September 1, 2016

A CAREFUL APPETITE

Students with serious food allergies work out ways to understand the foods made around them and how to extinguish the risk of a deadly allergic reaction P12

A whole new ballgame P20

Gymnastics in Appalachia P16

Race to the Statehouse P8

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emma Ockerman MANAGING EDITOR Elizabeth Backo DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Seth Archer ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Hayley Harding

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITORS Kaitlin Coward, William T. Perkins SPORTS EDITOR Charlie Hatch CULTURE EDITORS Alex Darus, Sean Wolfe OPINION EDITOR Kaitlyn McGarvey COPY CHIEF Rachel Danner

ART

ART DIRECTOR Abby Day DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Driehaus GRAPHICS DIRECTOR Chance Brinkman-Sull SPECIAL PROJECTS DESIGNER Matt Ryan

DIGITAL

DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR Hannah Debenham SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Hannah Wintucky BLOGS EDITOR Jeremy Hill DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Patrick Connolly INTERIM BUSINESS MANAGER Alex McEvoy

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Passing out paper best way to interact with our readers

W

ith The Post sharing its work on a nearconstant basis through social media — all while dropping off newspapers every Thursday at dozens of stops around Ohio University’s campus and Uptown — it is sometimes easy to forget that if a reporter wants a surefire method of reaching the reader, there is no practice more guaranteed than physically ensuring the paper makes it into that reader’s hand.

So last Thursday, when we produced our first paper of the year, myself, our assistant managing editor and a photo editor stood near College Gate and handed out The Post for about 30 minutes, politely asking passersby if they wanted a copy of our most recent edition.

Many said yes, and a few emailed me to say EMMA OCKERMAN / they enjoyed reading our content, and were grateful that we had sought them out as a reader.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF We left College Gate that day with fewer papers, arms covered in black ink (if it’s warm out, our newspapers sweat, too) and a little bit of an extra bounce in our step. It was a pretty special occurrence, and I felt a tad silly for getting so much out of something that was a relatively simple concept — but it makes sense.

If one were to trust any old-timey movie portrayal of a newspaper and its journalists, they might believe that there used to be such a thing as a newspaper boy, who literally shouted and distributed the news from street corners. Our version of the that would probably be Twitter — and our street corner might as well be our website — but maybe there is something The Post could learn from the cinematic portrayals of our chosen career: If you want yourself (or your news) heard, it is probably best to actually try to tell someone personally. The whole “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” trope.

And even though it is a bit time-consuming, it is also healthy for our Post reporters to get outside and meet some of our readers face-to-face as they walk to class and Uptown.

So from now on, a few of our editors and employees will be passing out The Post every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at College Gate, to see who we can meet and what news we can share. Hopefully I will be able to talk to some new readers in the coming weeks — and find another excuse to stand outside — but in the meantime, catch us at our digital newsstand at thepostathens.com.

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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Cover Illustration via Thinkstock

$600,000

Ohio University’s Top 10 Earners

2015-16 salary

GRAPHIC BY CHANCE BRINKMAN-SULL / GRAPHICS DIRECTOR

2016-17 salary increase 2016-17 salary cut

= $10,000 $500,000

Golding’s salary was cut by $43,418 after the 2015-16 academic year

$400,000

$300,000

$200,000

$100,000

SAUL PHILLIPS

HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

FRANK SOLICH

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

RODERICK MCDAVIS PRESIDENT

PAM BENOIT

EXECUTIVE VP & PROVOST

DEBORAH SHAFFER

STEPHEN GOLDING

VP FOR SENIOR VP FOR FINANCE & STRATEGIC ADMINISTRATION INITIATIVES

KENNETH JOHNSON

EXECUTIVE DEAN, HCOM

DENNIS IRWIN

DEAN, RUSS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

HUGH SHERMAN

JIM SCHAUS

DEAN, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE OF INTERCOLLEGIATE BUSINESS ATHLETICS

STACKING UP SALARIES PHILLIPS, SOLICH WILL MAKE MORE THAN $500,000 EACH FOR THE 2016-17 ACADEMIC YEAR

KAITLIN COWARD NEWS EDITOR Two athletic coaches again top the list of Ohio University’s highest paid employees for the 2016-17 academic year.

Despite the fact that OU President Roderick McDavis received a raise and a bonus at the June Board of Trustees meeting, he again ranks behind men’s basketball coach Saul Phillips and football coach Frank Solich.

The OU Board of Trustees awarded a $20,000 raise to McDavis in June for his final year as OU president, which brought his total salary for the year to $500,000.

“We are pleased and deeply grateful for the hard work, passion and dedication that (McDavis) and Mrs. McDavis devote to Ohio University,” according to the board’s evaluation of McDavis, provided by OU spokesman Dan Pittman. “We believe that Ohio University is well-positioned to build on the success that (McDavis has) established over the past 12 years.”

Amber Huntzinger, a junior studying social work, said McDavis’ salary was a little higher than she expected.

Chris Baker, a sophomore studying finance, said McDavis’ salary was reasonable because of his duties as president.

Huntzinger said, however, she wasn’t surprised that the top two earners were athletic coaches.

Chief Human Resource Officer Colleen Bendl said the university considers a variety of factors when determining raises and salaries.

“Ohio University’s executive compensation philosophy takes into account experience, market data specific to higher education, market influences, performance factors and position criticality,” Bendl said in an email.

@KCOWARD02 KC769413@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

ABCS OF GREEK LIFE

Rush Week: What you need to know about going Greek ERIN FRANCZAK is a sophomore studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University.

It’s important to be informed about Rush Week events and for one to know what to expect when meeting fraternities, sororities First things first: At Ohio University there are three separate groups within fraternity and sorority life, and all are an integral part of the organization.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council are more focused on recruiting people of multicultural backgrounds, but anyone can join. The MGC currently has two organizations: Alpha Psi Lambda, a co-ed Latino organization, and Sigma Lambda Gamma, a multicultural sorority. There will be information sessions about membership soon.

You can also check out their websites for more information.

The NPHC has six recognized sororities and fraternities. The council consists of historically black letters, but once again, anyone can join those organizations.

There will be a “Meet the Greeks” event Sept.

26 in the Baker Center Student Lounge.

Then there’s the Interfraternity Council. The council recruits through a semi-formal structure where the heads of IFC provide informational events for potential members. From there, individual fraternities will conduct their own sets of events to recruit members. Then, the IFC works with each fraternity to distribute bids to new members.

For more information, check out the IFC website, and registration is free and required.

The last organization within sorority and fraternity life is the Women’s PanHellenic Association. It has a very structured system for recruit-

6 4 |/FRIDAY, SEPT. 1,APRIL 2016 22, 2016

ment, which begins with registration and a $25 fee (for the T-shirt, pen, name tag and technology fee).

On Sept. 9 and 10, each potential member will have the opportunity to visit all 10 houses and meet the members of each sorority.

The first days, Sept. 9 and 10, are focused on meeting members of each sorority and beginning to bond and create friendships. The outfit criterion for this day is the T-shirt given and any pants that feel comfortable.

The second day is known as Philanthropy Day. It takes place on Sept. 11 and focuses on learning about what charity each sorority helps. It is an important day because so much of what the WPA and sorority and fraternity life do involve lending a hand to the community.

This would be the day to strut a comfy, casual, cute outfit.

On Sept. 16, the potential new members will be touring up to five houses and are taught more about the sisterhood.

On Sisterhood Day, it is suggested potential new members wear business casual attire.

After that, there is only one event until bids come out. That takes place on Sept. 17, and potential new members will go to only two houses. There they will have one more chance to interact with members and learn more about the bonds. It is the day to dress up.

An appropriate outfit would be a semi-formal dress.

Finally, there’s the anxiety of waiting for bids to come out. But I can say it would be an honor to join any sorority or fraternity on campus.

So don’t be afraid to come out and learn what it’s really like to join and — most importantly — have fun and make the most of the experience.

Do you have any questions about rushing a fraternity or sorority? Email Erin at ef441614@ohio.edu.

CHUCK’S COLLEGIATE POLITICS

University of Chicago’s letter about ‘trigger warnings’ should lead to discussion ‘Intellectual safe spaces’ only affect those who choose to create or partake in them CHUCK GREENLEE is a sophomore studying adolescent to young adult integrated language arts at Ohio University.

Earlier this week, the University of Chicago sent out a letter to its students in regard to their feelings on safe spaces and trigger warnings, a topic that we have heard more about in the past year than ever before.

The contents of the letter have sparked a bit of controversy since its release.

Lately, a trend has developed when a speaker comes to a college campus and discusses something the students don’t necessarily agree with. The students claim the speech “triggers” them, and they respond by creating an “intellectual safe space” for those who feel unsafe by the speaker’s beliefs. The University of Chicago said they will not refuse a speaker due to trigger warnings, as they view this as impeding the freedom of expression that the university is built on.

Within my own time at Ohio University, I have personally not heard of such a safe space taking place on our campus, although such a safe space could go under the radar easily.

While I feel safe spaces and trigger warnings are to be respected, I understand the University of Chicago’s actions even though it came out in a less than stellar way.

As college students, it is important to have our beliefs and ideologies challenged by their converse. We, as a human race, grow more when we clash on ideas so we can root out what makes the most sense and is beneficial to society. It is also important to respect when people are made to feel uncomfortable and not chastise however they choose to cope with it.

A safe space is something that may seem ridiculous to those who don’t need it, however, it really doesn’t affect anyone who isn’t taking part.

The rhetoric that we are a generation of sensitive whatever-demeaning-term-fits-here because of how some people deal with situations they don’t agree with is ridiculous, because those practicing the rhetoric have never been affected by the aftermath of a safe space.

How do you feel about intellectual safe spaces? Let Chuck know by tweeting him @chuckingaround.

AMPLIFIED OBSERVATIONS

Psychedelic acoustic music finds new home in lesser known genres

LUKE FURMAN is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University.

This week’s column is about to open your third eye, but not in the traditional way.

That’s because it’s about a sleeper genre that never seems to get discussed: acoustic psychedelia. And although that might not be a “documented” genre, it’s at least what I use to identify this specific trend.

Psychedelic music is almost synonymous with trippy guitar effects, echo-chamber-like reverb and wild, oscillating vocals. But pull the plug out of the socket and what are you left with? Surprisingly enough, more than a handful of good tunes.

Psychedelic rock, pop and folk are not limited to Strats and fuzz but can also be achieved effectively using the basics: a guitar, a voice and an enticed imagination.

Around the highwater mark of psychedelia in the late ’60s and early ’70s, several artists released acoustic records chock-full of naturally occurring weirdness and mysticism. Musicians like Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel, George Harrison, Tim Buckley and others

took to a softer side of the substance-fueled sound, focusing on the fantastical and mystical elements underlying much of what had already run its course.

Even Townes Van Zandt, the celebrated country singer, dabbled psychedelic acoustic music with his 1972 cut “Silver Ships of Andilar.” Andilar is almost as mythical of a place as what Neil Young describes in his 1970 song “After the Gold Rush.”

This approach might not seem to be a big deal, but in essence these musicians attempted to elevate the capability of acoustic instruments to possess an aura of psychedelic wonder. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s an impressive feat.

It was a particularly strange moment when I realized Simon & Garfunkel’s largely acoustic 1968 album Bookends also incorporates psychedelic lyrics and effects. How else could you explain songs like “Punky’s Dilemma” or “Voices of Old People”? Other songs of theirs like “The 59th Street Bridge” also illustrate a groovy sonic land-

scape.

Nowadays, we think of psychedelic rock as sounding garage-y or with more effects than an alien spaceship. However, although absent in the main genre, acoustic psychedelic might have found a home in musical places like freak folk or psych folk with bands like Mount Eerie, Bon Iver, Suf jan Stevens and Akron/Family.

But either way, music from the initial wave like Love’s “Alone Again Or” is still easily accessible and as vibrant as ever.

If anything is important in the wider picture here, it’s that an approach like acoustic psychedelia only illustrates the true capabilities of musical creativity and the strange desires of the human spirit.

Is psychedelia-influenced music about to make a comeback? Let Luke know by sending him a tweet @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.

STREETVIEW

“If you could go to dinner with any person in history, living or dead, who would you want to get dinner with and why?”

“Probably Eleanor Roosevelt just because she was the First Lady, obviously, during difficult times, and she always presented herself with such elegance and everyone liked her. I guess she was a very presentable First Lady.”

Hannah Brown, medical student

“Probably Elvis Presley, I really liked him as a kid. He was a really cool guy, he was kind of a character. Like he was born very poor and he made something of himself.”

Casity Schag, sophomore studying nursing

“Probably, like, Michael Phelps. I think he knows what it takes to win, just, like, hearing what he says about what he does to train, like how much it takes ... and to see him, meet him and just see how he does it would be cool.”

Adam Stephens, freshman studying business

“Frank Sinatra. I love him and I love his music. ... He wasn’t, like, all around a good person but I don’t know, I just think he is interesting.”

Meredith Charles, freshman studying journalism

“Probably the Apostle Paul because he is a really (big) figure in the Christian faith, and he’s really just, like, one of the most important religious figures in history.”

Jesus Sanchez, sophomore studying studio art

-photgraphs by Metin Ozisik THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

6 |/FRIDAY, SEPT. 1,APRIL 2016 22, 2016

CLASSIES

POLICE BLOTTER

Syllabus week yields drug charges, multiple thefts, bogus burglary LAUREN FISHER FOR THE POST In addition to meeting new professors during “syllabus week,” some students also met local law enforcement during run-ins with the Ohio University Police Department.

The department lists 17 incidents on its log from Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, including four accounts of possession of controlled substances, seven alcohol offenses, four reports of theft, a motor vehicle theft and a report of criminal mischief, in which two individuals were observed on the catwalk inside The Convo throwing water bottles at the basketball court.

No arrests were made in the case at The Convo.

SECRET STASH

At about 3 p.m. on Aug. 24, an officer responded to a call from the Living Learning Center, where a staff member had turned in a wallet. When the officer checked the

wallet for the owner’s information, however, he discovered not only a fake ID but a “small amount” of marijuana.

The owner of the wallet, once located, was charged with both possession of controlled substances and possession of a fake ID. GREENS ON GREEN

On Aug. 25, at about 11 p.m., four individuals were discovered smoking marijuana behind the OU Golf and Tennis Center near South Green.

Two other separate incidents involving marijuana occurred within a few days of each other on the golf course: one occurring Aug. 21, and the other, occurring Aug. 28. Three arrests were made.

All were charged with possession of controlled substances.

MISPLACED MEDICATION

Off campus, the Athens County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of domestic disputes, public urination, stolen power gardening tools and a report of a misplaced prescription.

At about 6:30 p.m. on Aug.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

23, the Athens County Sheriff’s Department received a report in which a woman had purchased her prescription from the Kroger store in Trimble, but said she had forgotten to place it in her shopping bag.

Upon remembering that she forgot her prescription, the woman returned to the grocery store, where she was told by employees that nobody had turned it in. The woman then called the Sheriff’s Department, advising that she simply wanted to let officers know what happened.

FALSE ALARM

On Aug. 23, deputies responded to a residence on Old State Route 56, for what was reported to be an active burglary. The caller had reported that upon passing the house, she saw a man “raising a window with a crowbar in his hand.”

Upon arriving at the residence, however, officers realized that the alleged burglar was actually the homeowner and the item in his hand was actually a power washer, with which he was power washing his house.

@LAUREN__FISHER LF966614@OHIO.EDU

My elderly (84 year old) father would like to have a nursing student help with his home health care. He needs help with cleaning and cooking at least one day a week. He would be willing to pay 20 dollars an hour, but would require the employee to fill out a W-9 form (independent contractor) so that they would file/pay their own taxes to the federal government. He lives in the countryside near Wilkesville, OH. If interested in this job, please contact his daughter, SUSAN KRANER, by email at SUSAN.KRANER@GMAIL.COM.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

STATE ELECTIONS

Both Statehouse candidates prioritize education Sarah Grace and Jay Edwards are both vying to take Rep. Debbie Phillips’ seat in the Statehouse come November LAUREN FISHER FOR THE POST With elections just around the corner, residents of Ohio’s 94th District have a crucial task at hand — deciding who will represent their interests at the Statehouse for the next four years.

In this year’s election, Democratic Party candidate Sarah Grace will square off with Republican Jay Edwards for the soon-to-be-vacated seat of Rep. Debbie Phillips,

8 / SEPT. 1, 2016

D-Albany. Phillips will reach her term limit this year.

Grace, a cancer survivor and mother of four, runs a real estate business and made her debut in local politics when she defeated the OU Graduate Student Senate president at the time, Eddie Smith, in the primaries.

Edwards, a Nelsonville Realtor, graduated from Ohio University on a football scholarship and ran unopposed in the primaries.

Earlier in August, Grace implored Edwards to participate in an open forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Athens County before early voting begins Oct. 4. The Edwards campaign initially agreed. The campaign later contacted Grace, however, and said Edwards would not be available to meet until Oct. 25, when the two are scheduled for a public forum at the Athens Public Library.

“I don’t think there’s anything more important than allowing the voters and constituents to have an opportunity to hear where candidates stand on the issues,” Grace said. “And I believe it’s very important to go on the record and answer questions about where I stand on things, and I’m willing to do that.”

Both Grace and Edwards agree education is an issue of immediate and lasting importance in the district.

While Grace advocates placing caps on increasing university tuition and fees, she believes there is an even more pressing issue at hand — creating a landscape where students will be given access to resources, such as affordable healthcare and equal pay when they graduate.

“They’re soon going to be a part of the work force, and possibly wanting to start

Sarah Grace, Democratic Party candidate for the 94th District in the Ohio House of Representatives, holds hands with husband, Todd Grace, while waiting for primary election results March 15, at The Pigskin Bar and Grille. (ALEX DRIEHAUS / FILE)

I don’t think there’s anything more important than allowing the voters and constituents to have an opportunity to hear where candidates stand on the issues.”

- Sarah Grace, Democratic candidate for 94th District families, and so I feel that the issues that impact families impact college students in such a short time,” Grace said.

Having worked with a number of local students while on the

campaign trail, Edwards stressed the importance of providing an education worth the investment.

Those sentiments, he explained, are echoed by many of his student supporters.

“I’m a supporter of organized labor, for example,” Edwards said in an email. “And I’ve talked before about the building trades and the importance of having a trained, skilled, drug-tested workforce.”

OU College Democrats president Sam Miller said her group plans to get involved in Grace’s campaign in the coming days, and highlighted the importance of involvement in local politics.

“When it comes down to it, any Democrat is more qualified than Jay Edwards,” Miller said.

“If Athens County wants Sarah Grace, I’m totally going to get behind her. I support her 100 percent.”

Though the presidential election continues to play out on a much larger scale, Grace believes it has undoubtedly impacted the

realm of local politics.

“I think there were a lot of very polarized, strong opinions within the Republican Party,” Grace said. “People had very strong feelings either for or against Donald Trump, so that really drove people to vote in the Republican Party.”

Edwards, who said he is not running to be a “partisan politician,” said that in speaking with local voters, he believes many people will vote split-ticket in November.

“When I’m out talking with voters, the consistent message I hear is they’re tired of partisan bickering and finger pointing,” Edwards said in an email. “They want – and frankly deserve – to have their voices heard in Columbus and Washington. They want the people they elect to work together to solve problems.”

@LAUREN__FISHER LF966614@OHIO.EDU

Professors replace pricey textbooks with digital alternatives Cost of college can be reduced in classrooms that use digital resources instead of traditional textbooks JULIA FAIR FOR THE POST Some Ohio University professors are ditching required textbooks — and the prices — to try and help students save on their college expenses.

The average undergraduate student at a public, four-year university spends about $1,300 on textbooks and school supplies per year, according to 2015-16 data from College Board’s website. Instead of adding to that statistic, some OU professors have taken to scanning materials to post online and utilizing other technology resources to reduce costs for students.

Associate professor of history Robert Ingram is one of the professors who has been spending time over a scanner for the sake of the students. When he announced to his Western Civilization class that there would be no textbook required, he said he was met with a sigh of relief.

“I have dozens (and) dozens of students say, ‘Thanks for not breaking my bank account,’ ” Ingram said.

That wasn’t always his classroom model.

Ingram said when he first started teaching at OU he used textbooks but soon realized how expensive they were for students. When the university changed its schedule from quarters to semesters, Ingram had a chance to decide whether he wanted to make any changes to his courses.

“I want them to think and read deeply in primary sources,” Ingram said.

Instead of having a textbook that only has seven or eight sentences about a specific author, Ingram said he prefers to have his students read seven to eight pages written by that author.

“I see those (prices), and they seem obscene,” Ingram said. “It’s such a huge proportion of students' budget.”

So Ingram took to scanning.

The responsibility to comply with copyright law falls on the instructor when posting to Blackboard, according to the Ohio University Libraries website. Although it is the instructor's responsibility, the site states the library may refuse to accept a request if it thinks it could violate copyright law.

But within that copyright law, the fair use doctrine states that copying for cer-

LEFT: Freshman Kasydi Dunaway browses the textbooks in the College Book Store on Court Street.

(LAUREN BACHO | PHOTO EDITOR)

tain purposes is legal, including the multiple ways faculty use the material they post in their classrooms, according to an article titled “Intellectual Property Issues for Faculty” by Ann Springer on the American Association of University Professors’ website.

“The statute sets out a non-exclusive list of purposes that are assumed to be of benefit to society and thus eligible for fair use protection,” the article s.

The list includes the ability to reproduce portions of material for students’ use, though, for example, a full textbook couldn’t be posted to Blackboard.

David Bell, a professor in the linguistics department, uses similar models of duplication in his undergraduate classes.

Most of the texts that his students need are on Blackboard or are available as a PDF, Bell said.

“It’s a case of being aware what kind of investments you can expect your students to make in the class,” Bell said.

When he started teaching at OU 17 years ago, he assigned books for his graduate class but was met with some dismay on the first day of class.

“I walked into class the first day, and a student, being a graduate student, said ‘Professor Bell, do you realize the text for this class (is) over $100?’ ” Bell said.

The student was right. Bell added that he has also been more conscious of textbook prices due to his two daughters, who are taking classes at OU, reporting back to him how

much their textbooks cost.

In 2007, the average price of a new textbook was $57. In 2013, it was $79, according to the National Association of College Stores.

“Throughout my time here at OU, I try to keep those costs down,” Bell said. “Of course it’s gotten easier with all of the electronic material available.”

The digital shift that has caused materials to be more accessible on the internet was apparent to first-year graduate student studying education and critical studies, Mariah Hagadone-Bedir.

“The trend seems to be going to no textbooks because of the digital technology everywhere,” Hagadone-Bedir said, pointing to students who utilize their laptops, tablets and smartphones for easy access to digital textbooks.

With her undergraduate degree in biology, she said she always had to buy thick science books.

As she starts her graduate program, Hagadone-Bedir said her professors have been “very vocal” about the services that Alden Library provides, for either books on course reserve or ordering textbooks from other Ohio libraries via OhioLINK. “I’ve had to buy very few textbooks,” Hagadone-Bedir said.

@FAIR3JULIA JF311013@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Future teachers expected to leave clean digital footprint MADELEINE PECK FOR THE POST

L

ike some other students, Claire Hutchins can be found in a bar Uptown on a Saturday night.

But it’s difficult to find a photo featuring her in a bar Uptown on any of her social media accounts.

“It’s crazy how you can go out and not expect anything to happen,” Hutchins, a junior studying early childhood education, said.

“Then your whole life can change with one picture.”

Some Ohio University students would not think twice before posting a photo of themselves drinking Uptown to their personal social media pages, so long as they were of legal drinking age.

But for others, one photo taken in a dimly-lit bar — no matter the OU student’s age — could wreck a potential career in teaching children.

“I think we’re held to a different standard,” Hutchins said. “I don’t know any other major that the rules applied that hard.

I mean you go out one time and something happens you’re done. I mean it really affects your life.”

Education majors may be more cautious with their drinking habits and are less likely to drink due to the potential professional consequences, Holly Corns, a junior studying adolescent-to-young-adult integrated language arts, said.

“There is a lot of pressure for college students who are education majors to not get arrested or to be caught drinking underage,” Corns said. “With the job market currently, if you have an arrest record, it’s really hard to get a job,

10 / SEPT. 1, 2016

even if you were caught as a freshman and you’ve grown as a person.”

Brigitta Schultz, the president of Sober Bobcats, a student organization that provides alternative events for students to take part in Friday and Saturday night that do not include drinking alcohol, said the organization’s members come from several different majors and schools, though she added that there are “a lot” of education majors.

“All the education majors have heard the stories of teachers who, ‘oh, they found this photo of her online, and now she’s suspended,’ ” Schultz, a senior studying middle-childhood education, language arts and math, said.

One example of that comes from Barrow County, Georgia, when high-school teacher Ashley Payne resigned from her job after someone complained about Facebook photos in which she was holding alcoholic drinks, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. Payne said she was pressured to resign after the complaint, and she sued to get her job back but lost in court.

Kathleen Haskell, the coordinator for professional internships in teaching, said every year she has to remove one or two students from their professional internships or student teaching positions, due to inappropriate behavior via their social media accounts.

“When an intern comes in their room, I’d say (the students) look them up and know within a half hour all their digital footprint,” Haskell said. “There’s been cases where even junior-high students looked them up on social media and then proceeded to pass that

around or forward that to their friends. They’re laughing with the intern in the room.”

She added that during the students’ time at OU, starting with their introductory courses, many education professors will tell students to be aware of their social media usage. Employers check social media accounts before even bringing teaching candidates in for interviews, Haskell said.

“It seems like teachers are held to a standard which some may say is ‘old fashioned,’ and c’mon, it should be about my ability to teach, not what happens outside the classroom,” she said. “I don’t know if we still use the cliche ‘it’s a double-standard,’ but it is.”

Jacob Duty, a sophomore studying education, said it is “definitely interesting” that teachers are examined more closely than other professionals.

“We just have to be really cautious not only about going out ... but we have to be cautious about posting political views, religious views, things of that nature, because you’re supposed to be fairly unbiased as a teacher,” Duty said.

Haskell said one time a student was tagged in a photo at a street fest, and despite having the photo deleted, still faced repercussions.

“It makes me sad when I see a potential teacher, and I can just tell how much they can offer to the profession, and some little, silly mistake or oversight (happens) that could actually balloon into you having to change careers,” Haskell said.

@M_PECKABLE MP172114@OHIO.EDU

SOCCER

Bobcats hope Bryce Hueber will bring more goals WYNSTON WILCOX FOR THE POST Bryce Hueber loved Ohio University’s campus when she visited in 2015.

She wasn’t visiting as a hopeful student, though.

She was in Athens to play in a soccer game for Wright State.

One year and a transfer later, Hueber has a new home and has found a new place in the Bobcat lineup as a proven goalscorer.

“Having the opportunity to add a forward — a good forward with experience — with us was phenomenal for sure,” coach Aaron Rodgers said.

Rodgers said Hueber’s addition to the team will help produce more goals, but Hueber is not expected to score all of the team’s goals.

In years past, the team has relied on senior forward Alexis Milesky to set up goals and finish them. Now that Rodgers is in his fourth season and has molded the team through his vision, having as many people who can score as possible is ideal, and Hueber will certainly add to that.

Hueber’s arrival comes as a pleasant surprise.

Originally not recruited

by Ohio, Rodgers heard of her from his time at University of Kentucky.

Although Hueber already had respectable stats from her first two years at Wright State — nine goals and four assists — Rodgers and Ohio seized a chance to add Hueber when she eventually reached out about transferring.

Additionally, Ohio needed to fill a void at forward after Carly Manso and Holly Har-

Ohio’s Bryce Hueber chases after High Point’s Allie Reagan during a game against High Point at Chessa Field on Aug. 28.

Ohio lost to High Point 2-1 in overtime.

(MICHAEL JOHNSON/ FOR THE POST)

“

Having the opportunity to add a forward — a good forward with experience — with us was phenomenal for sure.”

- Aaron Rodgers, coach

ris graduated last year and Stephanie Rowland ended her soccer career after suffering multiple

injuries.

Since joining the team, Hueber has already demonstrated the im-

pact she will make on the field.

In just three games this year, she has already added her name to the scoring sheet with one goal against High Point on Sunday.

Her team trusts her with the ball as she plays as the lone striker in the 4-3-3 formation. In that match against High Point she had five shots, most of them from outside

the 18-yard box.

Having her play up as the sole striker is exactly what Ohio needs after it struggled to score early in the season.

“It’s amazing,” Allie Curry said about her new teammate. “I know every time I play it into her, ...

I know that she’s gonna be confident with the ball and be confident with me having the ball. We have good chemistry together.”

Now it’s time for her to meet the expectations from Rodgers, her teammates and herself.

“Being able to have her support us when we’re in transition is going to be perfect,” junior defender and midfielder Megan Niebuhr said.

@WYNSTONWILCOX WW773412@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

COVER STORY

STUDENTS WITH ALLERGIES ON GUARD WITH EVERY MEAL

MARISA FERNANDEZ SENIOR WRITER

16 / THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016

Photos by Liz Moughon // Icons via Thinkstock

D

omonique Alexander woke up in her apartment from a nap and knew something was wrong.

Itchy, pink patches began to form on her skin, and her throat swelled up and started to close.

Just hours before, Alexander had picked up a to-go box at Nelson Court. She had put food in her box only after carefully reading each corresponding food label, complete with ingredients and allergens. Alexander’s nearly fatal tree nut allergy has made her cautious to all foods she does not prepare herself.

She walked over to a tray of coffee cake that, unlike the other desserts, did not have an ingredient card near it.

Chrissy King, a baker at Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe in Athens, prepares a pastry topping on Aug. 30. (LIZ MOUGHON | FOR THE POST)

“I was like, ‘OK, this isn’t labeled — maybe it’s the only one without allergens in it,’ ” the fifth-year senior studying English and film recalled.

When she ate the cake at home, she had an immediate allergic reaction. She took Benadryl, an over-the-counter antihistamine, and fell asleep. Though the medication seemed to work, it wasn’t enough. When she woke up, she reached for her EpiPen to inject epinephrine into her thigh, biding her time until she could get to OhioHealth O’Bleness Memorial Hospital. After her symptoms were cleared with the help of a doctor, she was released to go home later that day.

When away from the safety of a home kitchen and reliant on a meal plan, those like Alexander are constantly on guard.

Despite that fact, food allergy-related incidents still happen outside of one’s control — facilities and restaurants cannot guarantee the safety of eating foods that may contain, or are processed near, allergens.

THE ITCH. Looking back a year later, Alexander said it was her worst allergic reaction to date. Though Ohio Universi-

ty Culinary Services has a policy requiring all meals to have an ingredient card containing allergens and special dietary needs, Alexander blamed herself for the unlabeled cake and not being more careful by asking a chef or a student worker.

Angie Bohyer, nutrition educator for Culinary Services, said it’s hard to educate the public on a condition that is without a cure and has so few answers.

A 2015 Food Allergy & Research Education study found 15 million people in the U.S. — including one in 13 children — have food allergies. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the number of children with food allergies in the U.S. increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011 without understanding as to why.

The Food and Drug Administration identified the eight most common food allergens as milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

Those eight foods account for 90 percent of allergic reactions from food in the U.S. Many other foods derive from those eight, which can limit even more foods for those who are allergic.

The FDA’s Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 states any FDA-approved products must be clearly labeled as containing or being derived from the eight allergens.

Symptoms range in severity, from a simple rash to difficulty breathing as a result of throat-swelling. Each year in the U.S., the FDA estimates anaphylaxis, or a life-threatening allergic reaction, results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations and 150 deaths.

Reactions can be stopped or slowed down by over-the-counter and prescription allergy medication, epinephrine auto-injectors such as an EpiPen and sometimes prescription steroids and inhalers.

DIETARY RESTRICTIONS. Culinary Services provides weekly menus for all dining halls with icons depicting the ingredients each meal may contain. However, Culinary Services states it “cannot guarantee any item prepared in our kitchen is free of a certain ingredient or allergen” because of times when ingredients are substituted last minute or when commercial manufacturers change procedures out of the

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS Hives Flushed skin or rash Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth Face, tongue or lip swelling Vomiting and/or diarrhea Abdominal cramps Coughing or wheezing Dizziness and/or lightheadedness Swelling of the throat and/or vocal cords Difficulty breathing Loss of consciousness

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

dining halls’ control.

Bohyer said in an email that Culinary Services tries to “provide accurate information so that customers can make informed choices,” but she encourages students to ask questions about any risks of cross-contamination.

“One student may put peanut butter on his bread and then unknowingly gets a bit of peanut butter on his finger,” she said in an email. “He then goes to the salad bar and touches the utensils there and contaminates these utensils with peanut butter.”

The university offers appointments to those who want tours and information on food prepared through Culinary Services.

Angela Green, a junior studying social work, took a tour her sophomore year, but she said it’s more important to talk to the chefs. “(The chefs) know what they’re doing,” she said. "Even better than dietitians or any other staff, because the chefs really know what’s in the food.”

Bohyer said all Ohio University food service workers are trained to understand safe food handling practices, but Green said her co-workers throughout her time in the food service industry often don’t follow through even with a sufficient amount of training. For example, they might not understand how important it is to those with celiac disease that food workers change their gloves after handling foods with gluten.

"That needs to be taught more to anyone who’s in the food business, not just

chance, but maybe I don’t.”

Amie Musselman is allergic to 10 different foods, including peanuts. If she even touches or is near peanuts, she could break out in hives.

Musselman said she lived on East Green and preferred to eat at Shively Court because the food was labeled.

"I really like Boyd (Dining Hall), but while they have the chalkboard (sign) that describes what it is, it doesn’t say what’s in it,” Musselman said.

In 2014, OU opened a gluten-free kitchen in its Central Food Facility that packages and ships gluten-free foods to the dining halls to avoid cross-contamination, Bohyer said.

She added that a station at The District on West Green, formerly known as Boyd Dining Hall, called Margaret’s is free of all “big eight allergens” and is available anytime the dining hall is open.

Chrissy King, a baker at Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe in Athens, prepares a pastry topping Aug. 30. (LIZ MOUGHON | FOR THE POST)

the chefs,” Green said.

FOR HERE OR TO-GO? Green, who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, said she once asked about the pizza in a dining hall, and a worker said the dough was made in the same facility as peanuts even though it wasn’t mentioned on the ingre-

dients label on display.

"Peanuts weren’t in it, but they were around it. They didn’t give that warning,” Green said. "People could be taking chances they don’t want to. It just made me nervous and distrust the whole system when you don’t give me that heads up. Maybe someone wants to take that

AT COLLEGE. Though dining halls can be considered safe for those who have food allergies, Green said risk extends outside the walls of Shively and Nelson.

“People bring snacks to class all the time. Sometimes I’m trying to focus in class and someone will take peanut butter out, and I only react if I eat it, but the smell makes me feel so sick, like nauseous,” Green said. “I’ll try to cover my nose with my shirt or something.”

A Seattle ABC affiliate reported in 2013 that a woman at the University of Washington had to drop out because the university

THE EIGHT MAJOR FOOD ALLERGENS IDENTIFIED BY LAW

MILK

EGGS

FISH

CRUSTACEAN SHELLFISH

WHEAT

PEANUTS

TREE NUTS

SOYBEANS

14 / SEPT. 1, 2016

Jenn Eskey, owner of Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe in Athens, chooses a pastry for a customer on Aug. 30. (LIZ MOUGHON | FOR THE POST)

could not guarantee her safety in classrooms when it came to her allergy.

“I would be really upset about that,” Green said. “That just doesn’t seem reasonable that they couldn’t make some kind of adjustment for her. Somehow, they should be able to do something. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

No allergy-related incidents have ever been brought to the university’s attention, Bohyer said.

Green said she’s not one to make her food allergy everyone’s problem, but because food allergies are so common, she wants students to have the opportunity to express concerns about having snacks in class.

"In class I mentioned I did have an allergy, and it would be nice if no one brought peanuts, and it just makes me feel awkward to ask that,” she said.

UPTOWN FOOD. In May, Jenn Eskey, owner of Athens Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe, 817 W. Union St., said one of the more challenging orders she has been requested to bake was an egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free graduation cake.

Eskey already sells gluten-free and

“

People could be taking chances they don’t want to. It just made me nervous and distrust the whole system when you don’t give me that heads up.

Maybe someone wants to take that chance, but maybe I don’t.”

- Angela Green, a junior studying social work

egg-free items, but the icing took some trial and error for that cake.

"Gluten isn't in everything, but soy is in everything else so it was interesting to get a cake that was made properly without all of those ingredients,” she said.

As a business owner, Eskey tries to have a few gluten-free, nut-free options, but large quantities of those baked goods are usually special ordered because the ingredients are harder to come by.

Utensils and bowls used for allergen-free ingredients go through an extra cycle of bleaching, Eskey said. She tries

to never cross-contaminate, but those in the food business like her are reluctant to say their methods are foolproof.

Jessica Kopelwitz, owner of Fluff Bakery & Catering, said they have a baker who helps bake gluten-free items as an addition to the menu.

“We train everybody to really know what the ingredients are, what the recipes are just in case people have any questions,” Kopelwitz said. “That’s a big thing for us.”

Kopelwitz also owns West Side Wingery, 9 N. Shafer St., where she made the decision to switch from frying the

wings in lard to peanut oil.

“Through advertising, (we’re) making sure people knew that change,” she said.

“The last thing we want to do … is to make everybody sick.”

Since living in Athens, Musselman has been keen on knowing where she can and cannot eat. She has to pass on Chick-fil-A, Five Guys and most Asian foods.

“Texas Roadhouse, I can’t even go near it just because there’s peanuts everywhere,” she said. “Even though I can eat what’s there, I can’t go there because of the surroundings.”

Kopelwitz said like many uptown restaurants, Fluff has warnings posted about allergens and ingredients. But Musselman takes it upon herself to type up a precautionary label about herself.

“I literally have a Word document of all of my allergies. It’s really sad,” she said, laughing.

@MMFERNANDEZ_ MF736213@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

getting a

Shawna Goody, 15, practices on the uneven bars at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis.

GRIP Although gymnastics gyms are few and far between, the impact of the sport is still felt in Appalachia REBEKAH BARNES / SENIOR WRITER

Gymnastics might not be a child’s first choice when thinking about what sport to enroll in. // It doesn’t always have the glamour of a Friday night football game under stadium-level lights, or draw the sort of packed crowd that eagerly watches the drama unfold from the bleachers week after week. // But take a four-inch-wide balance beam and someone’s calloused hands swinging from a wincing set of uneven bars, add the Summer Olympics and a few American gold medals, and children start to see the glory.

Photos by Alex Driehaus // Icons via Thinkstock

Eva Riley, center, does warm-ups with her teammates at the beginning of practice at Global Gymnastics Center in Athens on Aug. 18.

16 / SEPT. 1 2016

Then the question becomes where to sign up, which is made trickier in Appalachia where gymnastics gyms can be few and far between.

“It’s rural,” said Adrianne Roettker, owner and head team coach of Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis, about an hour drive away from Athens. “I have people that have to drive 50 minutes to get here.”

Regardless of the distance an athlete’s parent may have to drive, gym owners and gymnastics coaches believe that so long as there is a desire, they will match it with a commitment to a sport they believe can change a child’s life.

“In areas like Columbus where they might have 10 gyms just within that one city, they have a lot more kids and can run a lot of kids through their programs,” said Liz Nulter, office manager and head team coach of Gymniks Gymnastics in Vienna, West Virginia, which is also about an hour

drive from Athens. “But just here it’s sometimes really cool to see a kid that does travel 45 minutes to just to come to a 45 minute class, just to see how much they love (it), and they want to come that bad.”

THE SPORT At the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the United States Gymnastics team brought home 12 medals (four gold, six silver and two bronze) between team finals and individuals events.

One of those gold medalists included Gabby Douglas, who trained just an hour and a half north of Athens at Buckeye Gymnastics prior to taking home a gold medal with the women’s team.

That kind of hardware-collecting pulls millions of viewers into a sport that largely goes untelevised on major networks during off years, and brings an increase in enrollees to gymnastics gyms as well.

ABOVE: Gymnasts practice on the balance beam at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis. RIGHT: Arianna Buckley, 9, does a handstand on the balance beam at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis.

Roettker said she saw about a 25 percent increase in enrollment following the London Summer Olympics, after the women’s gymnastics team won gold for the first time since the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

“USA Gymnastics … kind of (tries) to prepare for that,” said Esther Weibel, Ohio University gymnastics coach and team head coach at Global Gymnastics Center in Athens. “They send out all kinds of stuff to help with the programs and advice on what to do for that Olympic year.”

Still, artistic gymnastics can be intimidating.

The sport is divided between men and women, with men’s gymnastics involving six apparatuses (rings, floor exercise, vault, pommel horse, horizontal bar and parallel bars) and women’s gymnastics involving four (floor exercise, uneven bars, vault and beam).

Gymnasts like Douglas fall under the elite status — the highest level of gymnastics where athletes can compete internationally. Below that are the Junior Olympic levels, ranging from one to 10. All of those U.S. levels fall under USA Gymnastics’ governance umbrella.

Within the Junior Olympic program, though, levels one through five have mandated routines, making every routine in the country the same until the athletes surpass level five.

In contrast, the “Xcel” program, previously known as P.R.E.P. Optional, is separated into five levels where athletes and coaches can customize their routines around certain requirements. That allows for more creativity and customization in a sport where a child may drop out by the time they hit middle school, said Ro-

“

When you commit your life that much to something, it’s hard to just drop off and be done with it.”

- Esther Weibel, Ohio University gymnastics coach and team head coach at Global Gymnastics

ettker, Nulter and Shawn Wilson, owner of Global Gymnastics.

“We definitely keep girls more than we would have (through offering the Xcel program),” Weibel said.

Below the competitive level are also recreation classes, which focus more on skills such as staying in line and body awareness, and can include anything from toddlers and their parents who practice together or basic skills classes that go for about an hour once a week.

“That’s definitely where any kid that would be part of our team would learn the basics,” Nulter said. “We always pick them out of our rec program.”

THE COMMITMENT Working up to the competitive level takes time — three to four hours each day for high-level athletes.

That time commitment is shared between gym owners, coaches, parents and athletes, who sometimes trade family time for hours spent on the THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

mats, Nulter said.

For collegiate gymnasts not in school-sponsored varsity programs, the adjustment from a practice-heavy schedule to college life can be a bit jarring. Elizabeth Vulgamore, president of the OU club gymnastics team, said she went from practicing every day for four hours to two-hour practices once a week.

However, the team still has a large time commitment.

“College classes take so much more time than high school classes, and even though we are practicing much less, we have a fundraising opportunity, a community service opportunity — something to do with the team at least once a week as well,” Vulgamore, a senior studying exercise physiology, said.

Before switching to practicing at Global Gymnastics, the club team used to drive an hour from Athens to a gym in Lancaster, adding an extra two hours onto an already two-hour-long practice.

“It’s a hard transition (from high school to college gymnastics),” Weibel, who was on the OU team from 2009 to 2012, said.

“When you commit your life that much to something, it’s hard to just drop off and be done with it.”

It is not just a time commitment, but a financial one as well.

“Economics is different. We have to scale down our prices,” Roettker said of having a gym in Appalachia. “You’re not going to pay here what you would have to pay in the city.”

Team tuition costs depend on level and location, but can cost from $100 to $250 per month. That does not include costs to compete, team charges, leotards and other fees that may be on the side.

Nulter said gymnastics competition fees can be about $100, but those fees can include an entrance gift such as a T-shirt or leotard.

“It’s hard sometimes, especially when we’re picking a new team and we have to go over all of that stuff — that is my least favorite part of it,” Nulter said. “I always have a meeting … just where I invite everyone that’s interested, and I go over, ‘This is how much a competition is, this is how much tuition is, and then you have a leotard, then you have to travel to each meet.’ … That’s just how gymnastics is.”

For OU’s club team, which is co-ed but has traditionally leaned female, the gymnasts raise money to pay for their competition fees. They also pay a $30 fee upfront and $10 per practice at Global Gymnastics with Weibel.

“Gymnastics gyms are not big money makers. I’m not rich — I don’t intend to ever be — but I didn’t go into (it) for that,” Roettker said. “You have to be passionate about the kids and want to see them (succeed).”

18 / SEPT. 1, 2016

TOP: Matthew Kincaid, 12, practices on the parallel bars as his coach, Abbey Russell, and her son, Gabe Russell, 12, watch at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis on Aug. 22.

LEFT: Christiana Stover practices on the uneven bars at Global Gymnastics Center in Athens on Aug. 18.

RIGHT: Gymnasts listen to instructions from their coach, Kim Runyon, before practice at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy in Gallipolis on Aug. 22.

Nulter said the children coming through the recreation programs essentially pay for the majority of the gym’s operations and the gym “couldn’t do it on team alone.”

Some parents wind up spending thousands per year to put their children through gymnastics programs. Misti Goody, secretary at Southern Ohio Gymnastics Academy, said she works there to help pay for her two kids, Shawna and Devan, to participate in the sport.

She was first offered a job cleaning the gym, and Roettker then offered her a secretarial job. She says she does whatever she can to help out the gym, where she said she probably spends about $2,000 each a year on competitions and other

gymnastics expenses.

“I even work on the weekends here sometimes, sometimes Saturday and Sunday, so there’s times that we’re here seven days out of the week, and it could be sometimes a month straight,” Goody said. “The most difficult times are when they’ve been here so much. … It can be a little bit of a struggle.”

THE IMPACT All gymnasts start with the basics, and work their way up to what they and their parents say are the many benefits that come with a dedication to the sport. Goody, for example, credits gymnastics with helping her

son’s behavior.

Devan, 13, has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and started practicing gymnastics while still on “quite a bit of medication,” Goody said, for both the disorder and to help him sleep.

“Now he’s completely off all of his ADHD medication, and now he has to take something to help him sleep every once in awhile, but we’re slowly getting him off of that too,” Goody said.

Plus, being a boy who puts long hours into a sport that can often seem dominated by girls can combat gender stereotypes, which Roettker said are a “drawback” in Appalachia. “(Gymnastics) is just as good for boys as it is for girls,” Roettker said. “They’re the strongest men in the world, and it’s great for all boys, but especially when you get a boy that’s small and muscular and maybe can’t do football.”

And even if competing as a gymnast is not the athlete’s endgame, skills garnered from practice, such as flexibility and strength, can translate to other sports.

Wilson cited one parent who credits her son’s success in soccer, football and other sports to his background in gymnastics.

“Whether it’s transferring over into another sport, building confidence or even just playing in the backyard or playing on the playground, there are a lot of physical benefits to it,” Wilson said.

Weibel said she hopes the presence of the gym — which moved back to Athens from Nelsonville in September 2015 — makes a difference throughout nearby communities, some of which she said don’t have a “great success rate as far as children graduating, going to college.”

“I think enrolling your kids in gymnastics teaches (them) responsibility and teaches that drive to perform and get better at things, and I think that being around this area with schools that are really struggling is hopefully going to be able to help,” Weibel said, adding that the sport personally helped her both academically and socially while growing up.

For children who lack “any awareness of their body,” Roettker said her passion is in providing a physical outlet for an area that may not be heavily populated with gyms. On top of that, there are other lessons to be learned from a sport that children might never be exposed to otherwise.

“I felt like children in Appalachia … deserve the kind of gymnastics that you get in a Columbus or Cincinnati,” Roettker said. “There is just a different level of training of the coaches and different philosophy, and I just wanted to see that happen here.”

@REB_BARNES

RB605712@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

POST MODERN

Striking Out SOME MILLENNIALS GRAVITATE AWAY FROM BASEBALL BECAUSE OF THE SLOW-PACED NATURE OF THE SPORT

ALEX DARUS, CULTURE EDITOR

B

PHOTOS BY CAMILLE FINE, FOR THE POST aseball has played a major role in the lives of Troy and Ty Black for as long as they can remember. “(My brother and I) had a little plastic tee

and bat, and we would hit it outside in the backyard,” Ty, a senior studying finance, said. “I got my first glove and (my parents) introduced me to something I realized was going to help me get to college.”

Troy, who played third base for the Bobcats before he transferred to Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, said he remembers growing up watching the Cincinnati Reds games every night at his grandparents’ home. He started playing on a team when he was five or six years old, and he has loved the sport since then.

20 / SEPT. 1, 2016

“Once I got older, and I got better and better, I really started loving to compete and just really fell in love with the game,” Troy, a sophomore studying marketing and communication, said.

Ty, who plays second base for Ohio, said even at age 22, he still looks forward to playing ball with his dad in the yard when he visits his hometown of Waynesville.

“I still consider it America’s pastime,” Ty said. “I know personally that growing up, there was nothing better than when my dad and I would go out to the backyard and pass (the)

baseball.”

While both Troy and Ty are millennials who would like to play Major League Baseball, many young sports fanatics opt to follow more action-packed sports such as basketball and football.

SLOWED DOWN

The Pew Research Center defines the millennial generation as anyone born between 1981 and 1997. According to The New York Times, millennials are often depicted as being “impatient” and in need of instant gratification.

Millennials could be less interested in the sport as

a whole because baseball is genera lly a slower sport with less action, Tyler Finkler, a senior studying marketing, said.

“People aren’t dunking basketballs in it or anything else like that,” Finkler, who plays shortstop for the Bobcats, said. “It’s more of a slower-paced game, and sometimes it can be a little boring.”

Finkler, who is from Olmsted Falls, said he thinks part of what makes baseball fun is how a game can last as long as eight hours.

Rob Smith, OU’s baseball coach since 2013, said he has not seen a distinct dif-

ference in interest over time from high school athletes looking to play at the college level.

The type of audience at a typical college baseball game depends on the weather and the size of the school, Smith said. At OU, the audience is usually full of parents, and students attend games when the weather is pleasant, he said.

Clay Johnson, a junior studying sport management, has not played baseball since he was in middle school, but he still watches the Indians almost every night the team is on television. He said other sports

have more consistent action than baseball does, which he thinks contributes to the lack of millennial interest.

“I think (people) find football a more up-tempo game, and I think ... you can be a pretty die-hard football fan and only commit one day a week to it,” Smith said. “In baseball, if you’re really going to follow a major league team, it takes a little more day-to-day energy.”

Colby Hart, a senior studying sport management, said the baseball season is “too long” and the fact that MLB teams play 162 games a season is “just ridiculous.”

“I would consider it an old-people sport,” Hart said.

“People are like ‘it’s still America’s pastime,’ which it’s not. (America’s pastime) is football now.”

EVOLUTION OF THE GAME

The “steroid era” of baseball, when many players took performance-enhancing drugs to improve their game, started in the late-1980s and lasted until the late-2000s, according to ESPN.com, but it does not have a clear-cut time frame.

When MLB implemented league-wide drug testing in 2003, it marked the unofficial end of the era, according to MLB’s website.

Ty said during that era of baseball, pitchers focused less on varying their pitch-

es and more on speed. He thinks the higher home run rate during that time contributed to larger audiences at games.

In college baseball, there was a period of time referred to as “gorilla ball,” when teams would play in high-scoring games filled with many home runs, Ty said. The NCAA changed the structure of metal bats so they would perform similar to wooden bats used by professional players, according to its website. The change was made to correct the home run rates at the time and create a more strategic

g a m e focused on pitching, Ty said.

Home runs decreased, however, because the NCAA did not initially change the baseballs to match the new bats.

Eventually, the league flattened the seams to accommodate the new bats to reduce the friction of the ball when hit, Ty said, and home runs par-

“

To me, playing Division I baseball, I can appreciate how hard (pitching) truly is and how hard it is of a game for the hitters to score a run.

- Ty Black, second baseman for the Bobcats

tially increased.

“I think (the NCAA is) trying to make corrections to the home run rates because I think they understand that (home runs are) one of the most exciting plays in sports,” Ty said.

A f t e r changes to the professional and collegiate level, the game of baseball changed from a hitting game to a pitching game, Ty said.

Ty enjoys attending professional baseball games because the teams are playing against

“the best of the best” at an elite level. Pitchers are throwing baseballs anywhere from 95 to 105 mph.

“To me, playing Division I baseball, I can appreciate how hard (pitching) truly is and how hard it is of a game for the hitters to score a run,” Ty said.

MLB has tested a series of clocks for pitchers and hitters to help speed up the game, according to the MLB’s website.

Pitching clocks could change the pace of the game as well as help a pitcher with his timing, Smith said.

“I think the faster the game can be played, the better,” Smith said.

A SOCIAL SPORT

To get younger people more interested in attending professional games, Troy said he thinks the MLB should focus on attracting younger viewers with discounted tickets. He also said high school teams should be

encouraged to attend professional games together to be inspired.

If the prices of tickets and refreshments at games were cheaper, Ty said he thinks younger people would attend the games without worrying about “spending a fortune.”

According to a study done by gobankingrates. com, the average day at an MLB ballpark is about $77.92 for two people, including tickets, food and parking.

It is more affordable for young people to attend games during student nights, when they can get in the park for less money, or when food promotions such as “dime-a-dog” night are implemented, Johnson said.

“I think most people would rather be at the stadium than watch it on TV, but it is expensive to go,” Johnson said.

Hart said he enjoys attending football and basketball games as well as watching them on TV, but he only really enjoys going to baseball games because of the social aspect. The slow nature of the game offers a lot of room to have conversations with other attendees, he said.

Other sports, however, have more exciting traditions that take place before and during the games — such as tailgates and enthusiastic student sections

— which could be the reason baseball lacks a strong social atmosphere, Ty said.

But because baseball has been such a big part of Troy and Ty’s lives, neither of them see themselves falling out of love with the sport anytime soon.

“There’s nothing prettier than fresh green grass,” Ty said. “And when they stretch the American flag over center field, I think that’s just awesome.”

Ty clearly remembers attending his first professional game to see the Dayton Dragons, a Class A minor league team.

The Dayton Dragons, which is affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds and has a dedicated fanbase, has the longest sellout streak in sports history with the number surpassing 1,000 games, according to milb. com.

Some of the players Ty watched at his first game ended up moving on to play in the MLB, which is something he said stuck with him because he felt like he “grew up with them.”

“I thought they were superstars when I was younger even though some of them turned into superstars as they progressed in their careers,” Ty said.

@_ALEXDARUS AD019914@OHIO.EDU

ABOVE: Ty Black pitches a baseball to Tyler Finkler on Aug. 28.

LEFT: Tyler Finkler, Ohio University senior, poses for a portrait at Bob Wren Stadium.

RIGHT: Ty Black poses for a portrait at Bob Wren Stadium.

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the weekender Athens Eats festival to return for Labor Day Weekend, will feature local food and wine BHARBI HAZARIKA FOR THE POST Being the pivotal point of the season for leaping into fall, it is only fitting that there be a feast to give the winter months an ironic warm welcome.

The Athens Messenger will team up with local breweries and eateries for the second year in a row to host the Athens Eats festival. The festivities will start Sunday at 2 p.m. at TailGreat Park.

Athens, being a hub for students and academics alike can often overlook the rest of the town, Andrea Lewis, the events and marketing director of The Athens Messenger said, and Athens Eats takes note of that and attempts to bring together the entire populace.

“The (Athens Eats) festival will allow students to enjoy what Athens has to offer beyond the university,” Paul Freedman, co-owner of Dutch Creek Winery, said. “Helping individuals overcome the town vs. gown conflict.”

A single business will cater the food at the event. The events management department at The Athens Messenger decided on assigning the job to The Cajun Clucker.

“Instead of diluting the business to a lot of vendors, we chose one vendor this year,” Lewis said. “By choosing and focusing on one, we are able to make sure that we buy a large quantity of food from him.”

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IF YOU GO WHAT: Athens Eats WHEN: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday WHERE: TailGreat Park, 97 Richland Ave ADMISSION: Free admission, $2 food and drink tokens available

An attendee from the 2015 Athens Eats poses for a portrait. (CHERYL POWERS / PROVIDED)

The Cajun Clucker, run

by Will Drury, is a Cajun and creole inspired food company. Starting in the business of food trucks, they now have a kitchen space at Little Fish Brewing Company on Armitage Road. Lewis admired The Cajun Clucker’s devotion to local produce and focus on producing quality food.

“We chose him because we wanted to do a twist on fresh American pub fare,” Lewis said.

“He uses everything Ohiosourced, straight from the farmer’s market.”

Along with the Cajun food, fest-goers will find an array of wines and spirits to pair with it. Local wineries such as Dutch Creek Winery, Shade Winery and Hocking Hills Winery will be available to color the customers’ palettes with flavored vino.

Dutch Creek will be showcasing their homemade honey wine. Cindy Freedman, co-owner of the company, described it as having a semisweet but complex undertone.

“We don’t mess with the details much,” she said. “We use the honey from wildflowers found in and around (Athens).”

Lewis said the outdoor festival will have a token system in place to avoid the cumbersome activity of trading change. Each token is worth $2, and they can be pre-booked at The Athens Messenger’s event page.

Additionally, there will be a “cruise-in” arranged for the audience to enjoy. The Athens Eats Classic Cruise-In will serve as an opportunity for the town’s folks to showcase their classic models of cars, trucks and motorcycles in exchange for a $15 registration charge.

The Athens Messenger joins hands with hometown bands to indulge families in local melodies. Backwords, who consider themselves “Athens’ oldest Band,” will be opening the show at 2 p.m. It will be followed by The Appalachian Hillside Revolution, which promises to serenade the crowd with “You Are My Sunshine” and other ballads. The Wild Honeybees will close the show off by playing New Orleans inspired R&B music.

Lewis said the success of the event will boil down to the synergy of the soulful food, decadent wine, uplifting music and an unforgettable late-summer ambiance.

BH136715@OHIO.EDU @BHARBI97

OU alumna will headline a show at The Union LYNANNE VUCOVICH FOR THE POST The Saturday night show at The Union Bar & Grill is going to be a reunion and homecoming for some.

Bloodhype, The Francis Bacon Band, Totally Miguel and Nightstalker will be playing at The Union on Saturday with the doors opening at 9 p.m.

Maureen Neer graduated from Ohio University in 2011 with a degree in interior architecture, and she moved to Chicago about three years ago. She started creating her project Bloodhype while she was still in Athens, but it developed more after she became involved with Chicago’s music scene.

Neer considers her “melodic” project to be “spacey with patterns.”

“Bloodhype has been my bedroom late night project,” Neer said.

Neer played with a few bands while in Athens and did solo performances. She played at house shows and at the bars Uptown, including The Union.

“This will be my first time back — it’ll be a big deal for me,” Neer said. “The Union was like my home. It was a major loss when it got burned down so I’m super excited to play on the new stage.”

Chris Dodd, a general manager for The Union, said Neer was a fixture in the Athens music scene before her move.

Bloodhype was originally not planning on playing this Saturday’s show, but after Neer reached out to a friend who will also

be playing on Saturday, she was invited to play.

Bloodhype will be performing with the Chicago-based producer BRAINS, also known as Colin Mulhern.

“I’m a little nervous. It’s going to be a mostly improvised set,” Neer said. “You have to trust the person you’re playing with, and I think it will go well.”

Neer, who was a part of the DIY community in Athens, became involved in the music scene in Chicago quickly after her move.

In Chicago, she strived to find another tight knit group. “(Neer)’s been getting into a lot of electronic music and making beats,” Dodd said. “I think it’s great she’s coming back to town.”

Similar to Neer, The Francis Bacon Band has played in Athens before as well.

“It’s actually been a long time,” Jay Harmon, the singer and guitarist for The Francis Bacon Band, said. “We used to play in Athens a lot about five years ago.”

The Francis Bacon Band has been playing for about 10 years but has taken a hiatus before, Harmon said. Mark Dutton has been the only other constant member in the band, but the current drummer, Troy Kunkler, graduated from OU after studying percussion.

The Francis Bacon Band plays folk rock music, but their sound is getting more experimental, Harmon said. The band will be playing music from its latest album Retreat and will have vinyl copies of one of its first albums Unsafe in Any Skin available.

LEFT: Bloodhype (Maureen Neer) will headline a show at The Union on Saturday at 9 p.m.

(MAUREEN NEER / PROVIDED)

“(Harmon) is very much into obscure bands,” Dodd said. “He’s a connoisseur for the avant-garde, and his music’s shaped like that.”

Neer described Totally Miguel’s music as “fun” and “weird.”

“There’s a lot of personality behind (his music), and it’s very easy to dance to,” Dodd said.

Neer and Harmon both said the show

will be a lot of fun, and added that they are looking forward to playing in Athens.

“It’s going to be like a house show but in a bar in town,” Dodd said. “This (show) is going to be the sort of nitty gritty other side of things.”

@LYNANNECLAIRE LV586814@OHIO.EDU

Thoughtbeat to host ‘Superawesome Free Dance Night’ at Casa GEORGIA DAVIS FOR THE POST Casa Nueva’s Dance Night on Friday will have one major difference from the other dance nights the restaurant and bar hosts.

“This one coming up on Friday is sort of just random,” Grace Corbin, the marketing coordinator at Casa Nueva, said.

“It doesn’t have a specific theme.”

Superawesome Free Dance Night with Thoughtbeat will take place Friday at 10 p.m. at Casa Nueva and feature music from DJ Thoughtbeat. The event is free for people over 21 and $2 for people between the ages of 18 and 21.

Casa Nueva also hosts ‘80s-themed and International Dance Nights

throughout the semester.

Corbin said the dance night was a “last minute” addition to their schedule due to a band cancellation. She added that choosing Thoughtbeat to DJ was an easy decision because he frequently DJs at Casa Nueva for its anniversary parties.

The event will feature “party songs,” Corbin said. She added that Thoughtbeat likes to play “classic” songs that are a “little more funky and a little more fun.”

Thoughtbeat said he has been DJing off and on since 1999 and started out using vinyl.

“I try to keep my music interesting,” Thoughtbeat said. “I like to take the songs everybody knows and make them

IF YOU GO WHAT: Superawesome Free Dance Night with Thoughtbeat WHEN: 10 p.m., Friday WHERE: Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St ADMISSION: Free for those over 21, $2 for ages between 18-21 different.

Because he learned to DJ in the ‘90s without digital turntables, Thoughtbeat said he likes to play songs from different decades and genres, blend them togeth-

er and mix in new beats. “(When) you play different eras of music, it’s going to be a little bit different for people in the crowd,” Thoughtbeat said.

Thoughtbeat said he is looking forward to playing his music for the attendees because he feels like he “was made to do it.”

Thoughtbeat encourages people to come in with an “open mind” and a willingness to dance.

“If people come to my show and want to dance, they’re going to be pleased,” Thoughtbeat said. “They won’t regret it.”

@GEORGIADEE35 GD497415@OHIO.EDU

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