Jan. 12, 2017

Ohio’s Fractured Land

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2017

Fracking in southeastern Ohio — and potentially at Wayne National Forest — worries some P12

protecting immigrant status P15 ohio hockey’s best men P17 what the stars have to say P10

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emma Ockerman

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Managing Editor Elizabeth Backo Digital Managing Editor Seth Archer ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Hayley Harding

New year should bring changes to ‘The Post’

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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

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New Year’s resolutions can be somewhat trite, and I’m of the personal belief that you should spend the entirety of your existence attempting to better yourself.

Now that I’ve clambered past that obnoxious statement, I do have journalistic goals for this new year — not resolutions — and I’m hoping our readers might be able to point out where our newsroom can further improve.

This time last year, The Post announced it would be transitioning from a print-daily format to a once-weekly, digital-first product.

We spent the rest of the academic year planning for what our first edition might be, or how our newly deEmma Ockerman / signed website would appear.

Editor-in-Chief The anxiety that move caused seems far away now, and our selfdoubts have eased over time. We’ve since published 15 print editions and have become used to thinking about our website as our second priority — the first priority is still the readers of The Post.

That being said, we still need to remain on the tips of our toes.

There’s no room for complacency in journalism. After some evaluation, a few changes have been made to how we handle the print edition of The Post to encourage further collaboration between what our readers desire and what produces valuable experiences for our reporters.

The Post is going to trim the amount of longer stories it has per issue, with the hope of only two or three stories expanding past one page.

Additionally, the paper will include more news items, such as community briefs and the police blotter, coupled with our regular features. We also hope to devote more room to coverage of Ohio’s athletic teams, and to local matters of political importance.

As always, we hope to maintain our top-notch writing, design and photography, but we’re constantly looking for ways to enhance what we devote so many hours to each week.

This is about our reader, after all. Happy new year, and I hope we keep to our goals this semester.

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 photo by Patrick Connolly

OU's path to selecting the next president An interim president will be named before McDavis' last day Kaitlin coward news editor megan henry Asst. News Editor

O

hio University President Roderick McDavis will finish his 13year term as university president in about a month.

Before he leaves to become a principal at AGB Search, a higher education search firm in Washington, D.C., the university will select an interim president.

Later this semester, the Board of Trustees will decide on a new president. The university has four finalists in the search.

McDavis announced in March he would step down from his position as OU president when his contract expires June 30. He started his presidency in July 2004 and is earning $500,000 for the 2016-17 academic year.

@kcoward02 kc769413@ohio.edu @megankhenry mh573113@ohio.edu

January 10 Duane Nellis Forum Former Texas Tech University President Duane Nellis spoke Tuesday in Baker Ballroom about his goals for diversity and transparency on campus.

Nellis began his career as a geography professor but has spent nearly 27 years in administrative roles within higher education. He serves as University Honors Professor at Texas Tech.

More than 200 faculty, students and staff attended the first of four open forums featuring the candidates.

Nellis discussed his desire to listen to concerns and comments from faculty, students and staff.

searches in partnership with colleges, universities, systems, boards and related foundations across the country.

“I believe strongly in what a university represents in being respectful of the spectrum of opinions and positions, and I want to create an inclusive environment,” he said.

“This opportunity with AGB Search came forward faster than I expected it to and Deborah and I did not feel it was a position I could turn down,” McDavis said in a news release. “I would not have accepted this position if I did not have the full support of the Board of Trustees or if I felt it would negatively impact or destabilize the university in any way. We have a very strong team in place from faculty to staff, administrators, deans, and executive leadership and the university is poised in a very strong position of continued success.”

He also spoke about athletic spending, saying it is an important part of the university but needs to be balanced with academics.

Nellis declined to speak to the media following the event. .

January 12 Dean Bresciani Forum Bresciani, the president of North Dakota State University, will speak Thursday in Baker Ballroom.

He has served as president at North Dakota State since 2010. The university had a total of 14,432 students for Fall Semester.

Bresciani also previously served as vice president for Student Affairs at Texas A&M University and spent part of his career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Services.

He holds a Ph.D. of higher education-finance from the University of Arizona, a master's in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s in sociology from Humboldt State University.

His forum is scheduled for Jan. 12 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“These open forums are a vital part of the process to allow candidates and the University community to interact with one another and help determine the appointment of our next president,” Board of Trustees Chair David Wolfort said.

January 13 Robert Frank Forum Frank served as the president of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 2012 to 2016.

He decided not to seek a second term as president and recently had a conflict with the university’s Board of Regents, according to the 'Albuquer-

Ohio University President Roderick McDavis speaks during a Faculty Senate meeting on Sept. 12. (LAILA RIAZ / FILE) que Journal.' He left his office at the university in early January and is on sabbatical.

The university had a total enrollment of 27,060 students for fall 2016.

Previously, he served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Kent State University. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico, the same university from which he earned a master’s and bachelor’s degree.

the search. Also in 2015, she was the sole finalist for the chancellor position at the University of Colorado Denver but was not selected for the job. CU Denver President Bruce Benson said the university couldn’t find a candidate with “vast support.”

January 20 Announcement of Interim President

January 17 Pam Benoit Forum

OU’s Board of Trustees are expected to announce an interim president to fill McDavis’s departure at next week’s meeting.

OU’s executive vice president and provost will fill the last open forum slot.

Wolfort said he does not expect McDavis’s early departure will affect the search process.

Benoit has served as executive vice president and provost of OU since 2009. In that role, she helps oversee academic programs, budget planning and research, among other tasks.

All deans report to her, and she also assists McDavis and the Board of Trustees in university planning.

Before coming to OU, she worked as vice provost of Advanced Studies and dean of the Graduate School/Interim Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri.

She holds a Ph.D. in communication from Wayne State University, a master’s from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s in speech/English from Ball State University.

In 2015, after being named one of four finalists for the chancellor position at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Benoit withdrew from

“The Board of Trustees has been well prepared for this development,” Wolfort said in a news release. “I foresee no changes in our search timetable and look forward to the inauguration of the twenty-first president of Ohio University.”

February 17 President McDavis's Final Day

March New President Chosen The university will select from the four finalists in March, according to a scheduling worksheet from the university’s search firm, Witt/Kieffer.

According to the worksheet, the Board of Trustees expects to interview the finalists in mid-February.

The board could also begin negotiations for employment terms and conditions then.

July 1 New President Takes Office Whomever the board appoints will take the office as OU president July 1, the day after McDavis’s contract was set to expire.

“We are fortunate to have been given ample time to conduct this search and thankful to outgoing President Roderick J. McDavis for his foresight and thoughtfulness in giving us 16-month advance notice,” Wolfort said in a letter about the search to the OU community. “It is our goal to have a new president selected prior to Dr. McDavis leaving office at the end of his contract on June 30, 2017, in order to guarantee a smooth transition.”

McDavis will spend Feb. 17 as his last day as OU president after he announced he would leaving early to head to AGB Search.

AGB Search focuses on higher education leadership, conducting executive

thepostathens.com / 3

FEMINISTS ELABORATE

letter

Why some women are still Do you love your friends? talking about feminism For “Non-denominational Celestial Being’s” sake, it is 2017. Why are we still talking about women? We can vote; we can work; we can OLIVIA sit in class with everyCOBB one else. What is all this is a junior yelling and proteststudying ing and walking down English Court Street mostly at Ohio nude about, anyway?

University I cannot speak for all women; let’s get that out of the way. I’m one of a whole bunch of female-identifying individuals. This is me conjecturing on some shared pain and where the hurt might come from.

If you’re curious, if you genuinely don’t understand what might hurt someone moving through the world as a woman, thank you for reading this. Listening is a political action, and you’re doing a good job right now. So let’s get started.

Here’s the thing that stinks about being socialized — meaning being raised by the individuals around you to exist a certain way beyond your control — as a woman.

Women are groomed from birth to live as second choices. Women are told, again and again, to be quiet in a world that values people who speak out. Women are told, again and again, to facilitate the growth of a group in a world that values individuals.

Women are told, again and again, to do care work (raising children, educating, caring for the sick and elderly) in a world that values production. Women are told or shown or forced to “act like ladies.” The ideal woman, a frenemy that changes shape for women across cultural, economic and age divides, is often a woman who embodies things the

4 / JAN. 12, 2017

world doesn’t “need.”

Society tells women, young and old, they are to be beautiful (how superfluous), caring (how weak), quiet (how unimportant), flexible (how lacking in stability), apologetic (how annoying). To be perfect, women must play a character society has no interest in promoting.

So why are we still talking about feminism? Because the punishment for being a “bad” woman is just as harsh as the punishment for being a “good” one.

Feminism is about asking different societies to either value what they raise women to be, or letting us raise ourselves into people who are valued. To have it both ways binds female identifying individuals. To have it both ways punishes anything that is “feminine.”

Can you imagine a world where no one cared about other people? Where no one listened to others talk? A world where everyone acted out of self-interest? Where there was no beauty? Where there was no give and all take? No education, no hospice, no nurses, no caretakers? Where everyone grows up in houses instead of homes?

Now, can you imagine a world where people are paid less, raped more, sexualized always, because of how their family, their friends, their teachers encouraged them to be? Can you imagine living every day of your life in that reality?

I talk about feminism because I don’t want to live in a world without kindness.

I talk about feminism because I’m tired of living in the world you can only imagine.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to ask Olivia more about the importance of feminism? Email her at oc721313@ohio.edu.

Lyle C. May earned an Associate in Arts - Social Science Emphasis degree in 2013 and is enrolled in the Bachelor of Specialized Studies program at Ohio University. He was tried and sentenced to death in 1999 at the age of 21 for the 1997 murders of Valerie Sue Riddle and Kelly Mark Laird. These charges are currently under appeal. For more information on the death penalty and the experiences of those living on death row, go to BeyondSteelDoors.com and the Life Lines Collective on Facebook. For information on the state of Ohio resuming executions in 2017, go to Ohioans to Stop Executions at www.otse.org.

When I met Eddie, he was playing a card game my mother taught me. “You play cribbage?” He shuffled the cards and dealt, motioning for me to sit, then placed our pegs into the rectangular board. I grinned a bit and relaxed as the rules of the game came back with memories of childhood. For a moment, death row faded into the background.

Central Prison’s death row is isolated from the general population. The red doors and matching jumpsuits we are forced to wear set the 147 of us irrevocably apart. In 2002, three years into my sentence, Eddie and I became friends. We were both convicted of murder and sentenced to death in the ‘90s, an era when the “war on crime” meant a heavy-handed use of mandatory minimums and capital punishment. Though every empty cell echoed death, we drew strength from one another.

In early 2003, a man named Alan Gell was exonerated from death row. Afterwards, ten other death row prisoners in North Carolina were slated to have their death sentences overturned. We were buoyant with the hope that the legisla-

ture would act on this dysfunction, but instead, seven executions were scheduled and carried out in 2003. Eddie was one of the seven.

The day before they took my friend to death watch for the final 72 hours of his life, we were sitting in his cell smoking cigarettes and not saying much. Smoke streamed through the rectangle of sunlight, thick and poisonous with the things we avoided in idle conversation.

After a moment Eddie spoke. “Can I tell you something?” He stared at the floor, his mind seeing into the next world.

“I’m scared. I don’t want to die.” When he looked up, I couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Why does it have to be this way?” It was my turn to stare at the floor as my friend admitted his sorrow for killing someone while drunk. There was nothing I could say to alleviate my friend’s fears because they mirrored my own. I simply listened as Eddie talked, hoping it was enough.

It took three more years and 15 executions before a de facto moratorium was imposed on North Carolina’s death penalty. It’s been a decade since the last execution and we continue to be warehoused in isolation. During my nearly 20 years at Central Prison, I’ve learned a great deal about crime and punishment and what it means to live on death row.

Some of this understanding came from my education at Ohio University, but much of it is revealed in the strength of my friends and the bonds we have formed.

The last execution in the state of Ohio was on January 16, 2014. Although executions were scheduled to resume this month, Governor Kasich has postponed the first two dates for a short time due to a court order. 28 executions are now scheduled in Ohio from February 2017 to September 2020.

quite contrary

Why you’re wrong about being health conscious Don’t you hate people who have everything together?

The ones who wake up every morning at 4 a.m., leave their perwilliam t. fectly tidy house, go for perkins a ten mile run, come is a senior back, then eat egg studying whites and a wheatjournalism grass smoothie. But no at Ohio coffee. They don’t do University coffee. They wouldn’t dare pollute their body like that. No, they derive their energy from fresh air, the sun’s rays and Upworthy articles. Or quotes from Mitch Albom books. Either will do.

Then they go to work, or class, and actu-

ally try to talk to you. About happy things.

As if there’s anything good to talk about at 9 a.m. Certainly not on a day when you woke up late and your car wouldn’t start and your stomach is still churning from that gas station breakfast sandwich you picked up.

The nerve of some people.

But it’s a new year. It’s the season of feeling bad about yourself because you’re not more like those people. Maybe you’d be happier if you switched to a diet of exclusively quinoa and soybeans. Maybe you should take up jazzercise. That’s fun, right? Maybe if you start making better choices, people will love you more. Maybe you’ll learn to love yourself.

Maybe. But I don’t totally buy it.

The secret about health nuts and

chronic overachievers is that they’re really a mess inside. Their buoyant personalities are propped up on a pretty fragile edifice.

They’re obsessive, and luckily their obsessions are all things society rewards. But they’re still obsessive. They’ve discovered a truth we all know deep down: that the world is chaotic and unpredictable, and they’ve tasked themselves with the fool’s errand of keeping it all together.

Well, I don’t trust people who can’t let things fall apart a little. Sometimes, everything is a mess and you can’t do anything about it. The universe spins from order to disorder and we can’t stop it — Newton, Einstein, Hawking and everyone else says so, and they’re a lot smarter than the rest of us.

Of course, if you want to, feel free to

start doing the little things. Choose the stairs, eat an apple, go to bed early tonight and get started on that assignment that’s due late next week. Those will all benefit you. But don’t let a pursuit of perfection consume who you are. You don’t want to be like those people. They’re exhausting.

But still, try to take it easy on them. Not everyone can be like you.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How often do you exercise? Let William know by emailing him at wp198712@ohio.edu.

StreetView

“What do you think about fracking in national forests?”

“I don’t agree with it. It’s bad for the environment and everything.”

Sarah Mitchell, freshman studying special education

“I don’t like fracking at all. I also think promoting natural gas and fracking is destructive to the environment because of how it poisons the water supply and runwater. And that has a real adverse affect on like any people who live in the area or drink off that water supply.”

Devon Monroe, freshman studying integrated media

“I don’t know much about that, actually.”

Briana Staples, freshman studying psychology

“I don’t know too much to be honest, but I would not approve.”

Allison Haas, sophomore studying commercial photography

“It’s definitely unnatural. We should leave everything the way it is in nature. Doing things against the way they are done in nature isn’t really cool.”

Jessica Koynock, sophomore studying interactive graphic design

-photographs by Matt Starkey thepostathens.com / 5

police blotter

Sheriff’s Office called to doughnut-related incident Lauren Fisher for the post Just weeks after an alleged burglar was reported to have made off with a local resident’s pastries, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a report of another snack-related altercation.

On Jan. 4, deputies were dispatched to a residence in Coolville in response to reports of two adults engaged in an argument. Upon arrival, the deputies found the man in question had moved a pepper shaker away from where the woman was sitting. The man was also reportedly “irate” a dish containing a partially eaten donut had been placed on “his side” of the coffee table.

Deputies attempted to remedy the situation by retrieving

the pepper shaker for the woman and moving the donut dish back to her side of the coffee table for the man. The man was then advised by deputies to “use quieter tones” when talking and to refrain from moving objects from the woman’s coffee table. In turn, the woman was asked to make an effort to “not antagonize the male” and allow for sharing of space in the residence.

Meanwhile, between Dec. 6 and 26, the Ohio University Police Department filed a relatively small number of reports, including five reports of criminal mischief, one report of theft, four alcohol-related charges and seven drug-related incidents.

Additionally, the Athens Police Department received at least 32 reports of thefts from cars most of which involved stolen cash and change — around the

time of winter break. According to a news release, the money was stolen from both locked and unlocked vehicles, through what the release described as a “concealable method” for entering locked vehicles with little damage.

be of the legal drinking age, was issued a minor misdemeanor charge for disorderly conduct by intoxication and was transported to the OUPD headquarters, where he was later released to a sober friend.

Another Round

On Sunday, the sheriff’s office received a call from a concerned man who reported that, upon turning on his phone, he had received several “unusual” text messages containing “various emoji” and random statements, according to a report.

Although deputies attempted to contact the message sender, they were unable to receive an answer. As the facts of the case make no indication of being criminal, the case is closed pending further investigative leads.

At approximately 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 8 — as many students were busy preparing for final exams — an OUPD officer responded to a report of an intoxicated individual “staggering into oncoming traffic” near the roundabout on Richland Avenue. Upon arrival, the officer found the individual sitting on the sidewalk between the roundabout and the bridge, emitting a “very strong odor” of alcohol, according to a police report.

The man, who was found to

Text Alert

Cold Feet

On Saturday, deputies from the sheriff’s office were called to a road in Waterloo Township in response to a report of a woman who had been walking barefoot along the roadway as temperatures dipped into the single digits.

The woman, who had been invited into the caller’s residence to escape the cold, told deputies she was attempting to walk to Athens following an altercation with her ex-boyfriend. Although she was questioned about the incident, the woman was “uncooperative” and was transported to O’Bleness Memorial Hospital for treatment of her feet. No further action was taken in the case.

@lauren__fisher lf966614@ohio.edu

Jeff Market to open after renovations Jonny Palermo for the post The first week of Spring Semester included an update on the opening of Jefferson Market, reports of rape and developments from December’s bank robberies.

Here’s more information on the week’s top stories.

Jefferson Market to open later this month The newly renovated Jefferson Market

will officially open to the public Jan. 25.

The remodeled space will include a grocery market, a deli, a vegetable butcher, a cafe, a tea room and a “culinary studio” featuring live cooking demonstrations.

In addition to training employees, Culinary Services is also adding the finishing touches to the space by installing shelving, menus, signage and data systems to prepare for the market’s opening.

The rest of the Jefferson Hall renovations are scheduled to wrap up in August 2017, Greg Robertson, associate vice president

for Architecture, Design and Construction, said. police receive rape reports The Ohio University Police Department is investigating two reports of rape the department received over winter break.

On Dec. 27, a woman reported a male acquaintance made unwanted sexual advances toward her and then pinned her down and raped her.

On Dec. 23, a woman reported she was approached by a college-aged man between Kantner Hall and the Athens City Parking Garage on South College Street who verbally threatened and raped her.

The alleged incident occurred in late August or early September, according to an OUPD report.

The Athens Police Department fielded a report of rape Tuesday night after a woman told an APD officer that a man sexually assaulted her.

The incident allegedly took place on the north side of Athens at about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to an APD report.

FBI takes over Athens bank robbery investigation A case involving a woman who allegedly robbed two Athens banks is now

6 / JAN. 12, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS to be handled by federal authorities.

Christine Joy Martin, the suspect in the investigation, was arrested in Parkersburg, West Virginia, on Dec. 30 following another alleged robbery in Morgantown, West Virginia. “(The federal authorities) were here from the beginning,” Athens County prosecuting attorney Keller Blackburn said. “All bank robberies are federal offenses because the banks are backed by

federal insurance.”

Because the robberies occurred in separate states, the case could be tried in federal court, Blackburn said.

“Regardless of what happens, it will be awhile,” he said. “It’s still under investigation. Nothing has been 100 percent confirmed.”

@Heeeeeres_Jonny jp351014@ohio.edu

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Mayor Patterson: One year later A look bACK AT MAYOR STEVE PATTERSON’S FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE BENNETT LECKRoNE FOR THE POST In the last months of his 2015 mayoral bid, Steve Patterson ran unopposed.

Despite the lack of competition, Patterson assured voters he would work toward creating “smarter infrastructure,” continue communicating with Ohio University, and further pursue the “Essence of Athens” beautification project.

Now, over a year since he took office, many of his campaign promises have been realized.

Infrastructure As far as infrastructure goes, the City of Athens has completed several major projects since Patterson’s inauguration, including the Columbus Road bike path spur, which cost nearly $2.3 million.

The city also delivered new recycling carts to homes around Athens, though that project was spearheaded by city service safety director Ron Lucas, who came up with the idea two years ago.

Patterson supported the recycling project as a way to reduce landfill waste.

“I just feel this is the proper step in the right direction to reduce wet trash going in our landfill,” Patterson said.

In addition, Patterson has requested a larger percentage of the city’s income tax be put toward “road re8 / JAN. 12, 2017

habilitation” for 2017.

City Council president Chris Knisely said the mayor requested the change.

“The mayor is requesting a minor shift so that some additional monies go into ‘street rehabilitation,’ ” Knisely said. “It’s basically our street repaving and repairs that go on every year.”

Patterson also held a public meeting in September introducing plans to renovate the Armory, which sits on the north end of Court Street. Patterson said the issue has been at the “forefront of his mind” since he took office and indicated that it might be renovated during his administration.

“

I just feel this is the proper step in the right direction to reduce wet trash going in our landfill.”

- Steve Patterson

Knisely noted that Patterson is building on the already strong reputation that past Athens mayors have created.

Essence of Athens Progress on the Essence of Athens project, which was meant to make Athens more unique and help the city to maintain its culture, has been slow.

According to city planner Paul Logue, the plan was meant to take time.

“I think it has to be slow,” Logue said. "I think because it's artistic in nature, it's going to be in flux ... We want to just get the conversation started and do a few projects to move that forward.”

Several steps have been made to further the Essence of Athens in 2016, including artistic stenciling on the Union Street roundabout and art-covered boxes on traffic control switches up-

town.

In September, Patterson said the plan is still relevant to his administration.

“There is more to be unveiled,” Patterson said. “It has not been forgotten or put on the shelf.”

Ohio University Overall, Patterson has continued communicating with OU throughout his mayorship.

Knisely said Patterson has continued Mayor Wiehl’s policy of monthly meetings with OU President Roderick McDavis, who will be leaving OU in early February.

While no new lines of communication have been established, the city has continued to work with OU in various instances, such as assisting with crowd control during Halloween.

In addition, Patterson reaffirmed the “Memorandum of Understanding” between the city of Athens and OU that Wiehl and McDavis created to formalize collaboration between the two.

Knisely said Patterson has been communicative with OU. “He’s continued good communications with the university,” Knisely said.

Overall In the past year, Patterson has delivered on many of the issues he campaigned on: he has implemented Essence of Athens projects, completed infrastructure projects, and maintained communication with OU. Progress has been made on various city projects, and Patterson has continued many of the traditions that Athens mayors have established, including the weekly press conference and monthly meetings with OU’s president.

Knisely said Patterson had been successful in his first year of office.

“I think that the mayor has done a good job,” she said. “He has a vision for moving the city forward.”

bl646915@ohio.edu @leckronebennett

Concealed carry rebuked by some on campus Sarah M. Penix FOR THE POST Gov. John Kasich signed Senate Bill 199 into law last month, prompting conversation among faculty, staff and students about the possibility of allowing concealed carry on campuses.

That bill will become as law in March and will grant Ohio universities’ governing bodies the opportunity to decide whether to allow concealed carry on campus. “(The) current policy is that we have a weapons-free campus,” Katherine Hartman, OU Faculty Senate secretary, said.

“The House Bill 48 resolution and Senate Bill 199 resolution change that law that allows Boards of Trustees to decide if they will permit concealed carry for people with concealed carry licenses on colleges and university campuses.”

The Board of Trustees has meetings Jan. 19 and 20 and is expected to discuss OU’s weapons policy.

“Ohio University leadership … will be gathering input from the university community to share with our Board of Trustees. We understand that this is a very important decision,” OU spokesman Dan Pittman said in an email. “Prior to moving forward, we will implement a thorough and inclusive process.”

The Board of Trustees has an option to consider the state policy, but there is nothing in the law that requires them to discuss

it and have a vote, Joe McLaughlin, chair of Faculty Senate, said.

“Now, if the trustees do decide that they want to have a deliberation about this in order to make a decision, then I think Faculty Senate is going to get very involved in whatever information gathering the university decides it needs to do, whether that’s holding open forum or putting out some kind of survey,” McLaughlin said. “We will certainly be involved in that process, if it happens.”

At Faculty Senate’s meeting Monday, the executive committee passed a “sense of the senate,” which urges the Board of Trustees to take no action and affirm OU’s commitment to a weapons-free campus.

McLaughlin said after gathering consensus with colleagues, the Faculty Senate executive committee wants to make an immediate and firm statement that the majority of faculty are not in favor of concealed carry. Students’ opinions regarding concealed carry are less uniform.

“I feel like concealed carry should only be (allowed on campus) for teachers and professors on campus. It’s unsafe for all to have it,” Holly Meese, a junior studying communication science and disorders, said.

Some students are in favor of a change to the weapon policy. Sabrina Neimeister, a senior study-

ing psychology, sociology and criminology, said evaluations of mental ability for gun licenses are critical to make sure gun owners understand the risks and benefits of having a concealed weapon and what that means for themselves and others.

Some students, including OU College Republicans president David Parkhill, also voiced their thoughts at a Graduate Student Senate open forum Tuesday night. While some students supported allowing concealed carry on campus so students would be able to better defend themselves, others said it could make students and faculty feel unsafe.

House Bill 48 was introduced as an amendment to Senate Bill 199 late in the legislative process, Ohio Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, said.

Gardner, who sponsored Senate Bill 199, said in an email he expects very few, if any, colleges or universities will vote to allow Concealed Carry Weapons permit holders to carry on their campuses.

The boards of trustees at Ohio State University and Kent State University are not considering changes in policy that prohibit concealed firearms on campus, according to statements from each university.

The University of Cincinnati has not yet affirmed a position on the concealed carry law, Greg Vehr, vice president for governmen-

Angelo Sabatino, a junior studying engineering, technology and management, reaches for a modified rifle at the Fort Harmar shooting range on Sep. 24. (EMMA HOWELLS / FILE)

tal relations and university communication, said.

At Ohio University, Hartman said the expectation is that most faculty members would prefer the campus to stay weap-

on-free, and the senate’s resolution focuses on that idea.

“Some faculty feel it’s about safety in the workplace because this is our workplace,” Hartman said.

“Some people’s opinions are about maintaining a safe environment for open discussion.”

sp936115@ohio.edu @sovietkkitsch

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Erin Christine, a yoga instructor, meditates at the Wolf Tree Collective on Jan. 9.

Christine suggests yoga as a method of de-stressing for students (MATT STARKEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Self-care can aid students’ health Students anxious about the semester can visit CPS to learn about their mental health Mae yen yap for the post Before she came to Ohio University, Anna Neawedde had never thought much of self-care.

“In high school, I felt like I wasn’t under a lot of stress so (self-care) wasn’t really that important to me,” Neawedde, a senior studying specialized studies with a concentration on gender, communication and management, said.

However, Neawedde faced a turning point as she entered her junior year in OU and started getting more involved and worrying about her grades. To de-stress, Neawedde turned to self-care.

Similar to Neawedde, some students may feel anxious about upcoming assignments and exams as the semester begins. Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services hopes to assist students by reminding them about the importance of paying attention to their health — both physical and mental.

The term ‘self-care’ refers to the act of looking after one’s mental health and had become a popular term searched on Google, particularly during the days following the results of the 2016 presidential election, ac10 / JAN. 12, 2017

cording to a New York Times report.

Although it could be difficult to take the time or have the finances to focus on one’s health, Barry Brady, a staff counselor at CPS emphasized that self-caring could take the form of simple activities such as petting a pet at home or talking to a friend on the phone.

“Figure out the things that (you) like to do for self-care,” Brady said. “But also try to figure out some smaller things that you can do day to day (and) integrate into (your) lifestyle.”

Brady stresses the importance of self-care as it is not only a form of rejuvenation, but also allows people to gain additional energy and motivation to complete certain tasks throughout their day.

Stigmas surrounding mental health care resulting from the lack of discussion about the topic may cause many to feel reluctant in seeking help, Brady said.

“If someone has a broken leg, they probably don’t mind sharing that they have a broken leg,” Brady said. “However, you don’t hear people say ‘Oh yeah I had depression in senior year of high school,’ … you don’t hear the same stories (for mental health problems).”

Brady encourages students to recognize

how they are “functioning in different aspects of their lives” and to attend CPS dropin hours as soon as possible if they begin to notice any health declines or changes within their daily routines that may have been affected by their mental states.

Changes in academic performances, having difficulties with relationships with friends and family and negligence in general health care are among symptoms of wavering mental health that students should be aware of, he said.

Erin Christine, a yoga instructor, suggests yoga as a method for students to de-stress and believes that a person’s mental state is connected to their physical state.

“If you’re constantly stressed out (and) your mind is thinking about everything you have to do and whatnot, it could lead to physical problems,” Christine said. “Calming your mind can help your physical body.”

Many may believe that self-caring requires “a huge dramatic change” but for Neawedde, little activities such as guided meditations and having a regular sleep schedule help her deal with stress and anxiety.

“I don’t do guided meditations every day, but if I start to feel really anxious I’m like ‘What can I do to make myself feel better right now?,’ ” she said. “Just doing little things

If You Go CPS HOURS: Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DROP-IN HOURS: Monday-Friday; 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

CPS NUMBER: 740-593-1616 to make yourself feel better can make all of the difference.”

Christine started utilizing self-care by meditating at home five minutes a day every morning.

“Meditating helps you to step back and just realize it’s okay to just sit here and I’ll probably be more productive if I have myself a mental break,” she said.

Brady encourages students to develop and integrate self-care methods as habits.

“I think everybody needs to find their own way to do it,” Neawedde said. “Guided meditations and sleep has worked for me, … but that might not be the way other people destress. I think people just need to find out what works for them and go with it.” @summerinmae my389715@ohio.edu

R O T I D

is d r a Bo or g n i ish tions f l b u t* P pplica s o P The cepting a ac

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Interested?

Submit the following to Hans Meyer (meyerh@ohio.edu) by 5 p.m. on January 20, 2017

• Resume

• Cover letter explaining: • Your qualifications • Why you want to be editor of The Post • What you hope to accomplish in the position

Questions?

Contact Hans Meyer via email or phone at 740-597-3084. *Ohio University’s independent student newspaper

thepostathens.com / 11

Effects of fracking could be farreaching

F

ALEX MEYER / Senior Writer

elicia Mettler never saw herself taking a stand for an environmental cause. // But when injection well activity began in Torch, a few miles from her Coolville home, she weighed the impact on her family and the land around her. // “As a mother, it’s my job to protect my kids, and I don’t want to

move,” Mettler, 45, a stay-at-home mother of three, said. “I’m on land that is family land. My mother, I could throw a rock at her house. My brother lives right next door.” // Injection wells are used to dispose of the chemical waste that can result from fracking. // Mettler and other local residents are concerned whether the three injection wells in Torch — a 30-minute drive from Athens — will affect the environment and people’s health.

12 / JAN. 12, 2017

Injection wells are involved in the process of hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, wherein a mixture of liquids are pumped deep underground to break up rock formations that contain natural gas or oil so those resources can be extracted.

“My mother-in-law and father-in-law live in Torch, they live 1,800 feet from the injection well.” Mettler said. “What are we breathing? What are going to be the health effects?”

In recent years, residents in Athens and across the state have voiced worries regarding fracking and the waste that can result from it. Most recently, those concerns have centered around potential fracking in the nearby Wayne National

Forest after the Bureau of Land Management auctioned forest land that could be used for fracking on Dec. 13, according to a previous Post report.

Fracking remains a controversial topic, with some championing its energy and economic potential and others fearing its effects on water sources, forests, air quality and public health.

But the drilling technique is a somewhat recent development in the decades-long history of land use in Southeast Ohio. And when it comes to people like Mettler who see the issue up-close, the reality is clear: Fracking isn’t going away anytime soon.

“If I could shut all (wells) down, I would,” she said. “But in reality, I know

that that is not going to happen, so I will push for other things.”

‘A long history of extracting resources’ Southeast Ohio’s early settlers first started extracting resources from the land in the early 19th century, when people mined iron ore and cut down trees to make charcoal, Ohio University geography professor Geoffrey Buckley said.

In the mid-19th century, coal production in Ohio began to increase, continuing into the 20th century until it peaked in the ’70s, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ website.

“We’ve had sort of a long history of extracting resources in our area,” Buckley

said. “Really, the peak for a lot of mining was decades ago, and that’s in part due to competition with western coal. But the introduction of the gas industry has really shifted things.”

In Ohio, underground layers of the rock shale hold reserves of natural gas, which can be extracted through wells drilled into the ground, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Wells often use “horizontal drilling,” where the well is initially drilled downward and then across a layer of shale.

“With horizontal drilling, it allows pretty pinpoint accuracy,” Natalie Kruse, associate professor of environmental studies at OU’s Voinovich School, said. “(Companies) can direct that well into whatever rock

^

LEFT: A truck leaves the site of a K&H Partners injection well facility near Route 50 in Troy Township on Jan. 9. (PATRICK CONNOLLY / FOR THE POST) TOP: Sean White, co-owner of Little Fish Brewery, holds a sign that reads “You can’t brew clean beer with toxic water!” at an antifracking protest at the Wayne National Forest headquarters along Route 33 on Dec. 10.

(PATRICK CONNOLLY / FILE) BOTTOM: The Bureau of Land Management auctioned off areas of Wayne National Forest in December. (EMMA HOWELLS / FILE)

formation they’re trying to hit.”

Fracking is a technique used to force the natural gas out of the shale, and it became a more common practice in the mid2000s, Kruse said. A mixture of “water, sand and chemical additives” is injected into the ground at a high pressure to break up the shale and force the natural gas upward, according to the ODNR’s website.

About 1 million oil and gas wells in the U.S. have used hydraulic fracturing since the process first began in the late ’40s, according a report from the Environmental Protection Agency. Fracking accounted for more than 50 percent of U.S. oil production and nearly 70 percent of gas production in 2015.

In recent years, wells have become more efficient by extending farther across shale layers to extract more natural gas from a single well, Jason Trembly, an associate professor of engineering at OU said.

Just as coal has affected people in Southeast Ohio in past decades, natural gas extraction presents similar challenges, Buckley said.

“Both mining coal and also in the gas industry, those tend to be pretty migratory industries.” Buckley said. “So if a new mine (or well) opens up somewhere, that really doesn’t employ many locals.”

Residents like Mettler, however, are more concerned about the impacts of fracking — whether through air or water pollution — on people’s health.

“It is a health issue,” Mettler said. “For me, it doesn’t have anything to do about the industry itself, it’s because it’s not safe.”

‘We fear the unknown’ Though fracking itself doesn’t occur in Athens County, it occurs in neighboring Washington County, as well as other counties on the eastern side of Ohio, according to the data collection website FracTracker.

“There are a lot of potential costs that don’t get factored into our use of fossil fuels: environmental costs, public health costs, things like that,” Buckley said.

“That’s probably one of the things that tend to bring people together (in Southeast Ohio), when it’s extracted right under your nose, and the negative consequences can affect everybody.”

One notable effect of fracking is on the thepostathens.com / 13

water that people drink. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a report in December stating that fracking practices can impact drinking water resources in “some circumstances.”

Athens County has eight active class II injection wells, according to the ODNR. Those wells are used to dispose of the chemical fluids that results from fracking, whether that be in Ohio or elsewhere.

In the fracking process, the mixture fluid injected into the wells picks up chemicals found in the shale, some of which can be naturally radioactive, Kruse said.

“That (fluid) is separated and trucked to injection wells,” she said. “Injection wells are either converted old oil and gas wells or newly drilled wells.”

The wells then push the fluid underground and away from the well, Kruse said.

“There are a whole lot of potential pitfalls with that,” she said. “We don’t have a great alternative right now that’s cost-effective.”

One of the major impacts of fracking can be on the groundwater, Kruse said, but she cautioned that effects are long-term and uncertain. Nearly 50 percent of Ohioans rely on groundwater as their main source of drinking water, according to an Ohio EPA report published in December 2014.

“We may see some (contamination), but we have no idea when or how bad it’ll be,” she said. “We fear the unknown, and that’s certainly a reasonable fear to have.”

Mettler and other residents founded a group called Torch Can Do in 2015 with the goal of educating residents about injection wells and fracking and pushing for improved legislation, she said.

“When the (injection well) facility was put in, we were not aware of what it was,” she said. “Still so many people don’t know what it is.”

Fracking in forests raises more questions The Bureau of Land Management’s decision to auction parcels of land for oil and gas purposes in the Wayne National Forest has been met with alarm from activists and residents in the region. Most recently, anti-fracking protesters met at the forest’s headquarters in Nelsonville on Dec. 11 to voice their opposition, according to a previous Post report.

Beginning in 2006, the BLM started allowing its federally-owned oil and gas resources to be available for leasing to companies, according to its website.

Approximately 39,000 acres of federally owned minerals have been leased, forest spokesman Gary Chancey said.

“The Wayne has gone through a spasm of this kind of resource extraction in the past,” Buckley said. “A lot of the land that makes up the Wayne National Forest today had been mined for coal and left the land without trees. Only when it became a na14 / JAN. 12, 2017

Protesters gather at the fence facing Route 33 at an anti-fracking protest at the Wayne National Forest headquarters along Route 33 on Dec. 10. (PATRICK CONNOLLY / FILE)

tional forest did those trees come back.”

In October, the Bureau of Land Management released an environmental assessment of the Wayne National Forest that found “no significant impact” from leasing federal land. The recent auction involves land in the forest’s Marietta Unit near the Ohio River.

Before any fracking can occur, oil and gas companies must submit applications for drilling to the Bureau of Land Management and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, BLM spokeswoman Lesley Elser said.

“Those stipulations are intended to mitigate risks to the environment due to ground disturbance,” Elser said. “This whole process could take 4 to 6 months after we receive the (application).”

The Athens County Fracking Action Network, or ACFAN, is one of the main groups involved in protesting fracking in the Wayne National Forest. Members of the group, formed officially in 2012, were active in petitioning officials in 2011 from leasing land for potential fracking, member Heather Cantino said.

The U.S. Forest Service later withdrew a scheduled lease of land for oil and gas purposes after receiving 34 letters of protest from 48 Athens County organizations, according to a previous Post report.

Southeast Ohio is one of many forested regions across the U.S. where fracking occurs.

“It’s definitely an issue nationwide,” Amy Mall, senior policy analyst with the National Resources Defense Council, said. “Communities are concerned about

oil and gas development in their areas.”

Many national forests are used for oil and gas purposes like fracking, ranging from Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest to forests in western states like Colorado and California, Mall said.

In 2014, for example, the U.S. Forest Service approved limited fracking in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, according to The New York Times.

“Local communities (in Virginia) were very concerned about impacts on agriculture and recreation,” Mall said. “Those are not necessarily politically liberal communities. It involved people from all ideologies.”

Evaluating the effects Fracking remains a debated practice, with researchers and activists alike identifying many significant impacts that are often disputed by oil and gas companies.

“There are a multitude of concerns,” Mall said. “One is if the land that is put up for leasing in the Wayne National Forest is by drinking water aquifers … There are a lot of concerns about risks to drinking water.”

Cantino cited several problems with the effects of fracking that she and others believe would apply to fracking in the Wayne National Forest. Among them are air pollution from methane leakage and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as water contamination from leaks or spills that could harm people and natural ecosystems.

“Any impact on the forest is going to have an impact on community around it,” Cantino said.

One notable spill occurred in 2014, when a fire at a fracking well in Monroe

County caused a spill that contaminated a creek with fracking chemicals and killed more than 70,000 fish and wildlife, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Impacts of fracking on ecosystems have been the subject of scientific research.

Viorel Popescu, an assistant professor of biological sciences at OU, was an author on a 2014 study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment that identified the biological effects of fracking.

“Whenever you develop anything, including shale gas and oil, you have to look at what are the impacts,” Popescu said.

The study found that plants and wildlife can be hindered by several effects from fracking, such as water contamination, air and noise pollution, habitat loss and climate change.

Cutting down forests to make room for roads and pipelines for oil and natural gas wells can harm forest ecosystems, Mall said.

“The scientific community has to keep going and bring more proof to the table,” Popescu said. “But as long as we know what the impacts are then we can proceed with caution.”

Another impact of fracking scientists have identified is an increased number of earthquakes associated with hydraulic fracturing activity. For example, a 2015 study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America showed that earthquakes in Mahoning County in Northeast Ohio occurred near local fracking operations.

Others, however, are more skeptical of the effects of fracking. Jackie Stewart, state director at Energy In Depth Ohio, an outreach campaign for the oil and natural gas industry, said fracking is safe and has a number of benefits.

Stewart said hydraulic fracturing causes fewer disturbances than conventional drilling, is protected by state and federal regulations and provides economic benefits to the region. She also cited a recent master’s thesis done with researchers at the University of Cincinnati that found “no evidence for natural gas contamination” in groundwater.

“Too often people who criticize shale development have never been on a well pad nor have they taken the time to really learn about the health and safety precautions that are taken by the industry,” Stewart said.

Moving forward, Cantino said activist groups will continue to protest fracking activity in the Wayne National Forest and elsewhere.

“Activists from around the region, not just Ohio, are talking about what can be done,” Cantino said. “People are not going to be silenced.”

@AlxMeyer am095013@ohio.edu

Faculty members discuss protection of immigrants at OU SARAH M. PENIX FOR THE POST

O

hio University faculty members created a petition to protect those under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program after university officials around the country began to discuss “sanctuary campuses” in response to Donald Trump’s election.

Across the country, higher education administrations have begun to take provisions to protect the confidentiality of a student’s immigration status amid discussions from President-elect Donald Trump and his cabinet appointees about potentially discontinuing the program.

“Sanctuary campuses,” such as Reed College and California State University, have promised not to assist the government in collecting information necessary to deport DACA-protected individuals.

The Obama administration enacted DACA in 2012 to protect childhood immigrants from deportation, allowing undocumented and DACA documented immigrants to attend colleges and universities.

DACA also allows immigrants to register for a renewable, two-year work permit that defers deportation for that period of time.

Some colleges and universities in Ohio, such as Oberlin College, have taken steps to protect immigrants and identify resources, such as referrals to legal experts, for immigrant students, according to a statement from Oberlin President Marvin Krislov. The college has not deemed itself a “sanctuary campus,” however.

At last month’s Faculty Senate meeting, OU President Roderick McDavis addressed the national concern for universities and colleges to protect students under the program.

“DACA has enabled many students to attend Ohio University to pursue the transformative education that we provide,” McDavis said at December’s Faculty Senate meeting.

“These sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants have not broken any laws.

They were brought to this country as minors through no fault of their own and have not caused any trouble. We have accepted them as students at our university; they are valued members of our community.”

McDavis said it was premature to take the step of declaring OU a “sanctuary” university until there are changes to federal law. There are many ways the new federal administration could impact the university, he said.

After McDavis presented at December’s Faculty Senate meeting, he signed a statement along with 595 other administrators around the country to establish support for students protected by DACA. The petition stated the program needs to be upheld and

Faculty senator and associate professor Paul Patton discusses his colleagues’ concerns during a Faculty Senate meeting Jan. 9 regarding a petition he started with associate professor Loren Lybarger. The petition is an effort to support students affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (BLAKE NISSEN/ FOR THE POST)

They were brought to this country as minors through no fault of their own and have not caused any trouble. We have accepted them as students at our university; they are valued members of our community.”

- Roderick McDavis, President of Ohio University expanded, as it is a “moral imperative and national necessity” to allow access to education for American immigrants.

Loren Lybarger, an associate professor of classics and world religions, and Paul Patton, a faculty senator and assistant professor of anthropology and food studies, start-

ed a petition for OU faculty in an effort to secure support for DACA students.

That petition called on Faculty Senate to urge administrators to reaffirm the university’s commitment to ending discrimination against immigrants by adding a category of immigration status to OU’s harassment policy and to counsel people about immigration issues, Faculty Senate Chair Joe McLaughlin said.

That petition was brought to Faculty Senate as a resolution Jan. 9, and separated into four parts, three of which passed.

“We very carefully avoided any reference to sanctuary campuses,” Lybarger said. “To offer sanctuary in any meaningful way, that could cause us to break the law. We didn’t want to make promises we couldn’t keep, in other words.”

A group of 80 faculty members is working within its legal limits to strengthen policies to protect student identities.

That faculty network serves to put an organizational structure in place, and the resolution signals to administration and the wider community that OU faculty are prepared to act on behalf of fellow colleagues, students and staff who are vulnerable, Lybarger said.

“There is a legal foundation here. We just

wanted to clarify this especially in the aftermath of the election and the way anti-immigrant rhetoric was a part of the campaign.

We felt need to indicate that the faculty have resolved to support their students and colleagues, especially those who are Muslim or those who are undocumented or DACA documented students,” Lybarger said.

Protecting the confidentiality of DACA students would be one responsibility of adding immigrants to OU’s anti-discriminatory policy, especially in regard to concern for DACA documented or undocumented students, Patton said.

OU has offices on campus with confidential services, such as the Student Health Center and the Dean of Students’ Office.

Patton said those offices have found ways to institute confidentiality policies, and there is no reason to believe the office trusted with DACA issues wouldn’t be able to do the same.

“On a symbolic level, one of the most important things is that the petition offers the opportunity for our community, our university community, to say no to discrimination, to say no to harassment,” Patton said. @SOVIETKKITSCH SP936115@OHIO.EDU thepostathens.com / 15

Immersive Media Initiative works to bring virtual reality to healthcare field Meghan Morris FOR THE POST

M

edical students at Ohio University might soon have the chance to composedly practice a life-saving procedure in what could otherwise be a chaotic, intense situation. The difference is that they’ll be seeing a patient-up close — chaos removed —through a virtual reality simulation.

Since receiving an $878,000 grant from Ohio University’s Innovation Strategy program, the Immersive Media Initiative team was able to begin work on a handful of vir-

16 / JAN. 12, 2017

tual reality projects. It has since tackled filmmaking and enhancing journalism, though the group has also been busy with multiple VR projects in the medical field.

Last summer, the Immersive Media Initiative shot 360-degree footage of emergency room patients.

That was the group’s first project in virtual reality healthcare. Eric Williams, associate professor of media arts and studies and co-creator of Immersive Media Initiative, consulted with Dr. Thanh Nguyen, who is in charge of training six medical students every semester.

“Here’s the technology

we have, how can we help you train your interns better?” Williams said.

With the E.R. simulation, medical students have a chance to observe more of the process. Normally, interns would not be able to stand in such a busy area without being in someone’s way, Williams said. With the simulation, the interns can focus on one person’s actions and ignore the chaos, and eventually, they could become more relaxed in dealing with such environments.

James Edelstein, a senior studying digital games and animation, was one of the assistants who helped

Alexa Hoynacke, a senior studying industrial systems engineering and an undergraduate research assistant, plays a virtual reality game that involves touching targets as a part of a study in Grover Center on Nov. 3, 2015. Virtual reality has been used for various medical purposes, including physical therapy and training medical students. (PATRICK CONNOLLY / FILE)

capture the E.R. footage.

He helped place cameras and switched out SD cards and batteries whenever a new patient would come in.

The shoot was more difficult than other VR simulation shoots because they used real patients rather than paid actors, he said.

“We didn’t know when patients were gonna come until 10 or 15 minutes before,” Edelstein said.

Williams said he is affected more by knowing he is watching real patients and the real pain they are experiencing.

Another Immersive Media Initiative venture into VR healthcare involves students interacting more with the technology.

The group is collaborating with Todd Fredricks, an assistant professor of family medicine, on a cricothyrotomy simulation.

Fredricks said he wishes to “transfer military life-saving techniques into the civilian world.”

Their simulation would allow medical students to see what it is like to operate in a handful of extreme scenarios, such as in a he-

licopter or in a war zone, Williams said in an email.

The cricothyrotomy helps the operator gain control of the patient’s airway. It is done by an emergency doctor and does

“

(Virtual reality) not only makes it to feel like a person but makes it look like a person.”

Todd Fredricks - assistant professor of family medicine not require an operating room, Fredricks said.

Williams said virtual reality lets you “go and watch the same trauma bay procedure and figure out how everything works.”

Medical students can benefit from using virtual reality as a part of their training because traditional methods do not allow as much access to human bodies. There is a

limited supply of cadavers to work on, and the E.R. can receive an unsteady stream of new patients. “(Virtual reality) not only makes it feel like a person, but makes it look like a person,” Fredricks said.

If medical students are able to practice a procedure or task until they are comfortable doing it, they are more confident when it comes to operating on a real patient.

The cricothyrotomy simulation is still in the experimenting phase, but medical students will start testing the program this fall, Fredricks said.

For those virtual reality projects, the Immersive Media Initiative is not only partnering with healthcare experts but also the School of Media Arts and Studies. Starting this semester, there will be a virtual reality course for Ohio University students. For the next three years, there will be a few virtual reality courses each semester.

@marvelllousmeg mm512815@ohio.edu

hockey

Hockey’s stars of first half

A

Grant Hazel Defenseman 9 Goals 9 Assists 40 Penalty Minutes

Spencer holbrook / FOR THE POST

t this point in the season, the Bobcats are 17-4-1 and in the top ten of the ACHA rankings for the third straight season, currently No. 3. // With a team that has only lost five games and has played very well to date, it’s not easy picking out the three players to award the three stars of the first half, but The Post did its best to pick standouts from one of the best teams in the country.

Third Star: Grant Hazel

After having just nine points in 35 games last season, the sophomore defenseman has given Ohio a pleasantly surprising boost in its offense in the first half of the campaign. Hazel is fifth on the team in points, with nine goals in 21 games to go along with nine assists. He is tied with Jake Houston as the highest scoring defenseman for the Bobcats and has provided a physical presence on the other end of the ice as well as between the blue lines, leading the team in time in the penalty box.

Much of Ohio’s success has come from passes that start with the defenseman, and Hazel has been very effective at generating the offense. Hazel also has provided the Bobcats with his powerful shot from the point from time to time. When there is traffic in front of the net, there is not much opposing goaltenders have been able to do with the speed of the puck off Hazel’s stick. Hazel’s newfound scoring ability could play a huge factor in what the Bobcats want to accomplish toward the end of the season.

Second Star: Goaltenders (Aaron Alkema, Jimmy Thomas, Ryan Heltion)

Not that goaltending was a concern to start the season, but it definitely has not been one through the midway point of the season. The trio of Thomas, Alkema and Heltion have been very reliable for coach Sean Hogan. Alkema is 5-0 and has an average of just 1.64 goals per game. Heltion has a losing record; he’s 1-2 in his three games, but has the lowest goals allowed average at 0.79.

Thomas has been the primary goaltender this season, appearing in 14 games. He is 11-2, good for second in the ACHA Division 1, just

Jimmy Thomas Goalie 11-2 Record 2.08 GAA

halfway through his freshman season. He currently boasts a 2.08 GAA. Goaltending has been stellar for the Bobcats. Although Ohio can score goals in large sums, the deciding factor in how far the team can go will likely come down to goaltending. If the goaltenders continue to play well down the stretch, a deep tournament run could happen. Hogan will likely roll with one goalie in the postseason tournaments, and the two likely candidates seem to be Alkema and Thomas. Look for either one of those two trying to set themselves apart in the second half of the season.

First Star: Gianni Evangelisti

It’s tough to find a third-line center in the American Collegiate Hockey Association that has had a bigger impact for his team than Evangelisti has. A freshman from Dublin, he leads the team with 24 points through 22 games and has been the centerpiece of a third line that has given the team much needed scoring depth. He is tied for third on the team with 10 goals and tied for second with 14 assists. The scoring depth — which sometimes plagued the Bobcats last season — has been developed into a strong suit for Ohio. The production of his line has even earned it some time on the power play.

He has four power play assists in his time on the ice.

With Evangelisti and his line receiving ice time on the power play and scoring more, Ohio has solidified itself as a contender for the ACHA National Championship. If the top two scoring lines are shut down, Evangelisti’s scoring could get The Bobcats in position to capture the championship.

Gianni Evangelisti Forward 10 Goals 14 Assists

@spencerholbrook sh690914@ohio.edu thepostathens.com / 17

hockey

MEET S REESE Hayes

Jordan Horrobin Staff Writer tanding on the Ohio bench, arms folded across a black Ohio Hockey jacket, Reese Hayes scans the chaos unfolding on

Hayes is new to working with hockey players, but he has quickly earned the team’s trust and respect

Reese Hayes, the new athletic trainer for the Ohio hockey team, poses for a portrait in Bird Arena. (MATT STARKEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

18 / JAN. 12, 2017

the ice.

He’s not concerned with the Bobcats’ forecheck, shot blocking or outlet passes. It’s their big hits and hard falls that catch his eye.

When players come off the ice looking dazed, wincing in pain or holding a limb, Hayes is the person they can’t hide it from.

“He makes sure that we’re safe,” defenseman Jake Faiella said.

Hayes, a 23-year-old from Tacoma, Washington, studying athletic training in Ohio’s graduate program, is the Bobcats’ athletic trainer. He is the authority on team injuries and the availability of injured players.

In his four years of studying athletic training as an undergraduate at Eastern Washington University, Hayes worked with Division I teams such as football, men’s basketball and track and field.

He chose Ohio after considering schools all over the country from West Virginia to University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Hayes didn’t visit Athens before making his decision, but he looked online at pictures and maps of the school and surrounding area.

This season is Hayes’ first working with a hockey team. He still worries about slipping every time he steps on the ice.

“I made a joke to my (student assistants) that on the (Oct. 21 game versus Jamestown) that was on ESPN3, if I slipped on the ice you would see me on SportsCenter as one of the Not Top 10 Plays,” he said.

Every day, Hayes goes to Bird Arena about an hour and a half before practice, evaluates players and sends Ohio coach Sean Hogan an injury report.

Players listed as “limited” practice in red, no-contact jerseys. Players listed as “out” don’t practice at all.

Hogan, understandably, wants as many players as possible available for practices and games. But if Hayes sees a reason to keep a player on the sideline, his word is final.

“You don’t argue,” Hogan said.

Sometimes Hayes’ injury reports have to come on the fly, during games when there is little time to make a decision before Hogan might want to send the player in question back out to play.

If Hayes sees a potentially injured player, he makes his way down the bench to ensure the player is OK to go out for the next shift.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Hayes will say. “Don’t lie to me.”

In a game at Iowa State in mid-November, freshman forward Pat Hannan came off the ice shaken up and Hayes made his decision in a matter of minutes — Hannan would not return. It made for a juggling act of the lines, but Hogan knows it was for the best.

“I trust him,” Hogan said. “He knows more about that stuff than I do. His interests are our interests.”

Faiella, in several years of playing competitive hockey, has seen a broad range of trainers: some want players out for weeks at the first sign of pain, while others downplay concussion symptoms to keep players on the ice.

Hayes falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, Faiella said. And the middle is where any trainer should want to be.

“Really just not overbearing on the players,” Faiella said of Hayes. “That’s why I think the players like him a lot.”

Hayes is readily available to players before and after practice, in case they need an evaluation.

“Me, he’s always evaluating me,” Faiel-

la, who deals with consistent back problems, said. “But there’s other guys who may not see him for weeks at a time.”

Faiella’s standard meeting with Hayes lasts 15-20 minutes and includes stretching, discussion about diet and instructions for physical therapy at home and activities at the gym.

The diet tips have nothing to do with Faiella’s back problems, but Hayes “covers everything,” Faiella said.

One constant concern across all sports is concussions. Though Hayes said there isn’t one exact way to determine if a player is concussed, there is a standard method to measure an individual’s risk.

He uses a test called Sport Concussion Assessment Tool – 3rd Edition, which combines the assessment of cognitive and neurological function, balance and memory. Concussed players go through a “return to play protocol,” Hayes said, in which they are eased back into full practice through increasingly intensive biking, skating and drills.

Knowing when players are ready to return to play is a concept of great interest to Hayes, which is why his final graduate research project will seek to measure and evaluate when athletes are ready to return from ACL injuries.

After another year of schooling and working with Ohio’s hockey team, Hayes hopes to begin a career as an athletic trainer at the collegiate level. He said he doesn’t have a particular sport in mind, but hockey, which hadn’t previously been on his radar, is a sport he enjoys.

He knows how to interact with the players, and they respect him. Aside from occasionally downplaying how much pain they’re in, players have been open with Hayes about their injuries.

The most gruesome injury Hayes has witnessed was when an Eastern Washington football player dislocated his elbow. Ohio’s season so far has been “pretty tame” in comparison, he said.

But his job has its challenges. Hayes tries to keep players happy and in the lineup while ensuring their safety and preventing more serious injuries.

“It’s a big responsibility,” he said.

“Sometimes you have guys playing when they’re injured or they’re hurt a little bit.

It’s kind of a balance that I have to go through.”

@JordanHorrobin jh950614@ohio.edu

Upping

12 9

3 6

hours

Students can now work up to 25 hours a week at on-campus jobs Anastasia Nicholas for the post

A

lexis Ronevich is excited to clock more hours at her job to help pay off student loans and save money for when she graduates.

The worker hour increase, effective Jan. 1, provides students the option to work up to 25 hours per week at on-campus jobs.

“I think the worker increase will make it easier for students with lesser schedules to earn money,” Ronevich, a junior studying communication sciences and disorders and an employee at The District on West Green, said. “I am excited to have that opportunity.”

Last semester, student workers were limited to 20 hours per week, according to a presentation by the Budget Planning Council to Student Senate. The worker hour increase was initiated by Student Senate beginning last academic year to help accommodate “how expensive the cost of college can be,” Student Senate President Hannah Clouser said.

The ability to make more money is an asset for college students, who often need to use their free time to pay off debts, Ronevich said.

Some other workers at The District support the increase of hours. One of those workers is Erika Matie, a freshman studying pre-social work. Working the additional hours will help her when she finds herself short on money, she said.

“I personally like the increase,” Matie said. “I find myself in situations where I have to pay for my car or make loan payments, and sometimes I don’t have enough money, so this will help me pick up more hours and be able to make more money.”

Haley Snowden, a junior studying screenwriting and producing, said she typically worked the maximum weekly hours at Event Services before the limit was increased.

“Personally, there were some weeks where I felt I could do more with my time, but because of the 20-hour limit, I wasn’t able to,” Snowden said. “I think it’ll give me the opportunity to help pay for college and give me more to do.”

Students who work 20 hours per week tend to be more engaged than students who do not work at all, according to a report published by Inside Higher Ed.

Bryce Farmer, a freshman studying civil engineering, poses for a portrait outside of West Green Market District in Boyd Hall. Farmer is training to be a student leader and will be affected by the new 25-hour limit for student workers. “It’s a great opportunity. Boyd is a great place to work,” he says. (LIZ MOUGHON / PHOTO EDITOR)

“When I’m busy, I do better in school,” Snowden said. “I’m a working person, so I guess that extra couple hours will help.”

The Inside Higher Ed report also claimed a more demanding work schedule could have negative effects.

Working more than 20 hours per week was found to lower students’ grades, as the significant time they spent at work ultimately reduced their time left to study.

The American Association of University Professors recommends students work 10 to 15 hours per week.

Therefore, the choice to work 25 hours per week is left to students who feel up to the challenge.

“I will be working 12 to 15 hours a week,” Ronevich said. “However, I do plan on picking up shifts when I have

the time. The increase has made it easier to drop and pick up shifts in the dining hall.”

Clouser said she is unaware of any individuals who have already chosen to take on the maximum amount of hours because all students have just recently returned for Spring Semester.

“But I’m looking forward to see students take advantage of the opportunity when classes begin,” she said.

@stasia_nicholas an631715@ohio.edu thepostathens.com / 19

In the

stars Despite ancient roots, astrology still provides order for many Alex darus / culture editor

M

ary Puzder first became interested in astrology in middle school while reading the horoscope sections of teenage girl magazines. // “I was like, ‘Well, it’s interesting, and I don’t necessarily believe in it,’ ” Puzder, a sophomore studying journalism, said.

Her interest started to really develop “out of boredom” when she researched the zodiac signs and checked out a book from a library about astrology.

She said she believes in the personality aspects of astrology, but she doesn’t “take stock” in horoscopes that predict the future, even though she still enjoys reading them.

“It’d be weird to believe, wholeheartedly, that something so far away can control how your day is going,” Puzder said. “I just think it’s interesting to compare. I wouldn’t base my day off of something saying, ‘Oh, you might find your long-time love interest today.’ I’d be like ‘Oh, wouldn’t that be something’ and carry on with (my) day.”

Astrology has roots in ancient times, and many people still believe it to be valid. According to a 2012 study by the National Science Foundation, 32 percent of Americans consider astrology to be “sort of scientific” and 10 percent found it to be “very scientific,” an increase from previous years.

Many astronomers agree with NASA that astrology is “not science.” Astrology enthusiasts, however, still see a relationship between the alignment of the stars and the way people act.

Astrology’s Ancient Roots

Stars over AEP Recreation Land in Morgan County on Oct. 2.

(MATT STARKEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

20 / JAN. 12, 2017

According to the American Federation of Astrologers, astrology was believed to first come from the ancient Babylonians. It was used to help predict weather patterns and human affairs, such as war, by looking at the positions of the stars and planets.

Although astrology uses the stars to describe character traits and predict future outcomes, George Eberts, an astronomy instructor, said astrology has no scientific basis at all.

Astrology came about during a time when people had limited technology and a small understanding of astronomy, so finding constellations in the sky was an easy way to make order out of a confusing concept, Eberts said. He said the shapes in the sky are a product of the human mind and are not actually connected in any way.

Even though Puzder has an interest in astrology, she does not completely disagree with skeptics.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to let something that’s catered for so many people to apply to you so specifically,” Puzder said.

For example, when a planet is in retrograde, some people believe that events will be “out of whack,” Puzder said, which is something she doesn’t believe in.

“When everyone’s having a bad day they’ll be like ‘Oh, Mercury is in retrograde, it’s whatever. It’s not my fault,’ ” Puzder said of when planets appear to be moving backward. “I think it’s a way for people to just scapegoat things. … You’re in charge of your day, not the stars.”

Despite the lack of scientific basis, some people, such as Olivia McManamon, a junior studying microbiology, say astrology helps give insight about people and events and the “energy” of a certain period of time.

“I find it to prove itself to be true,” McManamon said. “It will help you understand certain issues and understand personality and kind of give a little bit of a reason or an insight of why things are the way they are.”

Even though she believes many aspects of astrology to be true, McManamon added it is important to not let astrology completely define a person or events that happen.

“It’s a tool and not an explanation,” McManamon said.

Reasons to believe

Some people may turn to astrology out of boredom, but Kim Rios, an associate professor of psychology, said some people utilize astrology as a way to attempt to control the world around them.

When people have perceptions of lack of order, they tend to compensate by believing in things or concepts that bring about structure, Rios said.

“I think, for a lot of people, astrology does that,” Rios said. “It purportedly explains a lot about your personality and what’s going to happen to you in the next ‘X’ number of weeks or months just depending on when you were born.”

People may also turn to astrology for explanations about their life because many people have a “relative distrust”

fire

Aries March 21 - April 19 Symbol: The Ram

EARTH

Leo

July 23 - Aug. 22 Symbol: The Lion

Sagittarius Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 Symbol: The Archer

air

Gemini May 21 - June 20 Symbol: The Twins

Virgo

Taurus

Capricorn

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 Symbol: The Virgin

April 20 - May 20 Symbol: The Bull

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 Symbol: The Goat

water

Libra Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 Symbol: The Scales

Aquarius Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Symbol: The Water Bearer

Cancer June 21 - July 22 Symbol: The Crab

Scorpio

Pisces

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Symbol: The Scorpion/Eagle

Feb. 19 - March 20 Symbol: The Fish By: Samantha Güt

in science, Rios said, meaning astrology can seem like a more reliable system to latch on to.

According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, 79 percent of adults say “science has made life easier for most people.” A majority feel positively about “science’s impact on the quality of health care, food and the environment.” The same study also found, however, that the majority of adults disagree with scientists about several science-related topics, such as climate change and genetically modified organisms.

“I would worry about those who rely too strongly on astrology discounting other sources of information, like science,” Rios said.

Other people, like Ian Kenyon, a freshman studying theater, enjoy a more light-hearted version of astrology. Kenyon likes looking at social media posts on Twitter and Tumblr that relate the signs to things such as TV show characters.

“It could even be like funny stuff like ‘Your signs as cereal flavors,’ and you could be like, ‘Oh my god, if I was a cereal box, I’d so be that,’ ” Kenyon said.

Puzder said she often finds both accuracies and inaccuracies when comparing her own sign to the way she actually

“

It kind of gives you almost a sense of identity without defining yourself.”

is. Although some signs are stereotyped a certain way, Puzder said signs should be viewed in a more dimensional way because personalities are complex.

For example, she said people who share her sign, Aries, are supposed to be seen as leaders because they are the first sign in the zodiac.

“Sometimes, I don’t want to be a leader,” Puzder said. “I’d rather be a leader than a follower for sure, but that’s just me. I’m sure other Aries are not.”

A Personal Approach

When McManamon first meets people, she says she can usually detect their sign.

“It’s definitely easy to tell once you’ve kind of studied it for awhile,” McManamon said. “I think definitely by looking

- Olivia McManamon a junior studying microbiology into someone’s eyes, you can definitely tell their moon sign.”

McManamon’s sun sign is an Aquarius, her rising sign is in Leo and her moon sign is in Pisces. She explained a rising sign is a person’s public personality and the first impression someone gives, a sun sign is how a person subconsciously tries to act and a moon sign is a person’s subconscious, more emotional sign.

People can determine their signs by using a birth chart calculator ­— available online — and inputting their date, place and time of birth.

“It kind of gives you almost a sense of identity without defining yourself,” McManamon said.

Rios said there could be an alternative explanation about why people think their zodiac sign matches their

personality so well.

In psychology, the Barnum effect states that if people are given vague personality statements but are told those statements describe them personally, they will latch onto those descriptions.

That, paired with the belief in Western societies that everyone is supposed to be unique, could be why people think their zodiac sign specifically describes them, Rios said.

“We’re motivated to be consistent with our own behaviors,” Rios said. “If I hear something that says you have a tendency to be hardworking, then I don’t want to necessarily deviate from that and depart from what my personality supposedly is.”

Although Puzder said she does not always believe all aspects of astrology, she enjoys finding the similarities between people and their signs.

“I think it’s interesting how (astrology) can make you feel unique even though it’s applying to so many people,” Puzder said “I just like to see the similarities in things.

It’s kind of like a matching game in your head almost.”

@_alexdarus ad019914@ohio.edu thepostathens.com / 21

the weekender Local acts return to Athens for weekend show Lindsey Lukacs FOR THE POST Ohio duo Caamp plans on bringing its “heartfelt sound” with new and old music to The Union Bar & Grill for the second time. A local act, Gaptooth Grin, the stage name of Rourke Papania, will be opening for Caamp this Friday.

Caamp first started its live shows in Athens at open mic nights for bars in town like The Smiling Skull Saloon and Casa Nueva. In addition, the two opened for another Ohio band, Blond, who they are friends with, in the summer of 2016.

“Casa is where I got good,” Taylor Meier said.

Caamp consists of two Ohio natives: Evan Westfall, who plays the banjo, and Taylor Meier, who plays the guitar. They grew up in Upper Arlington, but did not begin writing music together until 2012.

Later, in 2015, they titled themselves “Caamp.” Apart from performing in Athens, they have performed in Columbus venues such as the A&R Music Bar. “We think our live shows really captivate people. We like being very honest with the music we’re making,” Westfall said.

Their music career together has been a “progressive journey,” Westfall said.

In March of 2016, the band released its first self-titled and self-produced album, which had 10 tracks. One of the songs, “Ohio,” has charted at No. 4 on the U.S. Spotify Viral Chart and currently has more than 400,000 streams, according to the band’s website. Last month, it released its second single, “Misty,” which has over 100,000 streams on Spotify and is featured on Apple Music’s playlist “Isolation.” In addition, they have more than 140,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

The pair gets most of its musical inspiration from friends, as well as other artists, Meier and Westfall said.

“I shamelessly would give myself the unofficial title of ‘pal fan girl,’ which I surely am not the only one,” Hailey Spivak, a senior studying health communication 22 / JAN. 12, 2017

PROVIDED VIA ADAM SENSENBRENNER and public advocacy, said in an email.

Spivak met Westfall and Meier through mutual friends in Athens and admires “Evan and Taylor’s inclusiveness to all types of people in Athens,” she said in an email.

“As most connections go (in) Athens, I can’t recall the initial meeting. My good friends are their good friends and Taylor lived on my street last year,” Spivak said in an email.

Spivak plans on attending the show Friday and plans on going early with her friends.

“I’ve experienced their tunes from after-hour jam sessions, open mic at Casa, (and) summer show in Columbus,” she said.

In December, Meier played a set in Spi-

vak’s living room in her house to honor their “beloved friend” Haden DeRoberts, who helped Caamp make musical progress in Athens.

DeRoberts passed away on Dec. 4 from complications connected to a five-year battle against leukemia, according to a previous Post report.

Westfall and Meier met in high school where they “played tunes and became good friends,” Westfall said. They are now living in Columbus as they prepare to tour with Rainbow Kitten Surprise, an indie band from Boone, North Carolina.

Although they have a second record in the works, Caamp has “no plans of releasing anything soon as of right now,” Westfall said.

“Their music transcends the strange

If You Go What: Caamp and Gaptooth Grin When: 9 p.m., Friday Where: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. Admission: $5 at the door musical cliques that often form in college towns, leaving anyone with a sense of pride to groove to their easily related tunes,” Spivak said in an email.

@LindseyGLukacs ll915915@ohio.edu

WHAT’S HAPPENING Athens will host several musical acts, show two special movies for first weekend of Spring Semester Alex Mccann / For The Post As usual, the weekend promises a wide selection of bands set to visit Athens. Friday will feature Columbus-based indie-folk duo Caamp performing at The Union Bar & Grill, located at 18 W. Union St. Gaptooth Grin, an Americana band from Athens, is scheduled to open for Caamp. Saturday features two of Athens’ favorite rock bands, Wolfmen and Slackluster. Slackluster is known for its blend of garage rock and psychedelia, while the more traditional rockers, Wolfmen, released their In a Quiet Place EP in July.

A few blocks north of The Union, two bluegrass bands, Fox N Hounds and The Wayfarers, will perform Friday night at Casa Nueva, located at 6 W. State St. Saturday, three more bands will play Casa Nueva. The Kay Carter Band will perform in the evening as the free early show, while the late show features the talents of The Mighty High & Dry and

Serpent Mound.

Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St., features a more quiet show on Saturday, as Megan Wren and Seth Canan will both play their acoustic styles of music. In a similar vein, Athens Uncorked, 14 Station St., will be hosting another of its Acoustic Jazz Nights that feature the acoustic stylings of guitarist John Horne. Athens Uncorked’s Facebook page describes Horne as “the perfect fit for our chilled-out wine bar atmosphere.”

Local music company Aquabear Legion will host an All-Ohio Vinyl Party at Little Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Rd. The party is intended to promote the upcoming release of Aquabear Legion Volume 6. The double-sided album is a compilation of more than 20 Ohio bands. Local DJs DJ Barticus, DJ Manfish, The 29th Street Flash and Uncle Peacock will all spin some records at the event.

In Nelsonville, the “new Queen of

Friday

Bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent is set to perform at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square. Vincent has won over 40 awards in her career, including a record seven consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Vincent is known for her practice of wearing designer gowns and high heels on stage in lieu of more traditional concert wear.

Athens-based Magic: The Gathering fans will be holding an Aether Revolt Prerelease Tournament at The Wizard’s Guild, 19 W. Washington St. This tournament of the popular trading card game is in celebration of this weekend’s prerelease of Aether Revolt, which is a new set of Magic: The Gathering cards.

Fans of film have two special options this weekend. The first is a Saturday evening showing of Life In A Day: Western States 100, a sports film about the struggles and achievements

Saturday

What: Athens Voices 2017 When: 5 p.m.

Where: The Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane Admission: Free

What: ’Aether Revolt’ Prerelease Tournament When: 6 p.m.

Where: The Wizard’s Guild, 19 W. Washington St. Admission: $28, $25 if also a participant in 12 p.m. tournament

What: Star Party 8, hosted by Athens Astronomical Society When: 6 p.m.

Where: State Street Cemetery Admission: Free

What: The Kay Carter Band When: 6 p.m.

Where: Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. Admission: Free

What: Cookie Palooza When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: The Market on State, 1002 E. State St. Admission: Free, cookies for sale What: Caamp with Gaptooth Grin When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St Admission: $5

What: ’Life In A Day: Western States 100’ Showing When: Doors open at 6 p.m., film at 7 p.m.

Where: Ohio Valley Running Company, 20 Station St. Admission: Free

of four runners participating in a 100mile run. Devon Yanko, one of the athletes featured in film, will be at the showing at the Ohio Valley Running Company, 20 Station St. Also, the Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St., will be showing the classic musical-comedy Singin’ in the Rain. The showing coincides with both the film’s 65th anniversary and the recent passing of actress Debbie Reynolds, who portrays Kathy in the movie.

Finally, on Friday night, the Athens Astronomical Society will host Star Party 8, a night of stargazing. Attendees are encouraged to “BYOT” (Bring your own telescope), and the event’s Facebook page reminds stargazers, “No drugs, no drinkin’. It ain’t that kinda party.”

@Alexmccann21 am622914ohio.edu

Sunday What: January Family Dance When: 3 p.m.

Where: ARTS/West, 132 W. State St. Admission: $3 donation suggested What: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage When: 3 p.m.

Where: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville Admission: Reserved Seats: $25 in advance, $30 at door; Box Seats: $30 in advance, $35 at door What: ’Singin’ in the Rain’ Showing When: 7 p.m.

Where: Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St. Admission: $12.50

What: All-Ohio Vinyl Party, hosted by Aquabear Legion When: 7 p.m.

Where: Little Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road Admission: Free, drinks and music for sale What: Megan Wren and Seth Canan When: 8 p.m.

Where: Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 ½ W. Washington St. Admission: $3 thepostathens.com / 23

24 / JAN. 12, 2017