Ou names Interim Pres. P8
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
Simmons steps up P18 LGBTQ voices in media P20
Where are you going to be tonight? At the bars! You should come over later. Idk I might be drunk...
Consent? The definition of the word differs between colleges and universities in Ohio. And, in the state, officials say it’s still not ‘black-and-white’ P12
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emma Ockerman Managing Editor Elizabeth Backo Digital Managing Editor Seth Archer ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Hayley Harding
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From the EDITOR’S desk
Conversations often spark ‘Post’ reporting There is no shortage of complex, emotionally heavy topics for a journalist to cover on a college campus. Simply stepping foot in a university dorm during freshman year implies you’ll experience the following: someone who is far away from home for the first time, someone who did not arrive to college in light circumstances, someone who will exit college with an immense weight of student loan debt, someone who is grappling with their identity and someone who will experience physical or emotional violence at the hands of another student before graduation. As student journalists, we are exEmma Ockerman / periencing such dilemmas at the Editor-in-Chief same time we are attempting to cover them. As such, we want to be as empathetic and understanding as possible. That’s not to say that we’ve seen it all — we still need guidance from our readers, and mentorship from our professors. But it does mean that oftentimes, our reporters are interviewing students who they uniquely understand. That is why this issue specifically addresses the definition of sexual consent, and how that definition can vary from student to student, and journalist to journalist. Like every student on campus, many of our reporters first heard of “sexual consent” and what it meant to have a conversation regarding it at our freshmen orientation with Dean of Students Jenny HallJones. We talked about it as friends in our dorm rooms, and as colleagues in our newsroom. But even as those conversations occurred, we still considered consent a concrete definition, rather than an ongoing ethical dilemma between some students. Our cover story this week is a result of a conversation-turned-investigation into why students and administrators think of consent the way they do. It is a conversation that impacts our readers and our newsroom conversations, and I’m of the belief that such reporting is positive. Because of that, help us key in: what conversations are you having as students about issues that you face that we might be having, too? How could we turn those conversations into reporting? 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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$29.92
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8.0%
2020
2021
$34.25
2019
$27.70
2017
$32.31
2018
$26.13
20
2016
$24.65
Projected Average Residential Monthly Bill ( 4,089 gal./month)
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25 30 35
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Rate Increase
Graphic by Samantha Güt
Athens residents may pay 28 percent more for their water bills by 2021 Bennett Leckrone for the post By 2021, Athens residents will pay nearly 30 percent more for their water, and that increase might affect much more than just water bills. Based on projections provided by the City of Athens, the average residential water bill in the city was $24.65 in 2016. By 2021, that amount will be $34.25 — a 28 percent increase. Paula Horan-Moseley, the city’s service-safety director, said in an email the projected increase is largely due to the $6 million renovations that will begin on the city’s water treatment plant this year. The plant has not been upgraded since the 1960s. “The City is actively planning for our Water Treatment Plant (WTP) upgrades
with Phase 1 design engineering to begin this year in 2017, thus the water rate increase, as well as our duty to upgrade the distribution system (water lines) and other capital expenditures such as new meters,” Horan-Moseley said in the email. Ron Lucas, the city’s deputy service safety director, said the increased bills were due to the water fund being non-tax based. “Some funds are funded through tax dollars, and some are completely proprietary,” Lucas said. “Water is one of those proprietary funds, so it relies on income from bills to keep it going.” Lucas said the projections are not final and those numbers could change based on need. “It’s a proposed rate increase now,” he said. “For example, the 2017 increase is proposed to be 6 percent, but the 2018
increase isn’t even proposed yet.” June Safranek, an Athens resident and member of the West Side Neighborhood Association, said the prices were fair but called the increase “a big jump.” “I’ve seen a lot of other cities and towns, and I think we get good service for what we have to pay,” Safranek said. Safranek said the $10 average increase has larger implications for the city. “You add that much more a month on one small thing, that in itself isn’t so much, but then they’re going to jack up the cost of housing,” she said. Housing prices in Athens are already high, she added. “Compared to Columbus, the cost of housing is outrageous in Athens,” she said. “It’s unbelievable.” Tiffany McPherson, office manager at
Best of Athens Rentals, 35 1/2 Stimson Ave., said housing prices could drop due to an increase in water bills. “One of the first questions that a lot of students ask is ‘What are the utilities?’ because they have to factor that into their monthly expenses as well as their rent,” McPherson said. “You might see total monthly rent going down a bit to compensate for that.” Lucas said the city will work with people who have difficulty paying their bills but noted the bills have to be paid. “If people are in good standing, which is very typical, we try to work with them or get them an extension,” Lucas said. “Ultimately, it is a service that is provided, just like the utility bill.”
@leckronebennett bl646915@ohio.edu
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Amplified Observations
Don’t miss Parquet Courts at Nelsonville Music Festival
Luke Furman is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University.
The Nelsonville Music Festival stands among the most exciting opportunities for people who prefer hazy, reflective head-nodding more than programmable chaos with more NBA jerseys than there are players in the league. And this year’s festival, held June 1-4, brings an act to town that is too strange to pigeonhole into one approach. Since 2010, the New York City quartet Parquet Courts have diverted rock music from its traditional path without straying from traditional instruments. The band features two guitars, a bass and a drum set but manages to produce songs as grating as “Elegy of Colonial Suffering” to ultra-accessible ones like “Outside.” As hinted in the lyrics of the group’s song “ Instant Disassembly,” Parquet Courts is out to redefine the conventions of rock, setting a new and more thoughtful tone for the music’s future. Unlike a good portion of modern music, Parquet Court’s playing factors into song structure delivering just as much of an attitudinal role as Andrew Savage’s anxiety-ridden
and post-modernist lyrics that recall passages from the work of Foster Wallace and Orwell. With Savage on rhythm guitar, lead guitarist Austin Brown adds voicing to the panic, hitting notes that resonated with synapses firing messages of panic, shrillness and resolution. Not to mention the rhythm section presents noticeably tight grooves on personal favorites like “Content Nausea” and “One Man, No City,” but are sparingly highlighted amongst the mix. Parquet Courts’ music is not only meant to get people’s feet moving but is primarily focused on stirring up the existential dread that is burning in the back of the mind. In fact, several of the band’s songs, like “No Ideas,” “Everyday It Starts” and “Yonder is Closer to the Heart,” focus on anxiety. Although it might seem funny to want to hear about a man chain-smoking his way through bad love and constant worry, the catharsis it brings is unlike anything else, a niche unfulfilled until the band’s formation. And perhaps the most satisfying aspect of Parquet Courts is the group’s punk urgency. Instead of arpeggiating endless synthesizers or sugarcoating painful truth claims, PC em-
braces the harshness of existence but know how to craft a catchy riff that fails to end up as worthless spells. The aim is clear and executed in a manner more direct than a drill sergeant who wonders about modern strifes while wandering around Ridgewood, Queens. Ween, Twin Peaks and country music stalwart Emmylou Harris found a place on the bill during the late spring weekend, as well. Those selections seem appropriate, as Ween has written songs that surpass Parquet Courts in strangeness (ex. “Big Jilm”) and Twin Peaks shares a similar sonic territory. Looking now from January, the event might seem a little blurry in a schedule of abstraction. But with the lineup and complementary vibes, the festival will stay steady on my mind until June comes around, and maybe even on yours. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Who are you looking forward to seeing at Nelsonville Music Festival? Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.
Back to bobcat basics
Ditch the puffy jackets, velvet for chokers and military jackets Rylie Brown is a sophomore studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University.
Winter has rolled around and fashion trends have stormed into town. As I stroll through campus this semester, I’ve noticed the emergence of velvet, the dawn of the puffy winter coat, the era of chokers and the age of military-inspired jackets. While velvet and puffy jackets should not have been welcomed into the new year, chokers and military-style jackets can stay. Regardless, let’s dive into this month’s rant and rave. Wearing a velvet dress looks a little bit like someone just walked into kindergarten craft time and told a 5-year-old to dress them for their night out. Velvet is too shiny, too cheesy and too over the top to wear, unless you are looking to be outrageous. Luckily, the cold weather has been merciful since we arrived
4 / JAN. 26, 2017
on campus for Spring Semester, meaning that I get to see less puffy winter coats. Usually, you can spot one if you mistake the person for the Michelin Man. What happened to a classic and simple winter coat? Where did the effortless peacoat go? To each his own, I guess. If you are looking to toss your puffy jacket now but need a good alternative, look into a military-inspired winter jacket. They come in a lot of neutral and muted tones and of course different lengths that are perfect for those who like a longer jacket. Are you ready to throw your velvet away too? You might be able to recycle it into the only acceptable way to wear it — a choker. They add edge to any outfit and are perfect accessories to your weekend wardrobe. Yes, they can be
velvet, but only because it is such a small sliver of that dreadful fabric that it will not come across as tacky as a full body draped in it. Here is the green light. On a side note: homemade chokers are much cheaper than retail prices. It’s time to put the velvet and Michelin Man jackets away. I’m not quite sure why they ever showed up in the first place, but nevertheless. Try incorporating a choker into your wardrobe if you want some flair, or a military-inspired jacket if you just tossed your puffy jacket. I promise, it’s for the better. Please note that the views and opinions expressed by columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you feel about velvet? Tweet her @RylieMarieBrown.
Press Start
Five video games to help relieve anger post-election Logan Graham is a junior studying media arts with a focus in games and animation at Ohio University.
With the inauguration of Donald Trump, many are feeling pretty dang down. So in the spirit of the brave American hero who punched that one white supremacist directly in the face, I’m going to publicly fantasize about personally beating up the 45th president of the United States. Of course, I’m not going to suggest you or anyone actually try to harm him, except maybe the ones that involve him getting legally indicted. Here are some healthier ways to take out your rage by using video games.
1. ‘Dishonored’ - Non-lethal Takedowns So Dishonored is unique in that it’s a game about assassination where you can avoid using lethal force. Of course, you can kill mostly everyone. The game lets you in any myriad of entertaining ways, but one of the non-lethal attacks stick out in regard to “Captain Fragility” (guess who?) over here. So you spend the whole game taking apart a usurper’s support network and you move on to the main target. With him, you can air
his crimes over the city’s loudspeaker but obviously, that won’t work for Trump. So instead, the non-lethal takedown for Trump would be to air evidence of him betraying us to Russia during the campaign, assuming that’s is true.
the target to have a change of heart, but not after the Thieves have finished beating up the Shadow of their target. He’ll be down on his knees apologizing and confessing about everything once the Thieves are done with him.
2. ‘Dark Souls’/ ‘Bloodborne’ What would happen if you dropped Donald Trump into the worlds of FromSoftware? If he were in the same dire straits as the average Souls hero without the option of a quit button or a permanent death? I think we might have found a class worse than the Deprived in these games.
5. ‘Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders’ OK, so JoJo is an anime with a couple of video games, but the idea of setting Star Platinum on Donald Trump is so appealing. Almost nothing can survive the diamond-hard fists and super-speed of Jotaro Kujo’s Stand.
3. ‘Final Fantasy XV’ - Judgment Bolt The summon attacks in this game never seem to damage the landscape or anything you don’t want to damage, meaning we can attack Trump and Steve Bannon without causing harm to anyone else.
But honestly, I despise Trump more than any generic doomsday villain you find in games. It’s the same way Harry Potter fans hate Dolores Umbridge more than Voldemort. Umbridge and Trump wear almost the thinnest of disguises to hide their rotten cores, but unlike Umbridge, Trump’s veneer of respectability somehow works.
4. ‘Persona 5’ - Take Your Heart The soon-to-be-localized Japanese role-playing game lets you play as the Phantom Thieves, people trying to steal back their future by delving into the palaces, dungeons representing their twisted perception of their territory, and stealing the source of their twisted desire, causing
Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What games would you play to ‘beat up’ your least favorite politicians? Let him know by emailing him at lg261813@ohio.edu.
StreetView
“Would you ever try homebrewing?”
“I’m gluten-free, so I don’t drink beer itself, so it wouldn’t be of any benefit to me.” Ravneet Kaur, junior studying biological sciences preprofessional
“No, it probably takes a lot of practice and Jackie O’s is already really good at it, so I’ll stick with Jackie O’s.” Alec Peery, first-year graduate student studying engineering
“Sure, it’d be a fun little thing to do when you’re not busy and you want to save some bucks. I’m sure it’s cheaper to home brew quantity-wise than buying it at the store, and it’d be fun to give to your friends.” Andrew Hoza, junior studying engineering technology and management
“Probably, I know a few people who actually have homebrewed, and apparently it’s very delicious.”
“No, I don’t drink.” Sam Allen, freshman studying studio art
Jenna Jones, freshman studying nursing
-photographs by Kevin Pan thepostathens.com / 5
Police Blotter
Hunters accidentally shoot local business, ‘sometimes-girlfriend’ accused of attempted theft Lauren Fisher For The Post At approximately 11:45 p.m., an Ohio University Police Department officer on patrol discovered two individuals who were using a screwdriver in an attempt to remove bricks near the Alden Library loading dock. Both were apprehended and charged with criminal mischief before returning the bricks to their original place, according to the police report. Over the course of the week, OUPD responded to 12 drug-related incidents, one instance of public urination, three thefts, three reports of criminal mischief and five alcohol-related incidents.
The ‘Sometimes’ Thief On Saturday, deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence complaint out of The Plains. Upon arrival, deputies encountered the complainant, who alleged that his “sometimes-girlfriend” had been at the residence and attempted to steal his debit card. Although the call was originally classified as a domestic dispute, the complainant told deputies there had been no threats of any type of violence and that the woman left prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Having deemed that no further assistance was necessary, deputies left the scene and the case was closed.
Not-so-sharp shooters That same day, ACSO deputies were called to a hunting-related incident just outside Nelsonville. According to the report, several individuals who had been “hunting from kayaks” on the Hocking River accidentally shot a building belonging to Dana’s Tire Center. While no one was injured as a result of the incident, the individuals involved were found on the river and detained by officers from the Nelsonville and Hocking College police departments. Their statements were collected and the case was turned over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Falling For You Around midnight Saturday, an OUPD officer observed a man in front of Bromley Hall engaged in a verbal altercation with a woman, who “fell down on the sidewalk” when the man walked away. The officer made contact with the woman, who, according to the police report, smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and was “very lethargic” in her movements. The individual, who was discovered to be of drinking age, was arrested on the charge of disorderly conduct by intoxication and transported to the OUPD station, where she was later released to a sober friend.
@lauren__fisher lf966614@ohio.edu
news briefs
University officials purchase former fraternity house, release more information on returning student housing process Jonny Palermo For The Post As the number of students on campus continues to grow, officials are considering new options to manage the number of available beds, including purchasing new properties and renovating old ones. Here’s more information on the top stories from the third week of Spring Semester. board of trustees approves purchase of former frat house The Ohio University Board of Trustees approved the purchase of a former fraternity house for $2 million. The building, 4 University Terrace, previously served as the fraternity house for Delta Tau Delta before it was suspended for five years due to hazing incidents in 2009. The university leased the property during that time before putting it up for sale in 2011. The board does not have any concrete plans for the building, but university officials anticipate the property being used for student housing if there are an insufficient number of beds available. 6 / JAN. 26, 2017
JEfferson hall to be a firstyear residence hall Housing and Residence Life is examining its options for the 2017-18 academic year to accommodate the needs of OU students once construction on Jefferson Hall is finished. Jefferson Hall is scheduled to open in time for Fall Semester and will be a firstyear residence hall, while Tanaka Hall and Luchs Hall will become mixed and second-year respectively, Jneanne Hacker, director for business operations and conference services, said. Returning students have increasingly wanted to live in suite-style rooms as opposed to traditional-style options, which is one of the reasons for the change, Hacker said. “To support the developmental needs and interests of our students, Jefferson Hall will be a first-year experience hall with no specialized living experience,” she said. “We will offer 239 additional suite-style spaces to our returning students ... which was of high interest and demand.” The second-year room selection process will begin once applicants have met
Jefferson Hall is set to reopen as a residence hall for first-year students next academic year. (BLAKE NISSEN / FILE)
the Feb. 17 application deadline. Similar to last year’s process, students will be assigned a random date and time to select a room. oU Student with meningitis discharged from Hospital The OU student who contracted bacterial meningitis has been released from
OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, and no other cases currently have been reported, James Gaskell, the Athens City-County health commissioner, said. “Typically with … that type of meningitis we don’t see clusters of cases,” Gaskell said. “We do not anticipate any other cases.” Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones,
who sent an email on Jan. 18 notifying students and staff of the reported case, is now talking with the student about returning to classes. “The number one concern for Ohio University is the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff,” OU Spokeswoman Carly Leatherwood said in an email. “Communication is a critical component for (the) University to keep our community informed when there is any threat to life, health or safety.”
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Special adviser David Descutner assigned as OU’s interim president
David Descutner (PROVIDED VIA UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING)
Kaitlin Coward NEWS EDITOR
W
hen Ohio University President Roderick McDavis leaves office next month, an administrator who has worked with the university for more than 35 years will briefly take
8 / JAN. 26, 2017
the reigns. David Descutner, a special adviser of Faculty & Academic Planning in OU’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, will be OU’s interim president from Feb. 18 until June 30. Beginning Feb. 1, he will serve as special assistant to the president. Following his term as interim president, he will serve as special assistant again until July 31 to aid the transition for OU’s new president. As interim president, Descutner’s main role will be to facilitate the university’s transition to a new president. OU Spokeswoman Carly Leatherwood said Descutner has not signed his employment contract yet, so specific details about his employment are not available. She said the university anticipates the contract will be in place the week of Jan. 30. Other universities in Ohio have had interim presidents recently. The University of Akron’s Board of Trustees appointed Matthew Wilson as the university’s interim president in July. He was named permanent president of the university in October, according to Cleveland.com. As interim president there, Wilson worked on enrollment and helped maintain the university’s budget. Joseph Alutto, now a distinguished professor in Ohio State University’s College of Business, served as OSU’s interim president from July 2013 to June 2014.
While he worked as interim president, Alutto maintained the same duties of a permanent president. Descutner said stability is important to him when it comes to transitioning from interim president to the next university president. "I want to make sure that the new president has every chance of being successful right from the get-go,” Descutner said. He referred to himself as an “absolute sponge for learning.” He received his bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock State University in Pennsylvania and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois. "What I've discovered is if you are able to have a song-like approach to the world, you're never stale,” Descutner said. “You're always fresh to new insights, new ways of thinking.” McDavis said he plans to help Descutner, a friend and colleague, as much as possible after McDavis leaves Feb. 17. “I'm going to stand ready to help the new permanent president once he or she is appointed," McDavis said. McDavis cited Descutner’s academic background as a key qualification for
interim position. "Any time you look for a president — interim or permanent — there are certain qualities, certainly communication skills, and Dean Descutner is right at the top of that list in terms of his ability to effectively communicate,” McDavis said. Board Chair David Wolfort said McDavis, faculty and Faculty Senate, among others, recommended Descutner as an interim president. "Provost (Pam Benoit) was also on that list, but the provost is running (as) our finalist as president, and she agreed with us that that might not be appropriate,” Wolfort said. Benoit also said she has worked with Descutner before. “We actually have known each other for a really long time,” Benoit said. “I can't think of anyone else to step into this role to make sure that we have a good transition." The university is expected to appoint a new president in March. The four finalists for OU’s president are Benoit, Dean Bresciani, Robert Frank and Duane Nellis.
@kcoward02 kc769413@ohio.edu
76 rape kits submitted after 2011 initiative AUBREE DIX FOR THE POST
T
he Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation confirmed results for 75 of 76 rape kits submitted by Athens County law enforcement agencies after the creation of the Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative in 2011. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who launched the initiative, announced Jan. 3 that 12,000 of 13,931 kits submitted under the initiative have been tested in Ohio. The initiative was introduced upon the discovery rape kits across the state weren’t being submitted to the BCI for testing. The initiative called for all untested kits to be submitted by law enforcement agencies at no cost to those agencies. BCI’s Public Information Officer Jill Del Greco said in an email that as of Jan. 1, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office submitted 10 kits, the Nelsonville Police Department submitted six, the Athens Police Department submitted 15 and the Ohio University Police Department submitted 45.
OUPD Lt. Tim Ryan said nine of the kits from OUPD were submitted in 2016. Every kit, except one submitted by OUPD, has been tested. Those kits have led to nine hits in the Combined DNA Index System, also called CODIS. The FBI’s website defines CODIS as a “program of support for criminal justice DNA databases as well as the software used to run these databases.” “It’s pretty rare (to get a match in the system). It doesn’t happen very often, but it happens occasionally,” Ryan said in an email. “When you get a CODIS hit … based on whatever circumstances you’ve been investigating and how that ties in, you follow up accordingly.” BCI DNA Technical Leader Lewis Maddox said once a rape kit has been conducted in Athens and has been sent to the Athens BCI branch, it gets transported to the London branch. Once there, samples are taken from the kit before it’s worked on or finally transported to the Richfield branch for DNA testing. Maddox said the testing initiative focused first on kits collected prior to
2000 and then began working backward from kits collected in 2011. “The point in doing that (was) to give law enforcement plenty of time for investigation of any hits so that they’re not coming up against the statute of limitations with older cases,” Maddox said. “Then we started working on newer cases because some of those individuals might still be out there committing offenses.” Maddox said it takes two to three weeks for the DNA testing process to be completed. “If any foreign male DNA profile (is obtained), any profiles that are eligible would be entered into CODIS and searched,” Maddox said. Maddox said it is up to a law enforcement agency on how an investigation is carried out once results are acquired. “If there’s a hit, we go find the person. Usually we can get a warrant for their arrest. It just depends on the crime,” APD Chief Tom Pyle said. “Specifically sexual assault, you know, there’s more than just, ‘Well, hey, we have a DNA hit, they’re under arrest,’ but it does give us substantial evidence linking people.”
According to a news release by the Ohio Attorney General’s office, Senate Bill 316 went into effect March 23, 2015, which called for all remaining untested kits to be submitted within a year and stated no future rape kits shall be left unsubmitted “to a crime lab within 30 days after law enforcement determines a crime has been committed.” “It’s rare that we don’t submit the kit. Usually, it’s because there’s no evidence of the crime or … it has to not fit the parameters that BCI wants for these kits for us not to submit it,” Pyle said. The news release also stated that 294 law enforcements agencies submitted kits under the SAK Testing Initiative, which led to 4,367 hits in CODIS. “Part of the ability by BCI in order to accomplish this goal is the staffing resources that Mr. DeWine hired and dedicated to this project,” Maddox said. -Bailey Gallion contributed to this report
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Police face solving more than just crime Local police often unlock cars and diffuse arguments in addition to enforcing laws
Illustration by Sarah Olivieri Bailey Gallion FOR THE POST
S
ometimes police work can be dangerous and dramatic — within the past month, local police have handled a shooting and two bank robberies, as well as a naked man allegedly assaulting one officer. Other times, officers deal with more mundane issues. “Sometimes we get calls that cars won’t start,” Ohio University Police Lt. Tim Ryan said. “Or they can’t get into their cars or they can’t find where they’re going.” Records from the Athens County Sheriff ’s Office show deputies responding to false alarms from security systems and mediating arguments. On Dec. 28, two Coolville residents got into an argument about whose turn it was to pick up around the house, and someone called the sheriff ’s office. Although fighting about chores isn’t necessarily a crime, the deputies stayed to resolve the conflict. The residents agreed to stop fighting about cleaning, according to the 10 / JAN. 26, 2017
police report. They then began arguing about whose turn it was to pick a TV program to watch, so deputies helped them make a plan to take turns sharing the TV for the rest of the night. The residents agreed to get along. The incident was one of the 249 calls related to domestic disputes the sheriff ’s office received in 2016. The incident doesn’t sound much like a scene from Law and Order, but Sheriff Rodney Smith said that sort of conflict resolution is part of law enforcement. “It’s what we do,” he said. “I would much rather we go out there before someone gets hurt and de-escalate the situation.” Domestic violence calls can be volatile — officers are more likely to be assaulted as they respond to a domestic violence call than they are responding to any other call. “I’m sure you’ve read, there’s been people killed for a piece of pie,” Smith said. “A cup of coffee or lunch. So we’ve gotta go make sure the situation is defused.” He said domestic disputes often require early intervention and conflict resolution and having deputies stay and re-
solve the issue is worth the extra time. “I don’t think it is a waste of time, because I feel very strongly that the one place you have to feel safe is your home,” he said. Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said the work police officers do to resolve non-criminal problems often goes undocumented. Agencies don’t have to write reports for incidents that aren’t criminal matters, but he said fixing those problems is still part of an officer’s job. “The overarching goal of any law enforcement officer, the big job we’re called to do … is we’re called to restore control in people’s lives who’ve lost control,” he said. He said he expects his officers to do the extra work like mediating arguments that aren’t quite criminal matters yet — when they have time. They don’t always, partly due to a current staffing shortage in his department. “There are times when we just simply put a Band-Aid on things and move on to the next call,” he said. OUPD lists services it provides on its website. In addition to law enforcement, the department provides self-de-
fense classes and can unlock and jumpstart cars. Ryan said problem-solving is part of all policing and that when people get lost or locked out of their cars, those are problems officers can solve. “You know, that’s just kind of the nature of law enforcement,” he said. “When people don’t know where to turn, they usually turn to the police, and we do our best to help.” He said more departments are playing a similar role as a way of enhancing community relations. “I think that’s one thing that campus policing always does really well, is focusing on building relations with the community,” he said. “I think we’re starting to see a national trend of a lot of different law enforcement agencies starting to turn their attention to (community relations).” Pyle said that kind of police work is nothing new. “It’s been this way for years,” he said. “It’s probably always been this way. It’s just not widely known.”
bg272614@ohio.edu @baileygallion
Technology Licensing TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER office helps OU faculty license research and start businesses
Professor John Kopchick developed SOMAVERT, a drug that treats acromegaly, a growth hormone disorder. OU’s Technology Transfer Office helped Kopchick get patents for the drug. (BLAKE NISSEN / FOR THE POST)
ALEX MEYER SENIOR WRITER When John Kopchick discovered a way to inhibit growth hormones in the late ‘80s, it led to the development of a life-saving drug. The drug the Ohio University professor of molecular biology discovered and developed is used to treat acromegaly, a hormonal disorder with harmful effects, such as disfigurement and organ disorders. “For anyone doing research, if the research can result in helping mankind in any way, what can be better than that?” he said. Kopchick worked with the university’s Technology Transfer Office to apply for patents for the drug, named SOMAVERT, which was first marketed in 2005 by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. “It’s a wonderful success story,” Kopchick, a distinguished professor, said. “Most importantly, it benefits thousands of patients worldwide. And it also benefits the university financially.” To date, the drug has generated between $80 and $100 million in research licensing income for the university, office director Bob Silva said. The office, founded in 1991, helps to make research like Kopchick’s both profitable and accessible. Specifically, it manages and commercializes intellectual property and innovations developed at OU by professors, researchers and some graduate students, Silva said.
“Our main goal is to get the research that’s done here out into the hands of the world or the country for good,” Silva said. “We want our research utilized.” The office works to achieve its goal, he said, by helping faculty acquire patents for technologies, marketing them and licensing them to companies. Often, the office will help connect professors with companies interested in licensing their research. Research licensing brought in a reported $10.6 million in licensing income for the 2015 fiscal year, Silva said. That income helps fund further research at OU, he said. David Bayless, Loehr Professor of Mechanical Engineering at OU, is another faculty member whose research has been commercialized by the Technology Transfer Office. Bayless, who has been a professor at OU since 1995, has six U.S. patents the office helped obtain, Silva said. Among those patented technologies are an “electrostatic precipitator” that uses water to remove particles from gases as well as fuel cell technology and systems for growing algae as a renewable energy source, Bayless said. One advantage of research licensing for engineering, Bayless said, is the ability to build relationships with industrial companies. “If (government agencies) think there’s a commercial company willing to spend money on an idea, they’re more willing to spend federal and state money on research,” he said. The office doesn’t work alone in its efforts to aid the com-
mercialization of faculty research and technologies: it works with other OU institutions, such as the Innovation Center. The center provides business incubation resources — such as workspaces, client assistance and expertise used to help companies progress — to entrepreneurs in Athens and throughout southeastern Ohio, Innovation Center Director Stacy Strauss said. The transfer office sometimes refers faculty with inventions to the Innovation Center for business expertise, and other times the center refers faculty to the transfer office for commercialization opportunities, Strauss said. The office also works with TechGrowth Ohio, a public-private partnership partially sponsored by OU, to help faculty and startup businesses licensing OU research. The program helps startups develop business plans, identify market opportunities and secure investments, program director John Glazer said. Kopchick also serves as a principal investigator for another one of the office’s partners, the Edison Biotechnology Institute, he said. The institute focuses on research and transferring research to the private sector, according to its website. Silva said he enjoys working with accomplished professors such as Bayless and Kopchick. “That’s the best part of my job, working with all these brilliant people and learning something new every single day,” Silva said.
@AlxMeyer am095013@ohio.edu
thepostathens.com / 11
Consent must be informed and voluntary. It must be cl unambiguous. Consent to s acts does not imply consen and consent can be revoke time. It cannot be obtained coercion or force.
Ohio University — along with several other Ohio colleges — defines consent differently than state law does, which can lead to disparities in how assault cases are handled at universities or in the legal system
Ohio University
Source: Ohio Univer policy 03.004
Defining Consent
S
Megan Henry / Asst. News Editor
tanding in front of a crowd of incoming students and their parents in Baker Ballroom during Bobcat Student Orientation, Dean of Students Jenny HallJones teaches consent through a metaphor: ordering pizza. Before launching into her annual talk, she highlights the problems associated with the baseball metaphor for sex, an analogy that compares sexual activities to reaching bases on a baseball diamond. The baseball metaphor turns sex into a competition, Hall-Jones said, something she believes is unnecessary. “I feel like we should talk about sexuality the way we order pizza,” Hall-Jones said. “I go into why I think that’s important, because it’s consensual and communicative.” She gives an example in which she asks the audience to think back to the last time they ordered pizza with someone they didn’t know. “‘What do you do? What kind of pizza do you like? Are you allergic to anything? Is there anything off limits?’ You work through this before you even get to order,” Hall-Jones said.
12 / JAN. 26, 2017
While giving the pizza talk, Ohio University’s definition of consent — policy 03.004 — is pulled up on a screen. Policy 03.004 defines consent as an informed, knowing and voluntary agreement to a sexual act. It must be clear and unambiguous for each participant, and consent to some sexual acts does not equal consent to other acts. The State of Ohio, however, does not have a definition of consent. That can lead to a different outcome when a person accused of sexual assault goes through procedures with the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance at OU compared to when that person goes through legal proceedings. Ohio University is not the only university to define consent differently than state law. The Ohio State University, the largest university in Ohio, defines consent as being active and states it must be given by words or actions. Miami University defines consent as knowing and voluntary verbal or non-verbal agreement between participants to engage in every sexual act. The only Mid-American Conference university in Ohio that does not explicitly define consent differently than the state is the University of Akron. The school has not established a separate definition for what constitutes consent, UA Spokesperson Wayne Hill said.
Consent is active and perm must be clear, knowing, vol expressed before engaging during a sexual act. Consen given by words or actions.
The Ohio State U
Source: The Office of Compliance and Inte
The lack of definition at the state level generally doesn’t match the precedent many colleges set for students. “There is no black-and-white definition of consent,” Athens County Prosecuting Attorney Keller Blackburn said. “We’ve been told if you consume alcohol, you can no longer consent. That’s not true, not in Ohio.” There are also major differences in the way sexual assault cases are handled between the university and the legal system. At the university level, a report is filed through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance. The office will inform the Title IX coordinator, Sara Trower, as well as local law enforcement if the report indicates sexual violence or other felonies have been committed. Once ECRC decides a matter will proceed, a joint investigation will be conducted by ECRC and the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility. Following the investigation, the investigative team will write a report, and pre-hearing meetings with the complainant and respondent will take place separately. Next, if the respondent does not accept responsibility after a pre-hearing meeting, a hearing will be conducted. The hearing authority will use the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, also known as the standard of proof,
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Consent is when a person agrees or gives permission to another person to engage in certain sexual acts. It is a knowing and voluntary verbal or non-verbal agreement to participate in each sexual act. Consent to one act does not imply consent to other forms of sexual activity. Taking drugs or consuming alcohol does not relieve the obligation to obtain consent. Miami University
Source: Title IX protocol at Miami
Effective consent is given when a person freely, actively and knowingly agrees at the time to participate in a particular sexual act with a person. Both people need to give a clear, verbal and enthusiastic yes. Only a verbal yes means consent has been given. University of Dayton
Source: Sexual Harrassment/ Misconduct Policy at Dayton
The University of Akron follows Ohio law in terms of defining what is not consent and has not established a definition for what constitutes consent. UA works to encourage students to create a culture with zero tolerance for behaviors that violate their values, ethics and the law. University of Akron
Source: UA Spokesperson Wayne Hill
Consent requires unambiguous communication and mutual agreement concerning the sexual act the participants are engaging in. It must be informed and freely given. A person cannot give consent if force, expressed or implied, duress, imitation, threats or deception are used on the accuser. Consent to some sexual acts does not imply consent to other acts. University of Toledo
Source: University of Toledo Title IX Policy
POLICIES ARE PARAPHRASED
to make their decision about whether the policy was violated. A notice of final determination will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation. The university’s investigations of sexual assaults are more informal than court proceedings, Elizabeth Pepper, chief assistant Athens County prosecutor, said. When the state charges sexual assault cases, the alleged offenders go to a grand jury, where it is decided whether they are indicted. Once an indictment has been filed, they enter a pretrial phase where they either get a public defender to serve as their attorney, or they hire private counsel, Pepper said. “(State statutes and code of conducts are) two very different worlds, and sometimes they come out with two different results,” Pepper said. “I’ve read results from hearings at OU that sometimes it will go one way, and I think of it a different way, but I mean that’s just how the cookie crumbles when you’re dealing with those two things.” Hall-Jones acknowledged that consent standards outside the university are “a whole other ball of wax,” but she said she still values putting the university’s definition of consent out in the open. “You’re trying to educate students on what consent is, and there could be 18 different definitions,” Hall-Jones
said. “That’s why we try to make sure our definition and what we’re gonna do is out there.” The reason for the pizza talk, originally found in a TED talk from sex educator Al Vernacchio, is to open a dialogue about what consent means at OU. Brendan Hogan, a sophomore studying finance, said there are “multiple levels” of consent and that mutual agreement is required for each level. “I think there are some strong levels of nonverbal communication,” Hogan said. “I think there’s a spectrum that leads to risks; I guess if there is any area of uncertainty, verbal would probably be best.” Addie Brown, a sophomore studying psychology, said consent has to be verbal, even though OU policy states consent can be nonverbal. “Consent is you ... giving a verbal, a very blunt type of answer,” Brown said. “Anything that’s not ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ to me, is not consent.” She said she remembers Hall-Jones’ pizza talk, but she can’t always remember the meaning behind it. “It’s something that definitely sticks with people, the idea of the pizza,” Brown said. “But the actual meaning behind it, I always kind of forget.” Though people might not remember the specifics of
the pizza talk, Hall-Jones said in an email her talk is only “one piece of a comprehensive strategy to educate people about consent and healthy relationships.” Martha Compton, director of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, said she hopes students go beyond the policy. “We certainly hope that students are … having really in-depth conversations,” Compton said. “We know that’s not always going to happen.” She said she thinks OU’s definition of consent is realistic. “Just because that question wasn’t asked and answered verbally doesn’t mean that there weren’t positive words or actions or affirmative words or actions that lead to an understanding of consent,” Compton said. Hall-Jones believes OU’s policy is an affirmative consent policy, which means any sexual activity is known, voluntary and mutual. “We teach this higher level of what we want people to use as consent,” Hall-Jones said. “We hold people to our policy.”
@megankhenry mh573113@ohio.edu thepostathens.com / 13
Campus Conversations: Responding thoughtfully to oppressive comments and actions
Wednesday, Feb. 1 Baker Ballroom A 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. There are many opportunities to respond to events personally and in the media. All too often we are silent. All too often our responses may drive a deeper wedge between people. In this highly participatory conversation we will explore ways to plant seeds and develop allies.
“ ” How can we communicate across apparent divisions? How can we reach people we disagree with?
14 / JAN. 26, 2017
Some Athens residents find their passion in brewing beer from home ALEX MCCANN FOR THE POST On any given weekend — or Wednesday night — patrons at the bars on Court Street guzzle pitchers upon pitchers of beer. Most likely, those bargoers are drinking Bud Light, Coors Light or Miller Lite, according to a Grocery Headquarters and IRI report about sales of domestic beer from 2015 to 2016. Eric Hedin has made similar beers and other beers with ingredients like Count Chocula or Fruity Pebbles cereals, and he does so in nothing more than a pot warmed with a propane burner. Hedin, 57, is the owner and operator of the Athens Do It Yourself Shop, 16060 Canaanville Rd., a store that he describes as “10 percent antiques and 90 percent beer.” Hedin has operated the DIY Shop for nine years, but he has been brewing for 25 years and drinking for longer. “I invented opening a beer with a BIC lighter,” Hedin said with a grin. The Athens DIY Shop is a small brick building just off Route 50, about 10 minutes from Uptown Athens. Inside, white barrels, full of various 50-pound bags of malted barley, line the right-hand wall. A variety of clean, empty beer bottles — some in bins, some on racks, some placed haphazardly onto a table — fill the store with color. Behind the brewing equipment, a shelf overflows with books, most Homebrewed with titles such as How to Brew and Radical Brewing. When Hedin gets down to brewing, it’s clear how functional the shop is. Hedin starts the process with a rec-
ipe-making computer program, Strangebrew, or with prepared blends, which he calls “cake mix for beer.” Hedin started brewing after helping some of his friends who brewed. “It makes it a lot easier if you have a brew buddy,” he said. One such “brew buddy” is Jody Grenert. Grenert is a communications specialist at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as an avid homebrewer of nine years and the president of the Athens Homebrew Club. Grenert described Athens as “a beer destination” and said many people like locally made products. “Everybody likes the idea of growing (ingredients) yourself or it being made or grown nearby,” Grenert said. For Grenert, brewing is becoming more than just a simple hobby. Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron recently purchased one of his recipes, a beer named “King Gose Home.” “It’s a sour, salty, wheat-based beer,” Grenert said. Grenert called Hedin, who is also a member of the Athens Homebrew Club, “the local source for all beer-making.” Hedin and Grenert are just two of an estimated 1.2 million homebrewers in the United States, according to the American Homebrewers Association. Melissa Kuchta, a freshman studying chemical engineering, is not a homebrewer, but she is interested in the subject. Kuchta’s grandfather, Frederick Dely, a German immigrant, made his own beer a handful of times, she said. Dely started brewing after receiving a kit for Christmas, and he made beer for his family. “It was kind of cool,” Kuchta said. “In the future, it’d be cool to do it myself.” Hedin deals with many similar customers who come into his store with no experience but a desire to make beer. He reminds them that price is no obstacle, as the basic starter kit that he sells is $85, not including ingredients. Prices can rise as homebrewers brew more — the average homebrewer spends $800 annually, according to the American Homebrewers Association. Hedin adjusts the measurements in a recipe for a Guinness-style stout beer and smiles. “It’s OK to have a little more alcohol, right?” he said. @ALEXMCCANN21 AM622914@OHIO.EDU
OU’s LGBT Center first of its kind for Ohio universities, developed about 17 years ago
Maddie Capron For The Post
W
hen National Coming Out Day overlapped with Homecoming at Ohio University, the Campus Involvement Center worked with the LGBT Center to celebrate it. For the last three years, rainbow lights would flash in the dome in Baker Center. During Homecoming, the Marching 110 played over the speaker every hour, but at three different times throughout the day, “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross played instead. That’s one way the LGBT Center shows its presence on OU’s campus. Unlike some other universities that either don’t have LGBT Centers or have a different equivalent, OU’s LGBT Center provides students with the opportunity to learn about the LGBTQ community and the issues it faces because of the center’s involvement. Because the OU LGBT Center falls under Academic Affairs instead of Student Affairs, it is able to work with faculty and staff to incorporate curriculum in the classroom. “Other schools, from what I’ve seen, may do something similar, but because they’re under the student affairs umbrella, academic work isn’t necessarily their primary focus,” delfin bautista, director of the LGBT Center, said. Bowling Green State University and Kent State University have LGBT centers, Miami University and the University of Toledo have their university’s equivalent, and the University of Akron does not have one. There is no specific LGBT center on campus, Kelley Kimple, director of the
Office of Diversity Affairs for Miami University, said. Instead, the LGBT division falls under that office, and the department has one staff professional that works with LGBTQ students, faculty and staff. The University of Toledo’s LGBTQA+ Initiatives is within the university’s Office of Multicultural Student Success. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the community and increase education about LGBTQ issues. When it opened about 17 years ago, OU’s LGBT Center was the first of its kind at a university in Ohio. Although other universities have centers and resources for LGBTQ students, those resources may not be as visible on campus because of how the university is set up, bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, said. Marissa Radigan, a graduate student studying college student personnel, works in the OU LGBT Center. After not
having an official LGBT center when she completed her undergraduate degree at Bluffton University, she said OU’s center helps form a community for many different people. “Anybody who comes in is very welcome here, and it’s obviously a safe place,” Radigan said. “It’s a place where people can go to relax and be themselves, and make friends and stuff. I think that’s important.” Anna Neawedde, a senior in specialized studies with an emphasis on gender, communication and management, said OU’s LGBT Center has a strong presence on campus. “The LGBT Center is even (more) unique than other offices on campus in regards to how they really go about making it feel like a community,” Neawedde, LGBTQA Affairs Commissioner for Student Senate, said. Collaboration with the Women’s Center and the Multicultural Center also makes
the LGBT Center unique, bautista said. At most universities, all of those offices are grouped together to form a diversity office. Because each center functions as its own unit at OU, however, the centers are able to collaborate across different issues. Even though other universities have started adopting some of OU’s policies, such as gender-neutral housing and LGBT studies certificates, many still look to OU as a leader for university LGBT centers, bautista said. “It’s been cool that schools outside of Ohio have reached out to us in many different ways for guidance or suggestions,” bautista said. “(Gender-neutral) housing, as well as the name and pronoun policy, have generated a lot of phone calls (from other schools).”
@maddiecapron mc055914@ohio.edu
The Director of the LGBT Center, delfin bautista, sits in their office on Jan. 23. Ohio’s LGBT center opened 17 years ago, and was the first center of its kind at a university in Ohio. (HANNAH RUHOFF / FOR THE POST) thepostathens.com / 15
Brain Tingles YouTube videos featuring people speaking softly and toying with items create ‘tingling’ sensation
Meghan Morris for the post
A
tingling sensation, also known as ASMR, which stands for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” is a perception that has existed for a while, but just received a name in 2010. In simpler terms, it describes a “tingling” sensation people can experience, sometimes through the entire top halves of their bodies, when they are exposed to visual and auditory triggers in ASMR videos or real-life occurrences, according sleep.org, a website powered by the National Sleep Foundation. Devon Hannan, a sophomore studying journalism, was participating in a sleep study in high school, and her friend told her to listen to an ASMR video that would put her to sleep. Now, she said she still watches the videos to help her fall asleep because she deals with insomnia, but also will use them “to relax every now and then.” “(I enjoy) anything realistic as possible,” Hannan said. She said she likes kissing sounds, tapping and crinkling. Sometimes she enjoys certain people who make YouTube videos featuring layered sounds with a 3Dio binaural microphone — which commonly has lifelike ears on either side of the stand — or if the person has an accent and whispers a lot. The “tingles” ASMR triggers are not overpowering, Hannan said. Before ASMR videos were popular on YouTube, Bob Ross’ television series were considered an “ASMR staple,” because 16 / JAN. 26, 2017
his soft-spoken painting videos could cause the same effect in viewers, according to The Independent. According to Google Trends, searches for “ASMR” have risen steadily since 2011, and hit an alltime high in January 2017. A Swansea University study done in March 2015 found that whispering was a trigger for 75 percent of the almost 500 participants. ASMR videos have been floating around YouTube for several years, but have not always been labeled as ASMR. Lucas Hakes-Rodriguez, a senior studying journalism, discovered these videos because someone he watched on YouTube had liked videos relating to head massages. After that, he started seeing the ASMR tag across the platform. “At its core, ASMR is personal attention,” Hakes-Rodriguez said. Hakes-Rodriguez went from watching to making ASMR videos for viewers of his YouTube channel, Silken Vocals ASMR. In some of his videos, he plays a clerk at a bookstore or an eyebrow stylist. He uses simple props such as books, records or a glass filled with ice. Hakes-Rodriguez has posted seven videos on his channel and has more than 150 subscribers. Many YouTubers who make ASMR videos use binaural microphones, which create realistic, location-based sound for the listener. “A hyper recording of different textures and sounds ... will make you feel that it’s happening to you,” Kyle Snyder, lecturer and
Illustration by Marcus Pavilonis
outreach coordinator of media arts and studies, said. Based on where the microphone user makes a sound, the listener will hear the sound coming from that direction if they are wearing headphones. “You need (a binaural microphone) to create that realistic experience,” Josh Antonuccio, lecturer of media arts and studies and co-creator of the Immersive Media Initiative, said. Many established creators of ASMR YouTube videos use 3Dio microphones, which are shaped like human ears. Antonuccio said the microphones in each rubber ear recreate “the human expe-
rience,” which causes the “intimate” feeling, explaining the videos’ success. From a psychological standpoint, it makes sense for those videos to have a calming effect on the body, as endorphins and neurotransmitters are released while a person is experiencing ASMR, Nicholas Allan, an assistant professor of clinical psychology, said. Allan added that he showed an ASMR video to his wife, and she experienced a tingling that started at the neck and “cascaded” down her back. A small part of ASMR videos are channels that include sexual
content, Hakes-Rodriguez said. According to the study done by Swansea University, only 5 percent of the participating ASMR users said they have watched videos for “sexual stimulation”. There is a stigma against ASMR in general because “the concept of someone whispering in your ear to get you to fall asleep is creepy,” Hannan said. She added that people should look it up and find out if it works for them before passing judgment.
@marvelllousmeg mm512815@ohio.edu
thepostathens.com / 17
BASKETBALL
Ohio redshirt junior guard Jaaron Simmons poses for a portrait inside The Convo. With senior forward Antonio Campbell out for the rest of the season due to a broken foot, Coach Saul Phillips will look to Simmons to lead the offense. (CARL FONTICELLA / PHOTO EDITOR)
Jaaron Simmons is ready to own the MAC With Campbell done for the year, Jaaron Simmons is slated to do even more for Ohio Luke o’roark FOR THE POST
J
aaron Simmons and Antonio Campbell were attempting to win a Mid-American Conference title together. If they pulled it off, it would be the Bobcats’ first since 2012. Now, Simmons has to do it alone. After practice on Jan. 19, Simmons sat slightly hunched in a chair, with his phone in hand and eyes gazing ahead. Simmons, Ohio’s starting point guard, was trying to comprehend the news: Antonio Campbell, Simmons’ 18 / JAN. 26, 2017
teammate, friend and roommate, had a broken right foot and a finished collegiate athletic career. The two know each other well but following Campbell’s injury, Simmons wasn’t too talkative. “He’s good,” Simmons said plainly about the senior forward, and his screenand-roll partner, Campbell. “He’s good.” Simmons, however, wasn’t good. Starting this past Saturday and moving forward, Simmons will have to do even more for the Bobcats — a tough task for someone who’s already the most influential player.
But it’s already shown. Against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 14 — Campbell’s final game as a Bobcat — Simmons only garnered two points, a season-low. Just three days later, Simmons gashed Akron for 19 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal in 40 minutes. The Bobcats lost, 83-68. Simmons never rested. Campbell had to watch from the sidelines with a boot. Saturday against Northern Illinois, Simmons (again) led Ohio in scoring. This time, 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He followed up with 17 points, 10 assists Tuesday against Toledo.
“I just have to be more aggressive, score more and help other people score more,” Simmons said before the Akron game. “That’s the big thing. It’s not just me, it’s me putting my teammates in a position to where they can score.” Originally, Campbell was considered “day-to-day” after initial tests showed no breakage in his right foot, coach Saul Phillips said Jan. 16. Phillips added that Campbell felt “off” during an early shootaround before Ohio’s loss to Eastern Michigan, but still speculated Campbell would be OK. But after a second MRI scan of Camp-
“
I just have to be more aggressive, score more and help other people score more. That’s the big thing. It’s not just me, it’s me putting my teammates in a position to where they can score.” - Jaaron Simmons
bell’s foot showed a breakage early last week, Ohio’s chase for a MAC title became significantly more difficult. Campbell leads the team in points (16.4) and rebounds (8.9). “I get the sentiment around the league will be ‘there goes Ohio,’ ” Phillips said. “There isn’t a part of me that will let myself or anybody on this team believe that. Our job is to get better and learn to play with the new reality of not having Tony.” It’s officially the end of the Simmons-Campbell era, a duo that looked to bring Ohio its first conference title since 2012. The two will never play another second together — at least not in Athens. Together, Simmons and Campbell pulled the Bobcats out of the MAC cellar their first season playing under Coach Phillips. The results were magical in 2015-16: Simmons broke D.J. Cooper’s single-season assist record tallying 275 in 35 game. Campbell became the first Bobcat since 2013 to win MAC Player of the Year after averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game on 56 percent shooting. And they still had a full year together. It all evaporated Jan. 19 when news broke that Campbell’s Bobcat career was over. What the duo could’ve achieved officially falls into the “What if?” category of Ohio lore. “This is one of the worst ways to end my career as a Bobcat,” Campbell said in a statement released on Twitter. Due to Campbell’s injury, he is unavailable to give comment until his surgery and physical therapy is complete. “In this frustrating time, all I can do is say thank you to everyone who has helped me get where I have got today,” Campbell’s statement continued. For Simmons, he touches the ball more
than any other Bobcat — even more than Campbell, who averaged a 30.88 usage percentage in his final year. Simmons dictates the offense like a general, strategically orchestrating where each Bobcat should be. He averages 13 points and seven assists, which is first in the MAC, and averages 40 percent shooting per game. Simmons’ player efficiency rating is 12.37 this season, according to basketball analytics site, basketball.realgm.com. Player efficiency rating is a rating of player’s per-minute productivity, according to ESPN. ESPN calculates PER by holistically combining the player’s “good qualities” like made field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals, and then deducting the player’s “bad qualities” like missed field goals, turnovers and personal fouls to formulate a single number and show how efficient a player is per minute on the court. A season ago, Simmons’ PER was 17.21. To compare, Toledo’s Jonathan Williams PER is 20.35 as of Wednesday. He averages 20 points and three assists per game on 45 percent shooting. Central Michigan’s Marcus Keene, the nation’s leading scorer, has a PER of 26.80 this season. A dip in PER doesn’t give the whole picture, as Simmons’ overall statistics have dipped his third year because the Bobcats have more options on offense like Jordan Dartis, Gavin Block and Kenny Kaminski. But now, the redshirt junior from Dayton will have to pace his team against MAC elite without one of his best teammates. And one of his best friends. “Ah, man,” Simmons said last week, pausing, reflecting on him and Campbell’s relationship. “That’s my brother.”
@Lukeoroark Lr514812@ohio.edu thepostathens.com / 19
Channeling LGBT TV Do tv portrayals of LGBTQ+ individuals reflect reality? Mae Yen Yap For The Post
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character death is nothing new. However, when The CW’s sci-fi dystopian television series The 100 killed off a major character, it sparked more than just feelings of sadness among fans. Falling victim to a television trope titled “Bury Your Gays,” the character, Lexa (Alycia Debnam Carey) — who is a fan-favorite as well as a lesbian — was immediately killed off after consummating her relationship with Clarke (Eliza Taylor). The trope highlights the number of deaths of gay and lesbian characters after positive events in their stories, such as declarations of love. There have been more than 25 LGBTQ-identifying female character deaths on television since the beginning of 2016, according to GLAAD’s annual report on LGBTQ inclusion, titled “Where We Are on TV,” in the 2016-17 television season. The report stated many of those deaths, “served no other purpose than to further the narrative of a more central (and often straight, cisgender) character.” For Kim Little, an associate di20 / JAN. 26. 2017
rector and associate lecturer in the women’s, gender and sexuality studies department, an important question to keep in mind when discussing representations of LGBTQ-identifying individuals is, “At what point is representation good?” “I mean, sure, you can say (their presence) is progress,” Little said. “But if it’s stereotypical, if their storylines are tragic or they’re marginalized, belittled and mocked upon, obviously there’s a problem.” Following Lexa’s death, fans started using the popular hashtag “#burytropesnotus” on Twitter and also started the international initiative “LGBT Fans Deserve Better.” The initiative is an online fundraiser that has raised $160,000 as of press time for The Trevor Project, a national organization providing suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth in crisis. Formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, GLAAD reported that out of 895 characters on television series, 4.8 percent were portrayed to be LGBTQ-identifying characters. That is a record high for LGBTQ representation since the organization started collecting the data 12 years ago.
Although there has been increased representation of LGBTQ-identifying individuals over the years, Akil Houston, an associate professor in the department of African-American studies, said some portrayals could enforce negative stereotypes of those individuals. “I think we’ve seen progression over the years,” Houston said. “But if you’re starting from zero, anything would be progression.” Due to television’s primary nature as a business, Nathan Sulecki, a senior studying computer science, believes television shows hinting at relationships between characters without explicitly stating anything, often referred to as queerbaiting, could be a way to pander toward both supporters and opposers of LGBTQ portrayals in the media. “(TV) is a business in the end, they’re always going to be driving for profit,” Sulecki said. “Having an explicitly LGBTQIA character could definitely affect that.” Throughout the years, the number of LGBTQ-identifying characters on television shows has increased, but there is still room to grow.
the early 2000s During the early 2000s, television series Queer as Folk and The L Word, both on premium channel Showtime, followed the lives of groups of LGBT-identifying characters and portrayed romantic relationships between people of the same gender. However, delfin bautista, director of the LGBT Center, believes both TV series had “problematic” aspects that falsely represented the community. “(These shows were) just overly sexual, overly white, over-privileged individuals that didn’t reflect the community in many ways,” bautista, who uses the lowercase spelling of their name and they/them pronouns, said. “And if you didn’t fit that stereotype, then what would you do?”
Reality TV In terms of reality television shows, bautista believes the lack of portrayal of LGBTQ-identifying individuals in popular series such as The Bachelor and its female counterpart, The Bachelorette, is due to the lack of inclusivity in the general media. The current season of The
Bachelor features the first openly bisexual contestant, Jaimi, according to Refinery29. “On network television, (no) bachelor or ... bachelorette … has ever (been part of the LGBTQ community),” bautista said. “(The shows have) always been heterosexual, and so there’s no LGBT content.” On the other hand, Ellen DeGeneres, who came out in 1997 as a lesbian, hosts a long-running, self-titled talk show. DeGeneres often includes jokes about her relationship with her wife during her segments. Kate Wyse, a sophomore studying English education, believes DeGeneres’ open attitude toward members of her audience regardless of their beliefs allows people to view DeGeneres as more than just her sexual identity. “I think her show is a really good example … a really good portrayal of the LGBTQ community and how people could react to it,” Wyse said.
Prime-Time Tv Although the main characters on Glee and Modern Family are not entirely LGBTQ-identifying individuals, both shows have main characters who identify as being gay, bautista said. “(Kurt Hummel from Glee)’s storyline initially focused on him just being gay, (but) as the series continued ... different aspects (of the character, portrayed by Chris Colfer) evolved,” they said. Those different aspects of a character could also be seen between
Mitch Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) from Modern Family, bautista said. Mitch and Cameron are a gay couple, but the show also focuses on their experiences as parents and their lives beyond their identities. “(For) someone who believes that homosexuality is a sin and is super resistant to anyone in the LGBT community, (Modern Family may) humanize the LGBT community because the particular family (was) represented not purely by their sexuality,” Little said, although she acknowledged there are still problems with the show because it occasionally relies on stereotypes.
Streaming Services Sam Haug, a junior studying wildlife biology and conservation and global studies-Asia, said the diverse representations in Orange in the New Black and Shameless are a reason why they started watching the shows. “I like how there’s a different, diverse portrayal of people,” Haug, who is a student worker at the LGBT Center and uses they/them pronouns, said. “Not just people of different ages, but racial, ethnic backgrounds, occupations and life stories in general.” To Haug, the increase in LGBTQ-identifying characters in “more popular shows” normalizes the existence of individuals who identify as such, which is repre-
sentative of reality, they said. “I like how more popular shows kinda normalize LGBT people because they exist everywhere,” Haug said. “It’s not just like the pretty, white, gay boy who’s there for comedic relief.”
cartoons Aimed toward a younger audience, Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe is a popular cartoon. It often discusses and subverts gender and sexuality tropes. Niko Harring ton, a freshman studying games and animation, believes Steven Universe’s portrayal of LGBTQ-identifying individuals is not only done positively, but it also is done realistically compared to other television series because the characters’ personalities are further developed past their sexual and gender identities. “Garnet, for example, is basically two lesbians in a trench coat,” Harrington said. “(But) that’s not all of her identity. She’s seen as someone strong and supportive, and she’s more than just the sum of her parts.” Although the cartoon has been criticized by conservatives for having themes of gender and sexuality, bautista said the cartoon is “a possibility for (children) to find safety (and) to learn that being different is OK.” “It’s a show (that introduces topics such as having) feelings for people of the same gender without over-sexualizing it,” Harrington said.
In the future To Houston, the path to achieve proper representation may require members of different marginalized groups to be in positions behind the scenes in order to represent themselves accurately. “It takes the members of whatever marginalized community it is to … say ‘no, this is inaccurate, this is a stereotype’ or ‘let’s flesh out this character, let’s make them 3-dimensional and not just an assumption on what it means to be a member of that community,” he said. Although there has been an increase in LGBTQ-identifying characters on television, Little emphasizes how those shows are often confined to pay-cable platforms, such as Amazon and Netflix, because advertisers “don’t want to associate their brand with that show.” “I think that we’re going to have to wait for some real shifts, either in how the industry operates with less reliance on advertisers funding you and a more artistic expression and integrity, or if we see such a dramatic change quickly where we see a far more tolerant world,” Little said. bautista said they’re curious to see how things would play out and are hopeful for a society that is “not only tolerant, but (also) celebrating of difference.” “We know that LGBT people exist. Why is that such a (controversial) thing?” bautista said. “We’ve always existed, and we will always exist.”
@summerinmae my389715@ohio.edu
Timeline / TV shows with LGBT characters Ellen TV Series - 1994
The L Word - 2004
Quuer as Folk - 2000
Modern Family - 2009
Glee - 2009
Shameless - 2011
Stephen Universe - 2013
Orange Is The New Black - 2013 thepostathens.com / 21
the weekender mae yen yap For the Post The first time delfin bautista, the director of the LGBT Center, saw American Sign Language student interpreters on campus was during Ohio University LGBT Center’s annual drag show. “(The students) came and just wanted to do it from the kindness of their hearts, but it did raise the question,” bautista, who uses the lowercase spelling of their name and they/them pronouns, said. “We talk about being inclusive (and) accessible, but are we?” The LGBT Center will be hosting a series of Dine-n-Discuss sessions throughout the semester regarding the intersections between gender identity, sexual orientation and ability, with the main goal of increasing awareness of the topic on campus. The first in the series will take place Friday, and will feature Lori Wood and Rob Stevens, bautista said. Among topics focused on discussing intersections of identity are an individual’s race, religion and geographic location, however, this may cause discussions regarding a person’s ability to be neglected, bautista said. “Many folks have invisible disabilities that we don’t always see (and) are receiving services from the Office of Accessibility,” bautista said. “And so, we need to address that and not in a ‘shame on you, what’s wrong with you’ perspective, but what are the strengths (and) resiliencies that intersection brings?” Barry Brady, a staff counselor for Counseling and Psychological Services, said visible disabilities are “visually apparent,” such as individuals who utilize wheelchairs, canes or service animals. On the other hand, invisible disabilities are “things that folks can’t see,” and can range from learning disabilities to attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and can include autism and chronic illnesses. Although the topic has been talked about during some discussions over the last two years, the series will be the first time it will be discussed in-depth throughout a semester, Carey Busch, assistant dean of Student Accessibility Services, said. “Historically, there’s been just a lack of discussion about sexuality in general with people who have disabilities,” Busch said. “And if you’re not talking about sexuality, you’re 22 / JAN. 26, 2017
Intersecting identities The LGBT Center will be hosting a series of Dine-n-Discuss sessions regarding the intersections between being an LGBT-identifying individual and having a disability
If You Go What: Dine-n-Discuss: Intersections of Queerness and Dis/Ability feat. Lori Wood and Rob Stevens When: 12 p.m., Friday Where: LGBT Center, Baker 354 Admission: Free What: Dine-n-Discuss: Microaggressions, Privilege and Dis/Ability feat. Barry Brady When: 6 p.m., Feb. 9 Where: LGBT Center, Baker 354 Admission: Free
The LGBT Center at Ohio University in Baker Center during 2015. The LGBT Center will be hosting a series of Dine-n-Discuss sessions focused on the topic of intersectionality in gender identity, sexual orientation and ability. (SCHUYLER MORRIS / FILE)
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Many folks have invisible disabilities that we don’t always see (and) are receiving services from the Office of Accessibility. And so, we need to address that and not in a ‘shame on you, what’s wrong with you’ perspective, but what are the strengths (and) resiliencies that intersection brings?” -delfin bautista, director of the LGBT Center
definitely not talking about sexual orientation (or) gender identity,” Often times, the word “disability” would be used negatively and may imply a person
does not have “normal abilities,” Busch said. “Some people use (the term ‘dis/ability’) as a way to put more of an emphasis on abilities and people with disabilities just have differ-
ent talents than someone without a disability,” Busch said. To Busch, the discussions will be a way for the conversation that “doesn’t always happen (among) people with disabilities” to move forward. Brady will be leading the second Dinen-Discuss session next month and will be focusing on how microaggression and privilege affect individuals with disabilities. A microaggression is an attitude, Brady said, that manifests through behaviors such as statements or actions that are usually degrading or offensive toward specific groups of people. “Sometimes we may be the people perpetrating microaggression unintentionally,” he said. “(We may not have) the intent to be hurtful or aggressive, but that can be the impact.” The events this semester will be a starting place to have conversations with LGBT-identifying individuals and individuals with disabilities about what needs to be done in order to keep moving forward in the future, Busch said. “(It) would be great for us to continue to do programming and initiatives to address the issue of intersectionality including ability status, sexual orientation and gender identities,” Brady said. “It’s constantly going to be a process, … it’s something we’re always working toward and striving to improve on.”
@summerinmae my389715@ohio.edu
WHAT’S HAPPENING Alex McCann / For The Post
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his weekend, Athens residents will have chance to listen to a wide variety of live music, from metal to acoustic, while a member of one of the most popular bands to spring out of Athens’ vibrant music scene is due to return. Anthony Thogmartin, one of the five members of Athens-born band Papadosio, will bring his solo side project, EarthCry, back to the town in which his music career began. While Papadosio, now based in Asheville, North Carolina, is known for its spacey progressive rock, EarthCry performs electronic dance music. EarthCry mixes electronic sounds with samples and live instruments, as evidenced on its
most recent release, the eclectic Sun Path. Cleveland-based psychedelic jam band Vibe & Direct and Mild Movements, the electronic act of Ohio University student Tyler Blanck, will open for EarthCry. Athens-based band Appalachian Hillside Revolution will perform not once, but twice at the Smiling Skull Saloon this weekend. On Friday, the folk-rock trio will open for The Darkest Timeline, a Washington, D.C.-based group that, according to its website, plays “songs that range from alt-country to folk pop to blues rock to indie prog.” On Saturday, Appalachian Hillside Revolution is the sole act on the bill at the Skull.
Friday
What: Opening of ‘In the Margins’ When: 6 p.m. Where: AthensWorks, 29 E. Carpenter St. Admission: Free
What: Magnolia Child and Valerie Mash When: 8 p.m. Where: Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St. Admission: $2-$5 What: The Darkest Timeline with Appalachian Hillside Revolution When: 9 p.m. Where: Smiling Skull Saloon, 108 W. Union St. Admission: $3 What: Party with a Purpose with musical guests Zapple Pie, Caitlin Kraus, Liz Pahl and Emerson B When: 9 p.m. Where: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. Admission: Donation What: ‘80s Night with DJ Barticus When: 10 p.m. Where: Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. Admission: Free
Farther up Union Street on Friday night, The Union Bar & Grill will host a “Party with a Purpose” in support of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio (PPAO). PPAO campaigns and advocates for the protection of reproductive health care in Ohio, especially by supporting Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit organization that provides a range of reproductive health services. The Party with a Purpose will raise funds and awareness for PPAO, and several local musicians — Zapple Pie, Caitlin Kraus, Liz Pahl and Emerson B — are scheduled to perform. Local favorite DJ Barticus is set for
another of his signature dance nights on Saturday. ’80s Night, hosted this week at Casa Nueva, is one of several dance nights DJ Barticus hosts and deejays. Finally, bright and early at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the Athens Friends of the Shelter Dogs will host a buffet breakfast fundraiser. The breakfast will be at Texas Roadhouse, 996 E. State St., and adoptable dogs should be around after breakfast, according to the event’s Facebook page.
@alexmccann21 am622914@ohio.edu
Saturday
What: Friends of the Shelter Dogs Buffet Breakfast When: 7:30 a.m. Where: Texas Roadhouse, 996 E. State St. Admission: $7 in advance, $10 at door
What: Hockey: Athens Bobcats vs. Hilliard Wildcats When: Senior night ceremony at 5:15 p.m, game at 5:45 p.m. Where: Bird Arena Admission: Free
What: Jim Watchel and Just Gigs When: 6 p.m. Where: Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. Admission: Free What: Brenna Lynn and Winter Wilson When: 8 p.m. Where: Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St. Admission: $3 What: Appalachian Hillside Revolution When: 10 p.m. Where: Smiling Skull Saloon, 108 W. Union St. Admission: $3
What: Eric Gunn’s Birthday Bash with music from Hex Net, Hellnaw, Water Witches, County Pharoahs, Blam Blams, Mossman and more When: 9 p.m. Where: The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St. Admission: Free What: Monocle, Watch Them Rot, Empty Throne and TFU When: 10 p.m. Where: Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. Admission: $3
Sunday
What: Winter Wellness Class & Gypsy Cold Care Workshop When: 1:30 p.m. Where: Wolf Tree Collective, 74 E. State St. Admission: $20
What: ‘Dirty Dancing’ When: 7 p.m. Where: Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St. Admission: $12.50
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