March 21, 2019

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

A quick hello from next year’s ‘Post’ editors We may still have five weeks of classes remaining before the semester comes to an end, but here at The Post, we’re already in the thick of preparations for the next academic year.

The coming weeks will be a flurry of interviews, training and, if we’re lucky, we’ll have a bit of time remaining to reflect on the year. We’ll be finalizing plans for our two upcoming special issues, tying up the ends of some long-term projects and getting ready to go our separate ways for the summer.

There are far more exciting things to focus on. As things begin to change here at The Post, I’m thrilled to introduce next year’s executive editors. These three individuals have been chosen based on their work with the publication, their skills as leaders and their wonderful ideas for how we can continue to grow.

If you, our readers, have ideas about how The Post can improve as we move into the new year, I know our new executive editors would love to hear them.

For now, I’ll let them speak for themselves:

Ellen Wagner Hi! I’m Ellen Wagner, and I will be the editor-in-chief for The Post next year. I will be a senior, and currently I am one of the editors on news staff. I have been a writer at The Post since my freshman year. I mostly cover the police beat, which includes crime reports, protests and sexual assaults.

It’s always a weird transition as seniors leave and new section editors enter their positions. However, I am confident in those who are applying over the next couple weeks that we will have a strong staff next year.

During my time at The Post, I have seen how much we have changed and improved in both print and digital. However, progress can still be made. One of my goals next year is to target students as our audience. I feel like students aren’t aware about a lot of issues that happen at Ohio University and in Athens, and they should since it’s their home for at least four years.

I want to explore ways to reach students on social media and make our weekly tab more informative for students.

With Laila, Taylor and I in the editor’s office, we are hoping to divide the work

among us to engage with our newsroom staff, the university, students and Athens residents.

Laila Riaz Hello! My name is Laila Riaz, and I currently serve as copy chief for The Post during the 2019-20 school year. I have done a lot at The Post from copy editing to photography — but I am happy to say that I will be serving as managing editor for this coming Fall Semester. My job will include editing stories and managing several sections.

My wish as managing editor is to continue great work like our predecessors before us while helping bring to life the new exciting ideas Ellen and Taylor have for this publication. I will do my best to serve as a dependable managing editor until I walk in my graduation cap and gown in December 2019.

Taylor Johnston Hey, all. I’m Taylor Johnston and this coming academic year I will assume the role of digital managing editor for The Post. During my time here, I have worked

as a news reporter, investigative reporter, blogger, web designer and illustrator. I hope to use the skills that I have gained from working at this publication for the last three years to continue its growth.

I have a passion for all things digital, whether it be a compelling data-driven story to a beautifully hand-crafted landing page. With this, I hope to continue to help create content that will be cohesive for print and the web and to reinforce the notion throughout the newsroom and my staffs.

I am excited for this experience and looking forward to what my colleagues and I will soon accomplish inside and outside of Baker 325.

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

If you’d like to talk to Ellen, Laila and/or Taylor, you can email them at ew047615@ohio. edu, lr784616@ohio.edu or tj369915@ohio.edu, respectively.

Cover photo provided via Ohio Athletic Department

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 THE BEAT EDITOR Georgia Davis DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Alex Penrose DIRECTOR OF PODCASTS Cal Gunderson STUDENT MEDIA SALES INTERNSHIP MANAGER Andrea Lewis

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STORY AND ILLUSTRATION BY ASHTON NICHOLS

When Jaiden Spackey bit into her chicken sandwich at Nelson Court, commonly known as Nelson Dining Hall, she realized something was wrong. “I got the chicken tenders on a sandwich and didn’t notice it at first,� Spackey, a freshman studying exercise physiology, said. “I took one bite. When I bit into it again, it was completely raw.�

Spackey said she looked at the other piece of chicken on her sandwich and it was cooked. Her friends had also eaten chicken from the Smoke and Flames station, where Spackey had gotten the raw piece. “I almost threw up everywhere,�

Spackey said.

Spackey said she took the sandwich to the dining hall workers, who responded, “OK, thanks,� and took the sandwich. She said she was not followed up from staff after that.

She didn’t end up getting sick, she said, but she doesn’t eat the chicken anymore.

University spokesperson Jim Sabin said the university was not made aware of any concern regarding the undercooked chicken on Feb. 10. “The Athens City/County Health Department conducted an inspection of Nelson Court on Feb. 13, 2019, and found that all temping processes and thermometers were being used correctly,� Sabin said in an email.

Sabin said all chicken must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Hannah Klayko from Athens City-County Health Department’s division of environmental health said the health department had received a complaint about the undercooked chicken. On Feb. 13, Nelson Dining Hall was inspected and the inspector “observed compliant cooking procedures.� They also noted that thermometers are available and temperatures were taken regularly of the meat. “Nelson Dining Hall is a risk level IV, so it receives four inspections per licensing year: two standard inspections and two critical control point inspections,� Klayko said in an email.

According to a food inspection report provided by the Athens City-County Health Department, during a Dec. 12 inspection of Nelson Dining Hall, the dining hall was not found to be in compliance with a few standards: A small amount of mold growth was found on the ice machine. The staff was advised to empty, clean and sanitize the machine.

Food at the omelet station was not stored cold enough. The inspector noted that the food was stored at 52 degrees, 11 degrees above the maximum 41 degrees.

The inspector located a leak at the dish machine.

A follow-up inspection was not required, according to the report.

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NOAH’S ARK

The issues with the Green New Deal NOAH WRIGHT is an undecided sophomore studying at Ohio University.

Last month, freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed an environmental resolution amid an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report stating that humanity has only a decade to positively impact climate change.

AOC’s “Green New Deal” has flaws, mainly the cost and several social resolutions not tied to the environment, but the base ideas seem simple enough for most Democrats to agree on them.

However, this is not the case. Dissenting Democrats have instead turned a plan with small issues and a lofty price tag from something they could build answer to climate change out of into a weapon for Republicans.

The Green New Deal proposes everything from eliminating all nonrenewable energy to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture. Admittedly, many of those goals are far too expensive and lack explanations of how to bring every person in America, even those in poverty, to this environmentally sustainable standard of living, but something must be done. The talks about how we’re going to save our planet have to begin.

The Republican Party is a scourge on the environment. The party is so radically out of touch with the

rest of the world they actively deny scientific consensus to protect their corporate interests. It’s far too apparent there will be no reasoning with the vast majority of Republican congressmen on this issue.

This is where dissenting Democrats are failing their constituents. Last week’s incident involving Sen. Dianne Feinstein is a perfect example. When approached by young activists, some elementary school aged, pleading with her to sponsor the bill she instead chose to lecture them about why they were wrong. Democrats shouldn’t have to worry about getting Feinstein’s vote. With a record as one of the most progressively environmental senators, her vote should have been a guarantee Another issue is the alternate proposals being brought up by congress members. Feinstein herself proposed a much more passive climate change bill, but if the IPCC is right, that will be far too late. If the Green New Deal is too ambitious, Feinstein’s bill is too passive and is just more of the stagnation we’ve seen when it comes to climate change in American politics.

It’s no longer a question of when we will begin feeling the effects of climate change. It’s happening today. Mass migrations of environmental refugees and irreversible damage will be well on our

doorstep in coming decades.

Trump spent his weekend pushing more rhetoric, exaggerations and plain lies about what limiting climate change will bring at the Conservative Political Action Committee. Meanwhile Democrats were becoming divided on the issue and giving more fuel to Mitch McConnell’s’ unbelievable attacks on those in office trying to make a difference.

If Congress had spent the last 20 years heeding the warnings of scientists and preparing small bills that slowly implemented changes to our energy sources and emissions, we wouldn’t be in need of a complete overhaul. In 2019 there is no more time for bureaucracy. Politicians have chosen to put climate change aside for over a decade in the interest of political gain and we are now quickly approaching a breaking point.

Only a totally united Democratic Party will stand a chance of getting this bill through the house let alone the Republican-controlled senate, but some Democrats seem to have no interest in party unity on this issue.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Noah? Tweet him @NoahCampaign.

EXISTENTIAL BINGE-WATCHING

‘Captain Marvel’ holds its own JACKSON HORVAT is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University.

As April 26th nears closer and closer, the world is waiting for the aftermath of Thanos’ snap. We’re clenching our teeth, and gripping our seats in anticipation for what happens after the Mad Titan made us all cry like little babies. And because of this anticipation, one film was being overlooked: Captain Marvel.

It seemed like an odd departure from the rather coherent story and timeline we’ve been given by Marvel as of late. Not to mention we’ve seen countless origin stories by this point, so it seemed like another generic superhero movie. Quite frankly, the big selling point for many was a young Nick Fury and the return of our beloved Shield Agent, Coulson. I may have unfortunately been one of these people, simply writing off the movie due to the impending doom of Avengers: Endgame.

The little excitement I did have turned to caution due to some immediate backlash towards the film at its release. Captain Marvel was being thrown aside, noted as just another boring, superhero story that was too preachy and cheesy in its ideals. And while yes, at its core it is a classic superhero film, that didn’t in any way make it bad.

All the worry and mediocre excitement was wrong.

While the film is by no means the best Marvel

4 / MARCH 21, 2019

has to offer, it is one of the better entries to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We get the usual fun and jokes and the immaculate action sequences paired with a smart script. But the best thing about the film is that it proves Marvel hasn’t given into formulas. The company continues to twist things, especially as of late, and makes sure each new film is refreshing, and can stand on its own.

The days of cookie cutter bad guys and predictable plots are gone. Without going too much into the story itself, Captain Marvel essentially did a 180 towards the climax of the film, changing who the audience was led to believe were the villains. It didn’t start from the beginning, and instead opted to give us Carol’s origin story in a way that actually mattered to the plot of the film. It took a note from Ant-Man and gave us two comic book versions of the Captain Marvel persona.

And all of these little details, of course paired with some fan service to comic book readers, make the film an enjoyable watch to all viewers of all ages and comic knowledge levels. It also allows Captain Marvel to hold her own when compared to the rest of the MCU heroes. We get a clear picture of her character, and who she is, and it bodes well in the effort of making audiences care for her come the

next Avengers movie.

I’m still adjusting slightly to Brie Larson. Her delivery came across a bit stiff and awkward at times, but over the course of the movie it came to be endearing in a way and characteristic of the role. I think as the films go on she’ll really embrace her role more and continue to be more natural in her portrayal.

With that said, Captain Marvel really does stand strong in the MCU and as the latest addition to the Avengers. The film was unique, an impressive feat for Marvel to continue to pull off, and it continues to deliver things we expect from these films (including making me almost bawl my eyes out because of the Stan Lee tributes and cameo).

So be sure not to skip on this one in your excitement to watch Avengers: Endgame. It gives us a great look at the hero who might just bring all of our beloved Avengers back from the dust, and of course gives us some top notch after-credits scenes to continue to build up excitement for the return of Thanos.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree?

Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.

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NEWS BRIEFS

APD receives report of rape; pilot compost project extended until June SARAH M. PENIX NEWS EDITOR APD RECEIVES RAPE REPORT The Athens Police Department received a report of rape Monday.

Officers responded to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital for the report of a sexual assault. The incident occurred in the Uptown Athens area during the early morning on Monday, according to the report.

APD has received five reports of sexual assault since Jan. 13. There have been three rape reports, a gross sexual imposition report and a sexual assault report.

The Ohio University Police Department has received two reports of rape since the start of the Spring Semester.

GRADUATE STUDENT SENATE: RESOLUTION PASSED TO DIVIDE GSS FROM STUDENT SENATE Graduate Student Senate voted to branch off as a separate body from Student Senate at Tuesday’s meeting.

The resolution will request a change of

wording of the separation in the Student Senate Constitution. GSS will now only represent graduate students, rather than being a part of one full body to represent all university students.

The resolution will be presented to Student Senate at Wednesday’s meeting.

If passed, the two bodies will separate as representatives of different bodies at Ohio University.

ATHENS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVE HIRING OF TWO NEW PEOPLE The executive director of Athens County Department of Job and Family Services requested Tuesday for two new people to be hired.

Speaking at the Athens County Board of County Commissioners meeting, Jean Demosky said a new staff attorney needs to be hired to replace the old attorney who left.

The commissioners agreed to hire the new attorney with a pay rate of $23.45 per hour.

Demosky also requested for the program administrator at Job and Family

Services to become the manager for the Child Support Assistance Department.

The commissioners agreed to hire the administrator as a manager for the pay rate of $28.71 per hour.

the project received a bucket to put the compost in, according to a previous Post report. The buckets could be placed on the curb during the same day as trash and recycling pick up.

CITY COUNCIL: PILOT COMPOST PROJECT EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE City Council members passed an ordinance at Monday’s meeting that would extend the pilot residential curbside compost project.

The project would be extended until June 30. It originally ran for six months and ended on Dec. 30, 2018. Councilman Kent Butler (D-1st Ward) said the extension would allow more data to be collected about the project. A decision would be made after the extended period whether to keep the project or not.

Athens-Hocking Recycling (AHR), asked the city for an extension of the contract. The extension would help AHR better gather data on the effectiveness of composting in Athens.

Each household that participates in

NEIL ROMANOSKY NAMED NEXT DEAN OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Neil Romanosky, the current associate chief librarian for Science Research and Information at University of Toronto Libraries, was named the next dean of University Libraries.

Chaden Djalali, executive vice president and provost, announced a search committee for a new dean of libraries in October. That was in response to OU’s 10-year dean of libraries, Scott Seaman, announcing that he would retire at the end of 2018. Now that Romanosky has been selected, he will take on the title of dean of libraries on Sept. 1, according to an Ohio University media release.

@SARAHMPENIX SP936115@OHIO.EDU

POLICE BLOTTER

Woman reports 1-inch scratch on car; dog smells mysterious cotton candy MEGAN CARLSON FOR THE POST Everyone gets mad when their car gets scratched, but some can be more severe than others.

The sheriff’s office responded to Lexington Avenue in Chauncey for a possible property damage report Sunday.

The woman said her car had been scratched. Once deputies arrived, they were shown a 1-inch scratch on the side of the vehicle. The caller said she did not know who, when or how the scratch had appeared.

Without any evidence of a criminal act occurring, there was nothing that could be done. Deputies told her to update them if any new evidence can be presented indicating an actual crime or investigative leads.

6 / MARCH 21, 2019

HR ISSUES The Ohio University Police Department observed a man who was lying in the grass in front of the Human Resources Building on Friday.

The student was unsure of his whereabouts and was unsteady on his feet. He had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. He was arrested for disorderly conduct by intoxication and was transported to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, pending his sobriety.

TRASH TALKING The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Hudnell Road area on Friday after receiving a report of a missing trash can.

The trash can was found at the neighbor’s residence. The can was placed at the

end of the driveway for the owner to retrieve. A report was taken.

DUBBLE BUBBLE The sheriff’s office received a report of possible suspicious activity near a residence in Chauncey on Sunday.

The caller said their dog was barking.

When they walked outside, the dog began sniffing the air. The caller said they could smell cotton candy or bubblegum.

Deputies patrolled the area for suspicious activity but did not find any at that time.

OINK The sheriff’s office responded to Baker Road in Athens Sunday in reference to a pig being in the complainant’s yard.

Upon arriving in the area, it was patrolled, but the pig could not be located.

JUST REDECORATING The sheriff’s office responded to an Upper River Road residence last Wednesday regarding items on the porch being moved.

The caller said shelves had been moved from the porch to their yard. No items were missing or damaged.

VROOM VROOM The sheriff’s office responded to Porter Lane for a report of a neighbor revving a vehicle in the roadway on Thursday.

When deputies spoke to the neighbor, he was in his own driveway and explained that he had been working on the vehicle.

No criminal activity had occurred, and deputies returned to patrol.

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CLASSIFIEDS

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

The Ohio University Flying Team’s airplane sits at The Gordon K. Bush Ohio University Airport on Sept. 28, 2016. (CAMILLE FINE / FILE)

Aviation department receives new plane IAN MCKENZIE FOR THE POST Ohio University’s aviation department received a new plane on March 1 after getting an award to promote general aviation.

The department will have the plane for nine months. After that period ends, the university will have the option to buy the plane. The plane could cost more than $400,000 if purchased new. However, the plane that OU will receive will have about 300 flight hours on it after those nine months, so it could cost less, Derek McVicar, assistant chief flight instructor, said.

Textron Aviation awarded four universities with the Top Hawk award, according to a news release. Each university is given a 2019 Cessna Skyhawk, which is a four-person training airplane.

The biggest difference between this plane and the planes that the department already has is that it has a glass cockpit, which is a screen of instrument panels rather than gauges, Owens said. The screen has GPS, which allows pilots to be more aware.

It hasn’t been decided in what classes the plane will be used. However, McVicar said he thinks it would be useful for senior-level classes, which are focused on instrument panels. Sometimes students are overwhelmed with the technology, so it is better for younger students to be in smaller, older planes, McVicar said.

The plane will likely be flown fewer than 400 hours in nine months and will receive 8 / MARCH 21, 2019

mandatory inspections every 100 hours.

Steve Owens, aviation business administrator, said he thinks OU won the award because the aviation department supports charitable events and is a combination of the OU brand and the Textron Aviation brand. Another reason was because OU has its own Federal Aviation Administration-approved maintenance.

Fifty-five freshmen students were studying aviation in Fall Semester 2018.

Before then, the largest class was 26 students, Owens, said. The plane would help with training because there are so many students and a limited number of planes and flight instructors.

OU now has 17 planes, including the new plane. Other than that plane, the newest models in the fleet are from 2005, Owens said. The avionics department even has a plane from 1943 that is used sometimes.

McVicar and an aviation student flew the plane from Wichita to Athens on March 1. The flight took about seven hours flying at about 138 mph and stopping twice on the way.

To fly for a commercial airline, pilots are required to have 1,000 fl ight hours, Owens said. Students only get about 250 to 300 hours during their four years, so the department hires graduated students to instruct new students to ensure students are able to get the required fl ight hours.

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Sigma Pi Fraternity denies wrongdoing in OU freshman Collin Wiant’s death BAILEY GALLION INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR The local and international chapters of Sigma Pi Fraternity have denied any involvement in the alleged hazing death of Ohio University freshman Collin Wiant, and the local chapter says Wiant was not a pledge at the time of his death because he had been removed from the process due to a rape accusation.

In a lawsuit filed Feb. 14, Wade and Kathleen Wiant, Collin’s parents, argue that he died as a result of hazing endured at the hands of Sigma Pi fraternity brothers. Wiant died Nov. 12 of asphyxiation due to consumption of nitrous oxide, or “whippets,” according to the suit, which alleges that Sigma Pi fraternity brothers forced him to take the drugs.

The lawsuit also alleges that Wiant

was deprived of sleep, beaten with a belt, forced to beat others with a belt, punched, pelted with eggs, forced to take drugs and forced to drink a gallon of alcohol in 60 minutes.

The Epsilon chapter of Sigma Pi argued in its response to the suit that Wiant and other people who were not under the chapter’s control were responsible for his death. The international chapter of Sigma Pi argued that it was not aware of the alleged hazing and that the death was not due to Sigma Pi International’s negligence.

The Epsilon chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity also argued that Wiant was not a pledge at the time of his death. He had been removed from the pledge process Oct. 24 after the chapter’s leadership learned a woman had accused him of sexual assault three days before, attor-

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ney Matthew Carlisle wrote.

According to documents the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office provided The Post in response to a public records request, an OU student reported that Wiant walked her home after a party and raped her in her room. The woman told police she had no memory of the incident and believed she had been drugged.

Wiant was never charged for the alleged rape. The case was closed after Wiant’s death, but the Ohio University Police Department redacted the reports and has not said why the case was closed.

Rex Elliot, a Columbus-based attorney representing the Wiant family, said no records show that Wiant had been removed from the pledge process and said that if Wiant had been removed from the pledge process, he wouldn’t have been summoned to the party the night of his

death. Elliot also said the sex was consensual.

“We are going to prove that it’s not true,” Elliot said. “It’s just another sickening attempt by this fraternity to protect itself at the expense of an 18-year-old kid that died in their house while they were hazing (him).”

Wiant’s parents filed the lawsuit on seven counts: violation of Ohio’s anti-hazing laws, negligence, civil conspiracy, negligent supervision, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Both the Wiants and Sigma Pi International have demanded a jury trial.

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Female first responders thrive in male-dominated field JESS UMBARGER ASST. CULTURE EDITOR First responder professions have been dominated by men in the past, but today, more and more women have proved they are just as fierce and capable of doing the job.

Despite the number of female first responders growing throughout the years, the women who choose to go into public safety still face sexism while working.

When Assistant Chief Amber Pyle started working as a paramedic in Athens, only a third of those working in her station were women. Today, close to half of paramedics are women, Pyle estimated.

Pyle knew when she was a junior in high school that she wanted to be a paramedic.

Once she graduated, she started training.

“We were at a parade with the band and one of my bandmates went down and had to be transported to the hospital, and they asked for anybody that wanted to ride with her so she wouldn’t be alone,” Pyle said. “I volunteered, and I was hooked the minute I (went) into the ambulance.”

In 1984, when Pyle first started training to become a first responder, there were few women. Despite the number of women being smaller than the number of men, the women were expected to do all the same things.

“I was concerned when I first started out that I wouldn’t be able to lift the amount the men could, but that quickly was not an issue at all,” Pyle said. “We had to be able to lift 100 pounds.”

Like Pyle, Lt. Kayce Carrick’s brother is also a front line responder. Carrick has been a paramedic for 13 years, and her brother works for Athens EMS alongside his sister, who is a station supervisor.

Carrick ended up becoming a paramedic after graduating from OU with a degree in athletic training and exercise physiology.

“I had a student get severely injured one day, and it made me feel really helpless,” Carrick said. “This was a way to kind of pad some time during the summer, because I could take the EMT class, and then I just kind of fell in love with it.”

Being a paramedic has given Carrick a confidence she didn’t have before. There’s an adrenaline rush element of her job, and being the one people go to in emergency situations is what made Carrick feel confident.

One of the biggest challenges Carrick has faced as a woman in a front-line position is dealing with the masculinity of her coworkers. “(My coworkers) are very respectful, but there’s the jokes and the farting and kind of frat boy mentality some days,” 10 / MARCH 21, 2019

Lt. Kayce Carrick poses for a portrait by an ACEMS vehicle at their station on West Union Street on March 7.

(EMILEE CHINN / PHOTO EDITOR)

Carrick said with a laugh. “There’s still that air of masculinity, and you have to kind of have that type A personality to come in and say, ‘Not today. I’m not going to put up with it, I’m not in the mood.’”

Pyle agreed with Carrick that sometimes “testosterone is overflowing” at stations, but they love who they work with, and they are always professional in the field.

When she was first given the position of supervisor, Carrick sometimes had issues with being recognized as the person in charge to other first responders.

There were instances when other first responders would walk up to one of the men on her truck and assume they were the supervisor, but Carrick was quick to correct them.

“Most of them know me in the county now, and once I get off that truck, it’s not even a question (of who is in charge),” Carrick said. “They know who I am, and they know I can do the job.”

At this point, the majority of her fellow safety officers are glad to see her when Carrick gets off the truck.

One of the things Carrick believes women are better at is being aware of what is going on around them rather than getting fixed on one thing, as well as being empathetic.

“I think for us there is that built-in 360 vision,” Carrick said. “Guys kind of get fixed and focused. Women have kind of a safety net. We’re always kind of looking to see what’s going on around us.”

Natasha Lorenz, an officer for OUPD, felt like all eyes were on her when she was going through training.

“People tend to assume that females don’t belong in this field so you had to work harder,” Lorenz said. “Men could just walk on.”

During her training, Lorenz also noticed people would be surprised if any of the five women in the group with 20 men did well during the physical training.

“I noticed it a lot, too, when we did physical fitness or firearms, and there was kind of a gasp of surprise if you did well,” Lorenz said. “I tried to keep my head down a lot and do my work.”

Lorenz tended to turn the other cheek when she received comments from other officers in training. There was a lot of sexism and outdated attitudes, she said.

Her parents, especially her dad, were concerned for her safety when she told them she wanted to be a police officer.

“My dad was wondering if I wanted to do anything else,” Lorenz said. “I still get calls from my parents periodically asking if I’m doing OK at work.”

One of the most draining things about being a police officer in Lorenz’s opinion is the perceptions people have about her profession.

Lorenz also feels frustrated when people don’t take her seriously, but she understands that in certain situations, there’s nothing else she can do but hand it over to another officer.

“You spend your entire career trying to prove yourself and prove that you can do everything (men) can do, and it’s frustrating when people don’t take you seriously,” Lorenz said. “I have to remember I’m here to serve the public, and if they’re more comfortable talking to a male officer, then that’s what you’re gonna get.”

All three women have faced hardships in their jobs because they are women, but none of them would ever change careers because they love what they do. All agree there should be more women in their fields.

“Every girl who has a dream to step and be a firefighter, a police officer, go for it,“ Carrick said. “Don’t let anybody tell you can’t.”

@JESS_UMBARGER JU992415@OHIO.EDU

Social media ‘cleansing’ can have benefits as well as drawbacks, experts say HANNAH BURKHART FOR THE POST

Psychologists believe social media can affect users both positively and negatively, depending on how they use it.

Some people choose to periodically participate in “social media cleanses,” taking prolonged breaks from using the sites. But research has shown that taking breaks from platforms like Twitter and Instagram can have both benefits and drawbacks.

“I disabled my Instagram account at the beginning of this school year, and it was the best decision to clear my mind and focus on the transition from summer to school and all my changes,” Jade Smith, a freshman studying journalism, said.

Brad Okdie, an associate psychology professor at Ohio State University, has studied social media’s impact on psycho-

ILLUSTRATION BY RILEY SCOTT

logical health. He explained one experiment in which students were asked to take a break from social media, and students reported greater well-being. However, they had higher levels of cortisol in their blood streams. Cortisol is a hormone seen when individuals are stressed out.

“It’s hard to say whether taking breaks from social media has either a positive or negative impact on mental health,” Okdie said. “There can be both good and bad consequences.”

Nicole Muscanell, an assistant professor of psychology at Penn State University, said the idea of social media affecting mental health is nuanced, and many factors need to be examined before making assumptions.

“Studies show that people who share things and communicate with others have more positive outcomes than passive people on social media,” Muscanell said.

Okdie said that historically, group

membership has always been important.

He gave the example of individuals not having the power to take down a woolly mammoth alone, therefore having to rely on group effort to get their food.

“Myself and some of my colleagues have been talking about how there is a lot of research in social psychology about how people have a need to belong,” Okdie said. “We have this desire to belong to and be a part of groups.”

Okdie compared the importance of historical group membership to the fact that with social media, people have access to their groups all the time. He said many researchers and social psychologists have suggested if someone is not part of a group, bad things happen psychologically and physiologically. People report lower sense of belonging and lower self-esteem without a group with which to identify.

“We now live in a world where we have

access to groups all the time, everywhere, and those groups are on social media,” Okdie said. “To some degree, the social media world has created a way that we can satisfy those needs all the time.”

People get a certain feeling of excitement when getting several ‘likes’ on social media. Okdie compared the dopamine release from getting likes to the dopamine release after eating a satisfying meal.

One well-known effect of social media is the comparison people make between themselves and other people’s profiles.

Based on a study by Kostadin Kushlev, a psychology professor at Georgetown University, Okdie considered the act of people comparing themselves to others to be upward and downward social comparison.

“If you make an upward social comparison, you are comparing yourself to someone who you believe is better than you in some domain which you believe is diagnostic,” Okdie said. “Alternatively, you could look at someone’s profile and make a downward social comparison because they are sort of worse off than you in some domain.”

Upward social comparisons often lead to lowered self-esteem but can sometimes be used for motivation, Okdie said.

Okdie said people choose what they want others to see on social media, which is most likely the best assets of themselves. Okdie said on social media, people selectively self-present only the parts of themselves that they want to be seen, so it is worrying for people to compare themselves to the best parts of people online.

“You are comparing yourself to a world where everyone is presenting their best self, but you are aware of all of the negative parts that come with yourself,” said Okdie.

Muscanell said the reason people are sometimes affected mentally by social media is because all they see is a biased glimpse of other people’s lives. People do not tend to post the stressful moments of their lives.

Muscanell said breaks can be good for mental health, but people tend to have a fear of missing out.

“People need to ask themselves whether the issue is social media or that people are not spending enough time having real life, face-to-face conversations,” Muscanell said.

@HANNAHNOELBURK HB239417@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

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Yoga for tweens promotes body awareness and positivity through body paint and glow sticks BAYLEE DEMUTH STAFF WRITER Children in Athens can take advantage of a new and creative outlet that mixes fun and exercise into one exciting black light yoga session.

When Liz Kelley, a children’s yoga instructor, moved to Athens last summer from Huron, she brought the growing trend of glow yoga with her. She has only held one glow yoga session but plans to hold her second one Saturday.

“We’re trying to offer it every quarter,” Kelley said. “I provide all the paint and glow sticks, so all the kids have to do is come dressed in their bright clothes and then we paint their faces, hands and feet. We give them glow sticks and little necklaces and just have this big black light party.”

Kelley’s glow yoga is specifically for children between 8 and 12 years old. While the children are covered in body paint and decked out in glow stick necklaces, Kelley takes them through many traditional asana yoga poses, specifically for posture, under a black light. She’ll go through a modified moon salutation, a series of poses performed in a particular sequence to create a cooling flow of movement.

“The nice part about the 8 to 12-yearold age group is they do stay more focused than preschoolers,” Kelley said.

“A lot of the stretches are things they’ve done before in other sports, they just didn’t know they were asanas or other yoga poses.”

Many of the poses Kelley teaches are familiar to the children in one way or another. Whether they’ve taken gymnastics or ballet, or even practice stretches in gym class, they can all find recognizable poses in her glow yoga sessions.

“After the yoga flow, when they’re all dressed up in their paints, we just turn on the music and let them dance,” Kelley said. “They love it.”

The sequences of poses deal a lot with emphasis on the hand and arm movements, and the body paint brings a bit of extra awareness of where the children’s arms and legs are.

“Aesthetically, the body paint looks really neat under the light,” Kelley said.

“We do lots of pyramid and star poses, triangles and half moons. Just those poses where their arms are gonna be out and moving and they can see it happening.”

14 / MARCH 21, 2019

Tweens practice moon salutation poses led by Kelley. (PROVIDED via Liz Kelley)

Kelley believes it’s important to teach yoga to children, especially tweens who are going through many changes in just a few short years.

“Yoga is really great because it provides them with a tool to cope with changing bodies, changing emotions and a lot of new anxieties springing up during those years,” Kelley said. “It helps them with relaxation and focusing when they’re nervous or scared.”

Kelley also teaches the children how to embrace their bodies and recognize how capable they truly are.

“I tell them, ‘Look what your body can do, look how great it is. It doesn’t matter what it looks like,’” Kelley said. “It’s to help them with that body image, saying you don’t have to have this one particular body type.”

Teaching yoga to children is also fairly similar to teaching adults. To Kelley, chil-

dren are “natural yogis” with their flexible limbs and good posture. She’s hoping the tweens who come to her next glow yoga session take more from it than just the glow sticks and body paint.

“I hope they’re interested in yoga itself, not just the party and one-time event,” Kelley said. “Maybe they’re curious and want to incorporate it into other aspects of their lives and routines.”

Jen Mainelli, a yoga instructor at Ping Recreation Center, also believes children can benefit from starting yoga at a young age.

“Yoga can get them to learn how to calm themselves down and incorporate mindfulness at a young age so they treat people well and are nice to themselves,” Mainelli said. “Even in school to take deep breaths and calm down for tests.”

Mainelli recognizes how the element of body paint under a black light is an in-

novative way to keep children engaged while also teaching them a practice that can be useful to them in the long run.

“I think the glow stuff is a really cool idea because it’d be really fun,” Mainelli said. “The body paint and glow sticks would be really cool, because the kids are exercising and having fun, which is ultimately what you want kids to be a part of.”

Aubrei Krummert’s daughter Clara Arauz participated in Kelley’s first glow yoga session and had a blast.

“It was super fun and unique and innovative,” Krummert said. “Certainly nothing like something she’s ever done before.

It’s absolutely crucial for my daughter to be active, so I would definitely consider her taking another glow yoga class.”

@BAYLEEDEMUTH BD575016@OHIO.EDU

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ohio coach Bob Boldon answers questions during the postgame press conference after the Bobcats’ 69-66 loss to the RedHawks in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament on March 7, 2018. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

How Bob Boldon reacted to Ohio missing the NCAA Tournament ANTHONY POISAL STAFF WRITER Bob Boldon sat on The Convo’s press row table Monday and smirked.

About 30 minutes earlier, he received an answer for Ohio’s fate in the NCAA Tournament. The result surprised the coach in two ways: 1. The Bobcats were not selected. Boldon, the players and many inside the Mid-American Conference believed Ohio had done enough. The selection committee thought differently, and the Bobcats were placed in the “Last Four Out” category for the four teams closest to earning a bid.

2. The selections were accidentally leaked two hours early. ESPN was supposed to air the bracket with a selection show at 7 p.m., but the selections were accidentally aired at 5 p.m.

Why was Boldon upbeat about the Bobcats not making the big tournament? Well, he wasn’t necessarily happy about it, but the mood was his way of expressing his belief that the selection committee got it wrong.

Boldon thought it was laughable that

Ohio, which tied a program record with 27 wins and finished No. 34 in RPI, wasn’t selected. The leaked bracket — and the embarrassment that came with it for the NCAA — added more embarrassment to the process.

“It’s disappointing because there’s a lot of metrics that make you think this team is good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament,“ Boldon said. “It’s disappointing that they didn’t get to do that, for whatever reason it is that we will never truly know.”

The Bobcats finished in the same spot in 2016, but that came with less of a surprise.

Ohio finished No. 51 in RPI, and the MAC was tabbed the 11th-best conference in the nation. The Bobcats didn’t play in a conference competitive enough for two bids in the NCAA Tournament.

That made sense to Boldon. This year, not so much. Ohio finished 16 spots higher in the RPI. The MAC finished as the eighth-best conference in the NCAA, but it spent the majority of the year as the No. 7 conference.

The RPI suggested Ohio’s competition was stiffer, and the Bobcats adjusted with it.

Boldon thought that was enough. He wasn’t, and now he’s confused.

“They tell you RPI isn’t the end all be all,“ Boldon said, “but it sure matters when you beat teams with a good RPI, somehow.”

That may ultimately be what bit Ohio the most. The Bobcats defeated Lamar (No. 62 RPI) and Purdue (No. 89) in their undefeated nonconference schedule that, at its conclusion, made Ohio one of two teams with a perfect record.

Other than Purdue, the Bobcats didn’t play another Power 5 school. That wasn’t on purpose, though — Ohio had a deal to play Vanderbilt this season, but the Commodores broke the contract before the season and declined to play the Bobcats.

Ohio likely would have beaten Vanderbilt, who finished No. 209 in RPI but played in the SEC, which was the fifth-best conference in the nation. To add salt on the wound? The Commodores also defeated Tennessee, who made an at-large bid over Ohio, on Feb. 28.

It may not have been the difference for an NCAA Tournament bid for the Bobcats, but it would have helped. It showed how Ohio struggles to attract teams from quality conferences on its schedule, and with the Bobcats’ high finish this year,

that’s unlikely to change.

“It’s difficult to upgrade that,“ Boldon said. “There’s not a lot of people that are real excited about playing us.”

The most upsetting part may be that the MAC still received two bids for the NCAA Tournament. Buffalo received an automatic bid when it won the MAC Championship, and Central Michigan, who lost in the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament, received a bid over Ohio. The Bobcats had more overall wins than the Chippewas and made the MAC Tournament Championship Game.

Sympathies won’t change anything for Ohio, though. Boldon is less bitter now that the Bobcats will continue their season in the WNIT. Ohio will play at least one more home game at The Convo, and Boldon will never complain about that.

But he still believes it was an embarrassing day for the NCAA. The early leak of the brackets wouldn’t have changed that.

“That,“ Boldon said with a smile, “would never happen in men’s basketball.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WHAT HAPPENED TO SAUL PHILLIPS?

After five years filled with hope but no results, Ohio decided to not renew the coach’s contract. What happened to Saulball?

PETE NAKOS | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Ohio University men’s basketball head coach Saul Phillips reacts to Eastern Michigan scoring a basket during the Ohio versus Easten Michigan game on Feb. 12. The Bobcats lost the game 66-57. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

C

oach Saul Phillips cracks a smile mid-sentence as he describes another one of his favorite stories of trips to the Final Four with a group of reporters.

It’s Thursday, March 7, and the Bobcats have just wrapped up practice.

Standing on The Convo floor, the fifth-year coach seems at peace with his team and the future.

Not once in the 10-minute conversation filled with on- and off-the-record stories does he seem down.

Not once does Phillips let on he was a day away from his last game in Athens, three days away from a first round exit in the Mid-Ameri-

16 / MARCH 21, 2019

can Conference Tournament or five days away from being told he would not return for a sixth season.

Phillips kept coaching until athletic director Jim Schaus told him he couldn’t. Never was Saul Phillips’ time at Ohio about him — that’s not how the 46-year-old operates.

His quirky, optimistic attitude was a constant this season, even though that he knew this was the final year of his initial contract, that contract extension talks were nonexistent and that his team wasn’t winning enough games.

“You’re not certain of anything in this profession,” Phillips said that afternoon. “I can’t let that cloud what we’re trying to do. I’ve tried

really hard this season to not make it about me and my situation. That’s not right.”

But winning games defined the Phillips era in Athens. He didn’t win enough or at a rapid enough pace. Two straight seasons of 20-plus wins were followed by two straight losing seasons. Of his five seasons at Ohio, just two finished with a winning record.

Never did he reach the finals of the MAC Tournament or win a regular season title. His crowning achievement was coaching Antonio Campbell to MAC Player of the Year honors in 2016-17.

His final record of 81-77 gives him a 51.3 win percentage, placing him ninth all-time — and behind every coach in the last 25 years. His 44.4

SAUL PHILLIPS STATS

81-77

8

CAREER RECORD

win percentage in the MAC (40-50) is the second-worst in Ohio coaching history.

Phillips’ predecessor, Jim Christian, owned a 25-9 record in the MAC and won a MAC regular season title. Before Christian, John Groce was 34-30 but brought home two MAC Tournament championships.

The back-to-back losing seasons were rock bottom for a program that considers itself the best in the conference. That hasn’t happened in almost 20 years since the Tim O’Shea era. While Phillips teams struggled, some of Ohio’s in-state rivals surged ahead.

In his first two seasons at Akron, Groce had the Zips in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. So did Jack Owens with the Miami RedHawks.

Kent State coach Rob Senderoff’s Golden Flashes played in the semifinals last year and received a first-round bye this season. Bowling Green played in its first MAC Tournament Championship Game since 2002 on Saturday night.

There’s no doubt that the losing seasons came with turnover and injury problems, too. Phillips had eight players transfer in his tenure. Campbell never finished his senior season due to injury. James Gollon has medically disqualified himself; he only played a full season as a Bobcat.

One of the top 3-point shooters in the country, Jordan Dartis, has undergone multiple hip surgeries and hasn’t played since last season.

Of late, Phillips had to rely on teams littered with minimal playing experience and loads of youth. This past season, he relied on a rotation of two upperclassmen, five underclassmen and a junior college transfer. Last year, only four of eight rotational players played in all 31 games.

Schaus was ecstatic Monday morning.

He’d just finished introducing the 19th coach in program history, Jeff Boals. As the athletic director stood off to the side of the media room in The Convo, he began to tiptoe around questions about Phillips’ time in Athens.

Was there a disconnect between Phillips and Schaus the last two years? Did all contract talks come to an end? Schaus didn’t going into details, but he did reiterate that the decision to not renew Phillips’ contract was strictly a decision about the trajectory of the program.

Never did he speak poorly about the

PLAYER TRANSFERS

40-50

MAC RECORD

Ohio Bobcats head coach Saul Phillips reacts after a call during the second half of the Bobcats’ game against Bowling Green on Feb. 22. The Bobcats won 92-87.

(COLIN MAYR / FOR THE POST)

“

Saul and I had a great relationship and spent a lot of time together, not in meetings but on the side. He’s a great individual with great integrity and a great person. He cared greatly for this program, and he did so much for our student-athletes.

He ran the program the right way, however, a component of that position at the Division I level is to consistently win.”

- Jim Schaus, Ohio athletic director

quality men being produced from the program. Problems in the classroom were never apparent.

Winning defines college sports. It defined Phillips’ time in Athens, too — because of the lack of wins.

Whether that’s to blame on recruiting, player development or bad luck is un-

known. But it’s clear that the win-loss record didn’t meet the expectations Schaus has for Ohio.

“I think it was a very difficult decision.

It’s always important to make the correct decision for the university,” Schaus said.

“Saul and I had a great relationship and spent a lot of time together, not in meet-

0

MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

ings, but on the side. He’s a great individual with great integrity and a great person.

He cared greatly for this program, and he did so much for our student-athletes. He ran the program the right way.

“However, a component of that position at the Division I level is to consistently win. He did have some injuries last year for sure, but we want to be at a different place in terms of consistently winning.

That is certainly what led to the decision ultimately, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an outstanding person.”

In the same media room where Schaus introduced the new coach of the Bobcats, Jason Carter had sat 10 days before.

Ohio had just defeated Miami 66-57 on Senior Night, riding high from yet another win in the last month of the season. Unsure of Phillips’ fate, Carter talked about the love he has for playing for his coach.

Through a season-ending injury a year and the growing pains of a college basketball player, Phillips stuck with Carter through it all.

Carter’s just one example of the players the coach produced: a hard-working player who plays hard for his teammates and coaches.

“He’s been there for me since day one,” Carter said. “We’ve been through so much together, the ups and the downs. I know our group wants to keep this going for as long as we can.”

Now, the reality is different.

Players will adjust to a new coaching staff. Schaus will hope he tabbed the right person to take Ohio back to the NCAA Tournament. Boals will try to make sure the Bobcats return to their former glory.

Phillips will leave Athens. He’ll search for new work. He’ll see the players he recruited develop into the men he envisioned them being. He may part way with his assistant coaches, too, as they head in different directions.

But that is the reality. No longer will he make Bobcat Nation crack a smile when he creates a ridiculous metaphor to describe a player. Now, a new fan base will experience that.

Saulball is no longer in Athens. Time will tell if that’s for the best.

@PETE_NAKOS96 PN997515@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

MEN’S BASKETBALL

NO PLACE LIKE HOME SPENCER HOLBROOK | SPORTS EDITOR

Boals was introduced as Ohio’s 19th coach in program history Monday; he called it his dream job tanding at the podium in the media room inside The Convo, Jeff Boals was cool and collected. // His family sits in the front row with players, media members, boosters and athletic department personnel behind the Boals family for the first time. Boals seemed to always know what to say. He crushed the introductory press conference, making references of his playing days at Ohio, his college basketball coach, his experiences and his goals. // Three years ago, he had a similar press conference. Boals took the job at Stony Brook in 2016 after serving on Thad Matta’s bench at Ohio State for seven seasons. He crushed that press conference three years ago. // But this one? This press conference was different. It had a certain undertone.

It oozed passion and preparedness. It commanded a room. It hit a little closer to home for the 46-year-old Boals.

PROVIDED via Ohio Athletic Department

18 / MARCH 21, 2019

JEFF BOALS STATS

46 AGE

55-40

CAREER RECORD

Because it is home.

“I'm extremely honored and gratefully humbled to be back home,” Boals said Monday in his opening statement. “I think when I walked into the Convocation Center and looked up and saw the rafters, saw the banners, saw seats, and it brought back a flood of memories. A lot of them positive, a couple negative, but seeing the banners and the Convocation Center floor — there's no better place.”

The excitement in that room Monday was palpable. Athletic director Jim Schaus sported a smile for the duration of the press conference. OU President Duane Nellis gave a rousing little speech in which he repeated “it’s a great day to be a Bobcat,” which was followed

by Schaus. Nellis appeared ecstatic. After the press conference, he was shaking hands and being, well, presidential. It was a good day for the president.

As they presented Boals with a white Ohio jersey donning his old No. 45, which he wore from 1991 to 1995 when he played at Ohio, the Bobcats’ power trio of Nellis, Schaus and Boals posed for a picture and smiled.

“I think Jeff's personality, it's really infectious when you get a chance to meet him,” Schaus said of Boals. “You just sense right off this energy, his enthusiasm, his vision for everything he does, especially for Ohio University.”

Schaus delivered a good starting point for Boals to take the podium.

The show began from there.

Of course, Boals thanked the Ohio administration for bringing him home. But he thanked Stony Brook’s administration, too. After all, that group gave Boals his first head coaching job.

Before Stony Brook, his seven years with Matta at Ohio State were nearly as successful as an assistant can ask. Matta and Boals

“

5 YEARS OHIO CONTRACT

$581,100

OHIO YEARLY SALARY

24-8

STONY BROOK RECORD

I think when I walked into the Convocation Center and looked up and saw the rafters, saw the banners, saw seats, and it brought back a flood of memories. A lot of them positive, a couple negative, but seeing the banners and the Convocation Center floor — there’s no better place.”

- Jeff Boals, new Ohio coach

went 193-62 on the bench together in Columbus, and they went to the Final Four in 2012. He also thanked Matta and that staff. “(Matta) was instrumental in me accepting this job,” Boals said.

“He always said to not leave for a bad job or a bad situation. Always make sure it's a top-three job in the league. I think it's the best job in the league with resources, funding, facilities, campus, everything. I'm excited about that. I call him all the time, and I'll continue to call Thad."

But his thanks for Matta paled in comparison to his thanks for his former coach, the late Larry Hunter, who coached Boals at Ohio.

Boals was a two-time captain in the 90s, and he helped the Bobcats reach the 1994 NCAA Tournament.

Hunter was Boals’ mentor, and the first time Boals mentioned Hunter, he nearly broke down.

And he repeated the sentiment of what Hunter meant to him throughout the press conference.

He used phrasing the late coach used to use. He continued to bring him up. That’s the influence Hunter had on him.

“Larry was such a competitor,” Boals said. “He competed at everything. Racket ball, cards, you name it. Larry was just competing. I think that was who I was as a player. I wasn't the most athletic

player, but I'd be on the floor taking charges and diving. Picking a teammate up and cheering them along on the bench.”

The thanks didn’t stop there, though. Boals proved just how grateful he is to take the Ohio job.

After compiling a 55-40 record in his three seasons at Stony Brook, Boals was set to return nearly his entire roster and compete for an America East Conference championship with the Seawolves on Long Island. They went 24-8 this past season, and they’re on the rise.

It took a special job and opportunity to leave the Stony Brook job.

That situation was set up for Boals to succeed. He set it up to succeed before he left. But the Ohio job was special enough to leave Stony Brook. Ohio is his dream job. It was easy to make the move back to Athens, and Boals signed a five year deal in which he’ll make $581,100 annually to move back.

“The initial conversation was just excitement,” Boals said.

The initial conversation was one that Schaus had with a couple candidates, but Boals was the clear favorite to land the job. His head coaching experience stood out to Schaus. His personality stood out to Schaus.

His alma mater stood out to Schaus.

PROVIDED via Ohio Athletic Department “Of what we were looking for, he aligned immediately,” Schaus said.

As the room cleared and questions ceased, the hand shakes from Nellis stopped. The smiles from Schaus didn’t, but he vacated back to his office. Boals stayed behind and was one of the last to leave that room inside The Convo.

After all the thank-yous issued to Boals — he didn’t leave anyone out — he had time to just stand there as the head coach of his university.

Boals thanked enough people for giving him his dream job and allowing him to come home. He especially thanked the two men who held up the jersey with him: Nellis and Schaus.

If the hire is as big of a home run as those two think it could wind up being, Schaus and Nellis might have plenty of thank-yous to hand Boals.

@SPENCERHOLBROOK SH690914@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Behind the Screen MORRIS WEIN | FOR THE POST The Post recently conducted a survey of about 50 Ohio University students to see how much time each spent on their cell phones. Respondents were asked to use the “Screen Time” feature found in their iPhone’s settings to complete the survey. “Screen Time” is a feature Apple released on Sept. 17, 2018 with the launch of iOS 12, which gives users a comprehensive breakdown of how much time they spend on their phones.

Students who took the survey spent an average of about four hours and 25 minutes on their phones — 50 minutes more than the national average of three hours and 35 minutes per day that eMarketer found US adults spend on their phones.

Stazy Mazo, a sophomore studying screenwriting and producing, who spends an average of four hours and 55 minutes on her phone everyday, said she was shocked by her results. She spent more time on her phone than she thought she did, and was unhappy to see that she had spent more than 24 hours in one week on Snapchat.

“I hate when I catch myself just sitting there and just scrolling through,” she said. “And that’s so toxic. I don’t wanna do that. I don’t wanna be like that.”

Since taking the survey, Mazo has put an hour-perday time limit on Snapchat and Instagram, her top two most-used apps. She has made a conscious effort to spend less time on her phone and found that the results have been positive.

Since she has started making an effort to use her phone less, Mazo spends more time relaxing and reflecting on her day — something she thinks that she doesn’t do enough of when she is distracted by her phone.

Ethan Schmerling, a first-year graduate student study20 / MARCH 21, 2019

ing the effects smartphones have on people’s productivity for his thesis, has found in his research that using one’s phone too much and not spending enough time with oneself can lead to feelings of loneliness.

“It feels like, with your phone, there’s always something else you could be doing,” Schmerling said. “So being alone becomes a time where you’re being distracted from yourself.”

It seems that spending less time using a cell phone, and putting more time into one’s self may have a positive impact on a person’s mental state, as well as help them to achieve more of their goals.

“I was, like, in this funk the whole beginning of the semester that I couldn’t really figure out how to get myself out of,” Mazo said, “And I don’t know if my phone was a part of it, but I have noticed recently, I’ve been using my phone less and I do feel a lot better. I feel more focused and I feel like I’m making more goals.”

Cameron Lightsey, a senior studying international business and communication, and Emily Barbus, a junior studying journalism, feel differently about their phone usage. Lightsey, who spends an average of four hours and 44 minutes on his cell phone daily, is happy with his phone usage and thinks it is a natural part of today’s society.

“I think it’s a part of the way we all live now,” he said.

“For me, I use it a lot for my day-to-day functions, whether I’m going somewhere I need directions to or I just want to check out my daily memes for the day — which I have to do.

I think it’s just a part of who everybody is, who we all are.”

Barbus, who spends an average of five hours and seven minutes on her phone per day, thinks the number is high, but is happy with her phone usage as well. She also believes that it’s a natural part of how people interact.

ILLUSTRATION

BY RILEY SCOTT

The survey broken down: Top Applications

Final Questionnaire Results

“I am on my phone too much”

Screen Time by the Hours per day:

ILLUSTRATION BY RILEE LOCKHART

“I don’t see it as a negative or positive.

Really, I just see it as like it’s the attachment to my hand. I feel like everyone else does. We have that addiction to it,” she said.

Barbus finds that spending time on her phone is a good way to relieve stress, although it can become distracting when she tries to be productive.

“I am on my phone quite a bit in class, even when I’m not allowed to,” she said.

“Which is not a good thing, but I do it, and I know a lot of other people do, too.

Professors have struggled with students who are distracted by cell phones and laptops in class — an issue Psychology Professor Keith Markman has witnessed firsthand. Whether in his own class or while sitting in the back row of a college’s class for evaluations, Markman has noticed that a large number of students use their cell phone or laptop during class, and what they do on those devices usually doesn’t pertain to the material.

Markman feels that it is becoming harder to retain the attention of students because of how rapidly they are receiving information. He cited YouTube videos as an example, where various pieces of information are shared in a single video without any pause or moment for reflection.

“Whatever attention span, it was limited in the first place, it really starts to break down,” he said. “And so, what happens — and it’s not just me, but other instructors (and) professors — there’s a feeling you can’t just talk for more than five minutes without losing three quarters of the class.”

Markman said that when he started his job 19 years ago, students seemed much more interested in his classes and the information he was teaching, but in recent years students seem less interested.

He has made changes to his classes in an attempt to make them more engaging and better suitable for the faster way he feels students process information. Some of those changes include promoting more interactivity by posting discussion questions on Blackboard for students to answer during class and removing material that he doesn’t think students will find valuable.

“I’m trying to figure out ways to do this better,” he said.

Markman feels that though it is the responsibility of students to pay attention in class, it is also the responsibility of teachers to make sure class is engaging.

However, he does think that with changes in modern technology, people process the information they learn in classes — and in general — differently than they used to.

Markman used to love to read books as a kid, for example, but his 14-year-old son does not. Markman’s son’s attitude towards reading seems to be congruent with many others, given that in June 2018, The Washington Post found that leisurely

reading was at an all-time low.

“People’s attention spans have never been great throughout history,” Markman said with a chuckle. “I certainly think people’s exposure to YouTube and other fast-moving kinds of media make it difficult for people to do things like slow down and read a book.”

Markman believes there is a lot one can learn from written material that is different from today’s faster paced media like Twitter or Youtube. He said that modern technology has made us has us

“

I think it’s a part of the way we all live now,” he said. “For me, I use it a lot for my dayto-day functions, whether I’m going somewhere I need directions to or I just want to check out my daily memes for the day — which I have to do. I think it’s just a part of who everybody is, who we all are.”

- Cameron Lightsey, a senior studying international business and communication process information faster, although it is not always as rich in detail like a book or other long form written material.

“It’s like their brain’s been re-wired to move more quickly,” he said.

It is obvious that smartphones has forever changed the way we live, but whether or not these changes are for better or worse comes down to the opinion of each individual after they have analyzed and given some thought about how much time they spend on their phone.

“I don’t think the amount of time spent on our phones is necessarily a bad thing. I think what we consume on our phones could be,” Barbus said. “We’re in an age where ... our phone is the way to be in contact with the world, in contact with our friends. It’s almost impossible to be a functioning member of society without it. So, I think, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that we’re on it. We just need to be more mindful of when we use it and how we use it.”

Editor’s Note: Because Android phones do not have a feature like Apple’s pre-installed in their operating system, all respondents to survey are iPhone users.

@MORRIS_WEIN MW774315@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Country artist Kip Moore to perform hits in MemAud for his acoustic tour GEORGIA DAVIS THE BEAT EDITOR Ohio University students and Athens residents will have the option to spend their beer money on some country music as Kip Moore is slated to perform in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium at 8 p.m. Friday.

Known for his gritty, rock-country style, Moore will strip it down for an acoustic set. Athens is just one stop on his Room To Spare Acoustic Tour.

The tour focuses on his seven-track EP Room To Spare: The Acoustic Sessions.

Moore had promised his loyal fanbase an acoustic album because he has performed these songs live in the past.

The performance will be the Georgia-born singer’s first time at Ohio University, but Andrew Holzaepfel, the senior associate director for student activities, hopes it won’t be his last.

Holzaepfel is looking forward to bringing a “fresh face” to MemAud. The last two country acts who have crossed the stage, Josh Turner and Scotty McCreery, have performed in the venue for a combined total of five times. Lee Brice, another popular country artist, will return to OU for a performance in April.

“We are excited to have Kip,” Holzaepfel said. “We’re pretty excited to have him doing this acoustic setup he’s doing this spring.”

The songs off Room To Spare will be the focus of the setlist, but Moore has performed tunes from his previous albums at other venues on the tour.

One of those tracks is the love song “Hey Pretty Girl,” which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Moore earned his first No. 1, “Somethin’ ’Bout A Truck” back in 2012, which was quickly followed by another No. 1 in “Beer 22 / MARCH 21, 2019

IF YOU GO WHAT: Kip Moore with Muscadine Bloodline WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday WHERE: Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium ADMISSION: $45 the first 10 rows; $35 for the remainder

CURRENT TOP SONGS ON SPOTIFY “SOMETHIN’ ’BOUT A TRUCK” Kip Moore will perform in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Friday at 8 p.m. (PROVIDED via Andrew Holzaepfel)

Money.” Those two singles are more upbeat, but “Somethin’ ’Bout A Truck” has consistently shown up in Moore’s encore list for the Room To Spare Tour.

Maija Johnson, a junior studying nursing, likes Moore’s grittier take to country music.

“It’s not poppy like some other country music,” Johnson said.

“Somethin’ ’Bout A Truck” is Moore’s most-listened to song on Spotify with more than 75 million plays. It’s followed by “More Girls Like You” with 65 million plays. That song was featured on his 2017 album Slowheart.

Liesl Ludwig, a junior studying nursing, likes that the university brings in a vari-

ety of artists. She saw Parmalee and Chase Bryant when they visited in 2017 and said that was an opportunity she wouldn’t have taken had it not been such a local concert.

“I would go see people I wouldn’t normally see because of that,” Ludwig said.

For people who have seen him before, the acoustic setting will offer something a little different, but Moore’s hits will still engage the audience.

“You’ll be able to walk into the show and be able to sing along, even if you’re a passive Kip Moore fan,” Holzaepfel said.

@GEORGIADEE35 GD497415@OHIO.EDU

“MORE GIRLS LIKE YOU” “HEY PRETTY GIRL” “BEER MONEY” “I’M TO BLAME” “RUNNING FOR YOU” “LAST SHOT” “WILD ONES”

WHAT’S GOING ON? MEGAN GORDIN FOR THE POST

FRIDAY Pickle Fest at 4 p.m. at Bagel Street

SATURDAY Divest FEST at 5:30 p.m. at Galbreath Chapel. Join the Ohio University Sierra Student Coalition to raise awareness for clean technology and the divestment in fossil fuels. The night will include spoken word, comedy and music. Admission: $3 suggested donation

Sip n Sew at 6 p.m. at ReUse on

Charles Walker Band at 9:30 p.m.

Games of Chance Madness at 11 p.m.

in the Hahne Theater in Kantner Hall. In this playwriting performance series where plays are written, casted and performed all in one week, the play explores games of chance and what drives people to risk it all by gambling.

Admission: Free

for 2019 - 2020

at 5:30 p.m. at MemAud. Celebrate 30 years of SMO with a special performance by past and present members. Admission: Free

Hall. See an improv dance performance from The Lovelies, a group that seeks to put together poetic, collaborative shows for audiences.

Admission: Free

Kip Moore at 8 p.m. in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. As part of his Room to Spare Acoustic Tour, Kip Moore will serenade concertgoers with songs such as his Top 20 hit, “Last Shot.”

Moore will be joined by Muscadine Bloodline. Admission: $35-45

Now Leasing

Singing Men of Ohio Alumni Concert

Deli, 27 S. Court St. See how many pickles you can eat in 10 minutes, or if you’re not a pickle fan, simply come and watch. The winner will receive a t-shirt, their own custom bagel added to Bagel Street’s menu, and all proceeds raised from the event will go to a charity of their choice. Admission: $5 minimum donation Union, 751 W. Union St. Bring out your crafty side by making an adorable owl. This event is for those 21 and over — bring your own beer or wine to sip on while you’re sewing. Admission: $5 suggested donation for materials

Prime Campus Locations

1-6 Bedrooms Palmer, Hocking, Stewart, E. Union Milliron, West Washington, Coss

The Lovelies at 7 p.m. at Putnam

at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State Street.

Dance the night away to CWB, a Milwaukee-based neo-funk band.

Admission: $6

West State, Franklin

740-594-4441 www.BobcatRentals.net

info@BobcatRentals.net

86 North Court Street

SUNDAY Wind Symphony Ampersand Festival Concert at 4 p.m. at MemAud. En-

joy a performance from OU’s Wind Symphony along with special guests Largemouth Brass Band. The performance will also feature guest conductor Nitai Pons. Admission: Free 19th Annual Souper Bowl at 4:30 at

Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St. Attend the Athens Area Mediation Service’s not-for-profit fundraiser and eat all the soup you possibly can. Adult tickets include a locally handmade bowl, and the event will also include a silent auction, raffle and live music.

Admission: $10 @GORDINMEGAN MG525717@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

“Demetri Martin’s one-liners will leave you laughing and thinking” - Cleveland Plain Dealer