October 6, 2016

2016

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

‘The Post’ celebrates history, Homecoming

T

he Post’s newsroom has always held its history as the century-old publication on campus as a pointed source of esteem and pride — it is something that drives our “Posties” to continue their work each day.

During Homecoming — especially with this year’s theme — it is almost impossible to forget that The Post has continued its existence largely as a source of documenting Ohio University’s history.

Technically, it first did so as the The Green and White in 1911, and then as The Ohio University Post in 1939. And The Post has changed its publication design, its distribution rate, its newsroom location (Pilcher House, “Old Baker”) and more, but has luckily reEMMA OCKERMAN / fused to change its purpose — to seek EDITOR-IN-CHIEF out and thoroughly report what is happening on and off campus, through whatever means possible.

So, our college publication has reported on wars overseas, countless student-led protests, the election of 13 U.S. presidents (and will report on another come November). Importantly, The Post has accomplished those feats through the unique lens we are allowed as a student-run paper — one that reflects the voice of the undergraduate population in Athens, and the voice of the OU faculty, administration and residents of Athens that hope to connect with it.

Even as The Post exists now through a daily website operation and weekly print product, readers see our newsroom striving to do what it has done now for so long: reach, inform and relate to each reader. That is no easy job, and the hundreds of “Posties” who have passed through our publication would certainly agree that much is unlikely to change.

But that shared goal is something that makes our newsroom closer, even a century after its inception.

It is also something the reader might enjoy with this special Homecoming edition of The Post, which still features our regular in-depth reporting, coupled with the tireless dedication of our sports staff in its reporting on Ohio and its game against Bowling Green on Saturday.

Plus, for those readers who catch us every day on thepostathens.com, we have devoted several stories specifically to covering our unique and vast alumni population.

Thanks for sticking with us all these years, and happy Homecoming!

Emma Ockerman is a senior studying journalism and editor-in-chief of The Post. Want to talk to her? Tweet her at @eockerman or email her at eo300813@ohio.edu.

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QUITE CONTRARY

Why you are wrong about hot dogs I’m going to tell you something you might not be ready to hear: a hot dog is a sandwich.

I know you disagree with me.

According to a March Public Policy Poll, 60 percent of Americans WILLIAM do. But sometimes, 60 percent T. PERKINS is a senior of Americans are wrong. And I studying hate to say it, but your narrow journalism views of delicatessen delights at Ohio are hurting this country.

University.

I’ve heard all the arguments, and they all operate on false premises. They all revolve around the definition of sandwich. So, what is a sandwich, anyway?

Well, it depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.

Normally, those in the not-sandwich camp argue that if it’s meat in a bun, rather than two separate slices of bread, it’s not a sandwich.

First of all, Noah Webster and George Merriam may disagree with you. According to their dictionary, a sandwich is “two or more slices of bread or a split roll with a filling in between.” In other words, a hot dog bun.

But to be totally honest with you, I’m not

too concerned about what the dictionary says.

Food doesn’t work that way. The food we eat is a product of our culture, and culture is particularly stubborn about classification.

In the 18th century, when John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, requested — as legend has it — a mess-free meal that he could eat while gambling, his servants gave him two slices of toast and a piece of salt beef. I could argue that unless you’re eating two slices of toast and piece of salt beef, you’re not eating a sandwich.

But then something funny happened. Monty’s poker buddies saw what he was eating and thought he was on to something. The Earl of Club decided to order one with turkey and bacon. The Earl of Reuben ordered one with corned beef. The Earl of Panini was fine with any kind of meat but wanted his sandwich on ciabatta and squished between two hot irons.

(He was weird.)

I’m joking, but the point is, our modern concept of a “sandwich” was the result of a lot of people adapting and adopting the practices of those that came before them.

Society didn’t come together one day and say “OK, sandwiches are officially a thing now,

and they have to have these specific properties.” It was a matter of evolution.

At one point, some people (mostly the Brits and Germans) decided they wanted to start eating sausage sandwiches on a split roll. No one questioned the fact that they were sandwiches, because what else would they be?

In 1901, when Harry M. Stevens decided to market that recipe to American customers, he called them “Dachshund sandwiches,” which a cartoonist later dubbed “hot dog sandwiches.”

Hot dogs are as closely related to the original sandwich as PB&J. So a quick word to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, which, last year, declared hot dogs were not sandwiches: It isn’t your choice.

Hot dogs are unorthodox sandwiches, sure, but to say those unorthodox aspects preclude them from being sandwiches is a closed-minded view.

That kind of dogmatism isn’t good for sandwiches or hot dogs, and it certainly isn’t good for America.

How do you feel about hot dogs? Let William know by emailing him at wp198712@ohio.edu.

AMPLIFIED OBSERVATIONS

Music documentaries give insight into art For most musicians, their songs and music are meant to stand alone, unsupported by additional commentary or personal controversy.

And for the staunchest beLUKE FURMAN lievers in this concept, interis a junior views are no place to give away studying secrets. As Kurt Cobain said, journalism “It’s all in the music, man.” at Ohio Songwriters like Bob Dylan University. and Kurt Cobain perfected the obscuration of the meaning to their songs. With journalists hounding for any trace origin in their intricate tunes, both refused to let the dark cloud of lyrical ambiguity arise from the public’s heads. Dylan even used the endless questions to parody the press in “The Ballad of a Thin Man.” So if the artist is not cooperating, where is one to turn for the background of cherished songs?

Unless you’re some kind of Apple scruff, watching music documentaries is the easiest way to bridge your mind with that of a famous musician. And I should clarify, I don’t mean documentaries that cast lookalikes, but rather actual footage of musicians in their prime. Sure, movies like The Doors and Notorious are entertaining, but 4 / OCT. 6, 2016

their poetic license act as no substitute for reality.

Last Monday I ventured to the Athena to watch the new Ron Howard film Eight Days A Week, which focuses on The Beatles’ come-up and years of touring that followed. It included beautiful quality live performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Shea Stadium and one particular rooftop.

And in addition to contextualizing the atmosphere of the era, the commentary band members give to reporters and each other adds a new layer of insight to the music. I walked out grasping a deeper appreciation for songs like “Ticket to Ride,” “Help!,” “Tomorrow Never Knows” and most of all “I’ve Got A Feeling.”

Likewise, many other well-executed documentaries hold new knowledge and a offer a more personal connection to music-makers. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Amy, We Jam Econo and Scorsese’s Bob Dylan biopic No Direction Home all grant viewers a chance to gain a greater perspective on the music of each of the artists featured.

Seeing a performer in his or her natural environment causes the mind to consider from where they might have come and through what they might have suffered.

Documentaries about broader music scenes also offer insight into a particular sonic milieu.

The filmmakers often capture the attitude of the time and place. Two instances of this include the famous punk rock documentary The Decline of Western Civilization and the classic outlaw country film Heartworn Highways.

Watching larger-than-life musicians casually talking and doing normal things is almost as fascinating as seeing them perform on stage. It’s one of the reasons why music documentaries are almost necessary to understand the bigger picture, whether the artist wants us to or not. And there will always be filmmakers who will see that no stone is left unturned.

At the moment, I’m waiting to see the new Nick Cave documentary One More Time With Feeling directed by the same person who made The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Unfortunately, it has an extremely limited theater run.

And that’s a shame because, like any other music documentary, it would give me more context into his unorthodox approach. But at least I’ll have something to look forward to, and in the meantime, check a few more docs off the list.

What is your favorite music documentary?

Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.

GUEST COLUMN

Females feel less respected in male-dominated workforces

My two good friends and I are some of the very few female engineering students in the Russ College of Engineering at Ohio University. A week back, there was a career MEGAN fair for engineering students GUTKNECHT looking for internships or full is a industrial time positions. systems Many companies look for engineer students with a GPA of 3.0 or major at Ohio higher, including one comUniversity. pany whose recruiter had no problem vocalizing this and humiliating many of the students whose GPA didn’t hit the mark. His words and attitude regarding this were One of my friends’ GPA was a 2.8, but that was with a failed class, which she was retaking.

I was standing behind her as she went up and

politely introduced herself and handed him her resume. He looked down, saw her GPA and was quick to scold her by saying, “Honey, let me go into daddy mode.” She physically took a step back, too shocked to say anything. The conversation continued with him humiliating her.

She left the booth without a word, and I left my place in line.

The amount of women in STEM majors has increased throughout the years. However, the number of women in engineering has not increased since the early 2000s. Despite women making up almost half of the higher-educated work force in America, they make up a shocking 19.3 percent of students graduating with an undergraduate degree in engineering — 40 percent which then leave the field mid-career.

In my own engineering classes, I can count the girls, including myself, on my left hand. In my introduction class, there were only five girls.

That leaves many female engineering students and professionals to represent themselves and their gender in a room full of men. The lack of information offered to girls in K-12 about engineering careers and the small number of female mentors in the universities can be extremely off-putting to many girls looking into the field.

Despite being a member of the Society of Women Engineers and doing information sessions and activities for younger girls, I can still see the difficulty to attract women in engineering. Even then, when they are student engineers, there are many obstacles in the way from making them graduate with that degree. It’s going to take a lot of strength from current and future female engineers to equalize the gap in a field dominated by men.

Have a question about engineering? Let Megan know by emailing her at mg479514@ohio.

STREETVIEW

What are you most excited about for homecoming?

“I’m in Singing Men of Ohio, and I’m looking forward to singing at the Homecoming game.”

Lukas Johansson, a freshman studying Chemical Engineering

“Just hanging out with my friends. We’ve been so focused on school that I think a little down time will be cool.”

Jazmin Perez, a junior studying Games and Animation

“We’re with ROTC, so we’re doing Hero’s Day with volleyball. It’ll be pretty cool.”

Gage Daymut, a freshman studying Middle Childhood Education

“To see all the alumni walk around campus and be excited.”

Connor Watkins, a freshman studying Anthropology

“The football game.”

Corey Kandil, a senior studying Sports Management

-photgraphs by Alie Skowronski THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

YELL LIKE HELL PEP RALLY

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GRAND RE-OPENING OF COLLEGE GATE HOMECOMING PARADE ON COURT STREET

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HOMECOMING WEEKEND OCTOBER 3-8!

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

TALKING POLITICS Students, faculty discuss respecting political opinions in classroom setting REBEKAH BARNES SENIOR WRITER

W

hen Ryan Evans is one of 100 people in a lecture hall, bringing up the fact he is a Republican might not be worth the fight.

“Being a college Republican, … on this campus, you are one of the minority,” Evans, a junior studying political science and the vice president of Ohio University’s College Republicans, said. “There’s not many college Republicans.

When you sit in a classroom of 100 students, if you say something that other people disagree with — there’s a lot of people disagreeing with you.”

But it’s not just those leaning right who are concerned with the backlash a political comment can hold.

“I think that I only become uncomfortable talking about (politics) when people don’t understand that people can feel differently,” Sam Miller, a junior studying strategic communication and the president of OU College Democrats, said. “Sometimes people approach their opinions in a way that’s almost attacking.”

Students and professors both try to find balance in politically charged conversations while trying to seek understanding — and each person has their own approach.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JON WARD

8 / OCT. 6, 2016

OPINIONS FROM THE FRONT OF THE CLASS Jerry L. Miller, professor and associate director for undergraduate studies in the School of Communication Studies, said students need to enter conversations with mind clear of polarized thinking.

“I think there needs to be a willingness to share opinions and then back those opinions up — if it’s appropriate for the class and if it’s appropriate for the organization,” Jerry said.

Susan Burgess, a political science professor, is trying to help students understand their own

“

Debating someone is not going to make them change their mind.”

- Dan West, assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies

political positions, so she doesn’t share her own.

“I feel like my job is to help people to understand the bases of their own political opinions that they bring in and to try to get them to deeper their understanding of their positions — the strengths and the weaknesses of them,” Burgess said. “So it’s not about me.”

Richard Vedder, distinguished professor of economics emeritus, said public universities have no place in promoting politics.

“You could make the argument that it almost should be illegal for professors to talk about their political views in class because that means you’re using taxpayer money or partially (using) taxpayer’s money to proselytize or promote a particular political perspective,” Vedder said.

He recently attended a College Republicans meeting, and he said he “spoke favorably” of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Vedder says that is OK — as long as discussions such as that are not happening in the classroom.

“I think things like (the College Republicans meeting) that are not classroom activities, or extracurricular activities, are perfectly appropriate for people to speak out any way they wish,” Vedder said.

“Outside the regular context of the classroom, I think it’s cool that the kids get this involvement with politics. I not only think it’s okay —

conversations in class, Afyouni said she tries to come in with an open mind.

“I try to keep (debates) cordial as much as I can,” Afyouni said. “I believe the best way to have a functioning politics is to be civil and acknowledge other people’s views.”

There are certain topics that she won’t shy away from just because she’s Arab-American.

That’s her advice: “Don’t ever feel like you can’t say something or you may be rejected because everyone is going to get rejected either way.”

Burgess said international students add an “interesting perspective” to her classroom discussions.

“They have a different take on U.S. politics and so forth, not having spent their whole lives within it,” Burgess said. “It’s interesting to have the interaction between people who have grown up within the system and people who have not. ... It adds a layer to the conversation that, really, I think provides additional understanding for both groups.”

I’ll get mixed up with them in it but not in the classroom.”

Vedder said teaching “European Economic History” during Fall Semester doesn’t provide many opportunities for him to bring up to current political opinions.

Sam said in her political science classes, the focus is more on the structure of politics rather than political opinions.

As far as talking about conservative leanings, Evans said that can become a bigger problem in “soft sciences,” such as women’s, gender and sexuality studies or communications studies classes.

“I feel that if you are in those classes or in those majors as a Republican, you can feel very not able to say what you want to say,” Evans said.

A LEARNING CURVE There is a reason why having these conversations can be beneficial, Burgess said.

In those conversations, she said students are able to understand their own beliefs while also learning more about others’.

“People need to know the ba-

sics about government, so they can participate as informed citizens,” Burgess said. “In a world where there is a lot of information coming from a variety of different sources, ... they can critically evaluate various different kinds of information sources and come to terms with them, … with their veracity or lack thereof.”

There can be a learning curve with political talk — especially when a student wasn’t exposed to American politics at a young age, like Amal Afyouni.

Afyouni is an American citizen of Palestinian descent, born in Houston, Texas but raised in Dubai.

“Studying American politics as an international student is tough because if you live in America, you are raised on politics,” Afyouni said. “You are raised knowing what the Constitution is. … Not having that background before entering the college setting is difficult. … It is difficult because you are expected to know so much, but I didn’t know any of that. ... But it’s also a nice learning curve.”

When it comes to debates or

CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT Dan West, assistant professor and John A. Cassese director of forensics in the School of Communication Studies, has a background in debating. He said professors can play the role of a moderator and acts as a referee of a debate held in the classroom. He can’t carry that role out in his classes of 400 people — but in class with 20 to 30 people, that’s more doable.

“I think the teacher can play a very valuable role as to moderating (classroom discussions), which is to evaluate the statements and the arguments,” West said. “Student A gets up and makes a statement. As a teacher, I can go, ‘That’s a claim. What’s your data and what’s your logic behind that, or your reasoning behind that, your warrant?’ I can say that without malice and without judging.”

He can point out logical fallacies and evaluate what students are saying, which causes students observing the discussion to start to think and speak critically.

West said when students are going back and forth with those who might hold a differing opinion, it’s important for students to think about how they would want to be treated — and attacking isn’t a the right way to do that. Listening is key.

“You have to realize you’re probably not going to change their mind,” West said. “Debating someone is not going to make them change their mind.”

In smaller class setting, Evans said he has an easier time discussing his opinion on politics — something that’s expected in political science classes.

Sam said she tries to be transparent on her viewpoints and how they affect her political leanings. She said today’s society still considers politics a taboo subject.

“I think (politics are) something that should be talked about openly, and we understand that people are going to feel differ-

ently, but I also think that there’s ways that you can present it that can be a little bit more persuasive so that maybe people tend to see your point a little bit more.

That’s why I’m very open about things because maybe if they … know someone that this has affected, then they in turn might be a little more open to seeing it from my side.”

Jerry said he wants to see students learn how to understand each other. “(I want students to take away) an understanding of the other — the other ideas and the other positions. I don’t necessarily think the classroom is a venue for persuasion because it certainly isn’t.

You’re presenting information,” Jerry said. “But, having an understanding of how individuals can look at that information and come to different conclusions, I think, is a first step toward respect and maybe at some point, realizing that there’s a need for collaboration and cooperation.”

Overall, learning the context and the basics as well as how to talk politics is something that can be moved beyond a classroom, Burgess said.

“Hopefully people can take (what they learn) out of the classroom and work on political community in a broader context,” Burgess said.

— Bharbi Hazarika contributed to this report.

@REB_BARNES RB605712@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

RESTRICTION OF

SPEECH Those who have a stutter ask for patience and understanding in conversations with others MARISA FERNANDEZ / SENIOR WRITER

I

t was grocery day for Joel Starner. He stood in line at the Kroger deli counter and rattled off his first request — two pounds of Black Forest ham. He wanted to order sliced Cajun chicken, but he suddenly could not voice it.

The man helping him started listing meats and cheeses.

“Turkey? Ham?” he said.

Starner said nothing.

“Chicken? Cheese?”

Still nothing.

Starner was not drawing a blank. He knew exactly what he wanted, but he was blocking.

Blocking, a type of fluency disorder or “disfluency,” comes and goes when it wants with Starner’s speech and gives no clue as to when it will return. The long pauses have no consideration for the friends and strangers with whom 10 / OCT. 6, 2016

Starner interacts.

Some days, Starner said he is “amazingly disfluent.” The more he thinks about trying to speak, the worse it becomes, especially when others try to finish his sentences.

The man behind the deli counter kept probing in what seemed to be an attempt to help Starner jog his memory, but the man’s “helpfulness” started to frustrate Starner. “I told him just to chill out for a second, but I think the tone in my voice made him realize he had screwed up,” he said.

DISFLUENT DAYS Starner’s family started to notice problems with his speech when he was in second grade.

Starner, a junior studying communication sciences and disorders at Ohio University, went to therapy for a few years during grade school before he stopped in the fifth grade. In his case, he said the therapy did not warrant a better result.

The kind of stutter he has, when no words come out at all, is less common. Other disfluencies occur with people who repeat part of a word, sound or syllable.

John McCarthy, a communication sciences and disorders professor and a practicing speech-language pathologist, said it is common for children to mispronounce words and have disfluencies when learning a language. If they

are not growing out of it, he said, then parents should analyze if there is a problem.

Someone has a stutter if their speech is disfluent at least 10 percent of the time. A speech-language pathologist diagnoses and assesses treatment, which often leads to speech therapy.

Working with children is common for speech-language pathologists, but they also often work with older individuals who have trouble with language, swallowing or speech after a stroke or head injury.

More than 3 million people in the United States and about 1 percent of the global population have a stutter, according to The Stuttering Foundation. There is no known cause for stuttering, but discoveries link the disfluency to neurological and occasionally genetic causes.

McCarthy added that disfluencies in speech are not just extreme cases. The use of “um” or “like” in between words is a common disfluency.

“Everybody has problems with their speech,” he said. “Everybody has certain situations that make those problems with their speech even more pronounced.”

LET’S GET CLINICAL The one-and-a-half-year graduate program for speech-language pathology and audiology in the School of Rehabilitation and Communi-

LEFT: Kristi Kinnard, a Speech-Language Pathology Supervisor at the Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic, displays the sound treated booth for audiology, currently set up to accommodate clients who are children.

(EMMA HOWELLS / PHOTO EDITOR) BELOW: A variety of toys created to aid in speech therapy sit on the shelf in the equipment, or “toy” room, as it’s called at the Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic, located in Grover Center. (EMMA HOWELLS / PHOTO EDITOR) ILLUSTRATION BY CHANCE BRINKMAN-SULL

cation Studies at OU allows students to practice their skills both in the classroom and with real clients.

Clients travel sometimes as far as 45 minutes to their therapy appointments on OU’s campus. The rooms for the Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic located in Grover Center have enough space to fit a few chairs and perhaps one table. The room expands beyond its four walls, however. An observation room is connected by a two-way mirror that hangs on the wall for family to listen in and watch from the other side.

“It can get really wild around here,” Kristi Kinnard, clinical supervisor of speech-language pathology, said. “Patients have an appointment, but sometimes people just show up whenever.”

The clinic is open even when the university is not in session. The methods for helping different age groups vary, Kinnard said.

Many children in therapy, for instance, also have behavioral problems or an autism spectrum disorder, which can be a challenge for the graduate students.

“If you have a client with behavioral issues, meltdowns, hitting, biting, spitting — you can’t really work on speech and language,” Kinnard said. “You’ve got to work on the behavior and speech at the same time.”

Ally Valeda-Maiden, a junior studying

specialized studies in interpersonal relations, remembers having a stutter as early as her first words. Growing up, she spent 10 years in speech therapy.

“I really liked to play outside, so I viewed (therapy) as something as I always tried to get out of,” she said. “I got really good at not stuttering just in therapy.”

Kinnard said stuttering can disappear in therapy, but it does not mean it is gone for good. It is important for those in speech therapy to take what is learned in therapy and apply it to everyday situations, she said.

For example, Valeda-Maiden still has trouble when she feels nervous or when she is unsure of what to say.

“It’s like sounds get stuck in my throat,” she said.

Adults in speech therapy will continue the effort outside of the therapy room by bringing home exercises, Kinnard said.

Most times with adults, it is learning to improve upon a stutter and using techniques to try to self-correct.

“If you want to improve communication, you’ve got to remember to use those (techniques),” she said. “Once they have them in their head, I can’t follow them around all day.”

PUBLIC OPINION A common misconception is that peo-

Types of disfluencies, according to John McCarthy: REPETITIONS: repeating of a syllable, sound, word, or phrase.

Ex. I am a ju-ju-ju-junior.

PROLONGATIONS: Holding onto a sound for an extended period of time. Ex. I have to sssstudy.

BLOCKS: A struggling attempt to say a word when there is no sound.

Ex. I ----- want.

INTERJECTIONS: Extra words. Ex. um, uh, like SILENT PAUSES: Silence in between words or within words. Ex. I’ve (pause) known him for years. ple stutter because they are nervous.

“People stutter, and they have negative experiences, which might make them feel uneasy about it,” McCarthy said.

Interacting with someone who is caught in a block or repetition can be

painful to watch, Kinnard said, especially if there are secondary reactions such as eye blinks or an increase in their volume.

“The last thing you want to do is be present for their misery,” she said. “It’s best to listen patiently, though it may be difficult.”

When Starner has blocks in public, he said people sometimes ask him if he is nervous or if there is something wrong.

“They can see I’m trying,” he said, but he often notices the other person would rather finish the conversation without him and move on.

Valeda-Maiden said she also has conversations with people who try to finish her sentences, and she finds it annoying.

“Most moments of stuttering rarely lasts longer than five seconds,” McCarthy said. “Just wait for someone who stutters to just finish whatever they’re saying.”

Starner said he has met others who have a stutter that consider it a part of them. He, however, does not see it that way.

“I’d rather not have it, to be honest,” he said.

By becoming a speech-language pathologist, he intends to help others who are trying to find a solution.

“If I can’t fix me, I’ll fix someone else,” he said.

@MMFERNANDEZ_ MF736213@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

UNDER FIRE With an increase in mass shootings, the Second Amendment and firearm regulation is debated on all political sides MADELEINE PECK / FOR THE POST PHOTOS BY EMMA HOWELLS / PHOTO EDITOR On a Saturday morning in late September, Wes Gilkey and more than 10 other Ohio University Second Amendment Club members fired rounds from their personal weapons across a grassy range in Marietta.

The Second Amendment Club, a group dedicated to educating people on the Constitution’s guarantee of “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” acted carefully, and the only things shot that morning were field targets.

“Part of me says what gives (the government) the right to choose whether I can have (a gun) or not, you know?”

Gilkey, a certified National Rifle Assocation basic pistol and basic rifle instructor and the former president of the OU Second Amendment Club, said. “That’s not what the Second Amendment is about.”

12 / OCT. 6, 2016

Outside of gun ranges, however, metal targets are not the only thing at risk from gunfire.

There were 53,369 total incidents of death, injury or threat involving guns in America in 2015, according to Gun Violence Archive. Mass shootings made up 322 of those incidents, up from 277 incidents in 2014.

Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection and research group, defines a mass shooting as a shooting in which four or more people are shot or killed in a single incident.

“It says something when we’re scrolling on social media or when somebody mentions there’s a mass shooting, and we don’t blink,” Ashley Fishwick, a sophomore studying English pre-law and political science, said. “We just kind of go with it now.”

POLICING FIREARMS

Gun violence is often looked at on a national scale, though many gun laws are made at the state level and enforced at the local level.

“We don’t have a lot of gun violence,” Athens Police Department Chief Tom Pyle said. “I’m not saying we’re free of it, but we don’t have it on the scale of other communities.”

Someone having a gun does not necessarily mean they are safe from a threat, he said. Even when someone has a gun and the expertise to use it, they may not be willing to use it in a combat situation.

“Having a gun does not make you any safer any more than having a violin makes you a concert violinist,” APD officer David Malawista said. “There’s a whole set of skills that comes along with it.”

Pyle said APD is trained “pretty much every year” in situations involving firearms. In an active shooter situation, for example, officers are trained to confront a situation head-on.

CARRYING CONVERSATIONS

Wes Gilkey, a senior studying criminology and Russian, confirms his shot hit the target at the Fort Harmar outdoor gun range Sept. 24.

The topics of gun violence and gun rights have led to conversations across the country about the state of firearm regulations, and, regardless of political opinions, many feel strongly about firearms.

GUNS IN POLITICS

Politicians running in November’s election differ in their ideas for how to best handle gun policy in the U.S. “Emotionally, just the number of people that are losing their lives due to gun violence makes me feel that we as a nation need to address this,” Sarah Grace, a Democrat running for the 94th District seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, said. “I don’t think it’s a one-solution problem.”

Grace said one important step to reduce gun violence is to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, as many shooters target a current or former intimate partner. She also said she is in favor of regulating high-capacity magazines and expanding background checks.

Jay Edwards, Grace’s Republican opponent for the 94th District seat, said in an email that he learned how to shoot and respect guns when he was young, and added he supports the state’s concealed carry laws.

According to the Ohio Revised Code, an individual cannot carry any concealed weapon other than a handgun. In order to apply for a concealed carry license, the individual needs to prove their competency by completing a firearms safety course or by being a member of the armed forces.

Edwards added that current gun laws should be enforced, and he does not think taking away gun access to people following the laws will solve gun violence.

At the national level, the presidential candidates follow a similar partisan divide.

“If the FBI is watching you for a suspected terrorist link, you shouldn’t be able to just go buy a gun with no questions asked,” Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in June after an armed gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Expanding background checks, limiting the gun industry’s legal protections and supporting laws that stop people with mental illnesses or abusive people from obtaining firearms are part of Clinton’s platform detailed on her campaign website as a way to prevent gun violence.

Republican candidate Donald Trump said Clinton was the “most anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment candidate ever to run for office,” during the National Rifle Association’s national convention in May. At the NRA’s convention, he added that voting for him was the “only way to save our Second Amendment,” but Trump has been criticized for his changing views on gun control as well. In his book published in 2000, The America We Deserve, Trump said he supports a ban on assault weapons and a longer waiting period to purchase firearms, but he said during a primary debate in March he no longer supports the ban.

Gilkey, a fifth-year senior studying criminology and Russian, said he thinks some gun control is needed, but regulations go too far when certain firearms are banned. He referenced certain states, such as New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, which limit the use of magazines — a device for storing and feeding ammunition within or attached to a gun that can fire over 10 rounds.

“I just think it’s crazy because of the way they ban firearms,” Gilkey said.

Although he said he understands where people are coming from emotionally when passing laws following school shootings, he thinks there is little factual basis for laws banning particular guns.

For other OU students, more restrictive firearm regulation is looked at as the best way to limit gun violence. Fishwick, a member of OU College Democrats, self-identifies as a “very strong advocate” for gun control.

“Common sense” gun reform should be put into place, Fishwick said, including mandating background checks at gun shows and online. She also does not think individuals on the no-fly list should be able to access guns.

Especially after mass shootings this past summer, she said working to reform gun laws is not on the forefront of people’s minds the way she believes it should be.

“I feel like I’ve spoken out for so long about gun reform,” Fishwick said. “I just feel like we’re so desensitized to it that we need to focus on other issues right now because nothing is getting through.”

Gilkey said millions of gun owners should not be “punished” by certain regulations if the owners do not cause harm with their weapons.

“You have to find a form of gun control that limits the ability of bad people to do harm without restricting the rights of the good people,” Gilkey said. “That’s the secret question. That’s the secret key.”

@M_PECKABLE MP172114@OHIO.EDU

Angelo Sabatino, a junior studying engineering, technology and management, reaches for a modified rifle at the Fort Harmar shooting range Sept. 24.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

the weekender Indie pop group Clubhouse to perform at The Union LINDSEY LUKACS FOR THE POST Local indie group Clubhouse will hype up fans with new music and covers Saturday for its second Athens show this month.

Ohio-based band Clubhouse has performed numerous times in Athens and will be making another appearance Saturday at The Union Bar & Grill at 9 p.m. Opening for the five-man band will be reggae pop group V!bes from Columbus. The tickets are $6 each and can be purchased through the band’s Facebook page.

The upcoming show will be the band’s second week in a row performing in Athens. Last weekend, it performed at Riverfest along with Soulja Boy and other Ohiobased groups.

The band prefers to perform with the crowd versus to the crowd, drummer Zak Blumer, a junior studying engineering physics, said.

Four of the five band members are students at Ohio University. The keyboardist and backup vocalist, Michael Berthold, is the only member who does not live in Athens during the academic year. Berthold goes to The Ohio State University and lives in Columbus, where the group does a lot of practicing, producing and performing.

The group has also been traveling the Midwest with other indie pop groups, such as Wolf Alice and Kid Runner. The highlight of their musical career so far has been opening for female group HAIM in Columbus, Ben Saulnier, the band’s bassist and backup vocalist, said.

“Max (Reichert, the band’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player) was actually overseas in Amsterdam when we got the call, so we got him from Europe to Columbus in 48 hours to do the show,” Saulnier, a junior studying music production, said.

The five boys are making a habit of sharing the stage with hit artists, as they have performed on the same stage as The Outer Vibe and Little Hurricane at Fashion Meets Music Festival in Columbus in September.

Because not all of the band members live in Athens, they have to accommodate their 14 / OCT. 6, 2016

Clubhouse will perform at The Union Bar & Grill on Saturday. The band performed at River Fest last week. (ZAK BLUMER / PROVIDED)

individual schedules.

“Behind the scenes, we’re working in Columbus a lot so it’s kind of cool to come here and show all of our friends what we have been working on and give them a show,” Reichert, a senior studying marketing, said.

Clubhouse has also been working with Brick City Records — a student-run record company at OU — and hopes to be getting more new music out soon.

Like most musicians, the band’s style is always changing. Although their style is pop or indie pop, it has been becoming broader as time goes on, Blumer said. “(We get) inspiration from whoever we’re listening to at the time,” Saulnier said.

The group is really focusing on spreading its name throughout the Midwest,

IF YOU GO WHAT: Clubhouse with special guest V!bes WHEN: 9 p.m., Saturday WHERE: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. ADMISSION: $6

Reichert said.

“Although we want to stay true to our roots, we want to be huge. We have pretty big goals that hopefully we reach at some point,” Blumer said.

Clubhouse has recently released their

new single, “Run Away (Bud Magne remix),” on Spotify, which is gaining a lot of hype from fans, but it plans to put out new music once all of the artwork and tracks are finalized, Saulnier said. They also plan on sharing some of their new tracks along with older songs and some covers at their show Saturday.

“We’ve had great support in Athens from the music we have released so far,” Blumer said. “But compared to what we have prepared before, (our new music) just has leaps and bounds of time, energy and money put into this so we hope people like it, but regardless it’s going to be out there.”

@LINDSEYGLUKACS LL915915@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S HAPPENING LUKE FURMAN / FOR THE POST

FRIDAY

What: Y2K Millennium Dance Party with DJ Barticus When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. Admission: Cover charge for those under 21 years old DJ Barticus will spin crowd-favorite jams from the dawn of the new millennium, 1999 to 2005.

There is a cover for those under 21 years old.

SATURDAY

What: Football: Ohio University vs.

Bowling Green State University When: 2 p.m.

Where: Peden Stadium Admission: $35 – $40, free for students The 3-2 Ohio Bobcats are hosting the 1-4 Bowling Green Falcons at Peden Stadium. The tailgate begins at 11:30 a.m. and various colleges at the university will hold alumni tailgates.

The Bobcats are coming off a 17-7 win in the Battle of the Bricks against Miami University and will face another MAC opponent, Bowling Green.

What: 2016 Bobcat Alumni Jazz Jam When: 10 p.m.

Where: Casa Nueva Restaurant & Cantina, 6 W. State St. Admission: Cover charge of $2-3 Musically gifted Ohio University alumni will gather at Casa Nueva on Saturday night for the Annual Bobcat Alumni Jazz Jam. Matthew James, an OU professor of saxophone and jazz studies, said each year, the evening brings alumni back to campus for a big band performance and to casually socialize with current students.

He said the numbers for the evening included John Coltrane, a few Latin tunes and a New Orleans groove.

What: Class Gateway Grand Re-Opening When: 9 a.m.

Where: Class Gateway on College Green Admission: Free

What: Ohio University Homecoming Parade When: 10 a.m.

Where: Union Street and Court Street Admission: Free

What: Oktoberfest w/ Pork and Pickles, Twist One UP, Devil’s Kettle Brewing When: 12 p.m.

Where: Devil’s Kettle Brewing, 97 Columbus Road Admission: Free admission, food and beer for sale

What: Ohio Women’s Volleyball vs.

Eastern Michigan When: 7 p.m.

Where: The Convo Admission: Free for students, $5 for non-students

SUNDAY What: Trail Maintenance Day When: 1 p.m.

Where: Strouds Run State Park, 11661 State Park Road Admission: Free

What: Ohio Women’s Soccer vs. Akron When: 1 p.m.

Where: Chessa Field Admission: Free

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TO FIND THE LOCATION NEAREST YOU VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM ©2014 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

SPECIAL SECTION

Going for

THE 2016 BOBCATS ARE TRYING TO DO WHAT NO O TEAM HAS DONE SINCE 1968: WIN A CONFERENCE

O

EDITOR’S NOTE

ddity — a one-word description of Ohio’s 2016 season to this point.

Before the year began, the previous starting quarterback left the team over health concerns. Three plays into the first game, the starting running back sustained a season-ending injury.

Five games in, and Ohio is still looking for normalcy.

Hopefully, at least for coach Frank Solich, that starts Saturday.

At 3-2, the Bobcats started Mid-American Conference play last week with a win over rival Miami and could become the East Division front runner with a Homecoming win over Bowling Green.

Granted, Bowling Green is the one team with whom Ohio continually struggles. None of the current Bobcats have ever beaten the Falcons — but that could change Saturday.

The visitors enter Athens trying to rebuild their program; the hosts already have a soundly built squad.

Injuries at running back, for the most part, have been patched up, and Ohio’s ground game will likely guide the offense. Passing wise, the team has a strong group of capable receivers and a strong-arm quarterback who looks comfortable managing the game.

Defensively, the Bobcats are stout and, at times, suffocating. The cornerstone of Ohio’s campaign for a conference title, impressive defensive performances should snowball into more wins and a postseason push.

To call a loss to Bowling Green season-ending is an exaggeration, but a win puts Ohio nicely into a position to close in on MAC championship — the one accolade Solich’s 12-year tenure still lacks.

It’s unnecessary to say Bobcat fans should stand up and cheer Saturday at Peden. Of course they will.

Only this time, there should less emphasis on the Marching 110’s showing and more on Ohio playing. Perhaps that’d be an oddity fans could get used to expecting for the rest of the year.

Either way, The Post will continue to cover the season as it unfolds, good or bad.

The next few pages include interesting features about Ohio’s offensive playmakers, the team’s most important positional unit, the defensive linchpin, college football’s longest-serving coordinators and an offensive lineman who just loves comics and superheroes.

The content is exciting, engaging and vivid. The next few pages depict a colorful history of Ohio football, past and present.

We hope you enjoy the content as much as we enjoyed producing it for you.

Thank you for reading,

OHIO E TITLE

CHARLIE HATCH / SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY CARL FONTICELLA

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

OFFENSE Dorian Brown Running Back

Josh Cooper Left Guard

Maleek Irons Running Back

GAME PREVIEW

Joe Lowery Left Tackle

Troy Mangen Tight End

Ohio prepares to beat Bowling Green, rise in MAC East standings Despite losses in the last few matchups against the Falcons, the Bobcats have a chance to put their rivals further behind

Jake Pruehs Center

Jordan Reid Sebastian Smith Wide Receiver Wide Receiver

Greg Windham Quarterback

Troy Watson Right Tackle

Durrell Wood Right Guard

DEFENSE

Tarell Basham Defensive End

Blair Brown Weak-side linebacker

Chad Moore Strong-side linebacker

18 / OCT. 6, 2016

Toran Davis Strong Safety

Bo Hardy Free Safety

Quentin Poling Middle linebacker

Tony Porter Defensive tackle

Randy Stites Cornerback

Mayne Williams Cornerback

Kurt Laseak Defensive End

Casey Sayles Defensive tackle

ANDREW GILLIS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The Ohio and Miami rivalry — the Battle of the Bricks — means a lot to alumni, fans and students.

Bowling Green week, however, means more for the players.

The Falcons have come away victorious against the Bobcats every year since 2011, often in blowout fashion.

“Miami is the rivalry, but Bowling Green has been more of a rivalry in my career,” offensive lineman Troy Watson said. “They beat the heck out of us my freshman year. It was real cold up there. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

Watson, a redshirt senior, has never beaten Bowling Green.

Bowling Green, in the four matchups after Ohio’s 2011 win, has beaten the Bobcats by a combined score of 166-51. “(I’m) thinking more along the lines of a win for us would put us 2-0 in the MAC,” Watson said. “That’s what we’re trying to get towards. Beating them would obviously feel great. They’ve taken it to us a couple years in a row.”

Unless there’s a sixth-year senior roaming campus, no Ohio University undergrad was on campus for a Bobcat win over the Falcons. But that’s not to say the game Saturday is irrelevant.

In five of the last seven years, either Bowling Green or Ohio has represented the MAC East Division in the MAC Championship game. Bowling Green won the title in 2013 and 2015.

“Our guys want to win a MAC championship,” coach Frank Solich said. “You don’t win a MAC championship without winning MAC games, so there is a great deal of incentives in itself to put yourself in a position to play in the MAC Championship Game.”

With MAC championship hopes radiating from the Bobcats this season, they won’t have a better chance to deal a fatal blow to a conference rival than when the Falcons come to Peden Stadium.

“

Miami is the rivalry, but Bowling Green has been more of a rivalry in my career. They beat the heck out of us my freshman year. It was real cold up there. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

- Troy Watson offensive lineman With Bowling Green at 1-4 this season and already one loss in conference play, the Falcons are already one game behind the Bobcats. With a victory on Saturday, the Bobcats will jump to two games ahead of the team that has haunted them for years. And with the tiebreaker, the lead will grow to an almost insurmountable three-game lead, as Bowling Green lost to Eastern Michigan in the West Division.

“I wouldn’t call it a hatred,” Watson said about playing Bowling Green. “I obviously have respect for them as an opponent. …

But I certainly feel animosity towards them.

I’m ready to go out there and beat them just as bad as I want to beat everybody else.”

With a win against the team it couldn’t beat, Ohio would launch itself to the front of the MAC East. And more importantly, it could vanquish demons of years past.

“I have a feeling of what it’s like to line up against someone wearing orange,” Watson said. “And it’s never felt good. Every time I’ve walked off that field, I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth. I’m treating it different in ... that I wanna get revenge.”

@ANDREW_GILLIS70 AG079513@OHIO.EDU

Bowling Green seeks to continue dominance TREVOR COLGAN FOR THE POST

B

owling Green has held a dominance over the Mid-American Conference East Division over the past few seasons.

It has won the division the last three years, and has won the overall conference title two of those years, in 2013 and 2015.

Previous coaches Dave Clawson and Dino Babers, both now at Power Five schools, were the architects of those two teams, but now Mike Jinks is at the helm for the Falcons.

Jinks, a successful high school head coach in Texas, is in his first college head coaching role. His only other college coaching job was being the assistant head coach and running backs coach for Texas Tech. “(I’m) the third coach in four years,” Jinks said earlier this season when asked about the program going through a lot of change recently. “We’re working — busting our tail — to make it four straight MAC championship game appearances.”

The experience of having three coaches in four years has made it easier for the Falcon seniors to help transition Jinks into his first college head coaching role.

“We’ve got a group of seniors that’s truly a unique group, they’re close,” Jinks said before the season. “I haven’t had to come in and change the culture.”

Even with a rookie head coach, Bowling Green was projected to win the MAC East and return to Detroit for the MAC Championship Game for a fourth straight season. Up to that point of the season, however, the Falcons are struggling.

The Falcons have given up 77 points twice, to Memphis and Ohio State, and are 1-4 so far this season. Bowling Green dropped its first MAC game 28-25 to Eastern Michigan.

Last season, Bowling Green had one of the statistically best quarterbacks in the country in Matt Johnson. He threw for 4,946 yards and 46 touchdowns.

This year, redshirt senior James Knapke only had three touchdowns before being benched for redshirt freshman James Morgan, who has one touchdown.

“You’ve seen over the past couple games (how hard it’s been to replace Johnson),” Jinks said. “Any time you’ve got a guy that has played that many snaps, who is a proven winner, it’s going to be hard to replace.”

Along with having to replace Johnson, the Falcons had to replace their top two receivers from last year, Roger Lewis and

BOWLING GREEN FACTS Picked to win the MAC East in the preseason coaches’ poll Current record: 1-4 Ohio hasn’t beaten Bowling Green since 2011 The Falcons have allowed 541.1 yards per game, which is second-worst in FBS play, according to the NCAA.

“

We’re working — busting our tail — to make it four straight MAC championship game appearances.”

-Mike Jinks, BGSU coach Gehrig Dieter, who combined for 2,577 yards and 26 touchdowns. Jinks thinks his team has found a new weapon, though, in redshirt junior Teo Redding.

“I think (Redding) stepped up and made a couple big plays for us,” Jinks said of the wide receiver’s performance against Eastern Michigan. “If he can continue to improve, he can be that little outside threat we’ve been looking for this year.”

With the high expectations coming into the season, and poor performance on the field up to this point, is this the year Ohio can face its demon in Bowling Green to the MAC Championship game?

Or does Bowling Green pick up from its slow start and return to Detroit for the fourth straight year?

Whatever the answer to that question, it’ll be fun to find out.

@TREVOR_COLGAN TC648714@OHIO.EDU

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Former Ohio wide receiver Chase Cochran dodges a Bowling Green defender on Oct. 11, 2014. Ohio lost 31-13. (KATIE KLANN / FILE)

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Fans celebrate after Ohio scores during a game against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

Rufus leads players onto the field before kickoff against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

The Marching 110 waits for halftime during a game against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

Sebastian Smith walks out onto the field before kickoff against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

20 / OCT. 6, 2016

FACTS ON FRANK

Ohio’s London Miller salutes the band after losing to Texas State in overtime on Sept. 3.

A 30-SECOND BRIEFING ON OHIO’S FOOTBALL COACH AND A FEW NUMBERS FROM HIS REIGN

A cheerleader tries to get the crowd excited during the game against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

A Bobcat flag waves at the end of halftime against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

12 0

Frank Solich is in his 12th season at Ohio, the fourthlongest tenure in college football

$507,715 Solich’s annual salary

6

Amount of MAC titles Ohio has won under Solich — the one thing missing in his trophy cabinet

The number of Bobcats who have been drafted to the NFL since Solich began his tenure

DID YOU KNOW?

Solich played fullback at Nebraska from 1962-65 and was the first Cornhusker to appear on the cover of “Sports Illustrated”

3 7 No. 3 47 MAC East Division titles (2006, 2009, 2011)

Has taken Ohio to seven bowl appearances, more than any Ohio coach

83-63

His current record at Ohio

Solich is Ohio’s thirdwinningest coach in Ohio history, behind Don Peden and Bill Hess

th

Ohio’s Joe Muench runs onto the field before kickoff against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

Fans take a “selfie” before kickoff against Texas State at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3.

PHOTOS BY MATT STARKEY / FOR THE POST

PICK Mike Mitchell was picked 47th by the Oakland Raiders in the 2009 NFL Draft, making him the highest Ohio draft pick since 1948

Illustration by Alexa Miller

FOOTBALL

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

SEBASTIAN SMITH OHIO’S OFFENSIVE WEAPON With less emphasis on the running game, Smith’s importance as safety on Ohio’s offense has grown.

CHARLIE HATCH / SPORTS EDITOR

S

ebastian Smith wanted to issue a correction from a statement coach Frank Solich made last week. // In his weekly press conference, Solich said Smith wasn’t 100 percent healthy against Gardner-Webb, where Smith had six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. // “If I wasn’t 100 percent, then I guess I was 99.9,” Smith joked. // The comment was only teasing his coach, but the remark reveals a lot about Smith’s character.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT RYAN. PORTRAIT BY CAMILLE FINE. FAN PHOTO BY MATT STARKEY.

22 / OCT. 6, 2016

For one, he’s meticulous. Smith pays attention to all the little details. Sometimes that means the weekly meeting with coaches or dissecting defenses; sometimes that means listening and reading every word about his football team.

“I watch everything,” he said.

The level of observance has molded Smith into Ohio’s top offensive weapon and an explosive wide receiver.

The molding started far younger than Smith hoped it would. Growing up in Columbus, his father, Vernon, introduced Sebastian to football.

“He put me into this game,” Sebastian said. “And taught me life in the game.”

Soon, Sebastian had to teach himself what life was like without his father. Vernon passed away from a brain aneurysm a day before turning 43. Sebastian was 15.

“My dad had leukemia, and I saw that process,” Sebastian said. “I saw how strong he was. When he passed, I thought I had to get through it. I have to do it for my loved ones, my brother and my mom.”

While Smith continued to play football, his outlook on the game shifted. Playing at Pickerington Central High School, he primarily played safety because Roger Lewis, his teammate, was the star receiver. Lewis now plays for the New York Giants.

But playing safety only improved Smith’s eventual ability to be a playmaking wideout.

Originally recruited to play safety at Ohio, Smith switched to offense his freshman year. While that meant exchanging an offensive playbook for a defensive one, Smith kept many of the same attributes that are still notable today.

Snatching the ball out of the air is one of those attributes.

Fitting into a 6-foot-3, 206-pound frame, one of Smith’s key strengths is his ability to outjump defenders.

“He’s versatile,” Ohio wide receivers coach Dwyane Dixon said. “He has a defensive mindset playing offense. So when he goes up for the ball, basically he’s going up as a safety trying to make a pick because he’s used to doing that.”

Dixon considers Smith to be an all-around receiver, meaning he’s a receiving threat in any passing play.

His most apparent trait is his deep threat capability.

Because of quarterback Greg Windham’s strong arm, he’s confident throwing to deep pass patterns — where Smith excels.

Despite playing injured against No. 15 Tennessee, Smith hauled in nine receptions for 156 yards — good for almost half of Ohio’s total offense.

“I made a statement against Tennessee,” he said. “I wanted to be the playmaker for this offense, and I just go out there and execute my assignments, listen to my coach and do everything I can to help this team.”

That sense of selflessness often leads to more offensive production for Ohio.

Hurt at the start of the 2016 season, he only played in one half, total, in the first two games. Limited onfield appearances meant others had to step up.

Ohio senior wide receiver Sebastian Smith evades a tackle by Texas State junior safety Stephan Johnson during Ohio’s season opener at Peden Stadium on Sept. 3, 2016. (CARL FONTICELLA / PHOTO EDITOR)

In Ohio’s first two games, nine different players had at least one reception. Against Gardner-Webb, when Smith caught his only two passing touchdowns so far this season, 11 Bobcats made catches.

“We hate taking him out because he changes the game for us,” Dixon said. “We want him to be able to be in the game to be an effective part. … (He makes) defenses double cover him and other jobs open up.”

Opening up opposing defenses will be crucial for the Bobcats — at least for the next few games.

With the running back depth depleted and slowly recovering from injuries, Ohio, a predominantly running team, has relied more on passing.

In the last few weeks, that has meant Smith has had to be Ohio’s man.

“I just come ready to show up on game day, and my confidence in my playmaking ability takes over,” he said. “Coaches have put me in positions to make plays, and I need to grow out here.”

Being able to utilize Smith on short, medium and long routes translates to a more flexible offense and higher production.

He plays with a gritty style. His showmanship allows him to make loud, crucial plays while performing quietly and efficiently. Even if it’s a touchdown reception over a lowly corner, Smith will simply point to the skill in remembrance of his father.

“I love coaching him,” Dixon said. “He’s coachable.

He’s a competitor and doesn’t like losing. He’s alert.

He’s football-savvy.”

Through five games, Smith has 19 receptions for 309 yards and the two touchdowns, making him Ohio’s primary receiver. He’s on pace to surpass his 2015 stats, when he had 64 catches for 770 yards and seven touchdowns.

His ability also means others can get open. Jordan Reid, the other starting wide receiver, has one more reception and touchdown catch, a direct result of defenses game-planning around Smith.

“I do think about that,” Smith said of teams focusing on him. “They’re just showing me respect on the field. It’s a sense of respect.”

He also has the respect and interest of NFL teams.

Ranked the No. 69 receiver in the upcoming draft by NFL Draft Scout, multiple professional teams have attended Ohio practice and inquired about the receiver.

He said the scouts watching practice has only provided more incentive to improve.

“He’s got a shot,” Dixon said. “He’s got a lot of pluses that the NFL guys look for. I think he’s smart enough.”

Now it’s just a matter of consistently performing and helping the Bobcats.

“It’s just a blessing,” Smith said about his growth as a player. “As a young boy, I always thought about (the NFL). … I’ve always been an independent type of guy, just come in, take care of business and get out. I’m just a hard worker.”

@CHARLIEHATCH_ GH181212@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

Quentin Poling's football instincts give him NFL potential CAMERON FIELDS FOR THE POST Watching Quentin Poling play for the first time may lead someone to think he’s Ohio’s best player, and they wouldn’t be totally wrong.

Sure, Ohio has players such as defensive lineman Tarell Basham, who became the program’s all-time sack leader in September.

The Bobcats defense also boasts players such as defensive backs Javon Hagan, Kylan Nelson and Toran Davis, and all of them have one or more interceptions this season.

But no player on the Bobcats defense has instincts quite like Quentin.

The middle linebacker leads the team in tackles, with 41 for the season so far.

Quentin is also sixth in the Mid-American Conference in tackles.

“From the time he first got on the football field, he has had an uncanny ability to know where the football is,” Quentin’s father, Kenny Poling, said.

Quentin, who is from Gomer, began to play football during elementary school.

Originally he played soccer, but he soon transitioned to football, a move many of his friends were making. But he didn’t initially get his father’s approval on the switch.

That’s not a knock on Kenny. Quentin said he was a good soccer player at the time. His father wanted him to stick with it because the high school football program at Elida, which is where Quentin went to high school, wasn’t good at the time.

Quentin, however, gave the program some solid years. He finished his high school career with 509 tackles, 20 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and nine interceptions.

He also earned first team All-Ohio during his junior and senior years, and he was named Defensive Player of the Year in Northwest Ohio after his senior season.

As Quentin began to play football, those uncanny moves on the football field began to take shape.

Children typically struggle to tackle as they begin to play football. They have to be taught how to wrap up, the most fundamental part of playing defense.

But Quentin has instincts on the football field like none other, getting into the correct position to tackle opposing players. Even through mastering the little nuances, he still has the same the boyhood passion for the game.

“If you don’t come out here and try to have fun every day, you know because we keep to a pretty similar schedule, everything can get pretty monotonous,” Quentin said. “So if you don’t come out here to try to have fun with a little love and remember why you’re out here, you can really start to not enjoy it.”

24 / OCT. 6, 2016

If you don’t come out here and try to have fun every day, you know because we keep to a pretty similar schedule, everything can get pretty monotonous. So if you don’t come out here to try to have fun with a little love and remember why you’re out here, you can really start to not enjoy it.

- Quentin Poling, Ohio redshirt junior linebacker

Ohio redshirt junior linebacker Quentin Poling takes down Gardner-Webb redshirt sophomore running back Khalil Lewis before Lewis could score during a game at Peden Stadium on Sept. 24. (CARL FONTICELLA / FILE)

When he started playing football, Quentin was used as a lineman because he was bigger than his teammates. During middle school, Quentin began to play linebacker and running back, positions that ignited his love for the game.

Quentin’s enthusiasm is perhaps his most noticeable quality for the Ohio football team.

“It’s awesome because the other guys feed off of it,” linebackers coach Ron Collins said.

Before Ohio’s first game of the season against Texas State, Quentin peeked into the team’s office giddy, saying that it was game week.

“The more guys you have like him, the more opportunity you have to have great leadership,” coach Frank Solich said in August.

Quentin’s instincts and enthusiasm help him be a good football player; his intelligence on the field is worth noting, too.

Few people can understand the nuances of football such as quarterback cadences, line protections and passing patterns. Quentin understands it with ease.

“He diagnoses things extremely well on Quentin Poling poses for a portrait on Oct. 4, 2016. (METIN OZISIK / FOR THE POST)

the football field,” Solich said in August.

“He’s one of those guys that finds himself in the right place, very much the majority of the time.”

Quentin, a redshirt junior can surely find a spot on an NFL roster.

The one problem he could encounter, though, is his height.

Standing at 6-foot, Quentin may lack the height NFL teams are looking for in a middle linebacker because he is considered short — at the 2016 NFL Combine approximately 73 inches or 6-foot-1 was the average height of linebackers.

Though Quentin’s height may be something NFL teams aren’t looking for, his potential to be a solid NFL player is still there, though he’ll likely play next season for the Bobcats, too. He has one more year of eligibility.

Collins noted Quentin resembles a former NFL player he coached at the University of Colorado. Being versatile as well as aware of reading offenses could lead to Quentin playing professional football.

Quentin’s instincts combined with his athleticism are too special to overlook, as he can rush the quarterback like a defensive end, but he can also tackle running backs and wide receivers in open field.

But most of all, it will be his work ethic that will more than likely make him a viable NFL prospect.

“He’s determined to be the best at everything he does,” Kenny said. @CAMERONFIELDS_ CF710614@OHIO.EDU

‘Big men up front’ carry team ANDREW GILLIS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR When together, Ohio’s offensive linemen do the stereotypical linemen activity: they eat.

Whether it be at Texas Roadhouse, a linemen breakfast, or just relaxing at someone’s house, they do it together.

Sometimes the quarterback will make food or pay for the linemen’s meals. It just seems right.

“I offer to cook for them. I love my big men,” Ohio quarterback Greg Windham said. “They’re a big part of this team, they’re a big part of me and the running backs, they keep us untouched. I like to cook for them, give them treats, cookies, everything like that.”

He’s had good reason to be supportive of the big men up front — they’ve kept Windham and the running backs upright almost all season.

Five games in, the Bobcat line has given up just six sacks. That number is strong by itself, but even stronger considering in the first four games Ohio only allowed two sacks.

Even with the setback against Miami, Ohio is currently ranked 26th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in sacks allowed — a loaded statistic considering there are teams ahead of them that haven’t thrown the ball 100 times yet this season.

Ohio has thrown the ball 184 times this season, putting them 24th in the country.

Of the teams ahead of them in that category, there’s only five teams with fewer sacks allowed.

It’s safe to say the line has been one of the strongest units in the Mid-American Conference. But in typical offensive line style, line coach Dave Johnson deflected praise elsewhere.

“The quarterbacks, Greg and Quinton, have done (a) great job avoiding sacks, pocket management,” Johnson said. “Tremendous credit goes to the quarterbacks and how they manage the pocket, it’s made our jobs a whole lot easier.”

But perhaps the most remarkable thing about the five lineman has been their health. From left to right, it’s been the same all season: Joe Lowery, Josh Cooper, Jake Preuhs, Durrell Woods and Troy Watson.

The same starting five that took field against Texas State in the season opener, took the field against Miami last Saturday.

“It comes down to chemistry,” Preuhs said. “We’re all best friends, we all know how we all work with each other. It’s just doing the little things right, going as hard

From left to right: Offensive linemen Troy Watson, Jake Pruehs and Josh Cooper pose for a portrait. (CAMILLE FINE / FOR THE POST)

as you can every play. Whatever play they call, we’re gonna execute 110 percent.”

Through the first five games of the season, the running back position has been a revolving door. The one constant throughout all of that has been the line.

And with the health issues at running back, the offensive line — already the most important unit on the field — has had to shoulder a greater load than before.

Six different running backs have taken snaps behind the line this season, but the team hasn’t missed a beat. They still average 200 yards per game on the ground even without starting running back A.J. Ouellette.

“Treating the guys stepping into the shoes of A.J. and Maleek (Irons) and Dorian (Brown), just treating them like they’re anybody else,” Watson said. “Business like usual. That gives them more confidence if they go ‘the guys aren’t fazed with me being around here.’”

That consistency on the line has been helped by another motivating factor, however. After last season, the Bobcats lost three senior offensive lineman, two

“

What pushed us together, was when everyone said we weren’t going to be what we were last year. ” - Josh Cooper, offensive lineman of whom went to NFL camps.

After the graduation of the three seniors, the offensive line was a huge question mark on the team. It was thought at the time that the running backs would have to cover for the offensive line.

That sentiment couldn’t have been more wrong.

“What pushed us together, was when everyone said we weren’t going to be what we were last year,” Cooper said. “This summer, we fought and fought everyday

to come out here on our own to work together and come together as a unit.”

With that, there’s been a brotherhood formed between the linemen.

“It’s been a really great experience with these guys, these guys are some of my best friends,” Watson said. “I feel like just helping the young guys along has been my favorite part, just helping along the young guys that have no idea what they’re doing. I think that’s been a memorable experience for me as a senior.”

With the middle of MAC play coming for the Bobcats, the line will take on greater importance if more players get injured or if bad weather impacts the games. For the linemen ­— the friends — it will be just business as usual.

So when Windham throws a long pass to Sebastian Smith, or Brown breaks off a long touchdown run, remember it started with the big men up front.

@ANDREW_GILLIS70 AG079513@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 25

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FOOTBALL PLAYER FINDS HEROES Ohio redshirt offensive lineman Austen Pleasants has collected comic books and action figures since his early teens

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CAMERON FIELDS / FOR THE POST

usten Pleasants’ bedroom resembles a comic convention more than the average college football offensive lineman’s might.

A Connor Kenway action figure hangs on the wall, along with other action figures from the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise.

On one shelf, there are multiple “Star Wars” action figures and a Mr. Incredible figure. Another shelf houses Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper, C-3PO and the Millennium Falcon.

Marvel characters such as Iron Man and Captain America rule one area, with an Iron Man comic book featured on the wall.

PHOTO BY BLAKE NISSEN 26 / OCT. 6, 2016

But one action figure stands out from the rest.

It’s an action figure from the Predator movie franchise. In fact, it’s the creepy-looking creature itself. The action figure’s features are intricate, with its reptilian physique making it look like a squid crossed with an alien.

Pleasants, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman for Ohio, has collected comic books and action figures since he was about 13 years old, and it’s a hobby that he’s used as an outlet in addition to playing football.

“The detail of it — it’s pretty wicked,” Pleasants said of the Predator action figure.

ILLUSTRATION ASHLEY MARCHETTI

LEFT: Darth Vadar and other action figures stand on shelves in pleasants’ room.

(JENNIFER PLEASANTS / PROVIDED)

HOOK THAT INSPIRED Pleasants’ stepfather, Michael Wilburn, helped him become interested in collecting comic books. Wilburn has collected comic books since he was 13 years old, too, so talking about comics was a way for the two to bond but as he came into Pleasants’ life.

The pair have gone to the Tri-State Comic Con in Huntington, West Virginia, also known as Tri-Con, for the past two years — though Pleasants said the tradition started three or four years ago.

“As much time as I get to spend with him, I do,” Pleasants said. “He’s a very important figure in my life. He’s taught me a lot, and I like to share that time with him.”

Wilburn saw that Pleasants was interested in “Star Wars: The Original Trilogy,” one of the most recognizable movie franchises of all time. He taught him how to grade action figures’ conditions, telling Pleasants he could garner a pretty penny for mint condition action figures.

“He kind of took over from there, and he’s got a nice little collection going,” Wilburn said.

Pleasants has more than a nice little collection, though. Wilburn says Pleasants has three totes of comic books and action figures, along with the many items still in their boxes that hang on the walls of his room.

Like any other child, Pleasants was drawn to comic books because of how dominant characters such as Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man appear in the eye-catching books.

“You don’t think something like that would really move somebody as much as it could,” Pleasants said of comic books.

“A lot of that stuff inspires a lot of people.

They strive to be like those characters in the books that you see on movies.”

Pleasants was one of many children who were inspired by the comic book characters. He wanted to be big and strong, similar to Thor, a Marvel character who appears in the “Avengers” comic books and movies.

The fictional characters weren’t just supposed to be authoritative figures for children to admire, though.

As Pleasants got older, though, he realized comic books were about more than men and women doing superhuman things.

The characters depicted in the comic books could be seen as role models not only for their abilities, but because of their sense of right and wrong. “(The comic books) made me understand a lot of things about the world,”

TOP: ‘Star Wars’ reigns in pleasants’ collection, with a storm trooper and the millennium falcon.(JENNIFER PLEASANTS / PROVIDED) BOTTOM: Smaller action figures and military vehicles as seen in pleasants’ room. (JENNIFER PLEASANTS / PROVIDED)

“

You can focus on these characters and see what the characters do and how they handle situations and it gives you a different perspective on life and society.”

- Austen Pleasants, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Pleasants said.

Pleasants learned what it meant to do the right thing at an early age — and that gives meaning to some of his childhood nicknames.

Pleasants, standing at 6-foot-7 and 321 pounds, was always one of the bigger kids in school. His mother, Jennifer Pleasants, didn’t want him hurting any of the smaller kids but it wasn’t in Pleasants’ nature to be mean, anyway.

“His nickname was always ‘Big Teddy Bear,’ ” Jennifer Pleasants said. “He’s always been a very affectionate, mannerly, polite kid.”

Austen acquired another nickname as a child for a couple different reasons — neither of which were because of his kind nature.

When he played little league football in third grade, the team’s coach didn’t know what his name was, so he started to call him “Big Red.” Pleasants’ hair is red, so that’s one reason why most people in Ironton, his hometown, call him “Big Red.” But he is also called that because his face turns the color when he runs or is nervous.

“He kind of has that complexion when he gets embarrassed, you know he gets beet red,” Ohio offensive line coach Dave Johnson said. “Or when he exercises, you know

the people who really kind of get red?”

Pleasants’ face turns red when he sweats, with his hard work giving him an opportunity to get onto the field. He was redshirted last season, but the young offensive lineman saw time on the field during Ohio’s game at No. 15 Tennessee.

“Obviously he’s still in a learning phase, learning mode,” Johnson said. “Every day I think he discovers something new. He does a nice job of studying the older guys and seeing what they do right and wrong.”

THE DARK SIDE Anyone can collect comic books — which are fun to look at, and it’s something people can say they do as a hobby.

But not everyone can talk about comic books like Pleasants talks about them.

Pleasants knows his comic book material like an honors student might know each event that happened during World War II. For example, he said he would like to see the extended edition of Suicide Squad.

“I knew there (were) a lot of good scenes cut out of it with the Joker and everything,” Pleasants said.

The Joker is one of the craziest characters in all of comic books, Pleasants said, as

actors such as the late Heath Ledger as well as Jared Leto have portrayed the bizarre character in The Dark Knight and Suicide Squad, respectively.

With Pleasants being drawn to the Joker’s craziness, he said he is also a Deadpool fan.

Deadpool isn’t necessarily crazy like the Joker – but he is perhaps the wackiest character in comic books.

“The character is just very spontaneous, so he’s known for just doing pretty much anything and everything you can think of,” Pleasants said.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Darth Vader stands atop a bookcase in Pleasants’ room — a rightful place for such a ruthless character. A mini Yoda figure stands below him, and for what it’s worth, Yoda appears to be terrified standing next to the iconic character.

Pleasants has a mint condition late ‘70s vintage Darth Vader, and it’s one of his prized possessions. Vintage Darth Vader action figures from that period are going for as much as $550 on eBay. What characters such as Darth Vader represent and command — power, authority, respect — is what drew Pleasants to them in the first place.

He wants to do what’s right, just like the characters do in the comics.

“You can focus on these characters and see what the characters do and how they handle situations,” Pleasants said. “And it gives you a different perspective on life and society.”

@CAMERONFIELDS_ CF710614@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 27

Coordinating a CHAMPIONSHIP Ohio’s offensive and defensive coordinators are the longest-tenured in college football, holding their respective positions going into their 12th season with the Bobcats CHARLIE HATCH SPORTS EDITOR

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n a college football landscape rapidly changing, Ohio has kept consistency in its coaching staff.

Frank Solich, now in his 12th season at Ohio, is the fourth-longest tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the longest in the Mid-American Conference.

Tim Albin and Jimmy Burrow, the respective offensive and defensive coordinators, have been with Solich in Athens since 2005 — making Ohio the only program in Football Bowl Subdivision with the same coach and coordinators for the last 10 seasons. In this case, it’s now 12.

“We can basically finish each other’s sentences,” Albin, who doubles as the running backs coach, said earlier this season.

So if Ohio has the longest tenured coordinators, what’s the reasoning? Have the Bobcats plateaued as a program, or does the faith shown by the Athletic Department prove how successful this regime of coaches has been?

The answer is the latter.

Solich was hired Dec. 7, 2004, and the coordinators joined him Jan. 4, 2005. The group inherited a program that only won 47 games in the previous 10 seasons.

“The thing that stuck out to me was when coach called me to ask if I was interested in coming and said, ‘Let me tell you about the president,’ ” Albin said.

Dr. Roderick J. McDavis was named Ohio University President the previous July, and when he hired Solich, he promised the pro-

28 / OCT. 6, 2016

gram would get the resources necessary to transform the then-struggling team.

Film rooms and meeting rooms were renovated, as were facilities and more opportunities for summer scholarships for athletes — all amenities Albin said the previous Ohio coaching staffs didn’t have.

“He wanted the football program to be the front porch to the university,” he said of McDavis’ plan.

The Bobcats changed, and wins came, too.

Now approaching the sixth week of the 12th season, Ohio is 83-63 under Solich, an impressive turnaround for the program that’s now solidified as one of the best in the conference.

After going 4-7 the first season in 2005, the Bobcats went 9-5 the following season and played in the MAC championship game. The turnaround was the best in college football that season, and Solich was named the 2006 MAC Coach of the Year.

Since then, success has continued.

Ohio has won the MAC East Division three times — in 2006, 2009 and 2011 — and has appeared in three conference championship games. All three have resulted in losses.

But the trio has brought other forms of postseason success.

When Solich was named the coach in late 2004, receiving a bowl bid would have been an impressive accomplishment. Come 2016, that’s the minimum expectation for all football players in the program.

The Bobcats have had seven bowl appearances, including the first bowl win in Ohio history: a 24-23 rally over Utah State in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

“The expectations have been greater ev-

“

We’re still trying to get that MAC championship and get it done. There’s still that drive that was there 12 years ago.”

- Jimmy Burrow, Bobcats defensive coordinator

Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Burrow directs the defensive backs at practice at Peden Stadium on Oct. 4. (MATT STARKEY | FOR THE POST)

ery year, but that’s what we wanted,” Burrow, who also coaches the safeties, said.

“Our team now expects to win and that’s a big part of getting a program to the level that we hope to get at.”

Seeking changes with consistency.

Now comfortable being competitive, Solich and his coordinators are uncomfortable with not achieving more success.

The simple question to ask with coaches in a position for so long is whether or not the program is actually progressing.

It’s a question both Albin and Burrow think about constantly.

“We’re always looking for better ways to do things,” Solich said earlier this year. “I’m not one to think I’ve got all the answers. I’m always searching, our coordinators are always searching.”

Both the offense and defense have altered their schemes over time to stay modern with current college football techniques, in addition to molding to the roster’s strengths.

The defense uses a 4-3 base formation that Burrow learned while playing at Nebraska in the ‘70s under Monte Kiffin, his defensive coordinator at the time. It’s the most used system in football today.

Offensively, Albin started with an option offense that’s still run-heavy, but has evolved into a multiple, spread scheme.

A multiple offense means there are multiple formations containing running and passing plays out of complicated sets — designed to confuse a defense.

Lately, the Bobcats have included more run, pass, option plays than ever before.

When quarterback Greg Windham lines up the offense, he’s given more flexibility to pass, hand the ball or keep it than any quarterback Ohio has utilized, Solich said.

Off the gridiron Twelve years is a long time, especially in a coaching position.

Offers have come up, even within the MAC, but both coordinators have stayed in Athens.

“It probably says quite a bit about a lot of things,” Solich said of keeping the same company. “We know each other’s personalities really well. Jimmy and Tim are two guys that I’ve known forever it seems like and we know each other’s personalities.”

Arguments have come, but they are solved quickly — which is especially important for Albin and Burrow, who are adjacent neighbors.

Both said Athens has been an integral part of their families.

Joe, Jimmy’s son, started playing football in third grade and went on to be the quarterback at Athens High School at the state championship before enrolling at Ohio State.

“All those relations make it hard to leave,” Jimmy said. “We were comfort-

able here and the quality of life here is awesome, so we made a decision at some point during the time we’re here that we were just going to be here.

His wife, Robin, is the principal of Eastern Local Elementary.

As for Albin, his daughter Brooke recently graduated from Athens High School and his son Treyce currently plays for the Bulldogs.

“Athens has been great here,” he said.

“We’ve had opportunities to leave and we have not because of the community. The football stuff here, I do it for a loving, not a living. I guarantee I don’t do it for the wins. … My boyhood feelings are thriving.”

The only thing missing, though, is synonymous with all three coaches.

“We’re still trying to get that MAC championship and get it done,” Burrow said.

“There’s still that drive that was there 12 years ago.”

Offensive Coordinator Tim Albin runs a drill at practice at Peden Stadium on Oct. 4.

(MATT STARKEY | FOR THE POST)

@CHARLIEHATCH_ GH181212@OHIO.EDU

“

The thing that stuck out to me was when coach called me to ask if I was interested in coming and said, ‘Let me tell you about the president.’ ” - Tim Albin, Bobcats offensive coordinator

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 29

Band alumni relive memories during Homecoming ALEXIS EICHELBERGER FOR THE POST

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orty years ago, Jo Carpenter was part of the first-ever college marching band to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

She said it was like a dream to be a member of the Marching 110 for that historic performance.

“The whole thing was lots of fun,” Carpenter, who was a freshman at the time of the performance, said.

“It was exciting, it was frightening.

The entire weekend was great, and actually being in Carnegie Hall was just a terrific experience.”

Carpenter said she has not missed a Homecoming Weekend since she graduated from Ohio University.

Whether they previously marched across the football field each week as part of the Marching 110 or grooved on stage with the jazz ensemble, band alumni are able to relive some of those experiences during Homecoming festivities.

On Saturday morning, former members of the 110 will reunite to march through

30 / OCT. 6, 2016

Athens in the Homecoming Parade. They will follow that performance with two more during the football game — one at halftime, and a postgame show.

This year, the 110’s game performances will pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of becoming the first college marching band to perform at Carnegie Hall. The Alumni Band will perform “Play That Funky Music,” which the 110 played during that landmark performance in 1976.

The remainder of the halftime performance will also honor 1976 as the band performs tunes from the movie Rocky, which was released that year.

Josh Boyer, assistant director of the 110, said the band will welcome between 400 and 500 alumni home alumni this weekend.

“We’ll have alumni here ... from every year of the band from 1967 to last year,” he said. “We’ll have members from the original Ohio University Marching Band as we consider today, in our style and our uniforms from 1967. There will be some alums that come back that are even older than that, from even earlier in the ’60s.”

Boyer said the alumni and current students always interact well.

“The students respect the alumni for what they did and what they began, or what traditions they kept going,” he said.

“They laid the foundation for what we build on every year. … It’s essentially — at its core — the same band that it’s been for many years.”

Boyer said that because of their pride, alumni continue to return for Homecoming year after year.

“I think that everybody who’s marched in the band is proud of their ... experience that they had here,” he said. “We always talk about coming home, and I think that’s very true with the alumni band. They’re coming back to experience what they loved at this university.”

Trenton Thacker, a sophomore studying music education, will be playing his saxophone this weekend alongside his mother, who is a 110 alumna.

“I always got to hear about the 110, and then for me to come follow in (my mother’s) footsteps and to perform with her side by side, it’s a like a flashback,” Thacker said.

Thacker will also be playing alongside alumni when he performs in the Alumni Jazz Jam at 10 p.m. on Saturday at Casa

Nueva, 6 W. State St. The jazz concert, which is in its fifth year, will feature two ensembles of current students and one of alumni.

Matthew James, a professor of saxophone and jazz studies and the director of one of the student ensembles, said the jazz concert is a fun get-together for former jazz band members to socialize and challenge themselves musically.

“It’s a quick coming together of former friends and students to make music on the fly, in the jazz tradition,” James said.

Neil King, who graduated from OU in 1994 with a master’s degree in music education, will be returning this year for the his second time playing in the Jazz Jam. King is a current high school band director and performs and directs professionally in the Morgantown Jazz Orchestra, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He said his favorite part about Homecoming is catching up with old classmates and professors, and meeting new faces, too.

“It’s always nice to be back in Athens,” he said. @ADEICHELBERGER AE595714@OHIO.EDU

A LOOK INTO THE

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2005

Frank Solich has his first season with Ohio in 2005. Coordinators Tim Albin and Jim Burrow also join Solich in Athens.

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1945

Don Peden coached at Ohio between 1924-1946. Ohio’s longest - serving coach, Peden was 121-46-11 coaching the Bobcats.

1945

After suspending the football program from 1943-44 due to World War II, the Bobcats resumed play in 1945.

1939

‘The Post’ begins to cover Ohio football for the first time.

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