournament run, while everyone else finds solace in making other postseason tournaments.

@SPENCERHOLBROOK SH690914@OHIO.EDU

HOCKEY

Bobcat Chemistry TREVOR COLGAN SLOT EDITOR Amid all the sounds of clanging sticks and banging boards, Matt Rudin knows where Tyler Harkins is, while Gianni Evangelisti knows where Jake Houston is.

There’s a lot happening on the ice during a game at Bird Arena, or any other arena in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, like Liberty’s LaHaye Ice Center, or Illinois “The Big Pond.” There’s the fans screaming, skates gliding, sticks and bodies colliding against the boards.

It may seem that it could be hard to hear on the ice with all that is going on.

For the players, however, it has all become kind of a white noise.

“You can’t really hear the crowd that much when you’re playing,” Houston said.

“It kind of gets drowned out.”

With the crowd being drowned out, skaters yell to communicate with each other.

There’s a lingo involved. It’s one that comes from playing together over time.

It’s something that’s understood throughout hockey. From one team to another, things can carry over.

Like maybe some lingo and chemistry moving from a team in Cleveland to the one in Athens. The chemistry between Rudin and Harkins was built when the two played together on the Cleveland Barons, a youth hockey club.

“Harkins and I played together growing up, so we know where each other are,” Rudin said. “Where our stronger areas are on the ice. That has a crucial element.”

Their relationship proved to be strong at the beginning of the season, when the two of them shared a line with Cody Black. That line produced many points at the beginning of the season, when the Bobcats scored double-digit goals in their first four games for the first time since the 1988-89 season.

Harkins and Rudin are just one example.

The knowledge for skaters of their teammates’ position on the ice comes with time.

It takes players playing with each other.

If a player stays in one spot on the ice, it might mess up the flow of the offense.

So, knowing where everyone is going to skate to on the ice is a plus. When Ohio’s offense is clicking, skaters can find each other in space.

“It’s a matter of trying to get open, not being stationary out there,” said Evangelisti, Ohio’s leading point scorer this season.

“Always be looking for the open areas.”

Ohio defenseman Jacob Houston (no. 11) passes to teammate Gianni Evangelisti (no. 7) during the Bobcats’ matchup against Illinois on Friday, Dec. 7. (COLIN MAYR / FOR THE POST)

“

If you take care of business inside your own team, usually good things happen.

- Tom Pokorney, senior defenseman Because when skaters find space in the open areas, that’s when the Bobcats can show their skills.

“I take pride in my passing,” Rudin said.

“I’m really good at being able to decipher if I can make a pass or not, seeing my surroundings, knowing where people are.”

And when his team is moving around and getting open, Rudin knows not just where Harkins wants the puck but where

most of his teammates want the puck. Rudin has picked up seven assists to go with his seven goals this season.

Coach Sean Hogan mixes up the lines from time to time, but defensive pairings tend to stay the same.

Seniors Grant Hazel and Tom Pokorney do their best to keep themselves in sync to help goalie Jimmy Thomas protect the net. Houston and his defensive partner, Nick Grose, don’t even need to look for each other on the ice any more. They know where each other will be, so they can find the other with the puck.

“Me and (Grose) after playing together all semester, we almost don’t even talk as much because we know where each other is going to be,” Houston said. “That’s sometimes good, sometimes bad.”

And the communication between teams tends to stay between teams. Hogan often says hockey is a game where when you fo-

cus on yourself and the team, good things will happen. So, teams don’t often try and mess with each other’s communication.

“If you take care of business inside your own team, usually good things happen,” Pokorney said. “As Hogan says all the time.”

With all the different ways of communication, verbal or nonverbal, good chemistry within in the team has Ohio sitting at No. 4 in the ACHA standings, and second in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League, behind the top-ranked team in the nation, Lindenwood.

It boils down to a simple equation: good chemistry leads to good play, which leads to fun, which is important in the long grind that is the ACHA season.

“Whenever you’re having fun is when you’re playing your best,” Houston said.

@TREVOR_COLGAN TC648714@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Beyond a Bed and Breakfast Airbnb owners make profits by renting out their homes in a city with little lodging STORY AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY ASHTON NICHOLS 20 / JAN. 17, 2019

Steve Geisler owns two houses — one for himself and the other to rent out through Airbnb.

He purchased Creekside Cottage about three years ago, and it’s about a five-minute drive to Uptown.

He bought it from a man who was renting the house on Vacation Rental By Owner, a company that rents out houses and rooms for vacationers. Geisler also started renting it on Airbnb, but he said after he made that change he received three times more business than before.

“I took over everything he was doing. I even took his

website and everything,” Geisler said.

Local Airbnb prices range from $40 to $250, but some Airbnbs charge extra fees for cleaning, bringing animals, service or a certain number of guests. Owners choose the price they want to rent their house or room for. Airbnb also adds an additional fee for using the website. As of Jan. 15, there are 130 Airbnbs in Athens.

Geisler likes being his own boss and said he’s made friendships with his customers, sometimes grabbing a beer with them when they are back in town or texting

them to catch up.

He said the busiest times of the year are big weekends at Ohio University, such as Halloween or graduation. About 80 percent of his client base are parents.

The people who rent Airbnbs are not always parents, but also students, travelers, sightseers or even once a man coming to take a woman out on a date, Geisler said.

He’s had mostly positive experiences, he said, with an occasional bad one.

The biggest problem has been people lying about how many guests are sleeping at the house to avoid a $25 fee for having more than two people. He’s also had someone break his hot tub.

“As long as I make it a stellar experience and keep my prices low, it seems to keep me on top,” Geisler said. “It’s been absolutely fantastic, and I’ve done so well with it that I’ve been able to open up a couple more,” Geisler said. “I have two more that are just being built and about to be opened.”

Those other two are cabins Geisler created with Casey Buchanan. They co-own Morning Dew Hop Farm, a farm about 15 minutes away from Athens that grows organic hops and vegetables. Both decided to build three cabins for Airbnb on the property and upgrade one already standing.

“He and I invested into building three cabins at my farm. It’s been really successful having people in and out of there for the past three or four months,” Buchanan said.

Liz Chamberlain owns Bodhi Tree, an Airbnb run out of her home. She rents by the room.

Chamberlain started it a few years ago when she wanted to become a full-time yoga teacher and needed extra funds.

Chamberlain said she chose to transition from a bed and breakfast to an Airbnb because it made booking easier and was popular.

“We were hoping to attract a different customer base,” Chamberlain said. “A lot of the people we were getting prior to that were older people that loved bed and breakfasts, and it wasn’t really our vibe.”

There is still room to grow, Chamberlain said, but she’s happy with it. She has a steady flow of guests and is able to own a yoga studio.

“It’s been a great addition to our business and helps us support doing other things we like to do,” Chamberlain said.

She said she doesn’t compare herself to other Airbnbs in Athens. She tends to be higher priced than most but doesn’t focus on competition.

“I keep in mind what it costs to stay at a hotel. We are lower, but not that much lower,” Chamberlain said. “I try to be fair to myself as the person that does most of that work for what I have to put into even

for just hosting one person for one night.

I feel good about what we charge right now, and the guests feel good about it so I work from that.”

Airbnbs within Athens are only permitted in zone R-2 (one to two family housing zone) and zone R-3 (multifamily housing zone), according to a 2016 Athens City Council ordinance. Those who try to open an Airbnb within those zones will be shut down for code violation.

“They’re allowed in certain areas in the city but not all,” Chris Knisley, Athens City Council president, said.

Knisley said the ordinance will likely be reevaluated in the future.

Athens Township and County are allowed to tax hotel or home lodging up to 3 percent, according to the Ohio Revised Code. Each transaction is taxed 3 percent of the profits.

Eight owners are currently paying the tax, as of Jan. 8., according to the Athens County Auditor’s Office. Four businesses paid it last year.

The Athens County tax was implemented in the ‘90s, Chris Chmiel said, and the profits of the lodging tax go to the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Chmiel, an Athens County commissioner, said most Airbnb owners do not pay the tax.

“People start this Airbnb thing, but they necessarily don’t realize there’s a lodging tax that needs to be paid,” Chmiel said.

Geisler chooses to pay the tax because he doesn’t know what will happen if he does not.

“It’s kind of voluntarily now, and I pay it because I don’t want any trouble and want to do everything right,” Geisler said.

“I don’t mind it. I’m not big on handing out money, but it’s part of doing business. Every other place has to do it.”

Chmiel himself has an Airbnb and said he will talk to other owners about paying it. He said people may just not be aware.

“I will say that when we started talking about this, several more Airbnbs have started to pay the tax,” Chmiel said.

Because so few owners pay the tax, Athens County sent a letter to Airbnb to request that the lodging tax automatically be included in fees. The practice is common in different states and Ohio cities.

Chmiel pays the lodging tax for his Airbnb, Integration Acres Farm, a farm located in Albany. He started it a couple years ago when Airbnb first became popular.

“It has been fun,” Chmiel said. “We’ve had people from all over the country. It’s worked out for us, and I think it’s worked out for a lot of people.”

Chamberlain said she chooses to pay the lodging tax as well. The Athens Coun-

“

We’re only going to be able to support so many Airbnbs.

I like it though because it’s a distributed economy. It’s not like one big hotel and one person is making a bunch of money. It’s a lot of little people making money.”

- Chris Chmiel, Athens County commissioner ty Visitors Bureau advertises her business on their lodging page, which makes her feel like it is worth it, she said.

“We felt like we got a lot of good advertising from them. Maybe you get a little bit used to it as a small business person (because) there are taxes wherever you look.”

Andie Walla, a media arts and studies professor at OU, owns Wallahalla, an Airbnb.

She hires someone to do her taxes locally. She said she has had to lower her prices to compete with other Airbnbs in Athens because the market is saturated, but then loses profits when she is taxed.

“Higher prices across the board, doesn’t encourage more folks to visit Athens. I hope Athens is able to have Airbnb add the taxes in on their website,” Walla said in an email. “That way we won’t have to deal with it.”

The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau receives 50 percent of the

city lodging tax profits and 95 percent of the Athens County tax lodging profits.

Paige Alost, executive director of the bureau, said she is not involved in the collection of the tax but in making sure the investment benefits Athens County.

“That money comes to us and we use the money to promote Athens county as a destination for visitors,” Alost said. “That money gets spent not just in staff, but also in advertising and marketing and promotion and trade shows.”

Alost said she aims to have visitors stay overnight because they will spend more money, which is why some Airbnbs are promoted on the bureau’s website.

“In our last economic impact report, Athens county tourism generated $166 million impact for our county,” Alost said.

“The majority of that, about 80 percent of that, comes from day visitors.”

Geisler said his only concern is taxes do add up, because he also pays income taxes to the state, along with other fees of being a business owner.

“It’s not just 3 percent. There’s more to it,” Geisler said. “I don’t think everybody’s playing by the book, but I am.”

Chmiel predicts Airbnb will one day outgrow the Athens market and have too many in one location.

“I think at some point there will be a saturation in the market,” Chmiel said.

“We’re only going to be able to support so many Airbnbs. I like it though because it’s a distributed economy. It’s not like one big hotel and one person is making a bunch of money. It’s a lot of little people making money.”

@ASHTONNICHOLS_ AN614816@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender DIY show to feature six bands playing variety of genres HANNAH BURKHART FOR THE POST DIY venue Whiskers will host a show that will include three touring bands and three local bands Friday.

The local bands performing at the event — named Whiskers Woodstock — will be Sneakthief, The Infinite Improbability Drive, and Booty Holiday. The touring bands to be featured are Cutler Station, Routine Days, and Shenanagram.

There is no cost for entry to the show.

However, donations are accepted and will be given to the touring bands.

The DIY music scene recognizes the fact some people get overwhelmed by crowds in Athens, and those involved aim to create an environment where those people can feel comfortable and relaxed while experiencing live music.

“I think people can get overwhelmed by the concentration of people in the bar culture. Athens is kind of scary sometimes, and those are things that the DIY community is concerned with,” Marco Omta, a senior studying media arts and studies and an organizer of the event, said. “We’re very concerned with the safety of the people that go to shows, as well as the bands in the shows.”

Omta is a former columnist for The Post.

Those involved in DIY consider themselves a grassroots music organization and focus on appreciation for the art of music rather than the sometimes dangerous environments created by concerts.

“I like weird music, and the fact that we can be a platform to enjoy whatever we desire is super cool to me,” Noah Ross, a senior studying marketing, said. “This upcoming show is all over the place in terms of genres.”

22 / JAN. 17, 2019

IF YOU GO WHAT: Whiskers Woodstock WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday WHERE: Whiskers, 8 First St. ADMISSION: Free

Ross was the main organizer of Whiskers Woodstock and invited all six of the bands.

Ross and Omta are both directly involved in music themselves and are members of multiple musical groups.

Omta said those involved in DIY sometimes feel dissatisfied with the current music scene because there is often sexism involved in the music being created, including in lyrics, videos and venues.

“I know women who have said they’ve had trouble being taken seriously by professionals in the music scene at venues because of their gender or anything someone can be discriminated for,” Omta said.

The DIY scene aims to accept people for who they are, and does everything in its power to make others feel comfortable. “(DIY) definitely is filled with activism,” Omta said. “DIY is very anti-homophobic, anti-racist, anti-transphobic, et cetera.”

Ross and Omta are willing to share their beliefs with those who are interested, and possibly open the minds of those who cannot decide where they stand on certain subjects.

One of the local bands performing, Sneakthief, was asked for an encore at their last performance at Battle of the

Sneakthief will perform at Whiskers Woodstock on Friday. (Provided via Daniel Palmer)

Bands hosted by The Union Bar and Grill.

Sneakthief consists of junior Joe Fradette, recent graduate Daniel Palmer and senior Nolan Quigley.

Sneakthief is hoping to get into the studio to prepare to record its first EP. The group hopes to go on a tour this summer, which will include venues outside of Ohio.

“I think every band has a certain niche they fall into, whether they choose the niche or not. Bands kind of touch on things that are important to them whether that’s trans rights, gay rights, et cetera,” Palmer, Sneakthief’s vocalist and guitarist, said. “The bands that tour the DIY scene tend to have the same niches.”

Sneakthief’s music can be found on

Bandcamp, but the group plans to make it available on Apple Music, Spotify and more once its EP is released.

Sneakthief supports the ideals the DIY scene stands for. Palmer said the scene serves as a place for people to put away everything that makes them different, and instead focus on the music.

“It’s about using music to connect you with another person on a different level than day-to-day interactions,” Fradette, the group’s drummer, said.

@HANNAHNOELBURK HB239417@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S GOING ON? MEGAN GORDIN FOR THE POST

FRIDAY Encore: Presented by Dan Lasure at

8:30 p.m. in Baker Theater. Attend a comedy show and support Ohio University’s dance marathon, BobcaThon, as you laugh the night away. The show will also feature acts by OU students Ben Bolton and Ryan Harroff. Admission: $5 BareFuzz with special guest Velvet Green at 9 p.m. at The Union Bar

and Grill, 18 W. Union St. Listen to Columbus band BareFuzz play some psychedelic tunes along with local group Velvet Green.

Admission: $5 ‘90s Night with DJ Barticus at 10 p.m. at Jackie O’s Brewpub, 24 W. Union St. DJ Barticus has what the 90’s music lovers really really want. Dance the night away to the best tunes of the decade.

Admission: Free

SATURDAY Fiber Community Studio: Valentine Garland at 1 p.m. at The Dairy Barn

Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane.

Bring out your creative side and create watercolor garland. Use it to decorate your dorm room or apartment and add some festive Valentine’s Day flair.

Admission: $5-7 Winter Wilson and Magnolia Child

at 8 p.m. at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 W. Washington St. Enjoy a relaxing acoustic set from some Athens-based acts while indulging in your favorite Donkey Coffee drink.

Admission: Free

SUNDAY Little Fish Yoga at 11 a.m. at Lit-

tle Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road. Unwind from a stressful first week of classes with yoga designed for all levels of experience. Bring a friend and your own mat. Admission: Free Honor Choir and Orchestra Festival

at 2 p.m. at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.

Come and see a performance by high school students from near and far, hosted by the College of

Bartender Ali Rutowski of Columbus, Ohio, laughs as she takes an order from Elliot JohnConry, left, and Phil Ortman of Athens, Ohio, at Little Fish on Sept. 23, 2017. (FILE)

Fine Arts and the School of Music.

Admission: Free University Jazz Night at 8 p.m. at Athens Uncorked, 14 Station St. Ohio University music students add a bit of musical elegance to an evening at Athens’ wine bar.

Admission: Free

MONDAY MLK Jr. Celebration Silent March at 10:30 a.m. at Galbreath Chapel.

Bring a sign and reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s impact on society and civil rights. Everyone is encouraged to participate. The march will begin at Galbreath

Chapel and end at the fourth– floor entrance of Baker University Center.

Admission: Free MLK Jr. Celebratory Brunch at 11 a.m. in Baker Ballroom. Those who attend will enjoy an address from a keynote speaker, a student dance and spoken-word performances.

The brunch is sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Admission: $25; $15 with OU student ID

@GORDINMEGAN MG525717@OHIO.EDU

Check out our podcasts on Spotify

iTunes

Beats on the Bricks | First Reel | Leaving at Halftime | Swing State of Mind | Tea’d THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

now leasing! fully furnisHeD ApArtments

Plus: brand new Clubhouse COming summer 2019!

CAll tODAy fOr speCiAls! 740-594-2236 115 Carriage Hill Dr, Athens, OH 45701 • www.livecampusheights.com •