Ohio police departments can now charge for body camera footage PG. 2 President Donald Trump sworn into power PG. 4 OU, Athens celebrate MLK Day PG. 7
WINTER-FERENCE IN ATHENS
Heavy snow, cold weather hit Athens
Athens County received a total snowfall of 8-12 inches depending on the area between Jan. 5-7. Although the snow is not predicted to return, cold weather continues to affect OU students and Athens residents.
DREW HOFFMASTER NEWS STAFF WRITER
Athens County received a total snowfall of 8-12 inches depending on the area between Jan. 5-7. The snow was caused by a low-pressure system, especially a mid-latitude cyclone over the Rocky Mountains. This was formed by a cold front from Canada colliding with a warm front carried by a jet stream from the South.
“Our jet stream is a lot more fluctuating right now,” James Zinnbauer, the webmaster from Scalia Laboratory, said. “When we have troughs that bring down cold air and ridges that push up warmer air, that’s going to be strong temperature contrast will generate a lot of (snow).”
down and people should only be out for emergencies or have a job that permits it.
The cyclone was then blown east. The northeastern part of a cyclone typically has precipitation, which is the part that passes over the Mid-Ohio Valley causing the snow.
“The interactions between troughs and ridges might be somewhere in a transition zone where you have a lot of moisture, cold air, all kinds of interacting,” Zinnbauer said. “We could see low pressure develop in this region and could be snow for some parts of the United States, depending on where it is.”
Due to all of the snow, Rodney Smith, the Sheriff of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, issued a level three snow emergency Jan. 5 at 11:20 p.m. The levels are determined by the dep uties from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office out patrolling. Level one means snow is on the road and to be cautious while level two means there is even more snow and to stay off the roads unless necessary.
“The last level three, the snow wouldn’t let up, and we just couldn’t get the roads to where we felt they were safe enough to have people driving the roads,” Smith said.
People can check the Athens County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook, Instagram, website or app for snow emergencies. Athens residents can also check their radio or news stations.
“We just want to give you the best snapshot of what the roadways look like by putting out these snow levels,” Smith said. “It’s just really for the community to be safe and know what the snow levels are, and we just want to get that information out as quickly as we can to the people.”
The city is in charge of plowing and salting if needed while residents are
in charge of shoveling and salting the sidewalks on their property.
In an Ohio Snow Removal Public Service Announcement posted by the City of Athens, the city emphasized the importance of property owners and their residences determining who should shovel the sidewalks on their properties.
At Ohio University, most of the snow removal is done by facilities management’s ground staff. The staff uses mechanical equipment to remove snow from sidewalks and building entrances.
Level three snow emergencies can only be determined after a discussion between Smith, the supervisor of the Ohio Department of Transportation and the county engineer. This level means everything should be shut
“When we get a really heavy snow, like what we had a week ago, (maintenance and operations) pitch in and help,” Steve Mack, the executive director of facilities management, said. “They will take care of doing some of that hand work. It’s a group effort, but it is facilities management that takes care of it.”
The status of the university being open is determined by the President’s Office. Facilities management, however, is consulted on this decision.
It is also im portant for facilities man agement to prepare for snow.
Mack said when they know Athens will receive a large amount of snow, they have workers come in early and salt if the weather conditions permit.
“We try to make sure the campus is ready to start receiving people at about 7:30 in the morning if we’re open,” Mack said. “If we’re in a closed status … that’s a little bit of a different process as well. It all just kind of depends on the situation we’re in. When we are not in session, we have a lot more time to address it.”
With two months of winter still left, Zinnbauer thinks it will be very variable throughout the remainder of January into February.
The custodial staff also helps by removing snow from the sidewalks and stairs which cannot be reached with equipment. The different shops that makeup OU’s maintenance and operations also sometimes help by doing smaller assignments and hand work.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had several more cold snaps and kind of warm blasts throughout the season and plenty more precipitation,” Zinnbauer said.
As of Sunday, Scalia Laboratory predicts mostly cloudy weather for the next six days with Thursday being mostly sunny and Sunday bringing possible snow. Tuesday and Wednesday will have lows below zero degrees, Thursday will have a single-digit low and Friday through Sunday the low will reach double digits.
The snow on College Green, Ohio University, Jan. 15, 2025. (TALITHA MALOY | FOR THE POST)
Weather forecast provided by Scalia Lab
Athens Police Department to start charging for body camera footage
The signing of House Bill 315 has raised concerns about the rights of media organizations, and some groups are worried about the future of public records laws in Ohio.
AVERY ST.GEORGE | FOR THE POST
Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 315 into law Jan. 2, allowing police departments to start charging for body camera footage. The signing came after pushback from activist groups who claimed the bill would cause a barrier for those who cannot afford the cost.
Athens Chief of Police Nick Magruder said the department plans to start charging for footage. Magruder said the decision was made due to the time-consuming process of rendering the footage and the excess amount of requests the department has to handle.
Magruder said the Athens Police Department receives about 40-50 requests per month, and each video can take up to 2 hours to edit and redact all the sensitive information. Before the department can fulfill a request, they edit out all personal information such as social security numbers or footage of injured people. This means each video has to be thoroughly checked by the department.
Lori Weismend, the administrative assistant at the APD, processes all the requests, and she spends about 10 hours a week editing footage. Magruder said he thinks the process has become too tedious and takes away from her other job responsibilities.
“It’s not really the point of the money, but it’s the resources and time that it takes to process these body cameras,” Magruder said.
Ohio State Rep. Don Jones, who represents the City of Athens, was a co-sponsor of HB 315 and said he supported the body camera amendment to the bill. Jones
said he believes it will ensure officers can focus on their duties rather than video editing.
“The goal of this provision is to empower law enforcement to exert their resources on the ground- stopping crime and making sure our communities are safenot in a back office performing administrative tasks,” Jones wrote in an email.
DeWine also issued a statement about the signing of HB 315, where he claimed it would help lessen the burden on police departments. DeWine called body camera processing “time-consuming and labor-intensive work” and said law enforcement agencies should be paid for this work.
The signing of this bill raised concerns
about the rights of media organizations, and some groups are worried about the future of public records laws in Ohio.
Catherine Turner is the executive director of Common Cause, an activist group focused on holding the government accountable and maintaining citizens’ rights to participate in decisions. Turner said one of her main concerns about HB 315 is how the body camera footage amendment was added last minute with no public hearings about it before the bill was passed.
Turner said she was suspicious the bill was passed in the evening without outside input for the new amendment.
“It’s never a good idea for legislators just to pass things because they think it’s
a good idea,” Turner said. “They need the public to weigh in, identify unintended consequences, ways to make it work better and have an opportunity to work through how this will impact the daily lives of Ohioans.”
Turner said the bill could affect many Ohioans who cannot afford the cost of obtaining this footage. The maximum cost is capped at $750, or $75 an hour, but Turner said she believes that could be a huge obstacle for many and a barrier to accessing records which are supposed to be public information.
“These records are public records,” Turner said. “We have body cameras on the police officers for a reason so that we can understand what they’re doing and so that we can hold them accountable.”
Additionally, Ohio media organizations are concerned about the potential cost to newsrooms and their ability to obtain body camera footage.
Monica Nieporte, president and executive director of the Ohio News Media Association, said ONMA is working toward making media outlets exempt when this new law goes into effect.
“We have some concerns that there is broad discretion for how the charges will be figured and the cost to obtain these records could be prohibitive to both citizens and media,” Nieporte wrote in an email. “We will be working to get some amended language introduced that would exempt traditional media from having to pay for body camera records.”
@AVERYSLIFE365 AS781522@OHIO.EDU
CAMPUS EVENTS January 21st - February 5th
Social Engagement & Student Org Events
Tuesday, January 21
FREE Magic The Gathering Foundations Jumpstart Interactive hangout for beginner MTG players to get to know each other
6:30-9:00 pm Ellis 115
Thursday, January 23
Commuter Movie Night
Vote on your favorite movie, connect and unwind with popcorn and snacks
hosted by: Housing & Res Life
2:30 - 6:00 pm Bromley Hall Commuter Lounge
Martie & Stewie Craft Night hosted by: Housing & Res Life & THRIVE
7:30 pm- supplies are provided West 82 Food Court
Friday, January 24
CSEL movie Series: The Wild Robot
8:00-9:30 pm BYOS (bring your own snacks) Baker Theatre
Saturday, January 25
Tabletop Gaming All-Day 10:00 -10:00 pm 12 hr borad game event, with raffles & prizes Living Learning Ctr
Monday, January 27
Layered Perspectives: OHIO Camera Club Collage Night 6:30 -8:00 pm *check Bobcat Connect for location
Irish Dance Team FIRST MEETING ALL ARE WELCOME 7:00 pm Ping- Area A
* To have your event included on this calendar make sure it is registered on Bobcat Connect!
Tuesday, January 28
Crafty Commuters hosted by: Housing & Res Life 2:30 - 5:20 pm Jefferson 160
Friday, January 31
CSEL movie Series: Groundhog Day
8:00-9:30 pm BYOS (bring your own snacks) Baker Theatre
Famous Couples Party hosted by Alpha Psi Lambda & Mu Sigma Upsilon 9:00 - 11:00 pm The Union
Sunday, February 2
Trombone Day 9:00am - 8:00 pm Glidden Hall
*open to the public includes master classes $5 to participate.
GREEK
Wednesday, January 29
Sophomore Housing Exemption Meeting 2:00 PM Baker 231
Tuesday, February 4 Sophomore Housing Exemption Meeting 7:00 PM Walter 135
Wednesday, February 5 Sophomore Housing Exemption Meeting 5:30 PM Morton 201
January 24 & 25
Stoneybrook @ OHIO
7:00 PM & 2 PM
January 31 & Feb. 1 Niagara @ OHIO
7:00 PM
February 7 & 8 Liberty @ OHIO
7:00 PM & 2 PM
February 15 & 16
Minot @ OHIO
7:00 PM & 2 PM (follow on X for streaming link)
Photo by ABBIE KINNEY | FOR THE POST
Police Blotter: Cars stuck in snow; ding-dong ditchers
| NEWS STAFF WRITER
10 Fri___________________________
Sticky situation
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a call Jan. 10 for property damage and a suspicious vehicle at a property on Carr Road in Nelsonville.
Deputies responded and spoke to the driver of the vehicle. The driver informed deputies the vehicle was stuck and would be removed when able. The driver notified the landlord due to being near a shared driveway with three rental properties.
Cha Cha Slide
While patrolling in Glouster Jan. 10, deputies noticed a stranded man motorist on state Route 78.
The man said he was fine but his vehicle slid off the roadway due to the snow. In addition, he had AAA on the way for assistance.
No action was further required according to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
11 Sat____________________
The dog
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a report Jan. 11 about a dog running loose at Ohio Avenue in The Plains.
Deputies were dispatched to patrol the area. However, the dog could not be found, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Again, the dog
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a report Jan. 11 of a dog loose on state Route 682 in The Plains.
Deputies patrolled the area, but they were unable to find the dog. No action was further required, according to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
12 Sun____________________
Intense neighborly dispute
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a call for a neighbor dispute from Dean Road in Glouster. It was discovered the argument was about a property boundary dispute. One person was detained and warnings were given for disorderly conduct to several people involved.
Deputies advised the neighbors to seek legal aid to solve the civil property matter. No action was further required according to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
Phone line issues
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office had a 911 hang-up call from state Route 682 in Athens.
Deputies arrived on the scene, discovered no emergency and found it to be a phone line issue. Deputies then returned to patrol.
13 Mon____________________
Concerning messaging
In the morning, the Ohio University Police Department responded to Tanaka Hall. A report was then taken concerning messaging on social media, according to the OUPD.
OUPD identified the incident as a “menacing offense.”
Doom scrolling
Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office checked the well-being of a man who appeared to be unconscious in his vehicle at a Marathon in Chauncey.
Contact was made by deputies who determined he was fine and looking at his phone, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
14 Tues__________________________
Pedestrian hit
A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle on the roadway near U.S. Route 50 near Enlow Road in Albany. The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded and assisted the Ohio State Highway Patrol with the investigation.
According to a report from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the scene was cleared and then the deputies returned to patrol.
15 Wed__________________________
Wabbit hunting season
Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report Wednesday of suspicious activity at Shawnee Drive in Albany.
Deputies encountered individuals who were hunting in the area but found nothing wrong. Deputies then returned to patrol.
16 Thur__________________________ Nightlight
While the Athens County Sheriff’s Office was on a routine patrol Thursday at the Athens County Fairgrounds, deputies found a vehicle’s dome light on and the vehicle unsecured.
The light was turned off, and the vehicle was secured.
Active warrants
An attempt to find a man in Chauncey with an active warrant was made by deputies from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was found, arrested and transported to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail with no incident.
OU-YDSA seeks to make Athens a sanctuary city for transgender people
A grassroots political campaign led by Ohio University Young Democratic Socialists of America has begun to make Athens a sanctuary city for transgender, nonbinary and genderqueer people. If the campaign passes through City Council, the title would be largely symbolic, promising to defend transgender people and to not enforce discriminatory laws in Athens.
Adeline Collins, former co-chair of the OU chapter of YDSA and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, said the group hopes to use this as a starting line to create more community outreach programs for transgender individuals, including mental and physical health resources.
The effort comes after several laws limiting transgender people have been introduced, discussed and passed in Ohio and the federal legislature.
Currently, members of the campaign are in the process of speaking to student organizations, such as the Medical Student Pride Alliance and OU American Civil Liberties Union, and are making revisions to a resolution for a City Council meeting expected in the last week of January.
Over the last several years, a large political focus has been put on transgender individuals and children. As a result, Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed Senate Bill 104, or the Protect All Students Act into Ohio law.
The PASA states: “No school shall permit a member of the female biological sex to use a student restroom, locker room, changing room or shower room that has been designated by the school for the exclusive use of the male biological sex. No school shall permit a member of the male biological sex to use a student restroom, locker room, changing room or shower room that has been designated by the school for the exclusive use of the female biological sex.”
The law also prevents schools from establishing multi-occupancy, gender-neutral restrooms.
According to Trans Legislation Tracker, 14 anti-transgender bills in categories including education, bathroom, performance, sports, healthcare and military were introduced into the Ohio legislature in 2024.
Liam Syrvalin, the current co-chair of OU-YDSA, said laws such as the PASA should encourage people to push harder for human and transgender rights.
“I am not in the LGBTQ community; I am a (cisgender, heterosexual) white man,” Syrvalin said. “It’s our job when other people are in the throes of legalized bigotry and legalized targeted hatred, it is the job of those that are not in the community to take up for them and take the fight.”
Syrvalin also emphasized how Athens is the perfect place to take up this fight.
“What we have is a progressive, rural town that recognizes the position of the working class,” Syrvalin said. “(The people of Athens) also understand that it doesn’t advance the goal of the working class to … marginalize trans people out of the fight and to separate them out of the community.”
Syrvalin highlighted that Athens is also open to grassroots change and listening to the people who want change.
Collins advised people to make an effort to hear the stories of transgender individuals, even if they are already a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I feel that everybody within the queer community, but also outside of it too, should be doing more just listening to each other and hearing from each other’s experiences and taking those into account,” Collins said. “It can be really easy to just get trapped up in your own bubble of what you’ve experienced.”
Collins also hopes this marker will facilitate more protections for transgender adults and children in surrounding rural communities.
“I think, largely, people are just very ‘I don’t really know, I don’t really care, it doesn’t really affect me,’ and, honestly, I respect that attitude,” Collins said. “We want to kind of meet people where they are, provide education so that people can cut out all of the intentionally antagonistic misinformation that’s out there.”
Collins advocates for giving credit to rural communities that have more emotional intelligence and open-mindedness than they are recognized for.
DREW HOFFMASTER
ZOE WEYAND | FOR THE POST
Resources at the Pride Center in Baker Center. (AMBERLEE GLADWELL | FOR THE POST)
Inauguration Day
Trump sworn in for second term
Donald Trump has officially been sworn back into the office of presidency for a second term Monday, Jan. 20.
FINN SMITH | FOR THE POST
Donald Trump was sworn in as president for a second term Monday. His inauguration follows the 2024 presidential election, in which he defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris by 86 electoral votes.
President Trump received an almost unprecedented win, cementing himself as the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Ahead of the 2024 election, Pew Research Center reported 48% of registered voters planned to vote for Harris and 47% for Trump.
Donald Trump surprised many by winning the popular vote by more than 2 million votes, marking the first time a Republican has won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
During his campaign, Trump focused heavily on the economy, promising to cut taxes, lower government spending and increase tariffs on foreign imports.
Sean Slatzer, president of the Ohio University College Democrats, commented on why he believes these promises contributed to Trump’s victory.
“I think people have been seeing the effects of the economy,” Slatzer said. “I mean, we all feel it. Nobody’s happy about grocery prices, nobody’s happy about rent. I don’t think (Harris) spoke to that enough. I think she did say what she could, but I think people had already made their minds up.”
The OU College Republicans did not respond for comment.
Sam Gausmann, a freshman studying environmental pre-law, said Trump’s victory was largely due to his platform of change. Gausmann said for many voters, it did not matter whether the change was good or bad.
According to the 2024 GOP Platform, also known as Agenda 47, Trump vowed to defund schools that participate in political indoctrination of American
Students discuss second Trump term
Donald Trump has officially been sworn back into the office of presidency for a second term Monday, Jan. 20.
BEN SCHNEIDER | FOR THE POST
After his inauguration Monday, President Donald Trump is back in the Oval Office. He is the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland, who served a second time during his campaign of 1892.
A lot has happened since Trump’s first term ended 4 years ago, from the U.S. recovering from COVID-19 to inflation, which has notably raised the costs of groceries and gas, to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Ohio University students weighed in on Inauguration Day and the incoming second Trump term.
“I hope the inauguration goes better than last time, with the Jan. 6 riots and all,” Quinn Chalovich, a freshman studying business pre-law, said. “With the presidency, sure there can be some good, but I don’t think (Trump’s) a good person, I don’t think he’s fit to be president.”
citizens and reducing regulations in the economic sectors.
children, keep transgender women out of women’s sports, end inflation, stretch religious freedom to allow students in the classroom to pray and return education to the states.
The positions on these platforms that OU students are the most focused on under the Trump administration are social issues, the environment and education.
David Gideon, a sophomore studying exercise physiology, said he is worried about Trump’s policies regarding human rights, specifically trans rights. He said Trump will pose a threat to many minority communities.
Gausmann said he is focused mostly on Trump’s beliefs regarding environmental issues and queer rights.
“I feel like environmental and queer people are going to come under fire a lot over the Trump administration,” Gausmann said.
According to a 2024 study from Gallup, 18% of American adults believe the country is united, with 80% believing it is divided.
After accepting the nomination as the Republican candidate for president in July 2024, Trump said in his acceptance speech, “I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America.”
Slatzer expressed distrust in Trump’s message, using Trump’s past messages to claim his campaign is built on division.
“I don’t think he stands for unity at all,” Slatzer said. “I think a lot of his platform has been pretty hateful, especially with the things he was saying during his debates, especially with stuff obviously to Springfield, bringing negative light to specific communities.”
According to a CNN poll conducted with SSRN, Biden will leave office with 36% of U.S. adults approving of his performance as president, and Trump will enter office with a 46% favorability rating.
In the wake of President Biden’s election in 2020, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the election Jan. 6, 2021. This led some students to be weary of Trump as his words may have incited that very insurrection.
“Seems stressful to me, the idea of (a second Trump term), but I’m hopeful in democracy and that it plays out accordingly,” Nora Dahlberg, a freshman studying political science, said.
So far, things have played out accordingly. President Biden announced Nov. 7, 2024, “I will fulfill my oath and I will honor the constitution. On January 20th, we’ll have a peaceful transition of power here in America.”
Some students are looking forward to Trump’s second term and the policies he wants to enact.
“I am happy with the things he has said and the policies he’s going to put in place and uphold since the last presidency,” RJ Mursinna, a junior studying sociology-criminology, said.
The main policies Trump plans to double down on revolve around the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, tariffs on foreign goods, rolling back on legal protection for LGBTQIA+
“I think some people are scared of him, which can be a good and a bad thing,” Chavolich said. “But also I think he runs his mouth too much which can be a very bad thing.”
Some believe the conflict between global superpowers is imminent, with Trump being a leader capable of navigating current world affairs.
“I am currently in the military and tensions are currently high with China, Russia, North Korea and I do expect some sort of armed conflict,” Mursinna said. “I do think that … Trump is the best thing possible for America during the wartime.”
Mursinna also described how he believes the U.S. improved economically during Trump’s first term.
“He’s proven in the past presidency that he’s one of the best businessmen,” he said. “At least from an economic standpoint, we should improve a lot.”
While the political views of OU students differ from person to person, the resounding message from most seems to be one grounded in civility.
“I’m trying to be hopeful that it’ll just be peaceful and rely on democracy to work,” Dahlberg said.
President Donald Trump speaks at the Make America Great Again campaign event held at the Pickaway County Fairgrounds in Circleville, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.
(COLIN MAYER | FOR THE POST)
People gather on North Market Street in East Palestine, Ohio, in a protest organized by Mike Young, who described it as an “anti-Biden” protest. (MEGAN VANVLACK | PHOTO EDITOR)
MEGAN VANVLACK PHOTO EDITOR
Plant Clones continues to germinate Athens music scene
A profoundly original group of musicians, the band began planting seeds in the Athens music scene in January 2024.
Despite their name, Plant Clones cannot be replicated. A profoundly original group of musicians, the band began planting seeds in the Athens music scene in January 2024 and has been watching those seeds grow for the past year. In that year, the band members found their style and went from a predominately cover band to a group of original songwriters.
“Our newest song we’ve written is Crumb-inspired, but I think we take from a lot of different stuff,” Michaela Meerschaert, a junior studying music production and contemporary music digital instruments or CMDI, said. Meerschaert serves as the band's vocalist and primary lyricist.
The sound of Plant Clones is emblematic of experimental groups like Radiohead, according to guitarist Heath Benton, a junior studying music production and CMDI. Many of the musicians have been personally impacted by groups like Men I Trust and Big Thief, as well as the jazz styles from which most of their musicianship was born. Although they may not be heard directly in the group’s sound, these bands and styles all help to inform Plant Clones’ songwriting.
“Instrumentally, it’s very collaborative at first,” Chris Harmison, a senior studying CMDI and the group's keyboardist-saxophonist, said. “We don’t have any one person that comes up with all the ideas or writes the music.”
Harmison, Meerschaert and Benton began playing together toward the beginning of their college careers and brought in the group’s remaining members in the Fall of 2023 to form the current iteration of the band. Those members are bassist Jayden Rahmon, a sophomore studying CMDI, and drummer Miles Macdonald, a music production major at Hocking College.
In the year since their first show at the start of 2024, the group has performed at most venues in the Athens circuit, from The Union to Donkey Coffee and beyond.
“We played at the Halloween Block Party and then we played in Columbus,” Harmison said. “There is a group called Music Columbus that wanted to feature us.”
In addition to a coveted spot on the block party stage, the fall semester brought Plant Clones a record deal with Brick City Records, a record label operated by the School of Media Arts & Studies designed to provide students with “real world experience in multiple aspects of the recording and music industry.” Each academic year, the record label signs four artists with whom the company collaborates to produce and distribute new music.
“We got real lucky,” Benton said. “We have some really talented producers working with us right now.”
After spending approximately 60 hours in the studio during the fall semester, the group is looking forward to the release of their EP in April. Until then, they plan to continue working together in the healthy rhythm they have found.
“When you’re five different people working creatively on something there’s going to be some tension,” Benton said. “But I think we’re getting better and better at handling that and talking through things.”
In addition to the natural challenges of scheduling time to rehearse and perform, Meerschaert has found certain elements of being in a band to be a two-sided coin.
“I feel like we see each other so often that sometimes we lose creativity and excitement to write new things because of how often we do it, but seeing them all the time is also really fun because we’ve grown a very close connection,” she said.
With the realities of impending graduation, the future of Plant Clones is a little uncertain. Nevertheless, the group plans to extract every ounce of energy and experience out of their remaining time together as students and bandmates.
“We’re putting out an EP but even after that, we’ve still been writing new music and just making stuff,” Harmison said, planning to be the first member of the group to graduate. “Maybe we’ll record it, maybe we’ll just perform it, but we’re going to keep doing stuff at least as long as I’m here.”
SOPHIA ROOKSBERRY ASST. HUMAN INTEREST EDITOR
Photo provided by Michael Wade
Angus the ‘Donkey Dog’ spreads warmth, affection
CAMI SEYMORE | FOR THE POST
Donkey Coffee, located at 17 W. Washington St., is a beloved coffee spot near campus where many students stop to grab their daily caffeine fix, study or catch up with friends. Recently, a new regular has been making appearances — but unlike the students, he’s not there for the coffee.
Angus, affectionately known as the “Donkey Dog,” is a black lab and basset hound who roams the shop nearly every day sporting his signature “Pet Me” collar. His owner, Jay Klute, adopted Angus at a rescue shelter 3 years ago near his hometown of Cincinnati after Angus and around 20 other dogs were saved from a hoarding situation.
Klute has two other dogs — Finn, a dalmatian-retriever mix, and Milo, a blue tick-heeler mix — but neither are quite as affectionate or well-behaved as Angus.
“Right out of the box (he) was this way,” Klute said. “I’ve had a lot of dogs in my lifetime, and I’ve never seen anything like it. He was just naturally what they call a ‘velcro dog.’ He wants that attention, and he wants that affection.”
Klute recently moved to Athens in April 2024 after his daughter left for college. Working remotely as a tech manager, he quickly found himself sidetracked by ongoing home improvement projects. To stay productive, he began heading to Donkey to work, but he always brought Angus along for some company.
“He wants affection, and he wants to be with his person all the time,” Klute said. “Right from the get-go, I could take him places, and I knew that he wouldn’t get more than 10 feet away from me.”
Angie Pyle, who co-owns Donkey Coffee with her husband, Chris, aims to make the shop open and accepting of any type of customer — even non-human ones.
“Angus, oh my gosh, he’s so funny,” Pyle said. “He just thinks he owns Donkey. He knows he can go anywhere in the whole shop, and he usually doesn’t even have
a leash on. He just walks around like a customer.”
Angus has even befriended the Pyles’ dog, Super Chunk, a Great Dane puppy, who also often visits the shop. Angus has even taught Super Chunk a few things about the store.
“Super Chunk was really afraid of the stairs,” Pyle said. “As soon as Angus went up the stairs, Super Chunk was able to go up and then could follow Angus up.”
Angus quickly became a friend to not just Super Chunk, but all of Donkey’s customers. Because of his popularity, Klute created an Instagram account for Angus called anguspdawg. On this account, he shares pictures of Angus and even has an AI chatbot that allows followers to interact with him or ask him questions.
Cami Mathews, a sophomore intervention specialist major, follows the account and is now a big fan of Angus after meeting him while studying for a final exam in Donkey.
“Angus was just really sweet … and he was so happy,” Mathews said. “His tail was wagging so hard — it was so cute. It was just a nice little brain break.”
For many students like Mathews, spending time with Angus offers a comforting reminder of the pets they left at home. For Mathews, Angus is a reminder of her dog at home, Crosby.
“I actually very dearly miss my dog,” Mathews said. “I make my mom FaceTime me every day to show me my dog … it just feels like a little piece of home when you see another dog.”
Whether students need a moment away from their studies, miss their dog back home or simply love animals, Angus provides comfort to everyone at Donkey.
“We all know how dogs release our endorphins,” Pyle said. “I mean, they make us so happy … that’s why we allow dogs in Donkey because Chris and I love dogs. We know that just being able to pet a dog makes you feel better physically, emotionally and psychologically.”
@CAMISEYMORE CH525822@OHIO.EDU
Angus a black lab and basset hound, poses for a photo inside Donkey Coffee. Photo provided by Jay Klute.
OU honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
MARY KATE MCNAMEE FOR THE POST
As snow continues to fall gently on the bricks, Jan. 20 celebrates the life, legacy and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although a day free of classes for Ohio University, there is so much love and appreciation for King in Athens.
Organizations such as the offices of Diversity and Inclusion and Community Engagement as well as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity all collaborate for MLK Day, presenting students with annual traditions and celebrations, such as a march, a brunch and a community fair.
Alpha Phi Alpha is the oldest of the Divine Nine Greek life organizations, the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities. Alpha Phi worked together with OU’s Diversity and Inclusion department for a silent march Monday morning followed by a celebratory brunch.
Darnell McMullen, a senior studying contemporary music and digital instruments, is Alpha Phi Alpha’s president. He discussed how this tradition came to be.
“The first silent march we held was the year after he passed away 1968, so we held the first march in 1969 and that became a tradition every year,” McMullen said.
The brunch quickly became a part of the celebration once MLK Day became a national holiday in 2000. Although MLK Day was an official federal holiday in 1983, McMullen noted that it wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states officially recognized it. The holiday always falls on the third Monday of January, which is near King’s birthday, Jan. 15.
According to McMullen, a new theme
emerges each year for the event. This year the theme is Marching Forward: Using Dr. King’s Teachings to Heal a Divided Nation.
Regardless of each year's different theme, the event always honors King’s mark on the world as a civil rights leader. Tickets were $10 for students and $30 for non-students.
“I feel like the purpose of this event is to humanize Dr. King, talk about the things that don’t normally get talked about,” McMullen said.
This year Terrence Frazier, assistant vice president for student affairs and services for Michigan State University, was the keynote speaker. An OU alumnus, Frazier was president of Student Senate, president of the Black Student Union and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha during his time in Athens.
Russell Morrow, interim vice president of diversity and inclusion, discussed their involvement over the years in the production of MLK Day.
“We support the planning of the work of the event,” Morrow said. “We have put together a committee of campus partners and student representatives who get together on a regular basis to help plan and coordinate the event.”
Morrow discussed the importance of these events, said these have been consistent productions of celebration that routinely bring people together.
“I think our celebration bridges racial communities and racial diversity and gender diversity and economic diversity,” Morrow stated. “Everyone, regardless of who you
are, they can feel connected to the legacy of Dr. King.”
The Center for Community Engagement is hosting an MLK week community service fair in Baker University Center. This will be the third spring fair, providing students with a free opportunity to connect with 16-20 nonprofit organizations, local organizations and a few service-oriented student organizations offering students internships and volunteer opportunities.
Courtney Lefebvre, the associate director for the Center for Community Engagement, spoke about this opportunity for students.
“We want to connect students to opportunities to engage off campus in meaningful ways that both allow them to find what they’re learning in the classroom in a community contact that has real meaningful impacts,” Lefebvre said.
MLK Day opens the gateway for students to honor King on campus, with celebrations to discuss his impact on the civil rights movement, as well as what his dream means for students and people in the world today.
“I think it’s really special, and it always warms my heart that I get to just be surrounded by brotherhood,” McMullen said. “Not only that but there are so many people who come from all over to support Dr. King.”
@MARYKATEEEE13 MM336621@OHIO.EDU
Silent march, celebratory brunch celebrates King’s legacy
DREW HOFFMASTER NEWS STAFF WRITER
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. hosted a silent march at 9:30 a.m. Monday and celebratory brunch at 10 a.m. in Baker University Center.
A silent march has been held annually on Martin Luther King Jr. Day since 1969 to commemorate King’s birthday. This is the 56th silent march at Ohio University.
“It’s the opportunity where Ohio University, as an institution of higher education, and the City of Athens really collaborate together,” Terry Frazier, this year’s keynote speaker and OU alumnus, said. “I’m proud to say that’s one of the things that the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha were able to help create.”
OU’s chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. started doing the brunch in 2001, making this the 25th year of having the brunch. Frazier said before he graduated in 2000, he left notes for the framework and ideas to create the brunch.
“It’s almost a full circle moment 25 years later after the idea came to my head,” Frazier said. “I’m able to keynote it, and it’s always an honor to come back to Athens. I love being a Bobcat and being able to give my talent to people.”
The silent march was originally supposed to be outside; however, it was moved inside due to the winter weather.
“I understand the concerns for safety,” Aaron Reynolds, an executive member of the National Society of Black Engineers, said. “But I kind of wish that we would go outside.”
Christopher Lawerence-White, another executive member of the National Society of Black Engineers, said having the march inside definitely allowed for accommodations with accessibility issues.
“I think there is some due diligence on our part to adhere to the proper standard of what a march is,” Lawrence-White said. “Even just adhering to that by a little, I think it could be good on what diversity we have.”
The march began with participants lining up at the atrium on the fourth floor of Baker. Then the line began silently down the escalators to the West 82 dining area. Everyone then lined up against the walls as Kenneth Johnson, the vice president and secretary of Alpha Phi Alpha led the group in prayer.
“I decided to lead a prayer just because I felt like it was needed at this time of the year,” Johnson said. “It is for some people a joyous time while for other people it’s more so not a joyous time. I feel like just one thing that we can all do as a community in Athens is just come together.”
After the prayer, Laila Christian, a sophomore pursuing musical theatre, sang a poem called “Lift Every Voice,” which is considered by the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People as “The Black National Anthem.”
Then Johnson followed with a rendition of “We Shall Overcome,” a popular gospel from the Civil Rights Movement. Johnson said he did not originally plan to sing this but felt it would be the proper thing to do after Christain’s solo.
“Just as African American people, we have gone through a lot of trials and tribulations over the years, and it was just very important that even though there’s still a lot of work to be done in our communities, we have overcome a lot,” Johnson said. “We have gone through a lot. We have triumphed. And that’s just something that just touched me at the moment.”
The march then traced its steps back
to the fourth floor, and the celebratory lunch began.
“We created the brunch to think about breaking bread,” Frazier said. “There’s no better place to build relationships than breaking bread and having a meal with somebody sitting down.”
During this time, participants enjoyed a wide variety of brunch foods while listening to Otis Crockron & Company, a local Athens band, and the four speakers.
The first speaker was Russell Morrow, the interim vice president of diversity and inclusion, who welcomed everyone in attendance and spoke on the importance of MLK Day.
Donald Leo, the executive vice president and provost of OU, spoke next about the importance of King’s teachings and his impact on OU.
Following that, Jocelyn Brown, who is affiliated with Mount Zion Black Cultural Center and an assistant professor for
African American Studies, discussed her reason for teaching, the history behind Mount Zion and a current research project she is having her students do.
The final speaker was Frazier who gave a speech about how to heal a divided nation.
“If we can love ourselves and love others and then educate ourselves and educate others, that’s how we first steps in healing a divided nation,” Frazier said. Frazier said he is happy to see OU and students continue to honor the legacy of King.
“I think the march itself is important for the symbolism of it all,” Frazier said. “But it’s really about taking the time to reflect and understand why we march and what we need to continue to march for.”
@DREWHJOURNALIST
DH384223@OHIO.EDU
PHOTO BY ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST
Dr. Russell Morow gives a speech during MLK Jr. celebratory brunch, Jan. 20, 2025. (TALITHA MALOY | FOR THE POST)
Men’s Basketball: Don’t overreact to early conference loss to Akron
ROBERT KEEGAN III | SPORTS EDITOR
Ohio didn’t play its best basketball Saturday against Akron. In fact, it may have been the worst it’s played all season. There’s plenty of reason to be pessimistic following a lopsided loss against the reigning conference champions; still, if Ohio fans have learned anything from the 2024 football season, there’s also some optimism in the loss.
In its third Mid-American Conference game of the season, the Ohio football team fell in a lopsided fashion to rival Miami on the road. Many fans and media (including myself) had doubts regarding Ohio’s potential championship aspirations after struggling to put up a fight against one of the conference’s best teams.
By now, we all know how that story ends. Ohio used the loss to turn things around all the way up until the team was tasked with facing Miami a second time in the MAC title game. The Bobcats took down the Redhawks in dominating fashion (38-3) despite being outmatched earlier in the season.
Circumstances were different for basketball — coming into the season, Ohio Men’s Basketball was ranked first in the MAC near-unanimously while Ohio Football was ranked fifth. However, it’s hard not to draw parallels between Ohio Football’s Week Eight loss to Miami (OH) and Ohio Men’s Basketball’s most recent lopsided loss to Akron.
No one in the conference would be shocked if Ohio matched up with Akron when the calendar flips to March and the MAC Tournament begins. Although Ohio will still have one more chance to see Akron before a potential tournament matchup, the team can use its most recent loss as a tool in March.
Don’t get me wrong — if Ohio is an unchanged product from what we saw last Saturday, then it can all but say goodbye to its championship aspirations. However, that doesn’t seem likely, given the absences Ohio dealt with and the team having a former MAC Champion coach in Jeff Boals.
Boals knows what it takes to win the MAC, and he recognizes that what the team did Saturday was not that.
“Any time you lose, you learn a lot about yourself,” Boals said. “The first half was kind of uncharacteristic; we got a little outside of ourselves …When you play a really good team you have to capitalize on opportunities, we didn’t do that till the second half.”
It’s long been a cliche that to be a successful team, you first need to get knocked down. Ohio was undoubtedly knocked down on the road against Akron.
It’s important to note that at halftime against Akron, The Post learned junior Elmore James, one of Ohio’s consistent starters, had stepped away from the team. Additionally, junior Aidan Hadaway left James A. Rhoades Arena on crutches following a second-half ankle injury. Despite that, Ohio played far from its best basketball.
Against Akron, Ohio trailed by 10 or more points for almost the entirety of the second half. Its defense seemingly had no answer to Akron’s offensive attack, and its offense took more than half the game to start scoring at an efficient rate.
“Without watching the film, we need to change how we play defensively,” Boals said. “I thought we had some good looks, but we finished with three or four missed layups and had some missed open threes. If you make those, then it’s a different basketball game.”
Following last season’s MAC Tournament defeat at the hands of Akron and the first edition of the game this season, Ohio has slowly settled into somewhat of a rivalry with Akron when it comes to Men’s Basketball. Ohio played with a rivalry-type motivation due to its recent losses in big games against Akron.
Now, with potentially two more games against the Zips, the Bobcats’ motivation will be even greater to take down a team that has caused it so much trouble in recent years.
Ohio University’s basketball team before their game against Akron, Jan. 17, 2025.
Forward AJ Clayton (23), during the Bobcats game against Akron, Jan. 17, 2024. Guard, Shereef Mitchell (4) taking a shot during the Bobcats game against Akron, Jan. 17, 2025. The Bobcats were defeated by Akron 92-80, in James A. Rhodes Arena. Guard, AJ Brown (3) during the Bobcats game against Akron, Jan. 17, 2025.
(JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
Hockey: Checking in on Ohio about midway through the season
BERNATH | FOR THE POST
Going into the 2024-25 season, there were a lot of unknowns surrounding the state of Ohio Hockey. Last season, the Bobcats saw a run to the ACHA M1 Semifinals under former head coach Lionel Mauron. The season would end in a disappointing 3-1 loss to the eventual champions, the Adrian College Bulldogs.
Mauron would leave Ohio for an assistant coaching position at Miami (OH)’s NCAA program. Ohio found its new head coach, Barry Schutte, in Oxford, trading his High Street bricks for the bricks of Court Street. If falling just shy of a championship and a head coaching vacancy weren’t enough, the Bobcats had another problem: Bird Ice Arena was not in usable condition for games or practice to start the year.
The Bobcats, however, were quick to adapt by holding practices in Columbus and Charleston, West Virginia, playing only road games until the ice at Bird would be ready. That date was pushed back further and further while the maintenance lingered on.
Most would suspect that all of these setbacks would at least rattle the Bobcats enough to cause a slow start to the season, but the start was anything but slow. Ohio began its season 4-0 with a series at Kent State and at Maryville.
The Bobcats secured what has seemingly been their signature win of the season in a semifinal rematch with topranked Adrian. This 3-1 upset would be the beginning of five-straight road wins before a nearly two-month break from games due to the construction at Bird Arena.
The Bobcats finally returned to Bird just in time for the start of the second semester. The homecoming would be cut short, though, as Ohio split its series with Pittsburgh.
Despite this, Ohio finds itself ranked fourth in the ACHA M1 rankings. This is a slight drop from its peak at No. 1 during their lengthy hiatus from games.
Now that about half the season is in the rearview, let’s check in on where the Bobcats are at as a team.
WHAT’S BEEN WORKING?
The Bobcats, now 12-3, have significantly benefited from their aggressive offense. Dominating possession of the puck and getting up early has been a common
theme for Ohio. This puck movement has allowed for five different skaters to rack up over 10 points in just 15 games so far this season.
Although the offense has put the Bobcats up, their rotation of goaltenders has kept them there. Garrett Alderman has been the go-to guy in the net, playing many of the team’s more significant matchups and going 5-1 in seven games played. The other two goalies, Max Karlenzig and Scott Bird, have been able to cover for Alderman some nights but have not seen the same type of usage. Alderman leads with time in the net at 377 minutes, while Bird and Karlenzig lag behind at 290 and 271.
WHAT’S TO COME?
After being forced into the role of road warriors to open the season, the Bobcats will play five straight home series. Bird is back to business as usual, with sellout crowds welcoming Ohio’s return. The Bobcats will face multiple tests at home, including series against Niagara, Liberty and Minot State, all of which are currently ranked within the ACHA M1 top 10.
Luckily for the Bobcats, two of their top scorers, Noah Holt and Drake Nabozny, will soon return from the Winter World University Games, where they will represent Team USA. Should they be one of the 20 qualifying playoff teams at the end of the regular season, Ohio will look to make a run at a national championship.
CAREER MILESTONES, AWARDS AND HONORS
Ohio Hockey celebrated a lot so far this season despite not having a home for most of it. Multiple players have already hit career numbers through 15 games played. Here are just a few:
100 Games Played - Spencer Schons, Collin Felton.
100 Career Points - Laker Aldridge. Winter World Games Team USA - Noah Holt, Drake Nabozny.
@TYSONBERNATH TB530021@OHIO.EDU
Hockey: Ohio stuns sold-out crowd for second night in Bird Arena
The weekend sweep against West Virginia proved Ohio’s time away only made the team stronger.
Bird Arena has long felt the thumping steps of fans on its seats, welcoming visitors from all 50 states and across international waters for almost seven decades. Since its construction in 1957, a myriad of strong teams have skated across Bird’s ice and called it home. However, in a season unlike any other in recent memory for the arena and its plethora of teams, one thing is for sure: Bird has never seen an Ohio hockey team like this season’s.
The Bobcats (12-3) easily swept the Mountaineers (10-11) in their two games Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s outing was particularly dominant, as the Bobcats shut out West Virginia completely with a 9-0 victory. In front of a sea of bundled-up green sweatshirts and Ohio logos, the Bobcats made it clear their time away from home would not hinder their gameplay.
“They had to learn how to be resilient. They had to,” Ohio coach Barry Schutte said. “I think our focus was, don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Control the controllables. And a lot of stuff was out of our control in the fall.”
With the 9-0 shutout Saturday, it was evident every lineup of Bobcats on the ice was working hard to not only maintain a lead but to squash any chance of hope for the Mountaineers. With an oppressive 53 shots on goal, standout players such as Drake Albers, Luc Reeve and Mathieu Ovaert stepped up to make sure Ohio had the final word.
Saturday’s game against West Virginia was not just a lucky fluke; Ohio has a strong record with a season of wins un-
der its belt, despite not playing at home once until its Jan. 10 matchup against Pitt. With Bird finally opening its doors for both games and practice, Ohio is set to keep building its skills and tightening up in places it couldn’t with limited time for improvement.
“I think our entire team is going to just evolve a lot, mainly just because we’re going to be skating every day instead of skating twice a week,” Reeve said. “Twice a week in Columbus, West Virginia, totally crazy places … a two-hour and a half drive for 7 a.m. practice. I think just taking that stress off of us and having more ability to be on the ice here has definitely improved us a lot.”
There is no doubt the Bobcats would have performed to the best of their ability against the Mountaineers if they were on unfamiliar ice, and even less doubt they would have done well without a huge crowd. However, one of Ohio’s most consistently successful teams was given a huge turnout for its second series in Athens, and it capitalized on the energy.
“Today, I think by 12, 1 o’clock, it was sold out,” Schutte said. “So they knew it all afternoon that it was going to be electric tonight. And I think (the win is) definitely attributed to it, because they take a lot of pride in that. They know they’re representing not just themselves, but the entire institution and the student body. And they take that, they take that seriously, that responsibility.”
@_JACKSON_MCCOY_ JM049122@OHIO.EDU
(ETHAN HERX | FOR THE
TYSON
JACKSON MCCOY | COPY CHEIF
Top. Ohio forward Drake Albers (10) fights for the puck against West Virginia at Bird Arena in Athens, Jan. 17, 2025. The Bobcats took a 6-1 victory over the Mountaineers.
Bottom. Ohio goalie Max Karlenzig (59) lunges for a save against West Virginia at Bird Arena in Athens, Jan. 17, 2025. Karlenzig helped lead the Bobcats to a 6-1 victory over the Mountaineers.
POST)
Wrestling: Ohio overpowers Edinboro at home
Ohio (5-2, 3-0 Mid-American Conference), after having wrestled nearly 10 hours away from home in the Mid Major National Duals, returned back to Athens Sunday to compete against Edinboro (7-3, 1-2 MAC) in a conference dual.
Coming in, Edinboro looked like it had the upper hand, especially with a 7-2 record compared to Ohio’s 5-2 record, but that didn’t intimidate Ohio one bit. In the end, the Bobcats prevailed over the Fighting Scots 26-14, but there’s more to the story than just that.
There were struggles early in the contest for some of Ohio’s lower-weight divisions. In the 125 lbs. division, Ohio’s sophomore Ryan Meek simply didn’t have enough power to stop Edinboro’s freshman Chris Vargo. Vargo would win in a 14-6 major decision.
In the 133 lbs. weight division, Ohio’s redshirt senior TJ England faced similar issues to that of his peer against graduate student Colton Camancho. England tried his best, but Camancho would pull away with the win by a 15-4 major decision.
At this point, the score was 8-0 Edinboro, and it scored more after sophomore Anthony Ferraro and Ohio’s redshirt freshman Kaden Jett clashed in the 141 lbs. weight division.
The outcome doesn’t match the intensity and grittiness between these two wrestlers. Jett was an even matchup for Ferraro — he just couldn’t execute when he had to. Ferraro won in a 6-1 major decision. From this point forward, Ohio took control of its own arena.
“From 149 (weight division) on up, I really, really liked it,” Ohio coach Joel
Greenlee said. “They went out there with some energy and scored some points. They tried to score early and often.”
The first Bobcat to do so was Ohio’s redshirt sophomore Derek Raike in the 149 lbs. weight division. Raike’s opponent, junior Colin Roberts, had no answer to Raike’s fierce competitiveness. Raike would score big for his team, winning in a 20-7 major decision.
The score was 11-4, which was still in favor of Edinboro, but that didn’t last long. In the 157 lbs. weight division, Ohio’s
Women’s Basketball: Ohio falls short in loss against Toledo
Ohio falls short against Toledo despite a big day from Kennedi Watkins
redshirt sophomore Logan Cravatas got the most cheers from those watching in the stands when he pinned Edinboro’s redshirt senior Ryan Michaels with 1 minute, 42 seconds left in the third period. His coach had some good words for him.
“I am so proud of that kid,” Greenlee said. “He comes in and works his tail off every day and has stepped in, and done an amazing job with it.”
In the 165 lbs. weight division, Ohio’s redshirt sophomore Jack Lledo knew the answers to the test when he faced junior
Ohio (3-13 overall, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) continued its streak of losses, extending the losing streak to four straight games after falling in a hard-fought game on the road against Toledo (12-4 overall, 4-2 MAC).
A depleted Bobcats team which is missing guards Jaya McClure and Monica Williams played a solid game, but the Rockets’ efficient scoring was too much to overcome after four quarters.
The first quarter was a welcome sign and start for an Ohio team that has struggled against its MAC competition as of late. Ohio ended up winning the first quarter by a score of 13-12 after a strong start from Dayton transfer Anyssa Jones where she scored 6 quick points off the bench.
Ohio shot 50% from the floor and made its only 3-pointer via Asiah Baxter in the first quarter, all while holding a solid Toledo offense to just 3-10 shooting from the floor.
The strong start proved short-lived for Ohio, as Toledo utterly dominated the second quarter with Ohio unable to get anything going offensively.
Ohio shot just 2-11 from the floor, with an Asiah Baxter 3-pointer and a bucket from Aliyah McWhorter being the only two shots to fall all quarter for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats did shoot 8-11 from the foul line, which kept the quarter from seriously getting out of hand, especially with Toledo graduate student guard Khera Goss going three-for-three from the 3-point line in the quarter en route to an 11-point frame.
Ohio entered the second half down by
Max Kirby. To Kirby’s credit, he didn’t go down without a fight. Lledo was on the verge of losing but managed to keep focused and eventually win 8-6 by decision.
Ohio was now on top with a score of 13-11. Redshirt junior Garrett Thompson, in the 174 lbs. weight division, was a master in his duel against Edinboro’s sophomore Brody Evans. The final result was a 15-0 technical fall by Thompson.
In the 184 lbs. weight division, one of Ohio’s better wrestlers lately, redshirt freshman Jeremy Olszko, was like trying to contain a bull in a china shop but in the best way possible. Edinboro’s Jared McGill couldn’t even make it to the end of the second period. Olszko would win by a 20-3 technical fall.
The 197 lbs. weight division saw Edinboro’s senior Nick Lodato challenge Ohio’s redshirt sophomore Austin Starr. This was a close duel, but Starr would come short, and Lodato won in an 8-6 major decision.
To end the afternoon on a high note, Ohio’s redshirt senior Jordan Greer bested Edinboro’s redshirt freshman Aden Roe in a matchup which felt like it lasted more than 7 minutes. Greer would eventually come out on top and win in a 5-3 decision.
Ohio’s next wrestling duel is back in The Convo Saturday to compete against Northern Illinois.
JH825821@OHIO.EDU
double digits despite keeping pace with Toledo in terms of rebounds and turnovers, two things which have been big issues all season. The 8-23 shooting number from the floor was the main culprit for the deficit.
The third continued to be a struggle for Ohio as Toledo kept shooting the ball consistently well, going over 50% from both the floor and from three.
Kennedi Watkins’ stellar second half proved to be a bright spot for Ohio in a game without many, and she really got going in the second quarter, going for 12 points on 4-6 shooting along with four free throws.
Going into the fourth quarter, Ohio faced a bad deficit but showed plenty of fight, winning the fourth quarter by a point after good showings from a few bench players along with Kennedi Watkins. Watkins, the senior guard, continued her excellent second half, going for 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the floor, along with knocking down both of the 3-pointers she attempted. Watkins was joined by Jones and Cassidy Lafler in solid scoring quarters, as Jones had 6 points on 3-5 shooting while Lafler had 4 on 2-2 shooting.
Even with the strong showing in the fourth quarter, Toledo didn’t let its foot off the gas pedal, as seven different players scored in the fourth, finishing out a solid home win for the Rockets.
Ohio will play another road game on Wednesday when it travels to Buffalo to play one of the stars of the MAC in Chellia Watson.
JUDE HANNAHS | FOR THE POST
CHARLIE FADEL | SPORTS STAFF WRITER
Jordan Greer during the Bobcats match against Edinboro, Jan. 19, 2025. The Bobcats beat Edinboro 26-14 in The Convo. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
Monica Williams (13) directes the offense against Ohio State, Nov. 20, 2024. (REECE MERKEL | FOR THE POST)
THE POST Music takes center stage at Trump’s inauguration
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Music artists face backlash for performances celebrating Donald Trump’s inauguration.
On Monday morning, President Donald Trump was sworn into office for his second presidential term. A variety of musical artists performed at his inauguration and the following celebrations, including country music stars Carrie Underwood and Lee Greenwood.
Underwood’s performance was announced Jan. 13 on X . The Grammy-winning artist performed “America the Beautiful” alongside the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.
Underwood won “American Idol” in 2005 and has been in the public eye since. She generally refrains from aligning herself politically and, despite her performance, has not publicly supported Trump or his policies.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” Underwood said in a statement Monday. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Other artists performing at the ceremony included fellow country singer Lee Greenwood, who performed "God Bless the USA" before Trump took the Presidential Oath of Office, according to Fox News. Opera singer Christopher Macchio, who performed his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” wrapped up the ceremony.
The inauguration took place inside of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, due to inclement weather, and only about 600 people fit inside. Instead, the nearby
Capital One Arena hosted a live viewing of the inauguration address and the presidential parade, Trump shared on Truth Social. Following his inauguration, Trump attended a “Victory Rally” in the same arena.
Other musical guests performed at a series of celebratory events surrounding the inauguration, including Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock and the Village People — to name a few.
The Village People announced their participation in the inauguration’s “various events” Jan. 13, though the band has not always been accepting of Trump’s use of their songs. In 2020, band member Victor Willis publicly requested that the Trump campaign no longer play “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies and events.
“We know this won't make some of you happy to hear, however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” Willis said in a Facebook post. “Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music.”
The song “Y.M.C.A.” was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2020. The song has since become synonymous with Trump’s campaign.
The Village People performed “Y.M.C.A” at a Trump rally the night before Inauguration Day.
Fans of the Village People have had mixed reactions to the band’s decision.
Some users have gone as far to call the band “traitors” for their Inauguration Day performances. Snoop Dogg’s performance at the Inaugural Crypto Ball garnered similar reactions from the rapper's supporters.
The crossover of music and politics is at an all-time high. High profile musical performances continue to bring attention to the president and his policies. Though performers may refrain from sharing political views outright, many fans see performances as a form of support for the president.
On Inauguration Day, music was used as a form of celebration. Only time will tell how music will be used as the U.S. enters this new political atmosphere.
@ALEXH0PKINS AH875121@OHIO.EDU
ALEXANDRA HOPKINS FOR THE POST
(NICOLE REESE | ASST. ART DIRECTOR)
Princess Kate Middleton’s remission creates cancer awareness
NYLA GILBERT | FOR THE POST
On March 22, 2024, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, announced that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an undisclosed type of cancer. The 42-year-old princess underwent abdominal surgery two months before the diagnosis, where it was discovered in post-op that cancer was found.
"The surgery was successful," Middleton said. "However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
In the announcement video, Middleton described how she and Prince William reassured their children she was OK, focusing on things that “will help me heal, in my mind, body and spirits.” They also asked the public for their time and understanding.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” Middleton said in the video. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now, I must focus on making a full recovery. I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone."
The Princess announced her remission in an official post through “The Prince and The Princess of Wales” X account Jan. 14.
“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery,” Middleton said in the X post. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”
Middleton also mentioned her “new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden.” Middleton visited patients in the Diane McCarthy Day Unit, where they receive chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and discussed her cancer journey and treatment at The Royal Marsden.
Middleton reportedly told one cancer patient at the medical center, "It's really tough. It's such a shock."
“Everyone said to me please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference,” Middleton said to the patient. “I really felt like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight."
Middleton told one woman her reasoning for visiting the hospital while leaving the hospital, which included highlighting the fantastic work of the hospital and expressing gratitude.
“I wanted to come and show my support for the amazing work that's going on here and for those who are going through treatment and having such a hard time," Middleton said. "There is light at the end of that tunnel, very nice to meet you and best of luck. You are in the best of hands."
In the remission announcement, she further explains her hopes for the impact and ability of her new role.
“My hope is that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence,
as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer,” Middleton said.
Although specific plans for the future have yet to be announced, it is obvious that the princess’s main focus will be on cancer research and patient care. Her newest duty is one she has been very vocal about caring for along with its importance personally.
Though the princess has yet to step back fully from the role of a working royal, she is enjoying her recovery. Recently, the Prince and Princess of Wales took their branch of the royal tree on a skiing getaway in the French Alps.
According to the Daily Mail, a member of the resort staff said, “It was lovely to see Kate relaxing and enjoying herself.”
The staff member added, “They looked like a normal English family, and a lot of people didn't recognise them. It was not the first time we had seen them. They have been coming here for years. I think they love the area. We often see Kate's sister Pippa as well.”
One patron of a restaurant the Wales dined at commented on how happy the family looked.
“Everyone seemed to be really happy,” the patron said. “There were no airs and graces and actually they seemed like any normal family enjoying a ski break … Kate looked like she was having a lovely time.”
While the royal couple has been through many slippery slopes this past year, it would look like there is a bright path ahead as the Princess gets adjusted to a new normal.
@SIIMPLY_NYNY NG972522@OHIO.EDU
Americans flock to RedNote in preparation of TikTok ban
ALAINA DACKERMANN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
“Nĭ-howdy,” a play on the standard greetings of Nĭ hǎo and howdy is one of the many responses in the comment section of Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese social media app. The app is China's version of Instagram and has become a place of refuge for many Americans as TikTok grows more restricted for people to use in the U.S.
TikTok officially shut down the app for the U.S. around 10:30 p.m. EST Saturday, which left many people in despair as they believed they would have until midnight to continue using the app. However, in the days leading up to the ban, another app appeared to answer the question of what would be next for Americans still wanting to use a similar platform.
The app's official name is Xiaohongshu, it translates to "Little Red Book" in English, leading many people to call it RedNote. The app allows people to scroll through videos and like and comment on each one, similar to TikTok. Although the majority of the app's users are Chinese and speak Mandarin, they have started to come together to welcome new users to the app.
The app was first released in 2013 under a different name but has grown to accommodate over 300 million active users, with one of the biggest surges being during COVID-19. Now, with the increase in American users, the app has maintained its position at the top of the charts and has become much more known across the globe.
(ALAINA DACKERMANN | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
Reuters reported that nearly 700,000 people had joined RedNote in two days, and the app surged in popularity in the app store, becoming the top free-todownload app.
As the app has become more flooded with American users, people are pointing out that a lot of what they have been told about China has proved to be false while Chinese users are pointing out that what they have been told about Americans appears to be true. Users are sharing photos of the prices of farmers' markets in China to compare to U.S. costs, and comments directed toward Americans include questions about whether Americans need a
job to afford healthcare.
Although RedNote is similar to TikTok with its video scrolling features, the app is more about lifestyle content and has been predominantly favored by women. Users can purchase various services and share movies, upload images and write text.
The app requires users to log in before they can begin using it, and videos do not automatically play, unlike TikTok. However, it has a similar algorithm that eventually learns what the user is interested in. RedNote is not fully accessible to those who do not understand Mandarin, but the creators of the app announced that they
were working to make improvements for English speakers so they could interact better with the content.
In addition to people posting videos about learning Mandarin to better understand the content on RedNote, the language-learning app Duolingo stated there has been a 216% increase in Mandarin learners since January 2025.
As of 1 p.m. EST Sunday, access to TikTok has been restored for those in the U.S.; however, the fate of the app is still up for debate. The latest news is a statement from TikTok saying they had come to an agreement with its service providers and expressed thanks to President Donald Trump.
"We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States," TikTok posted on X. Many users are aware of the irony that Americans are abandoning TikTok for another app that is run in China, and some of them view this as a sign of resistance against the efforts of U.S. lawmakers to outlaw it. Either way, as the fate of TikTok continues to be passed around from one bill to the next, it is clear that Americans will continue to unite with those across the globe as they look for more ways to share their thoughts, opinions and life with the world. @DACKPHOTOGRAPHY
(MIA PISHOTTI | ART DIRECTOR)
Lately with Layne: Biden’s farewell address warns, calls to action
Former President Joe Biden delivered a farewell address Wednesday, warning Americans of the dangers that are to succeed him.
LAYNE REY | FOR THE POST
Former President Joe Biden delivered a farewell address Wednesday in which he warned Americans of the dangers that are to succeed him. In arguably one of the best speeches of his presidential term, he ominously spoke about President Donald Trump’s second term, called for a constitutional amendment and momentarily touted his decades of service. Although Biden’s competency suffers questioning, this farewell address spoke to his awareness of what’s to follow and deep understanding of American politics.
Throughout Biden’s allusions to a second Trump presidency, there was a common theme: power. He warned Americans about “the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few ultra-wealthy people, and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.” He even went on to say, “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence.”
By referencing an oligarchy, Biden is critiquing the state of democracy as a whole under Trump’s leadership — transcending political affiliations and policy disagreements. Drawing inspiration from former President Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address, Biden used the majority of his speech to evaluate the anxiety-ridden future. This directly speaks to his sense of what’s to come — and there’s no politically-driven malice as he is not running for another office.
Although Biden is certainly worried about the state of democracy and government as a result of concentrated wealth and power, he spoke on the specific dangers for the American people. “It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division,” Biden said. “Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning, and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot.
Biden’s way of directly establishing how wealth and power concentration can affect Americans speaks volumes to his longtime career in government, and how he has seen this kind of power unfold before.
Along with those warnings that are certainly real but somewhat vague, Biden called for a change to the U.S. Constitution. In direct reference to Trump’s unprecedented presidential immunity, Biden said there needs to
By referencing an oligarchy, Biden is critiquing the state of democracy as a whole under Trump’s leadership — transcending political affiliations and policy disagreements.
– Layne Rey
be an amendment that says no president is immune from crimes they commit in office. He said the president’s power is not absolute, and he believes it shouldn’t be — ominously foreshadowing the new administration.
With these warnings surrounding power and wealth, truth and accountability are on the backburner; however, Biden knows the importance of journalism, and has worked with the press in a way that directly contrasts Trump’s interactions during his first term. In his address, he explained the ways truth and accountability began falling apart when Trump reentered the political sphere. Biden said, “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”
The overall themes of concentrated wealth and abuses of power throughout Biden’s farewell speech created a set of foreboding and mellow warnings preceding Trump’s second term. In a well-delivered address, he used his decades of experience and deep understanding of the democratic process to demonstrate his awareness of the danger Trump presents to the country and the government.
Layne Rey is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
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Rooks Reflects: Interdisciplinary learning enhances college experience
SOPHIA ROOKSBERRY | ASST. HUMAN INTEREST EDITOR
One of the biggest questions incoming college students face is which major to declare. From engineering to theater to graphic design, there seems to be no end to options for a specialized field of study. Ohio University alone offers over 250 undergraduate degree programs, according to its website, and there are countless others throughout the country. With such a broad selection, incoming students can often be overwhelmed with choices and forget a key fact during their decision making: there doesn’t have to be just one choice.
Students have the option to declare multiple majors or add minors and certificates to a degree program. If the path of an extra major isn’t suitable, there is nothing preventing a student from taking random elective classes in order to diversify their course load and thus their educational experience as a whole. Essentially, the world of collegiate education is as vast as a student makes it, and those who choose to expand their educational realm will find a myriad of benefits.
One of the foremost reasons students take on second or even third majors is to increase their appeal to po-
tential employers. According to popular job site Indeed, “a double major can give you a competitive edge as a job candidate, as you’ll have a unique insight into two fields.” Because approximately 20% of graduates have a double major (according to U.S. News & World Report), those applicants will also stand out from the 80% of applicants with just one major.
Additionally, most opportunities offered to college students will have a job title that is vastly different from their major title (i.e. a student with a degree in journalism may not start off their career as a journalist, but rather as a web developer, PR specialist, social media manager, etc.) By getting a head start in diversifying their resumes, interdisciplinary students will undergo a much easier job search and acclimation to an unfamiliar role.
Not only will an education in multiple fields help a job candidate get in the door, it will also serve them in their career and in life; an intersection of disciplines grants students the chance to synthesize their learning and find ways to apply their knowledge across multiple areas.
The benefits of this synthesis and expansion of a classic, one-sided education can be seen in an article titled “Benefits and obstacles of interdisciplinary research: Insights from members of the Young Academy at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.” The article, found in the National Library of Education, references the personal experience of young researchers in an interdisciplinary research model. According to participant Franziska Baessler, “interdisciplinary research has challenged our contemporary beliefs about bounded research disciplines.”
One of the biggest drawbacks of pursuing an extra degree or an additional minor or certificate is the extra workload. The choice to pursue an interdisciplinary education must be made after personal reflection and coming to the conclusion that the extra work is manageable. If this is the case, students will come out the other side with a stronger work ethic and unique, valuable experiences that will serve them both in the workforce and in life.
Metal Mondays: David Lynch understood true American life
JACKSON MCCOY | COPY CHIEF
When the news of David Lynch’s death spread out to the masses Wednesday afternoon, the outpouring of support was immense. It fit Lynch perfectly, matching the impact he has had on both modern cinema and the people he interacted with on the daily. Lynch’s frequent collaborators — Kyle MachLachlan, Laura Dern, etc. — shared tributes to him, mixing with the masses of regular people who posted their interactions and love for him on social media.
Lynch’s filmography, laden with surrealism, symbolism and allegory, will likely inspire filmmakers for decades to come. However, understanding the idea of being “Lynchian” and what that truly means in the wake of Lynch’s death is more important now than ever.
The most acclaimed and popular films Lynch is credited with creating revolve around themes of corruption and sinister internal working of seemingly innocent exteriors. “Blue Velvet,” Lynch’s 1986 crime thriller, takes what would usually just be a carbon copy cop movie and adds into it a level of spine-chilling evil from its central characters in a way not done before. The nostalgic recreations of ‘80s suburban life, with its frightening underbelly of crime and sex lurking around every corner lays the foundation for what are frequent motifs in his work.
“Twin Peaks,” perhaps Lynch’s best known work, is most akin to “Blue Velvet.” The show, which ran from
1990-91, follows several interwoven plots all of which are tied in some way to the mysterious death and oftabused life of teenager sweetheart Laura Palmer. Palmer, similar to the characters in “Blue Velvet,” is a vision of prom queen perfection, yet has an unknown life of drugs and illegal activity tying her to the most successful men in her Pacific Northwest town.
Frequently, “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks” incorporate motifs of Lynch’s own life growing up in the 1950s. The ‘50s were a decade characterized by suburban expansion and a post- World War II boom, with important figures such as President Dwight Eisenhower rising to prominence. Lynch’s films and shows are embedded with the spirit of this time, taking the optimism of the era and pushing it until it hits nauseating extremes of excess, greed and consumption.
Because of his frequent references to the bygone era of Marilyn Monroe and his obvious love for a simpler time marred by extreme racism, Lynch is frequently labeled conservative. It is true Lynch expressed love for Ronald Reagan, and he did walk back comments seemingly praising Donald Trump in 2018. (Lynch also rarely cast Black actors or attempted to tell stories of racial identity, something which will be a stain on his work for years to come.) However, to reduce Lynch to a singular ideological movement, especially one as broad as conservatism, would be a true disservice to his art.
Although his characters certainly fall from grace in ways often associated with attacks on the hippies of the
‘60s — drug use, hypersexuality, etc. — Lynch treats his fallen characters with care. Laura Palmer has become a blueprint for how to write truly complex characters who are victims of abuse without pinning the blame on her own actions. His central lesbian duo in “Mulholland Drive” are simultaneously complex and tragic, hopeful and doomed in a way films by other directors would create pulpy melodramas with no respect for ideas of longing.
In the same story in which he made comments on Trump, Lynch said he voted for Bernie Sanders in 2016. Lynch was beyond the political spectrum — he lived a relatively privileged life, one which would influence his art and allow him to stay above politics. His filmography, ripe with allusions to American fantasies, takes the apolitical lives of normal people and complicates them, focusing on broader ideas of power and criminality. As time marches on and artists, columnists and film historians continue to debate Lynch’s true legacy, it is important to not conflate his dark musings on the American dream with conservatism. The towns which so frequently make an appearance in Lynch’s films, ripe with keeping-up-with-the-Joneses imagery, go deeper than just banal drama. Lynch cut to the heart of American ideals; by recreating the eras he loved, he applied his own surreal vision of evil under the surface, one which is more rooted in reality than many expect.
Sassy Cassie: Trump manipulated US amid TikTok ban, reinstation
President Donald Trump will be praised for saving the app millions of American users make money off of; however, he is also the one who created the issue. The ban on the app isn’t just a ban on TikTok, but a ban on every app ByteDance owns. This ban has been a long time in the making, and people will forget it started in 2020 with Trump.
Before TikTok was TikTok it was Musical.ly. Musical.ly was bought in 2017 by ByteDance, and nine months after the purchase the app was renamed. In 2019, some U.S. officials started to get suspicious of the app calling for an investigation. The following year, Trump issued two executive orders, one of which was an “unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer apps TikTok and WeChat.” The second one “gave the Chinese company ByteDance 90 days to divest itself of any assets used to support the popular TikTok app in the United States.”
In reaction,TikTok sued the Trump administration over the attempted ban. Former President Joe Biden was then
elected in November. Before he took office, the Trump administration planned to force the sale, but ultimately let the deadline extend. In February of 2021, Biden then postponed the legal cases involving the TikTok ban. Between 2021-2025, the app continued to grow in popularity. In 2022 TikTok became the most downloaded app in the world. TikTok also worked to ease tensions with the U.S. by moving data to U.S. firm Oracle. However, that didn’t stop the ban, and in March 2024, the House of Representatives passed the TikTok ban-or-sell bill, and the Senate followed, sending it to Biden (he signed it).
The TikTok app became unavailable to U.S users Saturday. When someone entered the app, the following message appeared: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
On Saturday, Trump told NBC he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the
U.S. after he takes office Monday. Creator James Charles recently took to Instagram talking about the ban, saying, “Now I’m rooting for Trump? Ew! God, like Make America f-----g Great again I guess.”
Now that TikTok has been reinstated, Trump will be credited for saving that app. But one can argue he started this issue so he could be the hero, and gain a larger Generation Z following. The Biden Administration even stated that it would not enforce the ban, meaning TikTok did not have to shut down its services. But the app did shut down services voluntarily, making it a point to say Trump will fix it.
While the majority of the focus is on TikTok, it is important to mention how the Trump administration has planned to start mass deportations within a day of his inauguration. Trump will be praised for potentially reinstating an app, while simultaneously ruining millions of people’s lives.
CASSIE DYE| FOR THE POST
CROSSWORD
‘Balloonerism’ blends beautiful instrumentals, vocals
ABBY JENKINS | HUMAN INTEREST EDITOR
Mac Miller’s “Balloonerism” brought his voice back to earth Friday with philosophical lyrics mixed with beautiful instrumentals. The late rapper’s most recent piece of art has left his fans enthralled at his work.
Miller died Sep. 7, 2018, at 26 years old from an accidental overdose. His first posthumous album, “Circles,” was released in 2020, and 5 years later, the artist still displays the same creativity and storytelling genius he did during his life.
“Balloonerism” gives a peek into Miller’s alter egos, like Delusional Thomas and Larry Fisherman, but also dips into his struggle with self-medication and even seemingly eerie messages from beyond the grave. “Balloonerism: A Film Based On The Album By Mac Miller,” a film now available on Prime Video, was created alongside the album.
“Balloonerism” follows the spaced-out and laid-back feelings of “Circles” but with more strings and piano to accompany the music. The opening 30-second
SUDOKU
track, “Tambourine Dream,” features, as prefaced, the steady but fun rhythm of a tambourine.
Following the opening track is “DJ’s Chord Organ,” a highly anticipated song featuring SZA. The song is over five minutes long and begins with the long, drawn-out sounds of a chord organ. The song itself is very dreamy and flowy, with SZA accompanying the organ’s sounds in more of a sultry and deeper flow than in her typical work.
The lead single for the album, “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” is reminiscent of the jumpy, child-like wonder of his previous works like “K.I.D.S.” The song reintroduces the steady tambourine, a prominent bass line and more singing from Miller. It continues to be the most streamed song on the album, currently with over 9 million plays on Spotify.
“Stoned” is the standout track of the album. Including a sultry guitar riff at the beginning, it follows the story of Miller and a girl as they escape the crushing social pressures of the world to spark up together. As Miller has been known to have a methodical and intimate thought process writing about women in music, this track does not disappoint.
“Friendly Hallucinations” and “Funny Papers” are other popular picks from the album. Despite Miller’s funky and chill nature, he has been known for his somber tracks and the accompanying lyrics that have hit home for many avid listeners. In “Funny Papers” especially, he utters the lyric, “I wonder if He’ll take me to the other side,” a heartbreaking line for the many who continue to mourn his loss.
The final tracks of the album tie everything into a ghastly close. “Rick’s Piano” provides listeners with the promise of Miller’s voice over a piano track, with gentle percussion in the background. He utters the lyrics, “The best is yet to come” and “Why does death steal life?” tear-jerking lines for his fans.
“Balloonerism” closes on the nearly 12-minute long track, “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” a soft and echoey track that repeats many questions over and over. Miller ends his second posthumous album on the line, “If you could make it go away / Give you a chance to start all over.” The track fades into instrumentals for the remaining five minutes to end his latest collection of work.
“Balloonerism” by Mac Miller has left his listeners missing his style of rap and artistry, but appreciating the messages he had left for them. The flowy assortment of songs feels just like the kind of vinyl to throw on for any occasion. Miller’s legacy of “most dope” continues to prevail online and in everyone’s playlist.
ALBUM RATING: 4/5
MLK Day reminds, prompts people to serve
MCKENNA CHRISTY| EQUITY DIRECTOR
Most Americans know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his nonviolent leadership during the civil rights movement as he advocated for and made influential progress in racial equality. King’s speeches and letters are taught in schools throughout the country and the U.S. has celebrated King’s life on the third Monday of January each year since 1986. And each year, Americans are reminded that, while King’s life was unjustly taken April 4, 1968, his presence and advocacy live on as people continue to fight for a future King would be proud of.
It is necessary to reflect on MLK Day to start or continue to do good in one’s community, especially during a time of political polarization and extremism grows and worsens across the nation.
In an article about President Donald Trump’s Inauguration, The Washington Post compared King and Trump. Trump was labeled as a “firebrand president who used divisiveness for political gain” while King was described as the opposite – “a civil rights icon” who wanted to unite people regardless of their backgrounds.
In honor of King, it is crucial to find hope against the hate that persists during Trump’s second inauguration. What is often unattributed to King in schools and mainstream media is his radicalism, which is where people may find ways to advocate for people in the U.S. and globally who are actively facing political violence and oppression.
According to the African American Intellectual History Society, King did not shy away from associating himself with radical ideas of the time such as a “broad-based economic rights agenda” and the desire to end the Vietnam War. King’s radicalism is another reminder to continue advocating for human rights through public service and a powerful voice.
According to the AAIHS, King also often centralized the importance of history and its context during speeches, reminding listeners that the past impacts the present and, therefore, the civil rights movement at the time. History reminds people to call out injustice when they see it because the injustice of the past is likely to be repeated by prejudiced political officials seeking to politically and socially divide the public. MLK Day is a time to reflect on history and look toward a better tomorrow.
Monday marked the third time in history that Inauguration Day and MLK Day were celebrated on the same day. In a column by USA Today, Suzette Hackney interviewed King’s son, Martin Luther King III, a prominent civil rights leader, about Trump’s inauguration and MLK Day falling on the same day. During the interview, King encouraged public service as a means of unity.
At his last speech at Howard University Nov. 9, 1966, King delivered the Gandhi Memorial Lecture. One part of King’s speech in particular seems to stress what is happening today among political leaders who blame and polarize instead of help and unite: “It seems to be a fact of life that human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually reaching out for some thin rationalization that clothes an obvious wrong in the beautiful garments of righteousness.”
To celebrate and honor King daily, commit to calling out injustice and lies while serving friends, family, community members and strangers, and do not give into hatred and intolerance.
JAN. 15, 1982
APRIL 8, 1968
JAN. 20, 1998
JAN. 16, 1973
MALLORY RICKEL & RAPHAËLLE ANGLADE | FOR THE POST
Checkout multimedia coverage of OU’s silent march