Vol. 11 Issue 1

FALL 2017

Standing up to a

ST EREOTYPE SMOOTHIE DIE TS:

PG. 24

Not quite a quick f i x P G . 12

A QUESTION OF

Faith PG. 20

T h e P a t h o f O U ’s President ial Histor y PG. 28 www.backdropmagazine.com

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Letter from the Editor

Alexandra Greenberg Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com

A new academic year introduces changes and adjustments. It may be a new living situation, a new routine or even the first time living on your own. I like to think of a new year as a new chapter — a time to try something different or dive even deeper into something I’m passionate about.

For us at Backdrop magazine, it’s the 11th time we get to turn the page. We’re starting off 201718 with a brand new staff, a fresh perspective and an updated website. After coming home from our internships (pg. 44), we spent our summer nights remodeling backdropmagazine.com and exploring topics important to the university, the town and the people who live, work and grow here. And we’re thrilled to share their stories in this issue.

Adam McConville talked with students about their varying paths toward expanding their worldviews (pg. 20). Michaela Fath examines the legacy of Margaret Boyd, Ohio University’s first female graduate, and how it inspires a group of young women to be leaders in their own way (pg. 10). For our cover story (pg. 24), Alexis McCurdy immerses us into the world of the Women of Appalachia Project to understand how artistic expression allows those involved to change the stereotypes they face.

And so begins the first issue of the year and the last chapter of my undergraduate career. So far, it’s included working with a great staff to produce this magazine and losing my keys, locking myself out of my apartment, and spending a night in a hotel in the process. (I considered sleeping in my car or our office, but I ended up treating myself to a real bed and some peanut M&M's after the day I had.) But, hey, every good story includes a conflict or two along the way, and I’m so excited to start this story off with Issue 1. So, welcome back, Bobcats. Remember to keep your heads high, your minds open, and your keys close by.

All the best,

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backdrop | Fall 2017

FALL 2017 » VOLUME 11 ISSUE 1

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALEXANDRA GREENBERG MANAGING EDITOR ADAM MCCONVILLE ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR ABBEY KNUPP ASSOCIATE EDITORS ALEXIS MCCURDY & LILLI SHER COPY CHIEF ELIZABETH HARPER COPY EDITORS CORINNE RIVERS, BRYAN SHAVER, KATHERINE VERMES, LANDER ZOOK WRITERS MORGAN COOVERT, MADISON EBLEN, MAISEE FRIED, ANNELIE GOINS, ABBY HARDER, ALLY LANASA, SYDNEY OTTO, HALEY RISCHAR, JESSICA RUTKOWSKI WEB EDITORS JULIE CIOTOLA & MICHAELA FATH DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT DARIAN RANDOLPH VIDEO EDITOR CHRISTIAN GOODE

PUBLISHER IGGY COSSMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMILY CARUSO ART DIRECTORS TAYLOR DIPLACIDO & JESSICA KOYNOCK DESIGNERS HALEIGH CONTINO, KAITLIN HENEGHAN, JYLIAN HERRING, KRISTEN HUNT, KATIE KINGERY, MADDIE KNOTSMAN, ASHLEY LAFLIN, SAMANTHA MUSLOVSKI DIRECTOR OF MEMBER RELATIONS MARIE CHAILOSKY MARKETING DIRECTOR SARAH NEWGARDE PHOTO EDITOR SARAH WILLIAMS ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR MADDIE SCHROEDER ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR MAX CATALANO PHOTOGRAPHERS RACHEL ADDLESPURGER, JORDAN ALLISON, AMANDA DAMELIO, LOGAN FOUSS, MALIÉ NGUYEN

Want to advertise Interested in in Backdrop? working with us?

Send an email to Stop by one of our weekly backdropadvertising@gmail.com meetings at 8 p.m. to get started. Tuesdays in Tupper 102.

Follow us on Twitter @BackdropMag

SEE THE PHOTO STORY PAGE 32 Sunrise at Pre Rup, one of Siem Reap’s many temples within the Angkor city. The GLC students took a weekend trip to the city of Siem Reap where they were able to explore ancient temples up close.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

CONTENTS FEATURES NAVIGATING NEW BELIEFS

College students take a leap of faith by examining their worldviews . . . . . . 20

CRAFTING A NEW IMAGE

The Women of Appalachia Project seeks to change the perception of the region and empower the women within it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Q&A

INFOGRAPHIC

An adventurous Ohio University alumna and her husband spent their first 365 days of marriage traveling the globe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

A glimpse into the history of Ohio University that led to Duane Nellis’ presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

HITCHED HIKERS

THE DROP

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF GREEK LIFE

Students in professional fraternities develop and fine-tune skills that will aid them in their careers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A LEGACY OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP

Inspired by Ohio University’s first female graduate, a group of women create an environment dedicated to initiative and ambition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

PHOTO STORY

GLOBAL CLASSROOM

Global Leadership Certificate students traveled to Cambodia for a study abroad trip. . . . . . . . 32

CALENDAR ON THE BRICKS

Mark your calendars for the best events Athens has to offer this fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

SEX & HEALTH

SPORTS

Smoothie cleanses present a smooth alternative to unhealthy choices, but they don’t replace a well-balanced diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

With only one year left to save the organization, the archery club is fighting to change its fate . . . . . . . .38

BLENDING IN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

RECIPE

LEAN & GREEN Cover photo provided by Kari Gunter-Seymour

STORIES OF PRESIDENTS PAST

These nutritious Backdrop recipes show how easy being green can be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

FOOD

SIX MEALS UNDER $6

Check out the best food deals in Athens to help satisfy cravings on a budget . . . . . . . . . . .16

SMILES BY THE DOZEN

Wayne and William Waldeck run McHappy’s, a small bakery that’s served up fresh pastries for more than 40 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

ONE LAST SHOT

ENTERTAINMENT

TALES FROM THE TABLETOP

Athens gamers fight monsters and explore unknown places through tabletop games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

FINDING HARMONY

Members of campus a capella groups harmonize — both vocally and socially . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

VOICES

BACKDROP GOT ME HERE

Two Backdroppers share their summer internship experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

EXHIBIT A

A showcase of a student’s photography work . . . .46

PHOTO HUNT Spot the five differences between these photos

of Court Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

FALL 2017 » VOLUME 11 ISSUE 1

www.backdropmagazine.com

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Q&A

Hitched

BY SYDNEY OTTO PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MCKENZIE BURGTORF

HIKERS

A globe-trotting couple share their favorite destinations and memories from their yearlong honeymoon.

WHY DID YOU TWO DECIDE TO GO ON THIS TRIP INSTEAD OF A TYPICAL HONEYMOON? MCKENZIE: We both kind of talked about extended travel throughout the time we were dating. It’s something that we both kind of wanted to do and never had done. … And then we got engaged … and we were kind of talking about what we wanted our life to look like, what we wanted to do together, and it really came up that we both still wanted to travel.

And so we kind of were just kind of like, ‘Hey, why not?’ Like, let’s take a year, we can take the first year after we get married, and do it.

HOW DID YOU TWO PLAN AND ORGANIZE THE TRIP? M: We kind of just flew by the seat of

M

cKenzie and Brad Burgtorf both grew up and attended college in small towns: McKenzie graduated from Ohio University in 2008, and Brad finished his studies at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 2003. Both had a strong desire to travel and see the world, so when they met in a bar in Denver, they were a perfect match.

Their honeymoon seemed like a perfect excuse for a getaway. But instead of relaxing on a tropical beach and drinking margaritas at an all-inclusive resort, they quit their jobs, packed their bags and set their sights on some of the highest mountains, most remote towns and the least-traveled paths. b

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our pants. … It was really cool because it kind of gave us flexibility, and we kind of changed our whole itinerary based on different conversations we had with different people and backpackers and locals, so we got to see a lot of things that I don’t think we would’ve otherwise if we only did internet research and had a whole itinerary.

BRAD: I remember breaking open a bottle of wine on the living room floor and rolling out a newly purchased world map and dreaming of seeing everything and doing everything, and we quickly got overwhelmed with the options. … We

just didn’t have the time to put much effort into planning other than ... rough outlines of countries and continents that we wanted to see.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF THE TRIP? M: This one time in Thailand, we were

staying in this jungle hut, and it was 104 degrees and it was humid and there [were] mosquitos and it was, you know, just super uncomfortable. And in that moment you’re kind of disheartened a little bit. And then you realize that 30 minutes later we were swimming in the ocean looking at these beautiful mountains and the jungle. It’s all worth it in the end, and the bad stuff doesn’t last forever, and it’s part of what you have to give to be able to experience it.

B: This was easy for me. Not being able to get to a McDonald’s within five minutes or a Jimmy John’s was like hands down the hardest thing for me to get used [to] for nine months during international travel. And one of the things, like as soon as we stepped foot back in the States, we went straight to Jimmy John’s. There’s some American food that just can’t be replicated.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN THE TRIP IS OVER? M: We’ve been on the road and living out of our backpacks and out of a truck for

so long, and it’s been awesome and such an amazing experience, but it’s going to be good to settle back into real life and have a routine again ... sleeping in our own bed and doing laundry. All those things that you take for granted when you’re traveling for so long.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESTINATION? B: Places like Laos or Bolivia or Bosnia, … we had no expectations going in.

The people that we met, the stories that we learned, the cultures, just speaking with the people was just really amazing, and I think we’ll take a lot more from those experiences down the road than we necessarily would from visiting well known places in Europe or even Thailand for instance.

HOW HAS THE TRIP IMPACTED YOUR RELATIONSHIP? M: I think we’ve only spent 72 hours

apart this whole year, so I think we’re really fortunate in that we travel really well together. And I mean, I’m sure there’s times when we’re on a 24-hour bus ride and we’re cranky and we’re probably not our best selves, and we kind of learned to roll with it together. And I think we’ve seen each other at our lowest lows and our highest highs, and I kind of really just think it makes us stronger as a couple.

B: It’s been such a great experience to start

our lives together and [have] so much quality time together. So much of the trip has been good. Given the types of travel, the budget travel, there’s been some discomfort, so we’ve seen each other at our lows and know that when one person is at their low, the other person is going to kind of pick them up. And I couldn’t have done this with anyone else.

M: Yeah, I think it’s safe to say we married the right people.

SO WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE STORY TO TELL, WHAT’S BEEN YOUR CRAZIEST, OR MOST ADVENTUROUS AND DISASTROUS STORY FROM THE TRIP? M: It’s so hard to pinpoint one down

because we have so many. Like, I think that’s one of the best things about the trip.

I mean we got in an accident in the middle of the Laos jungle and we hiked up Machu Picchu in a rainstorm and we woke up to tarantulas in Bolivia. We thought we poisoned ourselves one time in Bosnia because we ate these beans that we didn’t see the label on. … They’re endless.

B: Overall, everything went really smoothly. … We’ve had a couple of delays and some issues. No long-term illness, no broken bones, no call home seeking money, no jail time. We’ve really been fortunate in that respect.

www.backdropmagazine.com

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THE DROP

Another

Chapter

of Greek Life

BY MARIE CHAILOSKY | ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE KINGERY

Professional fraternities offer their members advantages and opportunities to succeed.

L

ike the 14.5 percent of Ohio University students involved in social fraternities and sororities on campus, Bryan Croft and Paige Lewis took an interest in Greek life. But instead of only rushing social organizations, the upperclassmen joined professional fraternities, which are based on a specific major or minor. Neither could have anticipated joining those organizations, though, because they had little to no knowledge of professional Greek life before they came to college.

Croft, a senior studying management information systems and business analytics, says he found out about Alpha Kappa Psi, the oldest and largest pro-

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fessional business fraternity in the nation, when he saw a flyer for its meeting and told his roommate about it.

“We literally just showed up there, like it was that night,” he says. “We had never heard of it before, so we just showed up.”

Lewis, a junior studying biological sciences, was aware of non-social Greek life because she knew a girl who was in Phi Sigma Pi, a coed honors society.

But without that flyer or that friend, Croft and Lewis might not have heard about their fraternities.

Professional fraternities are represented by Greek letters, colors, traditions and alumni, but they do not

have the same public acclaim traditional social sororities and fraternities have.

Kristen Kardas, assistant director of sorority and fraternity life at OU, says there are more than 30 Greek organizations at OU that she would consider professional or specialized. Specializations range from pre-law (Phi Alpha Delta) to aviation (Alpha Eta Rho).

The Greek life page on OU’s website has no mention of professional fraternities, and a prospective member would need to search through a list of student organizations to find information on them. OU does not have the Professional Fraternity Association like some other campuses do, but one of Kardas’ longterm goals as assistant director is to bring the association to campus.

Instead, OU has associations and councils that govern different types of Greek life on campus. The Women’s Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternal Council oversee women’s and men’s social Greek life, respectively. The National Panhellenic Council manages historically African-American Greek life, and the Multicultural Greek Council guides the multicultural Greek life on campus.

Despite Kardas’ authority over fraternity and sorority life, she has no jurisdiction over professional and specialized organizations.

“The main difference between the organizations I work with and the professional/specialized organizations is membership,” she says.

She says individuals can only join one social fraternal organization, but they can also be in multiple professional organizations based on their major or another specialized interest.

“For example, a female-identified student who is a business major would be able to join a sorority in the Women’s Panhellenic Association, one of the business fraternities (Alpha Kappa Psi, Beta Alpha Psi or Delta Sigma Pi), and a service-based fraternal organization like Alpha Phi Omega. However, that student would not be able to join more than one social sorority (i.e. they could not be in Sigma Lambda Gamma and Alpha Gamma Delta),” Kardas explains.

Lewis is a member of Alpha Delta Pi, a social sorority for women, and Phi Delta Epsilon, a coed pre-medical fraternity.

She says it’s a common misconception that social and non-social Greek organizations keep a distance from each other.

“I just don’t think people understand and realize how intermixed it is and how many people are involved in both,” she says.

She says she has received a more diverse college experience by joining both social and non-social Greek organizations.

There are philanthropic, social and academic aspects to being in her social sorority, but the pre-medical fraternity focuses primarily on academics and advancing her medical education.

“I’ve gotten all my research opportunities and a lot of shadowing opportunities and academic advice through my professional fraternity,” she says.

Croft is now the president of the OU chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi. Despite lesser inclusion of his and other professional fraternities in the Greek life office and website, he considers himself and his organization part of the Greek community on campus. Croft attributes his professional fraternity’s reduced visibility to the size of professional fraternities.

“I just think on other campuses where Greek life is so big, it’s very easy for it to get overshadowed based on, kind of, the news and things that Greek life usually makes on campus,” he says.

The biggest benefit to being in a business fraternity as a business major, Croft says, is learning the subtleties of being in the business profession. Pledges of Alpha Kappa Psi have to go through an interview with each member of the fraternity to receive full membership. Croft says it’s an intensive semester of improving those skills.

“When I pledged, that was definitely the semester I learned the most … in terms of how to conduct myself, how to have a conversation with people, all the soft skills. That is the whole point of the pledging process,” he says.

Croft says Alpha Kappa Psi’s meetings are not spent discussing stocks and accounting but are set-aside times to plan philanthropy and outside events or for leaders of corporations to speak to the members. “[Some people] think that, you know, we walk around in suits all day long and that’s all that we do,” Croft says.

“But, no, I know that part of the business world isn’t just about the hard skills and professionalism, it’s all just how you get along with people. So, we really do a good job of trying to balance all of our philanthropy, fundraising and professional events with social events.” b

GREEK ORGANIZATIONS ON CAMPUS

14.5% of Ohio University students are involved in social fraternities and sororities on campus

30 Greek organizations at OU are considered professional or specialized

Students can join 1 social fraternal organization and multiple professional and academic organizations

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9

THE DROP

A LEGACY OF

Female Leadership

10

A Margaret Boyd scholar takes a walk during the freshman winter retreat.

backdrop | Fall 2017

The Margaret Boyd Scholars Program fosters a community of confident and innovative female leaders.

BY MICHAELA FATH | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CLAIRE KLODELL

I

n 1873, student Margaret Boyd took a historic step forward for female education by becoming the first woman to earn a degree at Ohio University. Her legacy lives on through OU’s Margaret Boyd Scholars Program, the first all-female scholars program on campus committed to developing women into leaders with trailblazing mindsets similar to Boyd’s.

Every year since the program’s launch in 2013, 20 first-year undergraduate women are selected for the four-year program. Patricia McSteen, director of the program, says the idea was a collaborative effort between herself and two of her colleagues, Tanya Barnett and Susanne Dietzl, to change the culture of women on campus.

“What you see on the national level is that undergraduate women tend to be very involved on campus but few hold formal leadership roles,” McSteen says. “The involvement is there, but [it’s about] whether or not they are putting themselves out there to take on official leadership roles.”

The application and interview process for the new cohort begins in the fall, and the scholars are selected before winter break.

McSteen says selection is not based off of previous academic performance but rather a woman’s integrity, honesty and passion for making a difference in the world. There is also an emphasis on diversity in each group, as women are accepted from all different programs of study.

“What we really want to do is to have the women learn and live amongst [others] who are very different from themselves,” McSteen says. “Not only are they different from their academic perspective, but they are different from their backgrounds, where they come from and what their goals are in life.”

Sophia Boothby, a sophomore studying environmental biology, a member of the OU field hockey team and a Margaret Boyd scholar, says the program has given her the pride and ability to step up.

“I definitely have changed,” Boothby

says. “I think I am less scared to reach out for things, maybe because now I have more resources, but also just because the advisers of the program really push us to reach out for big goals.”

The program is funded by generous donations and part of McSteen’s own salary. The Margaret Boyd webpage allows alumni and friends of the university to donate to the program directly. According to the website, $6,000 funds the annual spring seminar, $3,000 aids a scholar’s internship or study abroad experience and $1,000 goes toward the freshman year retreat. Other donations provide general help for the program.

In the first year of the program, the scholars begin to form relationships with each other during a retreat in early January. Not only does the bond begin to flourish between the students during that time, but they also learn new information together through academic seminars for the remainder of the year.

Those seminars are taught by three randomly selected OU female faculty. In the past, students have learned about the gender pay gap from a sociologist, energy resources from a biomolecular chemical engineer, printmaking from an associate professor of art and other topics from successful female faculty.

During the second year of the program, a major key in solidifying relationships in the group entails a group living experience on the same floor in Bryan Hall on East Green.

“I think that the second year cements things together,” McSteen says. “One of the things that inevitably happened a couple of years ago is that of all floor sections on campus, the Boyd section of women had the highest GPA average out of any floor section.”

Scholars and the Margaret Boyd administration view the third year of the program as a work in progress. During the third year, the faculty aims to connect the women with either a study abroad or internship experience, but it is not a requirement, unlike other aspects of the

program. Scholar Hannah Borowski, a senior studying political science and global studies: war and peace, didn’t have one of those experiences her junior year.

Instead, Borowski had an interesting opportunity arise during her third year in the program: a job. She obtained a work study position doing Margaret Boyd administrative work for McSteen 10 hours a week during the school year.

“I lucked out, and there is another student [working] with me that is a Margaret Boyd [scholar] as well,” Borowski says. “We don’t get any money becoming a scholar, but it got me a job I desperately needed.”

Although McSteen agrees the junior year aspect of the program is a work in progress, she thinks it is one part of the program that will grow in the future.

“What we really had in mind for the third year is that the women by then would connect themselves with an education abroad or internship experience,” McSteen says. “Then, our goal in the program is to help them connect to make those things happen for themselves.”

The fourth year of the program is full of rich discussions that focus on different academic areas and current events. The faculty members who taught the group’s freshman year seminar are brought back to teach a capstone seminar. Those discussions are geared not only toward topics specific to the professor but also focus on graduate school and postcollege life.

Outside of the four-year plan, the Margaret Boyd Scholars Program offers young women other opportunities to grow as leaders. In the past, the program has been able to send students who are interested to more formal leadership enrichment programs.

“If you are passionate about what you believe in, can talk about it and be proud of it despite people putting you down, [that’s] what Margaret Boyd is all about,” Boothby says. “We’re all different, but we’re proud of being different.” b

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SEX & HEALTH

BLENDING IN A

Lifestyle

HEALTHY

Students can jumpstart healthy habits with smoothie cleanses, but they’re not a permanent fix.

BY ALLY LANASA | PHOTOS BY JESSICA KOYNOCK

O

hio University students have been “going green” by participating in a rising fad diet: green smoothie cleanses. Popular green smoothie cleanses include “The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse,” “Dr. Oz’s 3-Day Detox Cleanse” and “The 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge.”

“The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse” was created by New York Times best-selling author and nutritionist JJ Smith. The diet guarantees a weight loss of 10 to 15 pounds in 10 days by substituting breakfast, lunch and dinner for green smoothies.

However, snacks are allowed in the form of crunchy vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, unsalted nuts and unsweetened peanut butter.

Dr. Oz created a similar cleanse in which meals are replaced with specific smoothies. “Dr. Oz’s 3-Day Detox Cleanse” also requires drinking a morning detox tea and taking multivitamins and omega-3 and probiotic supplements. Snacking is limited to drinking smoothies of the person’s preference.

Faith Benner, an OU sophomore, underwent “Dr. Oz’s 3-Day Detox Cleanse” during spring 2017 in an attempt to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle and boost her metabolism. She prepared her smoothies by following Dr. Oz’s recipes, which called for ingredients such as berries, spinach, kale, peanut butter and coconut water.

“The lunch [smoothie] had coconut oil in it, because it was supposed to give you your natural fat for the day and that made the texture like super funky,” Benner says. “So I always dreaded eating that one. The breakfast smoothie had a lot of peanut butter in it so that was my favorite. That’s the one I would snack on, too.”

After completing the detox cleanse, Benner felt less bloated and more energized. For her, the detox served as a fresh start to healthier eating choices.

Similar to the detox cleanse, “The 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge” is designed to help people transition to a healthier lifestyle. The challenge, created by businesswoman and blogger Jen Hansard, is a digital program containing recipes for green smoothies. The program, which costs $19, promises positive

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backdrop | Fall 2017

results in the form of clearer skin, higher energy levels and weight loss.

Sophomore Azure Stephens says she can attest to the results.

“The 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge” motivated her to regularly incorporate green smoothies into her diet three years ago. The drinks were an easy addition to her diet after growing up in a vegan household, where her mother frequently made green smoothies. Stephens strives to incorporate green smoothies into her diet up to four times a week to ensure she receives necessary nutrients.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines from ChooseMyPlate.gov, the daily recommendation of fruit is two cups for men and women ages 19-30. The daily recommendation of vegetables is two and a half cups for women and three cups for men ages 19-30.

Stephens adds hemp seeds and maca, a Peruvian plant known for boosting energy, stamina and fertility into her smoothies for extra nutrition, among other protein and boosters. Her favorite green to include is spinach because it gives the drink a smooth consistency. She also typically uses bananas and berries to overpower the taste of the greens.

“One of my favorite ones to make … is strawberry, banana, spinach and then some, like, cacao raw chocolate powder. It’s really good,” Stephens says.

Green smoothies can be a beneficial vehicle for consuming the daily recommendations for fruits and vegetables, but how safe are green smoothie cleanses? Health professionals, including lecturer Juli Miller from the Department of Social and Public Health at OU, agree on the importance of eating more raw, organic foods but do not recommend fad dieting to do so.

There are unforeseen dangers in doing such cleanses. A major concern specific to “Dr. Oz’s 3-Day Detox Cleanse” is that it eliminates the act of chewing during meals. Benner found the lack of chewing to be the most difficult part of the detox cleanse.

“I think the last day I had a couple pretzels or something

because I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Benner says. “But for the most part if I just needed the sensation of chewing, I tried really hard to just eat what was in it.”

Chewing food is essential for oral health. The digestive system also needs to break down substances to function properly. The strength of digestive muscles will deteriorate if they are not used, as has been seen with patients who are fed intravenously, Miller says.

Another concern of fad diets in general is that the initial weight loss is water weight. When water weight is lost, the body becomes dehydrated and will not be able to function for an extensive period of time. If a person continues to consume less nutrients than necessary, the body enters starvation mode. In starvation mode, the body restricts the ability to burn fat because it must receive nutrients from storage fat. Fad diets are usually unsuccessful because they are not maintainable over a lifetime.

“You want to eat in a way that you can live your whole life eating that way,” Miller says. “That’s how you’re going to maintain. The true success of a diet is maintenance. The true success of a diet is not weight loss.”

People typically gain back the water weight and possibly a few more pounds after returning to their previous eating habits. There are healthier and more effective ways to reduce water weight and decrease bloating than fad diets or cleanses. Miller recommends eating a low-sodium diet, moderating the consumption of unhealthy foods and having an active lifestyle. Although physical activity is grueling work compared to drinking green smoothies, exercise is the key to eliminating fat tissue.

“The only way to get rid of fat is to burn it off,” Miller says.

“The only way to burn it off is to deplete all your calories so you get into storage fat and start burning it off. So, what are we talking about? Aerobic activity. Walking, running, swimming.”

Fad diets may not be practical for long-term maintenance and burning fat, but Miller believes they will never vanish, especially in a society with unattainable beauty standards. Every day, women see thousands of messages in magazines, on television and on social media that reinforce unrealistic beauty ideals.

As a result, people buy into the diet industry and believe the countless weight-loss testimonials they see.

“Women that try to set themselves up to look like all these images they are bombarded with are never going to look that way,” Miller says. “So, 94 percent of the population will never look like that no matter how much they diet or exercise.”

Miller encourages college students to analyze how the media influences their desire to lose weight. People buy into the diet industry, but dissatisfaction with one’s appearance is more often a psychological issue than a weight-loss concern. Fad diets pose a threat to both physical and mental health.

“It comes from inside of you as much as it does from the outward appearance,” she says.

Rather than focusing on weight loss, she suggests people strive to live healthier lifestyles. Cardio workouts, strength training and a balanced diet are ways to achieve that.

“Become more active, eat healthier choices,” Miller says. “You will start to see the comfort of being a healthier person.” b

FOR A LITTLE EXTRA...

PROTEIN BOOST PUMPKIN SEEDS

FIBER BOOST CHIA SEEDS

IMMUNE SUPPORT FLAX SEEDS

DIGESTIVE SUPPORT LEMON & HONEY

13

RECIPE

LEAN&

GREEN Go green with Backdrop’s delicious smoothie and salad recipes.

BY JULIE CIOTOLA PHOTOS BY JORDAN ALLISON

K

ale for breakfast does not appeal to most, but before crossing greens off the menu, consider trying a fresh smoothie to get the day started. The combination of the raw taste of leafy greens and the smooth, natural sweetness of fruit makes for a delicious meal.

Plus, fitting in a serving of vegetables in the morning, combined with fresh fruit and non-dairy milk, will help boost energy levels and control cravings throughout the day. Don’t know where to start? Check out a Backdrop original recipe for a fresh green smoothie. If there is leftover kale, try making a simple Greek salad to pair with the smoothie or to set aside and enjoy later. b

GREEN BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE 2-3 han

INGREDIENTS

df

METHOD Blend together ingredients. Add ice for smoother consistency. Sprinkle raw cacao for taste (optional).

u ls

k a le

Note: Substitute spinach, watercress or green leaf lettuce for kale

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backdrop | Fall 2017

v up 1c

n ze

a na ban

1f

ro

1 cup raspberries a

la a l m o nd milk n il

depending on taste preferences.

CHOPPED KALE GREEK SALAD METHOD

INGREDIENTS 2 cups chopped kale 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup chopped cucumbers 1 cup diced avocado 3-4 tablespoons feta cheese Olive oil Lemon juice Salt and pepper (optional)

Thoroughly mix kale with olive oil until leaves darken. Add chopped vegetables to the mix, and add a little more olive oil. Add feta cheese.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and mix. Add more depending on taste preferences. Sprinkle salt and pepper for taste.

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15

FOOD

$ 6 UNDER

SIX MEALS Delicious food in Athens doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

BY ABBY HARDER | PHOTOS BY SARAH WILLIAMS

1. CASA NUEVA, CHIPS AND SALSA AND GUAC — $5.75 The gem of Court Street’s Mexican food has yet to disappoint.

Craving some salty chips and a variety of salsa? Then Casa Nueva is the place to go, as it offers chips, guacamole and one of nine different salsas.

2. BAGEL STREET DELI, CANTRELLA — $5.75 Of course, an Italian-style bagel sandwich! The Cantrella offers any choice of bagel stuffed with meatballs, provolone cheese, onion, banana peppers and pizza sauce. It’s the perfect lunch for when dining hall food just doesn’t sound appetizing.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

The unique food and flavors packed into the many restaurants on Court Street can empty a wallet — fast. But fear not; delicious snacks don’t always have to empty your bank account. Here’s a list of extremely satisfying, cheap eats just off campus. b

3. O’BETTY’S, DIXIE “HUBBA-HUBBA” — $4.25 How about a good ol’ American hotdog? Not a problem! O’Betty’s signature Dixie “Hubba-Hubba” can take care of any cheesy craving during a night out — as long as it’s before 3 a.m.

4. SOUVLAKI’S, BEEF/LAMB GYRO — $4.95 No matter how you pronounce the word, a gyro from Souvlaki’s is never a bad idea. The authentic and savory pita filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce and a choice of beef or lamb — or both — will satisfy any appetite on a small budget.

5. BIG MAMMA’S, DREAM MAMA (BABY SIZE)— $4.25 The hidden gem of burritos. The Dream Mama mixes eggs, cheese, potatoes and bacon with chipotle mayo, lettuce and onion for a justthe-right-size savory breakfast burrito.

6. UNION STREET DINER, FRIED OREOS — $3.99, FRIED PICKLES — $5.49 Still craving that late-night snack fix? Maybe Union Street Diner, open 24 hours, can solve that problem. Whether you’re craving something sweet or salty, it will be fried.

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FOOD

SMILES

BY THE

DOZEN

McHappy’s, a small bakery on Richland Avenue, has a homemade history.

“

BY JESSICA RUTKOWSKI | PHOTOS BY MADDIE SCHROEDER

I

t’s a homey atmosphere; it’s oldfashioned. We’ve been in Athens since the ’70s, so over 30 years now. The store is … small, it’s quaint.”

That’s how William Waldeck, coowner of McHappy’s Bake Shoppe, describes the hole-in-the-wall shop on Richland Avenue. From the moment you step through the doors of McHappy’s and take in the baby pinkand-white-striped walls, the brightly lit space and the newly renovated stainless steel counters that showcase a variety of doughnuts, it’s hard not to feel … well, happy!

When William and Wayne Waldeck, co-owners of McHappy’s, were kids, their mother would leave in the middle of the night to deliver doughnuts to local restaurants in order to make some extra money.

In 1966, the brothers, who took after their mother in their work ethic and love of

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backdrop | Fall 2017

food, started Napoli’s, an Italian food establishment in Parkersburg. Six years later, Wayne thought, "This town needs a good place for doughnuts."

So Wayne and William set out to make their mother’s recipes into a business.

But first, they needed a name.

“We wanted to call our doughnuts ‘Happy Donuts,’ ” Wayne says. However, their trademark attorney advised against the name, saying there was no way they could trademark the word "happy."

To find a way around it, the brothers tried “McHappy,” and it worked. The business thrived and expanded to Athens in 1974.

To date, there are only two food establishments in the world that have a trademark beginning with the letters "Mc": McHappy’s and the fast food establishment the brothers like to refer to as "them," McDonald’s.

The two coexisted peacefully until the 1990s, when McDonald’s created the concept of the Happy Meal, which it originally intended to name the McHappy Meal.

McDonald’s argued the brothers were using the McHappy trademark beyond what they filed for and sent Chicagobased employees clad in pinstriped suits to Parkersburg to fight for the McHappy Meal.

“Long story short, it cost me half a million bucks,” Wayne says. “Thank God I

survived and we won our case and we kept our trademark.”

More than 40 years and 20 trademarks later, the Waldecks still love making their doughnuts just like their mother made them: as fresh and as carefully as possible, never missing a step.

“First, we bench cut them, fry them,” William explains. “[Then] you mix it, you cut it, you proof it, you bake it, you fill it, you fry it and then you split it up to take it to stores.”

The Waldeck brothers take great pride in their doughnut recipes. Each pastry is made with all-natural ingredients, such as trans fat-free oils and real cane sugar.

The doughnuts don’t contain additives, corn syrup, GMO products or any preservatives whatsoever.

William explains that the true flavor of the doughnut is revealed when the additives are not included in the recipe.

There is, however, one downside to McHappy’s preservative-free doughnuts.

“If you buy your doughnut today and you don’t eat it today, tomorrow you can pound nails with it,” he says.

William and Wayne aren’t the only ones proud of their doughnuts, though; the community they serve can’t get enough of their tasty creations. Many of their customers are loyal, from the locals who stop in for coffee to alumni who have moved away and come back for a weekend doughnut run.

“We’re just so happy with the people of Athens,” Wayne says. “The store over there ... is doing fantastic business. Our customers are so good.” b

“

We’re just so happy with the people of Athens. The store over there ... is doing fantastic business.”

WAYNE WALDECK CO-OWNER OF MCHAPPY’S BAKE SHOPPE

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FEATURE

NAVIGATING NEW

B E LI E F S

BY ADAM MCCONVILLE | PHOTOS BY SARAH WILLIAMS

College allows students to identify the differences between their faith of origin and the worldview they choose for themselves.

T

he college experience provides students an opportunity to explore new ideas and figure out who they are and what they believe. For larger subjects, such as a student’s religious or philosophical worldview, that can be a daunting change.

The Rev. Evan Young deals with questions about those large subjects on a regular basis. Young works at United Campus Ministries (UCM), an interfaith organization that builds on the common experiences between students of different beliefs to advocate for justice and progressive issues. In Young’s experience, students start to examine and question their faith of origin between the ages of 18 and 25.

“It's a spiritually very fruitful time,” Young says. “It's a part of coming to adulthood, identifying for yourself and claiming for yourself what you really do believe and then figuring out what that means about how you're going to live your life."

Young explains for some, that means transforming their faith of origin and making it their own. For others, the right choice may be leaving their faith and claiming something new or renouncing spirituality altogether.

TAKING REFUGE

Rachael Tanner, a rhetoric and composition Ph.D. candidate, has been all over the religious map. She came to study at Ohio University in fall 2015 and took her Vows of Refuge with the Athens Karma Thegsum Chöling (KTC), a local Buddhist meditation group, in spring 2016.

Tanner grew up in what she calls a liberal Southern Baptist church and thought for a time that she wanted to be a pastor and work with urban social ministry. Her faith has changed over time, moving from Southern Baptist to Catholic, then to Episcopal. She attended the Religious

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Society of Friends (more commonly known as Quakers) meetings for some time before drifting toward Buddhism.

While Tanner was studying for dual master’s degrees, one a master’s degree in social work at Rutgers University and the other a master of divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, she found her faith changing.

“The part of Christianity that really is closed off to other people’s religions really kind of became untenable to me,” she says. “I’m curious about other people’s experiences.”

In particular, she found that she could no longer profess one of the fundamental Christian beliefs: that Jesus was the son of God. Unable to “sign on that dotted line,” Tanner dropped her pursuit of being a pastor and instead turned to social work.

“I think because I took such a long time leaving the church and because my thoughts about spirituality kind of gradually expanded, that it wasn’t like a jarring thing,” she says. “It was a slow transition.”

Tanner had been exposed to Buddhism through elements of Christianity; her godparents had taken her to a Buddhist center while she was still a teenager. She spoke to her brother, a Buddhist, about her faith but didn’t attend services until after she finished her degrees.

Buddhist teachings emphasize the relationship between the teacher and the student; they rely on the concept of lineage, an oral passing of Buddhist tradition that can trace itself back to the Buddha. Although Tanner had read at length about Buddhism and attended a Shambhala meditation center in Baltimore, she says most of her understanding of Buddhism came from books until she came to OU. Here, she was able to sit down with Lama Tom Broadwater, a Buddhist teacher with the KTC, and learn more about Buddhist beliefs and practices. What she

Alexandra Semposki, Catholic

“

You have something to kind of show you a different way of being in the world.”

Rachael Tanner, Buddhist heard resonated with her.

“It rang really true for me, not in a sense of ‘This is a belief I have,’ but this is something that is really true about the way the world works, and therefore something that could be helpful,” Tanner says. “So from there, I’ve just continued to kind of imbibe what they teach.”

When Tanner took the Vows of Refuge, she expressed her belief in three concepts: the Buddha, the founder of the faith; the Dharma, the oral and written teaching of Buddhism; and the Sangha, the Buddhist community.

Together, they make up the Three Jewels, which offer a source of comfort and refuge for those following Buddhist traditions.

“At any moment throughout your day, if you’re having

a really difficult time with something, you can come back to these three things and you take refuge in those throughout your daily process,” Tanner says. “It’s more connected to yourself and more connected to what’s happening around you. You have something to kind of show you a different way of being in the world.”

BUILDING ON CHILDHOOD FAITH

Alexandra Semposki, a junior studying astrophysics, joined the Catholic church in spring 2017. She was raised with Christianity — she believed in God and Jesus — but her parents allowed her to find her own path toward faith.

“It was weird because I was baptized Catholic, but I never

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21

went any farther than that because my parents kind of left it up to me,” she says.

Before her senior year of high school, Semposki turned to the Bible, particularly the Book of Psalms, as a source of comfort and a way to lessen her anxiety.

Confirmation that she was on the right path came from, of all places, a memoir by New York Yankees former closing pitcher Mariano Rivera. Although Semposki, a Detroit area native, prefers the Tigers, reading about the former Yankee’s experiences with Christianity made her more confident in pursuing her faith.

When Semposki came to Athens for orientation, she found information about the local Catholic community and the Newman Center on campus. She joined the OU Catholics Club and began attending Catholic Mass regularly once she arrived in the fall.

In October of her sophomore year, Semposki entered the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program, which guides adults interested in becoming full members of the Catholic church through the tenements of the Catholic faith and its sacraments.

RCIA candidates require a sponsor: someone who mentors the candidate through the program and vouches for their worthiness to join the Catholic church. The candidate and the sponsor attend RCIA sessions together, and the sponsor acts as a sounding board for larger questions of faith. Semposki chose David Ingram, the chair of the OU Department of Physics and Astronomy, who she knew through attending the social coffee hour after the 8:30 a.m.

Mass at St. Paul’s Church.

Despite her area of study, Semposki says she did not have trouble reconciling her faith with physics.

“It doesn’t matter to me so much because I think more or less the way I looked at it was like unraveling how God has kind of spoken through what he does,” Semposki says. “Physics is like the language of God. That's why it's so hard — because it's easy for him!”

The RCIA training took most of her sophomore year, leading to Semposki fully joining the Catholic church during the Easter Vigil Mass. Semposki says she did have periods of doubt, but she pressed on.

“I kind of convinced myself, 'You

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Eric Cooper, Atheist

can question it, you're going to always question it; you might as well just do it now,’” she says. “‘So, you might as well just go with it.’”

A SECULAR SHIFT

Eric Cooper’s worldview has shifted over time, from the nondenominational Christianity in which he was raised to atheism.

Cooper, a senior studying political science, co-founded the Ohio University Secular Students Alliance (OUSSA) in spring 2017 and currently serves as its president. The OUSSA has about 20 members and is part of a larger national organization called the Secular Student Alliance, which aims to empower secular students and increases their representation on campus. Cooper says the group aims to give a voice to people who are still “in the closet” about being atheist.

“I just wanted to bring the other side and really work with people of all religious affiliations ... to dispel myths and rumors, to get an understanding and try to work toward the common goal of helping people,” he says.

Cooper labels himself as an atheist and as a humanist, which he defines as someone who wants what’s best for mankind but does not adhere to a religious doctrine. He was raised in a

nondenominational Christian household and attended church with his parents and siblings, even though he was not particularly fond of going.

When Cooper was 18, he began to break away from his parent’s faith on the grounds that he had to accept Jesus Christ in order to be considered a good person.

“I couldn’t reason with their logic that you have to believe this very specific thing or else it doesn’t matter how good you are, you’ll go to hell," Cooper says. "So, that initially prompted me thinking about, you know, ‘What do I really believe. Can I buy into this?’”

Cooper served in the U.S. Navy from 2009 to 2014 as a hospital corpsman, helping to treat veterans. It was during his first year in the Navy that he had a moment of realization about his worldview and beliefs, brought about by self-reflection.

Cooper came to OU at age 24, and since then, he has been able to have more open conversations about his worldview, particularly with the woman who is now his wife and holds similar beliefs.

“It definitely helped to also talk with her about these kinds of things,” Cooper says. “I feel more obligated now to voice my opinions than I did before … so people can see that there’s more than one way to look at things.”

“

FEATURE

Even though you do different things to practice a religion, you can still find common elements or common themes.”

PRACTICING AND PREACHING Robin Kelby, a senior studying computer science, took a different track with their faith. Kelby, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, works as an intern at UCM. Finding an interfaith outlet on campus was something Kelby, a commuter student from Belpre who was raised in the United Methodist faith, prioritized during their freshman year.

“The problem with growing up in this area, being from Southeast Ohio, is that there’s not a lot of diversity. Before I came to OU, there simply weren’t multicultural people around me,” Kelby says. “So being able to come to a place where there are Muslim people and people of Eastern religions, that was really cool.”

UCM provided the right blend of service work and a variety of perspectives that Kelby was looking for. They volunteered for the organization their

Robin Kelby, Methodist

freshman year and began working as an intern in the fall of their sophomore year. Through weekly community meals and larger events such as the Interfaith Peace Walk on 9/11, the organization aims to bridge the gaps between people of different worldviews by focusing on shared experience.

“Even though you do different things to practice a religion, you can still find common elements or common themes,” Kelby says. “And if you're non-religious or never have been religious, then you wouldn't understand why you'd want to have this obligation that you're choosing to do … that means so much.”

Because they commute, Kelby continues to attend the church they have attended through their young adult life, where they work as a choir director and lay servant. They have taken training to lead meetings and services and have had the opportunity to preach twice. Although Kelby had experience with community

theater, they found preaching held its own challenges.

“I'm really comfortable with really being able to just speak to people. The hard thing is that whenever you're in community theater, you're given a script, you memorize the script, you deliver the script as best you can,” Kelby says. “But actually having to write what you're saying is difficult.”

Kelby doesn’t think attending seminary school or working as a full-time pastor is the correct path for them as of now, but they plan to continue interacting with their faith communities, both in Belpre and in Athens.

“That’s been something I never would have dreamed of, whenever I started college, that I would be able to be at a place in my faith where I could actually preach,” they say. “I may not be called to do it as my job, but I can still fill that role when I’m needed.” b

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FEATURE

Crafting a new image

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backdrop | Fall 2017

Southeast Ohio women work to defy stereotypes through the Women of Appalachia Project.

BY ALEXIS MCCURDY | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KARI GUNTER-SEYMOUR | ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY CARUSO

T

here are two lenses focused on the Appalachian region. One is rose-colored: lush trees and sunsets fill the skyline. It’s secluded and quiet, but nonetheless, the community prospers.

In the other lens, a barren region exists so impoverished that the population is years behind other Americans. But on the outside looking in, reality can be blurred. For those in Appalachia looking out, their reality can be a parallel universe to the one inundated with stereotypes. Kari Peterson found herself continuously fighting the battle between those lenses to turn her reality into truth throughout her career.

With that in mind, Peterson founded the Women of Appalachia Project (WOAP) in 2007. WOAP is a collection of female artists from the Appalachian region who strive to eliminate the scrutiny of their work that is perpetuated by Appalachian stereotypes.

They tell their stories of beauty, pain, happiness and heartache through their art. According to the group’s website, they aim to “show the whole woman” beyond superficial factors used to judge her.

Peterson hails from the southeastern region of Ohio.

Growing up with a rich sense of community, spirituality and love, Peterson has nothing but fond memories of childhood in Appalachia as she grew up near her grandparents’ farm. It was when she got to college and found a passion for art, guided by her professors and fellow students, that she ran into problems.

“As I grew, and my grandparents sold their farm and I got farther and farther away from that, there was a point in my life my marriage failed and I was a single mom going to college,” Peterson said. “I hadn’t even realized how Appalachian my life was until I hit college. I missed it. I missed my people, and I missed my culture.”

Peterson took that deep-rooted influence and inspiration to the art of writing. However, she soon

realized her work wouldn’t be judged on her skill, but strictly because it was Appalachian. She was criticized for over-exaggerating her life and invoking too much twang when she recited her poetry. Her work was rejected on the basis of a simple characteristic. Peterson began to wonder if she was the only one or if it was a universal flaw in the art world.

“So I said, ‘Screw that. I can make an art show just for us, so that people can start to appreciate Appalachian art for what it truly is,’” she says. “It’s not made up; this is real art. The twang in our voice is real twang.”

Women of Appalachia then began to sprout from the ground.

“The whole objective was to find women who were going through what I was going through,” Peterson says. “Also, it was to, along the way, encourage other women who were thinking about sharing their art to come and share it with us, because it would be a really neutral, loving, safe space to share their art for the first time, meet other artists and make friendships. It kind of shows to the world that we are really genuine, honest and talented.”

Peterson doesn’t possess such a strong accent now, due to what she believes is the influence of her many years spent in academia, but she says she continues to invoke the voice of her people through her art.

Annually, female artists from all over the Appalachian region, or with strong familial ties to it, submit their storytelling art to WOAP for review.

Over the course of the year, the selected artists’ work will be showcased in different galleries across the area.

Fine art, photography, jewelry and performance art, such as spoken word and song, are just some of the mediums available as part of the project. The artists will be at Ohio University’s Multicultural Gallery with their fine art gallery through April 20. Women Speak presentations will take place April 13 at the

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25

Multicultural Gallery to continue the organization’s long-standing partnership with OU. Writer Pauletta Hansel will be a firsttime juror for WOAP for the 2017-18 year. Like Peterson, Hansel took her idyllic childhood growing up in Eastern Kentucky and let it facilitate her career path. Hansel’s father was a college professor who was heavily active in the civil rights movement. Her mother was a child caregiver. Naturally, Hansel found herself delving into the world of literature and service at a young age.

Among the mountains, Hansel read her way through the local library morning to night: a contradiction to the stereotype that there is no value in education in Appalachia. That was her reality, and it’s the reality for many Appalachian natives.

“Growing up, for me, in small college towns in Eastern Kentucky, that was the life that I knew,” Hansel says. “And I don’t know that I had a sense of it being much different than life other people might be living elsewhere.”

Hansel’s upbringing spurred an urge and instinct to want to make a difference. Before working with Women of Appalachia, Hansel worked with organizations such as the Urban Appalachian Council, which also seeks to empower Appalachian communities.

“My family has been about combatting stereotypes and providing service, and so for me it became pretty natural to want to just turn that around,” Hansel says. “So rather than allow Appalachian stereotypes to force me into kinds of work and kinds of relationships, I instead became an Appalachian activist once I came to Cincinnati.”

Hansel believes stereotypes take a heavy toll on the person being discriminated against.

“Women have also traditionally, in the culture, been subjected to stereotypical assumptions about who they are and what they can do,” she says. “And so with Appalachian women, just like with African-American women or women from other cultures that are considered to be less than, or other than, women can get hit with both ends of the sticks.”

In Peterson’s opinion, the negative stereotypes painted on the Appalachian woman tend to be that she is underserved, undergroomed, underfed and “the typical image of toothless, pregnant, barefoot, stupid.”

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backdrop | Fall 2017

Kathleen Burgess reads her poem "Walnuts" to a standing-room-only audience at the historic Bowen House in Logan.

Recurring WOAP juror and visiting OU Assistant Professor Stacey Stewart says the project is an outlet to shatter such stereotypes through art. She says the stereotype changes because the audience gains different perspectives on the experiences and emotions of Appalachian women. Through that, Stewart says the audience learns to value differences in thought and emotion of a group that is “not often recognized or understood.”

“I think WOAP is helping change this by offering a venue in which [artists] are able to highlight work that shows that we are creative, insightful and intelligent. And the experiences of living in Appalachia that contribute to this,” Stewart says. “We are more than just Appalachians; it is all of our differences that make us the unique individuals we are.”

Peterson says art is effective in combating the stereotype because of its subdued way of conveying a message.

“I think the reason art is important to share messaging is because it’s not really

confrontational the way maybe some other things are,” Peterson says. “If you come to see a piece of art and you don’t like it, you can walk away and you don’t have to engage in it. But if you want to, you can.”

Through conversation and community engagement, through tears and laughter, Peterson says art has a way of bringing awareness to the audience. It’s a chance for the community to understand and ask questions. At the same time, Peterson says WOAP is giving audiences art they’ve never seen before. Although it’s not craft art, but fine art, the Appalachian influence is still sewn into every stroke, every word and every pixel.

Even for Appalachian women outside the art world who do not have such a space to be understood, WOAP is still present with a helping hand. Every year for the past three years, WOAP has been awarding its Appalachian Advocate Award to women whose efforts don’t have such a broad platform. Peterson says the point of

TOP MIDDLE: Renee Stewart sings her piece “Black Crow” during a “Women Speak” performance at Ohio University Southern in Ironton.

BOTTOM MIDDLE: “The Journey” by Laurie Vancouver.

RIGHT: "Look for the Bunny" by Marcy Lanzer Nighswander.

the award is to commemorate women for the work they do and uplift them.

“I was sitting around thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so many women working so hard for advocacy in Appalachia,’” Peterson says. “Some of them have gone so unnoticed. There are very few awards for the work they do. It’s grueling. There’s a lot of travel. They really get a lot of pushback and nasty emails. I thought, ‘Boy, it would be great to create an award for that.’”

WOAP also helps women who may not be in the position to help, but need help. In the past, the organization has fundraised for My Sister’s Place through its art events and is currently fundraising for Women’s Health Recovery housing in Athens County.

“We try to think of our fellow women who are not as lucky as us,” Peterson says. “They just haven’t had the kinds of support or family life that we’ve had. So we reach out.”

Peterson recognizes that not all

Appalachian women are created equal.

Peterson says coal families are some of the most likely to have difficulties because of companies who pulled resources from that region.

West Virginian poet Jeanne Bryner said in an interview with OHIO Compass Stories, in regard to how Appalachia influences her art, that her childhood was not so easy and freeing.

“We moved to Ohio from West Virginia when I was about four years old. The housing my folks could afford was in the projects. We were a oneindustry town: a steel mill. When it went under in 1973, the underpinning of our community evaporated,” Bryner says. “Long before I learned the terms, I felt the impact of deindustrialization and displacement. Everything I write examines courage, for it takes a toll to arm wrestle this world with only a good heart and common sense.”

The power of WOAP is beginning to ripple through other states as well. Peterson

says she has had a few artists reach out to her from North Carolina, applauding her work. What Peterson dreams is for her strong network of women to continue to grow and expand so that someday there might be a “WOAP 2.”

Peterson says the real success of WOAP comes from the sincerity of the artists, volunteers and anyone who helps to support the project. She has seen the characteristics of solidarity she learned in early childhood translate to her present.

She believes if she were to die tomorrow, the project would live on because of the many women committed to it.

“I get to see these women grow like flowers, like little seedlings that pop out of the ground, spread their petals, and become these little strong, awesome voices for women in general,” Peterson says. “Sometimes, I literally just have to sit down if I’m at a performance. I think because of that, I, myself, have become a better poet, a better writer just hearing these other voices.” b

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INFOGRAPHIC

PRESIDENTS

PAST

BY ANNIE GOINS INFOGRAPHIC BY TAYLOR DIPLACIDO & EMILY CARUSO

Educated at Jefferson College and the College of New Jersey

Educated at Dickinson College

Taught classes at OU unassisted from 1808-1814

In 1828, John Newton Templeton was the first African-American OU graduate

OU was originally named American Western University, but changed to Ohio University in 1804

Jacob Lindley

Follow the path of Ohio University and its presidents from 1804 to today.

A fence was put up in 1838 to keep wandering pigs off campus

Robert G. Wilson (1824-1839)

(1809-1822)

1804 tu r e r signa vine o it a r t r No po ist of Ir n to ex w o n k is

?

? ?

James Irvine (1822-1824)

)

Educated at Washington College

Educated at Union College

$

Staff decided giving students warnings for disciplinary problems wasn’t working so fines, no greater than $5, were instituted

$ William Holmes McGuffey (1839-1843)

Resigned in 1843, causing OU to halt its programs for years

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Due to increases in faculty and programs teaching music and drawing, the university faced financial problems McGuffey also faced disagreements between himself and the community and a severe decline in staff and students

Educated at Washington and Lee University and Miami University Squirrels from Harvard University were introduced to campus in 1908 In 1915, Princeton graduate Kenneth S. Clark won a contest to create OU’s alma mater song, “Alma Mater, Ohio” and won a $150 grand prize

Alston Ellis (1901-1920)

Educated at Ohio Wesleyan University

Educated at Jefferson College

$ Alfred Ryors (1848-1852)

Reduced the university’s debt and introduced a scholarship scheme

In 1896-97, the first on-campus newspaper was established

In 1850, the first class graduated since the university closed five years earlier

Administration and faculty had so many disagreements, Trustees and the newspaper lost faith in him and he was asked to resign after two years in office

Isaac Crook (1896-1898)

1884-1896

1899-1901

nt y native Athens Cou alumnus and first OU t en id es to be pr

Solomon Howard (1852-1872)

Educated at Miami University and Augusta College In 1854, Athens voted to outlaw the sale of liquor OU voted to accept wounded Civil War veterans tuition-free in 1863

William Henry Scott (1872-1883)

Persuaded state legislature to give money to OU and used it to build an on-campus chapel and improve buildings and the grounds

Charles William Super Educated at Dickinson College, University of Tübingen (Germany), Illinois Wesleyan and Syracuse In 1895, the first known international student, Saki Taro Murayama of Japan, graduated In 1896, school colors officially changed from blue and white to green and white

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29

Went to Indiana University, Harvard University and Clark University Educated at the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Columbia University and the University of Berlin

In 1923, student Homer Baird created OU’s first marching band

Elmer Burritt Bryan

The campus newspaper changed its name to The Post in 1939.

(1921-1934)

OU's mascot officially became the Bobcat in 1925 after OU decided it needed a fiercer name than the “Green and White”

Herman Gerlach James (1935-1943)

In 1936, a graduate college was introduced and a voluntary ROTC program was established

Educated at the College of Wooster and OSU

Educated at Rhodes College, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Duke University

OU taught remotely via microwave TV, started a children’s immunization program and showcased an art museum on wheels

He was a big believer in general education fundamentals, and he helped develop the tier system we now have today

Charles J. Ping

+ Harry B. Crewson

(1975-1994)

Served as interm president for exactly one year from Sept. 1, 1974, to Sept. 1, 1975 In 1975, OU got Ohio’s first osteopathic medicine school, The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

(1974-1975)

Got his bachelor’s degree with distinction in music, his M.A. in music performance, and his Ph.D. in music all from the University of Iowa

Robert Glidden (1994-2004)

Roderick J. McDavis (2004-2017) m ove d first lady e th d n a He house -c ampus to an off sidence ts took re 2015 whe n b a in e c rk Pla in 29 Pa

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Educated at OU, University of Dayton and University of Toledo

First African-American president of the OU and only the second alumnus to serve as president in the 213 years OU has been around

Educated at Juniata College and Harvard University Called up to be an interim president after James resigned Just over 200 men enrolled out of 1,306 total students in 1943-44 In 1945, OU held a memorial service for the 221 students and alumni who died in World War II

John Calhoun Baker

OU unveiled the Bobcat mascot, portrayed by Dan Nichols, at the Oct. 22, 1960, homecoming football game

(1945-1961)

Walter Sylvester Gamertsfelder (1943-1945)

Educated at Northwestern University

X Claude R. Sowle

The university closed during his first year as president because of Vietnam War riots

Educated at Brown University and Harvard University Student enrollment and faculty numbers doubled, campus expanded and a regional airport was built

(1969-1974)

Vernon Roger Alden (1962-1969)

Alden’s mission was to make OU the ‘Har vard on the Hocking’

Duane M. Nellis (2017-present)

Became OU’s 21st president on Feb. 22 Before coming to OU, he was president of Texas Tech University from 2013-2016 and president of the University of Idaho from 2009-2013 He is nationally and internationally recognized for research using satellite data and geographic information systems to analyze various dimensions of Earth’s land surface

Information and photos sourced from ohio.edu.

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31

PHOTO STORY

Nighttime at the National Museum of Cambodia before a performance by the Cambodian Living Arts.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

GLOBAL

CLASSROOM

BY MADISON EBLEN | PHOTOS BY RACHEL ADDLESPURGER, LOGAN FOUSS AND MALIÉ NGUYEN

T

his past summer, the 2018 class of Global Leadership Certificate (GLC) students traveled to Cambodia on a two-week study abroad trip. Ohio University’s twoyear GLC program allows students to go to another country and work to come up with ideas and solutions for real-world clients and organizations. OU students worked in groups with students from the American University of Phnom Penh to create in-depth reports and projects to present to nationally recognized clients, which included the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center, Cambodian Living Arts and Chip Mong Group.

Although many hours were spent crafting those presentations, there was also plenty of time to explore Cambodia, specifically the cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. b

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<<

A dancer performs a traditional Cambodian dance in a program presented by the Cambodian Living Arts (CLA). CLA is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving Cambodiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artistic heritage while also helping develop Cambodianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s careers and education in the arts.

<<

GLC student Logan Fouss is blessed by a Buddhist monk inside the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap.

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<<

Ohio University students (Cassie Pecuszok, Madison Eblen, Logan Fouss, Alexis Broomes, Noah Lorincz-Comi and Robel Amede) and American University of Phnom Penh students (Ellen Dane, Boramey Tspchan, Ketekun Phanith and Davy Koem) stand in front of the Royal Palace in Pnom Penh with two Cambodian children.

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CALENDAR

OONN TTH THE HHEE Check out these events happening around Athens this fall.

Homecoming Week OCTOBER 2-7 Ohio University welcomes new Bobcats, returning students and alumni who have been called hOUme. The 2017 theme is “Back in the Mix, Back on the Bricks,” in honor of the School of Music and Marching 110 celebrating their 100th and 50th anniversaries, respectively.

Join the festivities!

In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) OCTOBER 5-7, 10-14 Direct your friends to the Forum Theatre at 8 p.m. for some lessons on the early history of the vibrator and women’s “hysteria.” Tickets are free with a student ID! Race for the Cure OCTOBER 15 Run, walk, jump or skip to support a great cause: curing cancer. Susan G Komen’s Race for the Cure will be held at Peden Stadium. Register by 10 a.m. Oct. 15 to participate in the race and see an incredible parade of survivors who will also be in attendance.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

BY MORGAN COOVERT

Mountain Stage OCTOBER 15 Boogie on down to Memorial Auditorium to be a part of a live radio experience hosted by Larry Groce. For the past 33 years, Mountain Stage has presented almost every genre of music to the public while recording in front of a live audience.

HallOUween OCTOBER 28 It’s the 43rd annual HallOUween Block Party in Athens.

Head uptown for tons of live music brought to you by local bands. Dress to impress — or scare!

Football vs. Miami OCTOBER 31 The rivalry continues. Head to Peden Stadium to cheer for your fellow Bobcats as they take on the RedHawks.

No need to travel, so no excuses!

Dads Weekend NOVEMBER 3-5 The dads are coming. Spend some quality time with good ol’ dad at an Ohio Hockey vs. Davenport University game, the 3v3 Basketball Tournament, or the Athena Cinema’s Weekend Movie Event showing of “Tommy Boy.”

How can the Alumni Association

help you NOW?

THE OHIO UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION helps students make the most of their college experience and stay connected with OHIO after they graduate.

BB T O

BobcaThon is a dance marathon on campus to raise awareness and funds for seriously ill children and their families staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.

BobcaThon culminates in a 12 hour Dance Marathon in February.

You can sign up to be a dancer or volunteer today! www.bobcathon.com

STUDENT ALUMNI BOARD (SAB) SAB is a professional organization that strives to connect students to the University and Bobcat alumni through exciting programs and initiatives. SAB has passionate, creative, and hardworking undergraduates who make a difference on campus. Look out for Homecoming Events including the Yell Like Hell Pep Rally. More information can be found at www.ohiosab.com

QUESTIONS? Contact Katrina Heilmeier at heilmeik@ohio.edu or 740.597.1216

OHIO

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

SPORTS

SHOT

Ohio University’s archery club must stay on target in order to continue as a team.

Katelyn Emter, archery club president, raises her bow into position on College Green on Aug. 31.

BY MAISEE FRIED | PHOTOS BY MAX CATALANO

O

hio University’s archery club is fighting for its existence.

Katelyn Emter, current president of the archery club, says the program nearly ceased to exist after a number of problems left it in bad standing with the university.

“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of battles to fight,” Emter says. “After this year, if we do not comply perfectly with club sport regulations, we will not exist anymore. This is our final chance.”

Previous leadership inconsistently submitted forms, and the team wasn’t able to obtain necessary equipment, travel to competitions or gain access to adequate practice spaces. It also led to a tier demotion and an administrative noncompliance penalty from OU Club Sports.

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OU’s club sports are organized by a range of tiers: instructional, green, white and red. Teams are classified based on criteria such as community service hours, number of competitions and the maintenance of a governing body. Tier placement determines which benefits a club can receive, such as facility space, scheduling and funding opportunities.

New clubs begin in the red tier and have the opportunity to advance to a higher tier each spring. The archery club started as a student organization in February 2013 and began the 2014-15 academic year as a club sport in the red tier. It moved up to the white tier during the 2015-16 academic year but was placed on probation due to administrative noncompliance in November 2015.

The penalty was then extended through the 2016-17 school year for an additional issue the following month.

According to the 2017-18 OU Club Sports Manual, if a team is in the red tier for two consecutive years and doesn’t make sufficient progress to advance, the club will be expelled from the club sports program and no longer be recognized as a sport. So it’s do or die for archery at OU. “As long as we can get out of red, we stay alive,” Emter says.

For Emter, and others, seeing the club disappear was not an option.

“I started archery and just fell in love with it. It was instantly addicting to just see your arrow hit the right mark and know that everything aligned to get that shot where it needed to go,” Emter says.

“I loved it, and to see that go away so soon? I just couldn’t. That motivated me to step up and save what we had left.”

Brian “Hunter” Berthold, the team’s treasurer, says losing the club would not only mean losing a pastime but also a passion tied to his family history.

“To lose [the archery club] would be to lose not only an opportunity for me to share what I love with other people, but it would be heartbreaking to know my sport is falling off the map,” Berthold says.

Berthold’s mother, Theresa Berthold, says archery has been in her son’s life since before his birth. It has been a family sport passed from her father, to her, to her son.

“When I finally made the world team, we were in Istanbul, Turkey, and won the gold. I was five months pregnant with Hunter,” Theresa says. “I guess that’s where he got it from.”

If the club does not move from the red tier to the white tier, Berthold and the team will no longer be able to compete.

To get the club back in the white tier, Emter’s main concerns are maintaining proper paperwork and recruiting. She and the team were also led on what Emter called a “treasure hunt” to track down their old equipment.

“We had some equipment that was shoved into a storage bin two years ago and never heard from again,” she says. “[We were] contacting five different people who sent us to five more different people to find the one person that had a key and knew it was there.”

With nowhere else to store the equipment, the former president volunteered to keep it at his home.

“It was kind of comical because he just had giant targets sitting on his front porch,” Emter says.

After they secured the equipment, the team had to find a suitable place to practice. The archery club had previously practiced at Ping Recreation Center but lost that space. The team was sent to the Intramural Fields next to Stimson Avenue, which proved to be problematic during the winter season when archery is meant to be indoors.

“We were sent to a field, which it seemed nobody really understood that was bad for our equipment, bad for our schedules and bad for team morale, knowing we weren’t wanted anymore,” Emter says.

Although there is an outdoor shooting season in the summer, practicing outdoors in seasons with high chances of humidity, rain and cold can cause strings to snap, metal and wood to warp, and bolts to come loose. Archery equipment can cost hundreds of dollars to replace, so Emter chose not to host practices during the time spent searching for a better practice space. For her, ruining the equipment was not worth the risk.

In January, the team began to use their current practice space: the community center in Shade, Ohio, a small town about 9 miles south of OU’s Athens campus. They practice on a baseball field during the outdoor season and in a gym during the indoor season.

The more experienced members find time to provide guidance for less experienced archers. Emter and Berthold have taken breaks and put down their bows to help others during practice.

“There’s enough support, friendships, to say, ‘Hey, man it’s OK, he’s not trying to criticize you. Just put your arm a little lower,’ ” Emter says.

Emter is eager to instill her passion into incoming archers.

“Instead of focusing on all of the things that make it feel impossible, I focus on all of the things I think we can use to better ourselves,” she says. “... That’s what I try to grab onto and express to other people because I know if they can pick up the same kind of passion, the club will have a future.” b

“

We have a lot of work to do, a lot of battles to fight.”

KATELYN EMTER ARCHERY CLUB PRESIDENT

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39

ENTERTAINMENT

TALES FROM THE

TABLETOP Gaming enthusiasts in Athens gather to compete, strategize and have fun playing tabletop games.

BY ABBEY KNUPP PHOTO BY AMANDA DAMELIO

E

very week students from across campus meet in the Living Learning Center to fight dragons, explore creepy mansions and talk with ghosts to determine the cause of the ghost’s murder.

Those brave warriors are the members of a special organization: Ohio University’s very own Bobcat Tabletop.

The thick rule books and large personalities of the club’s members might make the games seem a little intimidating from the outside, but the seasoned players of tabletop games welcome all new members, from those with years of experience to students who have never played an intricate game before. The PowerPoint displayed at the meeting and the trifold they use for tabling reads, “New? Ask someone to play a game, we love to teach!“ Fifth-year senior Brendan Tisch, former president and current vice president of Bobcat Tabletop, started gaming four years ago during his freshman year of college. For Tisch, the games are more than just a way to pass time; they offered him a community of friends.

“I was just a scared little freshman, and the people that were in charge then were great to me,” Tisch says. “I try to give that back.”

Since Tisch joined the club four years ago, a short time after the club’s initial conception in 2012, Bobcat Tabletop has been steadily growing. The organization now has 150 members on OrgSync and has 20 to 30 members attend every meeting. Tisch attributes that growth to

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the novelty of the games.

“Now that people know there are games here besides Monopoly or Clue, they come. Like look around at these games,” Tisch says while gesturing to the games that littered the tables in the back of the room. “I guarantee there’s something you haven’t seen. They’re all really great.”

Bobcat Tabletop’s secretary has been playing board games since she was in eighth grade, but joining the club gave her a new experience — and a nickname.

Now she goes by Hawaii, the name given to her at the first meeting she attended; no one could remember her name, only that she was born and raised in Hawaii.

It has been a running joke since her first day of tabletop that no one knows her name, and now she refuses to share it. To Hawaii, that gives her a sense of connection to the organization that she finds hard to find anywhere else.

“With the world of social media today, you can’t really connect to strangers like this,” Hawaii says. “But in this club, you get a game and find people who want to play.”

Other local tabletop gaming organizations such as Athens’ Wizard’s Guild, a tabletop store located on West Washington Street, have also experienced growth within the gaming community.

The shop’s manager, Chase Davis, attributes the continued growth of the community to the aftereffects of the board game renaissance that surged 10 to 15 years ago and the increased marketing toward women, older players, younger

players a n d families.

“You’ll see a lot more family games, a lot more actual ‘all ages’ games. Not just ‘all ages’ saying it’s good for kids, but ‘all ages’ saying parents won’t be bored, too,” Davis says.

“And I think that has allowed for a little bit of an expansion of the market, where board games were originally marketed at 13- to 30-year-old men.”

Audrey Kisilewicz, the owner of Wizard’s Guild, has attempted to make the gaming community more accessible to all audiences through events and incentives at the store and by reaching out to residence halls and other places on campus. Both groups hope to start branching out, reaching new people and connecting the community gamers to the campus gamers.

“One thing I really want to do is have women’s game nights, LGBT game nights, stuff like that because, again, [there are] groups that aren’t necessarily by default part of that gaming community but are gamers,” Kisilewicz says. “Games just in general are getting more accessible.”

To further aid the growth of tabletop gaming, Kisilewicz has a secret gaming room hidden behind a bookshelf in the shop. The space is available to reserve for groups interested in testing out games or

Freshman Liam Burns enters a secret game room set up behind a phony bookshelf in the Wizard’s Guild comics and games store to plan out his upcoming game.

playing with their friends, though it is primarily used by role playing groups at present. The private area allows groups to get noisy without being disrupted and, conversely, play through a game without getting distracted by the outside world.

The only concern about the growth of the gaming community, which was articulated by both Kisilewicz and Davis, is the allure of video games.

“The future is a really interesting question right now,” Davis says. “There’s been a lot of concern with the board game industry for things going digital, but it’s odd in that you see it going the other way as well.”

"Game of Thrones," "Harry Potter" and the video game series "Dark Souls" are all examples of media that have transitioned through multiple mediums, and each of the franchises has been turned into a board game. Kisilewicz says there is an abundance of games that have started digitally and been converted into tabletop games, adding to the already massive array of tabletop games.

Over the years, Bobcat Tabletop has accumulated a collection of about 100 games, which are stored carefully in a tightly packed closet. The games are diverse in the content, the way they are played, and the skills required to win, so they appeal to all kinds of players.

“Some of them are very silly, like Cash ‘n Guns up there — that’s a silly game. Some of them are really great strategy games that really help you to think outside of the box,” Tisch says.

“They’re all really grouped into the category of fun, and then you break it down from there.”

Some games get more playtime than others. A game mentioned by both the Wizard’s Guild and the players at Bobcat Tabletop is Betrayal of the House on the Hill, a game where players must explore and escape a house full of eerie activity. Tisch says the game used to be played consistently at every Bobcat Tabletop meeting and is still played most of the time.

“It plays like a different B horror movie every time you play it. So, you start by exploring the house and eventually enough haunted stuff happens and someone becomes a werewolf or a door to hell opens or you all have to get out cause one of the players is now an axe murderer,” Tisch explains.

Betrayal of the House on the Hill is Hawaii’s favorite game and the first game she remembers playing with her father and his friends.

“You have card drawings and you never know what room you’re entering, and there are dice rolls so you literally never know what’s going to happen in the game. You could literally roll all zeros,” she says.

Even members like Hawaii and Tisch, who have been returning to the club for years, see themselves immersed into a new world every time they attend a meeting. Whether the game ends with a different traitor, a new strategy yields an unsuspecting win, or the team fails to take down the final monster, the players gain experience — and friends — as they play on. b

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41

ENTERTAINMENT

FINDING

Harmony A cappella groups on campus provide members with a sense of family and friendship.

BY HALEY RISCHAR | PHOTOS BY SARAH WILLIAMS & JORDAN ALLISON

A

shared love of singing became much more than just a hobby for members of Ohio University a cappella groups the Leading Tones, Title IX, Section 8 and the Picardy Thirds.

They aren’t just ensembles or student organizations, but families.

Kate Mickey, a junior and member of Title IX, considers a cappella a sisterhood.

“We hang outside of practices all the time. I know if I was ever in trouble I could call on them,” she says. “They’re literally my sisters and my family here at OU.” For senior Mattie d’Erneville, founder

of the Picardy Thirds, having the group function as a cohesive unit is an important aspect of a cappella.

“We relate to each other’s energies, so if you’re not close to someone, you’re not going to see how they’re doing or really understand how everyone’s week or day is going,” she says. “We have hangout sessions where we go to Donkey after some of our practices, and we’ll just do homework or have a study session so that we can support each other and help each other when we need it.”

D’Erneville says creating friendships

is something they focus on within the Picardy Thirds.

“It’s something that I feel like some groups don’t do,” she says. “[For others] it’s all about the music or it’s all about the friendship aspect. For us, it’s a mixture.”

With 15 to 20 members in each of the groups, it’s not rare for members to have conflicts and disagreements. From cliques forming to individuals being unprepared, the groups grow with each challenge they face.

“Everyone’s dealing with their own problems and that might conflict into

Leading Tones members Ryan Reilly, Kolin Johnson and Connor Grimes react to an audition by a beat-boxer on Sept. 6.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

“

(From left to right) Josh Green, Joe Denkewalter, Nathan Grandstaff, Carter Barone, Coleton Benline, Bobby Corns and Connor Grimes rehearse a group number during the Leading Tones auditions on Sept. 6.

rehearsal,” says Cody Pomeroy, the music director of Section 8.

Abby Day, a senior and member of Title IX, says there has been a major dynamic change in the group since her freshman year. Mickey adds that they’ve had their share of disagreements, but learning to talk it out has greatly improved relationships within the group.

Title IX prioritizes communication so much that member Rachel Jackman recalls rehearsals where the group didn’t rehearse for the first hour, but talked about their problems instead.

“I think as much as you get done in rehearsal singing- and music-wise, if there are problems within the group, you’re not going to sound good,” Jackman says.

For groups other than Title IX and the Singing Men of Ohio, who are auditioned out of the OU School of Music, the members have a wide range of musical background and knowledge.

“As far as theory and picking up and learning music, the musical background ranges pretty far,” says senior Connor Grimes, a member of the Leading Tones. “It’s pretty cool because some guys will come in like, ‘Oh, I sing in the shower!’ and I hear them and think,

‘Wow, you’re incredible. Why haven’t you been in choirs your entire life?’ ” Having a wide range of majors, backgrounds and personalities can create a diverse group, but a mutual love for music brings the members together.

“We’re so different, and I think that’s one of the best things about it,” Jackman says. “I think the more different you are from people, the more you learn about yourself and the world in general.”

Pomeroy says the diversity of ages, backgrounds, majors and where members come from is beneficial for the group.

“We don’t always get out of our shell,” he says. “But when you have to sing with someone for multiple hours every day, you’re able to open up and see things in a new perspective.”

Members of Title IX agree that joining an a capella group allows members to not only form a relationship with those they practice and perform with, but the whole a cappella community, too.

“It opens doors for us to hang out with Singing Men of Ohio and the other members of Women’s Ensemble,” Mickey says. “It opens up so many opportunities to meet so many different

I know if I was ever in trouble I could call on them. They're literally my sisters and family here at OU.” KATE MICKEY TITLE IX MEMBER

people and it’s always nice to walk across campus and see a million people you know.”

Jackman says she believes every good friendship starts with one thing in common, “whether it’s food or music or your love of sleep.”

“I love being surrounded by a group of 16 other women who inspire me to do better,” she says. b

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43

VOICIES

backdrop HERE got me

b

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL

BY EMILY CARUSO

S

outh Florida is no New York City, and it is certainly no Athens, Ohio.

Nestled just north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale was my home this past summer while I interned with the Sun Sentinel. At the start of my junior year, I never would have even thought to apply to a newspaper, but after several infographics (thank you, Backdrop) and design projects for newspapers in class, I decided it couldn’t hurt. When I accepted my internship with the Sun Sentinel, I packed my bags, prayed my 2004 Pontiac Grand Am would make it through the drive down and had only the expectation of being a beach bum for the next 11 weeks.

My first day was a bit of a blur. After several routine introductions and drawn

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backdrop | Fall 2017

out explanations of what exactly a design intern does to those outside of the design department, I was greeted with a cubicle to call my own, complete with a crisp set of Post-It notes and a shiny Mac computer.

My first task was to conquer the beast that is Newsgate. It’s InDesign’s ugly stepsister, and just when you think you get it, you’re left wondering, “Wait, what just happened?” Although it is at times limiting for designers, Newsgate allows multiple users to access a page, making it beneficial for workflow. After nearly two weeks of fumbling around in Newsgate, asking the same questions repeatedly as I laid out basic inside pages, I was ready to tackle more serious projects and soon learned the design team was not a

production desk.

I was constantly working on something new while making sure to meet fast deadlines, from projects with little reach, such as social media icons, to animation projects for a video series that reached millions of people. I created centerpiece illustrations for special sections and recipes, infographics and covers. I even designed in Spanish. Every project had its own challenges and rewards, but every day brought something new.

For one of my many projects, my editor asked me to create an infographic about a proposed construction project in Hollywood Beach, Florida, where the city was planning to build the first ever two-way street roundabout because it would make the area more “urban.” After a handful of confused email exchanges with the reporter and several rough drafts, I finally decided it was time to work with another designer, because misery enjoys company.

When we finally finished and animated the infographic, we watched as the comments popped up online and affirmed that although the plan would be a nightmare if construction on the roundabout was ever started, at least people actually understood how it would work.

Stepping out of the newsroom and back on to campus for my senior year is sure to bring new adventures. I've learned that as journalism changes, along with

new platforms and technology, visuals are becoming increasingly important to telling stories and engaging audiences.

Although I’ll miss the beach and South Florida’s Latin flavor, I’m happy to bring the skills I’ve learned during my internship back to school and Backdrop magazine this fall. b

CLEVELAND SCENE MAGAZINE

BY JULIE CIOTOLA

A

s my freshman year of college came to a close, I tried my best to apply for as many internships as possible.

If there was one thing I learned from my journalism classes, it was that I was in a competitive field, and work was hard to come by, especially paid work.

Thankfully, working with the Backdrop staff my freshman year gave me confidence in my writing. During my first semester at Ohio University, I had a story published in Backdrop’s print issue.

That was a huge deal for me, given that

I had never even formally interviewed someone before that. I worked hard and saw the results, something I intended to carry into any summer work I landed.

After sending out resumes, I secured an internship at Cleveland Scene Magazine, a 40-minute drive from my house, where I was to report three times a week. I had been to Cleveland several times in past years, for food, festivals and, of course, to see the Cleveland Cavaliers. I stepped out on the gravel parking lot my first day, welcomed by the city’s scent of car exhaust and fast food, and found my way to the workplace.

Even so, my first day of work greeted me with anxiety.

To no surprise, I was the youngest of three interns and came in with the least amount of experience. Still, remembering the skills I learned from Backdrop freshman year, the interviews I conducted and the style rules I slaved over, I felt prepared.

The web editor set us up in the editorial office and gave a brief rundown of our duties. She was casual and welcoming, lifting the weight of stress I carried that first day. We were introduced to the managing editor and other staff writers and given a brief tour of the other departments.

I was pleased to learn of the freedoms we had as interns: freedom to pitch our own stories, freedom to roam the city for a lunch break, freedom to leave the office whenever other responsibilities arose. It was clear I would not spend my summer fetching coffee and scanning papers.

But all the freedom came with expectations, meaning I could not slack on my assignments. Each day I came in, I was expected to immediately pitch story ideas for the website. Those stories were shorter, usually under 400 words, and involved fact-checking, outside research and occasional telephone interviews.

The best part about the web stories was the variety of topics I explored, from local Cleveland crimes to Ohio death penalty laws. I immersed myself in news each day and saw Cleveland as a whole new city with problems, protests, pride and triumph. If I did not understand a new law or proposal, I researched and read

until I could accurately report on it. I even enjoyed reading readers’ comments on my stories, both good and bad, to see the impact of my writing.

My other responsibility was composing a weekly slideshow where I gathered pictures, wrote captions and brainstormed catchy headlines. I assumed that type of content would be much easier, because there was less writing. To my surprise, I spent hours on each slideshow, making about a million mistakes and learning from each one.

The work involved coding (not my strong suit) and triple-checking.

Sometimes I would turn in a piece of work I thought was flawless and soon learn of all of the simple errors I missed.

That process was annoying at first, but my editor was patient with me and each week I saw improvement.

Those slideshows taught me the painstaking work behind a “simple” article. “16 Best Places To Grab A Burger In Cleveland” is not 16 pictures of hamburgers via Google Images. It involves hours of digging through social media sites to find usable (and appetizing) pictures, phone calls to restaurants about ingredients and pages of Yelp! reviews to give the public’s perspective. It was hard work, but I felt accomplished.

Even after all of the learning and growing that happened over the summer, I am a young journalist prone to many mistakes. I never became “perfect” at my job; up until the last day, I was told to revise my articles and clean up my slideshows.

For me, that is my favorite part about my summer internship, writing for Backdrop, and journalism as a field of study: there are no true answers in writing, no correct way to do everything.

When I am handed a story, I report it with my own style. If it’s bad, I start over.

If it’s good, I make it better.

Being able to challenge myself as a writer all summer solidified my passion for journalism work, and I am eager to see where future jobs and stories take me. At the very least, I know my writing will never be flawless, meaning that with each story I have the chance to emerge a stronger and smarter journalist. b

www.backdropmagazine.com

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EXHIBIT A

Exhibit A. A student studying multimedia creates modern takes on classic art forms.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA KOYNOCK

RIGHT

Koynock outlines facial features as a modern take on 1950s Pop art.

LEFT

Koynock uses a mix of cool and natural light to highlight facial features.

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backdrop | Fall 2017

www.backdropmagazine.com

47

1. “Live Healthy” banner is now purple 2. The water bottle in the backpack is now green 3. There is now a girl on the corner of the sidewalk 4.

The “no left turn” sign has changed to “no right turn” 5. The middle window above Goodfella's is gone

5 4 3 2 1

ORIGINAL PHOTO BY AMANDA DAMELIO

Spot the five differences between these photos of students on Court Street.

PHOTO HUNT

PHOTO HUNT

Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery first opened its doors in 2005. Since then, we’ve expanded to include 3 unique Athens locations. Stop by our original Brewpub, located at 24 W Union Street, and sample 18 exclusive drafts made with locally grown ingredients. Right next door, our Public House restaurant features 30 different draft lines and a delicious, locally sourced menu that offers something for everyone.

Public House 22 West Union Street Daily 11am-2am

BrewPub & Public

House N. Congress St.

Court St.

Carpenter St. ve.

Stimson A

Taproom & Brewery 25 Campbell Street Mon-Thurs 2pm-9pm Fri-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 12pm-7pm

W. Union St.

BrewPub 24 West Union Street Thur-Sat 4pm-2am

Taproom & Brewery

Just a mile from our uptown locations is our Taproom and Production Brewery, located at 25 Campbell Street. With 16 additional taps, food cart, and a large outdoor patio, it’s a perfect retreat at the edge of town. backdrop | Fall 2017 48@jackieosbrewery

www.jackieos.com