Vol. 15 Issue 3

backdrop magazine

SPRING 2022

INCLUSIVE ART SPACES pg. 18 RECLAIMING THE WORD “WITCH" pg. 22

pg. 14

G-SWERVE’S

STORY

THE CULTURE ISSUE

Letter from the editor Hello,

Maya Meade | Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com

When you look up the definition of “culture” in Mirriam Webster’s dictionary, you don’t find just one. The definition of culture is not limited.

It is expansive and inclusive and encompasses a variety of people and practices and relationships. To continue to execute our mission of diversity, we wanted to highlight the variety of cultures, attitudes and identities that make up our small town.

This year’s themed issue is The Culture Issue. Throughout this issue, we attempt to educate and elevate the members of our community and explore the meaning of culture by not being limited in our definition of what culture means to us. The story featured on the cover by Max Abbatiello (pg. 14) explores the history and significance of rap music in Black culture while Caroline Bissonette and McKenna Christy write about the Caribbean (pg. 16) and Asian and Indonesian (pg. 8) cultures on our campus.

Caroline Gillen wrote her first Backdrop feature in this issue about the culture surrounding Wicca and Addie Hedges also made her first feature debut writing about an LGBT art show in Athens. Both of these staff members have shown tremendous growth and promise. I am looking forward to seeing their continued contributions to our organization.

Words will never be enough to show my executive staff my thanks, but I will do my best to try. Thank you to Sophia Englehart for stepping up and leading our copy team and for always bringing a variety of pitches and ideas to the table. Thank you to Helen Widman, Rachel Rector and Ellie Habel for leading everyone in our third issue of the year. We would not be able to print successful issues of Backdrop without you and I thank you for your continued commitment to making our community a safe space for diversity to thrive.

Best,

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backdrop | Spring 2022

SPRING 2022 » VOLUME 15 ISSUE 3

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SEE "Kindred

from the Caribbean" PAGE 16

CSA members wave their flags proudly during OU's annual Street Fair.

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backdrop | Spring 2022

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CONTENTS FEATURES

“QUEERING SPACE” FOR CREATORS

Creations of queer inclusive art spaces.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

THE MAGICK OF MODERN DAY WICCA

Witches share their stories embracing Wicca while fighting stigmas. . . . 22

THE DROP

OU’S JEWISH COMMUNITY

Celebrating Jewish Bobcats .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

THE COUNTRY OF ISLANDS AND KINDNESS

Uswatun Hasanah and Ratna Ariyanti share the culture of kindness they grew up with in Indonesia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

TODAY AS A NATIVE STUDENT

Native American students discuss exploring their culture at OU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

FOOD

SEX & HEALTH

SUPPORT SURVIVORS & DISMANTLE RAPE CULTURE

Organizations in the Athens community work to provide support for sexual assault survivors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

INFOGRAPHIC

WORLD OF CELEBRATION

Holiday traditions from around the world. . . 28

VOICES

HEALTH AND HOMINY

DEUTSCH AMERICANA

UN-ORTHODOX COOKING

AN ODE TO APPALACHIA

THE BEAT

EXHIBIT A Three Backdrop photographers enjoy taking

The rich history of Native American cuisine...12 Alison Gütwaks’ culinary school experience with kosher cooking.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

STORIES TOLD IN SOUND

Rap’s exponential growth in popularity. . . . . 14

COMMUNITY

KINDRED FROM THE CARIBBEAN

Caribbean students crave a steady flow of of color and that only people from color and joyjoy that only people from thethe islands can bring.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Living as a dual-citizen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Backdroppers experience living in Appalachia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

photos no matter the occasion.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

CALENDAR

ON THE BRICKS

Check out these events to start out your spring.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

islands can bring.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

SPRING 2022 » VOLUME 15 ISSUE 3

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Judaism on Campus

THE DROP

BY JOSIE DONOHUE & MCKENNA CHRISTY PHOTOS BY DYLAN BENEDICT DESIGN BY JULIA GREENWOOD

OU’s Jewish Community accentuates diversity and religious freedom on campus and encourages everybody, followers and non-followers of Judaism, to attend weekly and annual events.

O

hio University is made up of a diverse set of people from many different cultures, communities and religious groups.

One important religious group on campus is the body of Jewish students, faculty and community members.OU’s Jewish community creates spaces of inclusivity by practicing Judaism through participation in two major organizations on campus: Hillel and Chabad.

Joy Duke, a third-year student taking a gap year studying education, is the Vice President of Chabad.

“I walk in and all my friend sare there and we're all there for the same reason because we love our community and our religion,” Duke says. Hillel is located on 21 Mill St. and Chabad is located at 33 N Court St. in Athens. Although the organizations are located on different streets, they both provide Jewish students on campus with resources to practice Judaism and connect with Jewsih heritage, history and culture.

The Hillel Ohio University webpage states: “We serve the Ohio University campus community in areas of Jewish culture, education, history, social service, Israel advocacy and communal experiences.”

Both organizations welcome anyone with or without a Jewish identity to participate in events offered throughout the year.

One of the events that takes place weekly is Shabbat. Shabbat is a Jewish religious holiday hosted every Friday by Hillel and Chabad.

Shabbat is Hebrew for the Sabbath and is considered a day of rest originating from the creation story in the Torah. Shabbat starts on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening with a service called Havdalah, according to the Reform Judaism website.

Along with weekly Shabbat, students at OU are also welcomed to attend events throughout the school year. Events include game and movie nights, craft making and community service outreach, according to the Hillel Instagram page.

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Duke grew up attending Shabbat in her hometown and now attends the weekly meetings as much as possible. “[There is] just like a sense of family for me,” Duke says.

“Especially when I first came to college and I was feeling homesick, [Shabbat] was the one thing that I always had and it's nice.”

Shabbat is just one of the holidays celebrated by Jews. One widely known Jewish holiday celebration is Hanukkah.

Students, faculty, staff and friends, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, gathered to light the first and second candles of a giant menorah on Nov. 29, 2021 outside the fifth floor of Baker Center. President Hugh Sherman, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Gigi Secuban and Rabbi Levi Raichik, the director of Chabad at OU all attended the event.

Sherman opened the ceremonies and joined Rabbi Levi Raichik in lighting the first candle of the menorah.

“This is a way for us to confirm Ohio University’s belief in religious freedom and acceptance of all religions,” Sherman says. “We are very happy to be here tonight to share this lighting with you all.”

After lighting the menorah and taking a group photo, attendees entered Baker Center where the rest of the Hanukkah festivities took place.

Despite this effort from the university to celebrate Jewish holidays and traditions, Grace Jarchow says it could do a better job at accommodating the religious community.

Jarchow is a freshman studying environmental chemistry.

Last semester, Jarchow had trouble taking time off in class for Jewish religious holidays such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah because the faculty did not excuse her, claiming it was an “invalid” reason to miss class.

Jarchow and the Rabbi at Chabad talked to the ethics department to discuss the behavior of the faculty. Jarchow decided to eventually drop the class.

“It was one of those ‘sweep under the rug’ things before it blew up,” Jarchow says. “I didn’t like the way they handled that either to be honest."

The OU website says students observing religious holidays may be excused from classes, but in Jarchow’s case, instructors can choose whether they want to honor it.

“The university could definitely do a better job of making their faculty and staff aware of important holidays and events that are going on outside of what shows up on the calendar like President’s day and Columbus Day,” Jarchow says.

If a student needs to be excused from a class for a religious holiday, they should provide an excuse in writing to the instructor at the start of the semester. Instructors should provide make-up work or reschedule tests to accommodate needs of students without penalty, according to the website.

Hadass Galili, a junior studying political science pre-law, says the organizations in place on campus provide enough resources for the Jewish community and she has not had trouble with missing class for a religious holiday.

“I'm not sure that OU needs to accommodate the Jewish community,” Galili says. “I think we do fine on our own. The only thing I’ve needed the university for is excused absences for holidays. OU does a good job at accommodating that, but that’s not specific to the Jewish community. I think it’s just a general religious accommodation."

Students who practice Judaism or are interested in learning more can get involved in campus organizations such as the Jewish Women’s Organization, Bobcats for Israel or Alpha Epsilon Pi, which is the only international Jewish fraternity at OU. Jarchow welcomes people who are unfamiliar or interested in Jewish culture to attend any of the events Chabad, Hillel or other Jewish student organizations host.

“At Chabad I feel like they do a good job of welcoming everybody whether you’re Jewish or not, or whatever you identify as, they’re welcoming to all types,” Jarchow says.

Judaism is widely celebrated as an important and unique addition to the OU community. Galili says that not everyone will know everything about the religion, but it is important to be courteous of observers.

“We can all do our part to be respectful of everyone and for every facet of diversity,” Galili says. b

The Chabad Jewish Student Center in Athens, Ohio.

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7

THE DROP

Hasanah and Ariyanti pose for a photo on the College Green on Jan. 25, 2022.

THE COUNTRY of ISLANDS & KINDNESS An OU teacher and a doctoral student from Indonesia feel their culture is united by the generosity of their neighbors.

D

BY MCKENNA CHRISTY | PHOTOS BY AZIZ AL FADHA | DESIGN BY BROOKE GARRETT

uring the first week of fall semester, Uswatun “… I was like, ‘no way it would ever happen in my country.’

Hasanah was standing outside of Baker Center We talk about that, and they feel really excited to learn about talking about her home country of Indonesia. something new. Even in my class, I asked them to call me ‘Ibu Hasanah asked what I knew about Indonesia, which was Uswatun,’ Ibu means mother,” Hasanah says. “But that’s the way little to nothing, but she took the time to teach me about we call our teachers or maybe older women.” the tens of thousands of islands making up the country Hasanah had two students in her class for the fall semester. She and the hundreds of millions of people living there. explains that Indonesian is considered a less commonly taught Hasanah currently teaches Elementary Indonesian I at Ohio language compared to Spanish or German.

University and is a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching “I’m really thankful that those two students enrolled into my Assistant — an exchange program for abroad studies, teaching class and my very first question is like, ‘what is your reason?’ and more. Hasanah came to teach at the beginning of the I mean I’m very grateful school year and traveled far from home to do so. and those two students are “I live in Banten province so it’s only two hours driving from very nice and then we are Jakarta, the capital. It’s in Java Island because as we know that comfortable in this very Indonesia is the country of islands,” Hasanah says. small class,” Hasanah says.

Although the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia states “It’s more like [a] private there are 17,508 islands, with 6,000 being inhabited by the class and we can be very population, there are five that are considered to be the open and be the way we are.” “main” islands.

The two students learning “We&have five big islands: Island, andDESIGN then Java Indonesian in Hasanah’s STORY PHOTOGRAPHS

BY Sumatra DYLAN BENEDICT|

BY Island BROOKE GARRETT — where the capital is located [and] includes my province of class do not represent the course,” Hasanah says. “Then Sulawesi Island, Kalimantan popularity of the language Island [and] Papua Island. And then one of them, Sumatra in Indonesia and the Island, it’s one of the biggest islands in the world, it’s maybe in amount of people living the sixth [largest] range.” there. Statista states that as In Hasanah’s class she balances teaching Indonesian language, of 2021, the population of which she says can be called Bahasan Indonesia, along with the Indonesia is 272.25 million cultural aspects of the country such as how Indonesian students people and as of 2010, 87 address their teachers. When Hasanah took a few classes at the percent of those people University of Virginia Tech in 2011, her professor asked to be are Muslim. “So, we are called by their first name and Hasanah recalls being shocked by not applying Islamic law the request. but since most people are Hasanah inside the office, making peace symbol with her hands.

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backdrop | Spring 2022

Ariyarti looking at her computer Jan. 25, 2022.

Muslim of course [Islam] influences the culture itself,” she says.

But, according to Hasanah, the culture in Indonesia remains open and welcoming to other groups of people and religions because respect and kindness are some of the most important cultural defining parts of Indonesia.

“Politeness is maybe number one. And we always think before acting because we don’t want to offend people, it shows up from the way we interact,” she says. “For example, it’s not common here for, and as I learned that, asking somebody’s age is kind of rude here. But in my country, it’s very common, it’s not because we want to know all about you, it’s because we want to know if you are younger or older because we have differences for every people.”

Ratna Ariyanti, a doctoral student of journalism at OU, similarly observes that in Jakarta, the city she was born in, caring for one another is a significant aspect of Indonesian culture.

Ariyanti has spent most of her life in Indonesia. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Sebelas Maret University in Indonesia, Ariyanti began working as a journalist for Business Indonesia and joined the Alliance of Independent Journalists where she advocates to improve media worker’s conditions. She then moved on to the academia sector of work and currently teaches at the Multimedia Nusantara University.

“I started to teach I think probably around 2010. So, during my spare time, like in the week … I usually teach two times in a week in one of the faculty facilities,” Ariyanti says. As an advocate for change in media worker’s conditions, she says one must pursue a higher education to see a change.

In 2019, Ariyanti applied for funding to earn her Ph.D. and received a grant from the Fulbright Program. She wanted to attend OU because there is a strong presence of alumni who are from Indonesia. Ariyanti also related to the faculty members and their commitment to academia. Pursuing her Ph.D. in Ohio meant leaving her mom, who lived with Ariyanti, but she knew her mom would be taken care of.

“My mother lived with me from when I stopped being a full-time journalist,” she says. “When I was about to move, I [knew] she’ll be fine because the neighbor is regularly checking on her. People are just very nice, it’s very easy to reach your neighbors to ask for help.”

Her neighborhood’s dedication to caring for one another is one of the cultural aspects Ariyanti misses about Indonesia.

Something else she misses is going to the grocery store.

“When people bought groceries, they exchanged conversation, so that’s the thing that I miss the most. Sometimes it can be annoying like people want to know anything like, ‘I didn’t see you for days are you going somewhere?’ But when you are away from home, that’s the thing they miss the most,” she says.

In Indonesia it is common for people to always bring food to each other’s houses, but Ariyanti has acknowledged the food restrictions people have here. For this reason, she now brings house plants to people. Although Ariyanti adapted to this cultural difference, she continues to bring the kindness that was instilled in her by living in Indonesia.

“I was raised to always care about each other,” Ariyanti says. “Even when I’m here, my mother is still telling me, for instance, the neighbor next door [had] an accident a couple weeks ago. From here, I still have access to order from our marketplace. So for me the feel[ing] to always talk [to] others and helping, that [is] because my mother has already lived with this kind of attitude since I was a child.”

Despite many cultural differences, there are certain similarities to note between American and Indonesian culture.

“I find it quite different here, which I like,” Hasanah says. “In some ways sometimes, we judge people from the appearance.

We have some similarities, I think, at least according to me.

Indonesian people and American people are very friendly, that’s what similar. We say hello to strangers. And there are a lot of things here like people can just compliment you even if we’re strangers [we can say] ‘hey I like your shirt, I like your hijab,’ even sometimes. It’s so warm.” b

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THE DROP

Today as a

NATIVE STUDENT

Liese wearing a badger claw necklace that was recently inherited by her grandmother in front of the College Green, on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.

T

BY SOPHIA ENGLEHART | PHOTOS BY MAYA CLOUSE-HENRY | DESIGN BY BROOKE GARRETT

he U.S. is a nation with rich history, cultures and traditions, but not all of that has been properly discussed in the history books. The history of our Native tribes, from the Iroquois to the Navajo, the Crow and more, is a topic that is shrouded by ambiguity and misunderstanding.

Federally recognized tribes, according to the Ohio History Connection, have contact with government agencies that can help provide funding and services through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This also means that these tribes are recognized by the government to be their own independent tribe, capable of selfgovernance and tribal sovereignty under federal law.

However, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), of all the state and federally recognized tribes in the U.S., there are none from Ohio that are acknowledged by the federal government. The tribes we learned in middle school history classes became the stereotypical mascots that graced our high school sports banners, with the real representations of Natives never mentioned and blotted out of history books.

Ohio, as stated in the “Historic American Indian Tribes of Ohio” from the Ohio Historical Society, was once home to several well-known Native American tribes such as the Iroquois and the Chippewa. Many of these tribes had been moved to reservations out West after being either removed or bought out of their lands by the U.S. government. The passing of the Indian Removal Act by President Andrew Jackson also provided the legal means in which to force Native Americans out of their homelands. As a result, these once Ohio-based tribes are now scattered across the Midwest.

Institutions like Ohio University act as a platform for Native students to further educate themselves on their culture, where

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backdrop | Spring 2022

they come from and why their background is to be celebrated and not shuttered into the remote corners of American history.

“In my personal experience, [OU] was a bit more diverse than where I went, but everyone could always do better,” OU graduate Caitlin Hunt says. “I felt like I could embrace [my identity] a bit more [in] college because there are a lot more opportunities. I was able to write a lot of articles very freely about my identity and culture. I felt open [to] talk about my experiences and other people agreed with me and they understood where I was coming from much more so than in high school.”

Hunt, who is part of the Lumbee Tribe based out of North Carolina and who graduated from OU in 2021, grew up in a predominately white area rather than on a reservation and faced many prejudices on her minority status growing up, especially when it came to academic opportunities.

“I went to OU on a full ride through the Templeton scholarship, [which] is for people who come from a minority background or underrepresented groups,” she says. “So [when] people found out about that, [they started] making some comments toward me saying that I was only getting the things that I was getting because I was Native.”

Similarly, Sarah Liese, a graduate student and member of the Turtle Mountain Tribe, grew up in a majorly white environment in St. Louis, Missouri, attending Catholic school where her and her sister were the only Native students.

“I think growing up away from my culture and being raised as any other Catholic kid that went to my school, you know, I think that I was more susceptible also to misconceptions,” Liese says. “I was taught the same history books as my peers with the inaccurate narrative about Columbus and Manifest Destiny and things like that. So, I just went along with what I was

How a collegiate atmosphere allows for Native students to explore their culture, and what can improve. taught, and I never wanted to be out of line even though I probably should have spoken up.”

Liese graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at OU. She is a Full Circle Fellow of the Sundance Institute and with the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) as well as a mentorin-training.

NAJA, an organization that supports Native American journalism, has served as a way for Native students to find a connection to their culture, especially when they are present in a society that surrounds them with prejudices or stereotypes of Native Americans. For individuals like Hunt and Liese, who both grew up in environments that were white dominated, this made their connection to their ancestry that much more important as they got older.

“My mother tried her best to kind of teach us about different Navajo concepts, [but] being isolated from my culture was hard and there was a lot of things that I just wanted to know,” Liese says. “It really wasn’t until college when I was able to really start thinking for myself and realizing why things are wrong.”

While colleges like OU can give Native students the opportunity to explore their history more thoroughly than when they were in high school, this shows that the part of the issue in the lack of education of Native American tribes, free of stereotypes and inaccuracies, lies in the classroom.

According to the Becoming Visible report, released by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in 2019, 87 percent of states do not promote Native American history after 1900, while 27 states don’t even include it in their precollegiate curriculum. Among the states that contributed to the report, Ohio was not mentioned.

Education of Native American history is essential to the development and growth of not only young Native Americans like Hunt and Liese, but also for tribal nations, reservations and other Native Americans.

Additionally, representation of Native Americans in the media and film industry have resulted in negative stereotypes.

But, recent television series like “Reservation Dogs” on Hulu and “Dexter” on Showtime have also brought recognition on issues within the Native American community addressing issues like crime and poverty within Indigenous communities and missing indigenous women.

Despite the recent media exposure, Hunt and Liese both agree that raising awareness about Native American history and culture can help improve the stereotypes around Native American culture.

“I think the research is there and we just need to start telling Native stories accurately on the media,” Liese says. “So I think like as a whole we’re stepping in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.” b

Sarah Liese stands proudly at the entrance of College Green.

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HEALTH &

FOOD FOOD

HOMINY Hominy prepared by cooking in a pan with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

A

STORY & PHOTOS BY ERIC BOLL | DESIGN BY JOSIE RILEY

merican food culture is a melting pot of cooking techniques and recipes; however, Native American cuisine and cooking techniques may often be lesser known.

That is something Nicole Albert, executive chef and owner of Burning Cedar Indigenous Foods, wanted to change when she opened her own catering and consulting company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Albert, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is a self-taught chef who credits her mother and family for inspiring her love of cooking.

Albert did not consider a career in cooking until she got a job working in a restaurant as a teenager.

“I kind of just worked my way around the different jobs in a restaurant until I landed in the kitchen and fell in love with professional cooking,” Albert says.

Eventually Albert would open Burning Cedar to bring Native American cuisine to the Tulsa area through her catering and consulting company. Albert, however, has faced some trouble sourcing ingredients for recipes as Native Americans have faced trouble opening farms and selling traditional crops.

“In the hundreds of years since the beginning of colonization, Indigenous people have been removed from their food sources.

We haven’t had access to land to grow our traditional crop, we haven’t had access to the resources you would need to build a food supplying business,” Albert says. “So, we’re trying to restore the health and wellness of our own people through building the supply chains that we need to have those foods.”

The push to restore these supply chains and traditional farming methods are a part of the food sovereignty movement, which has gained popularity in Indigenous circles. Food sovereignty is a movement with the goals of ending reliance on corporations for food and the promotion of local and sustainable farming.

As for why Albert chose to specialize in Native American recipes, beyond the fact that it is what she grew up with, she cites the history and relationships Native Americans have with their ingredients. She explains how many tribes have saved their seeds for generations and that the diversity in ingredients used

12

Self-taught Cherokee chef Nico Albert shares the history and challenges of Native American food.

backdrop | Spring 2022

between tribes ensures that every tribe has their own unique ingredients and dishes.

Some of this diversity can be found in the Three Sisters farming technique where corn, beans and squash are grown together, also commonly known as companion planting.

Different tribes would use different varieties of corn, beans and squash depending on the environment, which resulted in a wide array of dishes that used the Three Sisters.

“We have such a long history with all of these ingredients that they are more than just corn or fish. They are actual ancestors to us,” Albert says. “So that gives a significance to the meal that you don’t get with your hamburger and fries.”

For example, the word for corn in the Cherokee language, “selu,” is not just the word for the plant. Selu is the name of an actual person, the Corn Mother, the Cherokee first woman who sacrificed herself to give her children the gift of corn.

When asked to recommend a dish, Albert suggests that more people should try hominy, which is a nutritious way of preparing corn that makes it healthier.

“The hominy making process is something that was developed by our ancestors. It’s taking field corn, which has a very hard thick outer shell which you have to remove to unlock the nutrients inside the corn,” Albert says. “So, our ancestors developed a way to do that by simmering the corn in an alkali solution. So, they used wood ash from our campfires, the ash of hardwood has that basic alkali property which allows it to have a chemical reaction with the proteins in that outer shell of the corn.”

The preparation process, called nixtamalization, can be traced back to the Indigenous people of Mexico. Hominy can be eaten both on its own and used to create tortillas and other dishes.

In Athens, hominy can be found at Walmart and Kroger on East State Street with numerous recipes online for how to prepare and incorporate hominy into meals. For more information on Native American cooking, check out www.burningcedar.com or the Toasted Sister Podcast. b

Challah purchased from Athens Bread Company.

STORY & PHOTOS BY ERIC BOLL | DESIGN BY JOSIE RILEY

J

UN-ORTHODOX

COOKING Chef Alison Gütwaks discusses her culinary experience as an Orthodox Jew.

ewish food is often defined by the fact that it’s kosher: the rules for food preparation and consumption that are laid out in the Torah.

This often limits restaurants that Jews who choose to stay kosher can go to and can be difficult for Jews who decide to become chefs. Alison Gütwaks, a personal chef who now lives in Columbus, knows this struggle well as she had to work closely with her rabbi while attending culinary school that was not kosher.

“It was a lot of fun and very hard,” Gütwaks says. “As an Orthodox Jew I follow the laws to a T. Before I went to culinary school, I asked my rabbi what are the things I cannot do and I was actually expecting a lot more than what he said.”

Gütwaks’ rabbi told her that the only thing forbidden by the Torah was that she could not cook milk and meat together.

Gütwaks got around this issue by having another student handle the mixing of milk and meat.

The other issue that Gütwaks encountered was that she was not actually allowed to eat any food she prepared that was not kosher. Fortunately, her rabbi told her that she could chew and taste the food if she did not swallow it.

Gütwaks, however, gave up on this method because she was worried she might accidentally swallow the food.

Gütwaks has always been interested in food, as she went to college with the goal of eventually becoming a nutritionist.

During high school and college, Gütwaks would often cook for her friends and family. She eventually decided to attend culinary school during a yearlong break between her undergraduate degree and nutritionist school.

“I would always find a way to be involved in cooking by either selling stuff for extra money or working as sous chef while in college,” Gütwaks says.

Gütwaks thinks that something special about Jewish cuisine is that everything is used to avoid waste. Additionally, Gütwaks cites that most recipes can be tied to traditions or cultural practices.

“What’s cool about it is what they made back in the day, stuff of convenience usually, so traditional Jewish foods are slow cooked usually due to Shabbat because you can’t cook on Shabbat,” Gütwaks says.

Gütwaks recommends that people try Jewish baked goods.

Babka and challah are two dishes that she enjoys.

Babka is a sweet bread with chocolate, nuts, poppy seeds or any sweet filling mixed in. The dish can trace its origins back to eastern European Jews and recently gained popularity due to food influencers.

In Athens, babka can be bought from Village Bakery at 258 E. State St. Challah, meanwhile, is a special type of braided bread that was first made by Ashkenazi Jews. The bread is typically eaten on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. In Athens, the bread can be found at the Athens Bread Company at 284 E. State St. For more information about Jewish recipes or kosher, visit Gütwaks’ website alibabka.com. b www.backdropmagazine.com

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THE BEAT

R

BY MAXWELL ABBBATIELLO | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY JOE TIMMERMAN

ap music is more than what most make it out to be. There is no question that the sound of rap has evolved over To some, it is workout music, something you can time. There are now subgenres that have formed over time, relate to or maybe it’s just the right combination of such as emo rap, drill, mumble rap and many others. sounds to satisfy that itch in your brain. But for others, it’s “Playboi Carti is a perfect example of an artist evolving,” a medium, an outlet to express what one is truly feeling, to Smith says. “I think his music evolved from a baby rap voice to spread awareness and even a beacon of hope in a time where a more grungy rap.” hope is hard to find.

G-swerve also has thoughts on how rap has evolved on a The rap genre’s roots can be traced back to the 1970s in New broader spectrum.

York City, although it didn’t pick up popularity until later “I think rap music has absolutely evolved for the best,” he in the decade. The song “Rapper's Delight” by The Sugarhill says. “Coming from a generation that deals with a lot of Gang is arguably what gave rap its initial popularity. The mental health issues, when I listen to rap, it acts as a reporter song was the first hip-hop/rap song to reach the top 40 on the for the community.”

Billboards, according to History and Billboard.

G-swerve uses his music to spread awareness about his own The hip-hop/rap genre has resonated with the younger personal experiences. generation the most. According to a survey published by According to G-swerve’s artist biography on Spotify, Statista Research on Jan. 8, when asked the question “What “Starting at age 6, G-swerve has recreated his world through type of music do you listen to?” 48 percent of the participants introspective lyrics and beat compositions. As a young Type in the age group 16-19 said hip-hop/rap, while 52 percent of 1 Diabetic, G-swerve expresses his journey and the battles the participants in the age group 20-24 said hip-hop/rap as associated with it through his music. Although times have been well. tough, G-swerve continues Saige Smith, a sophomore to be the voice for not only at Ohio University the Diabetic community but studying political science, also for those who seek the believes that the majority medicinal values of authentic of rap’s audience is younger musical expression.” because the content of Rappers have also been known the music appeals to the to be outspoken in their music younger population the when it comes to social issues most. in their community. When the “I feel like rap music Black Lives Matter movement tells a very distinctive started gaining exponential story about success, about traction after the death of having fun, about doing George Floyd in 2020, there was some cool stuff,” Smith an outpour of music supporting says. the cause from Black artists, Having the talent to rap Tavian “G-swerve” Gray in his recording studio in Columbus, Ohio, on according to Genius. isn’t as common as one Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. G-Swerve has songs on several platforms, including Lil Baby released “The Bigger may think. Tavian Gray, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.

Picture” in June 2020, a song who goes by G-swerve, is detailing his experience being a rapper from Columbus who is signed to Brick City Records. a Black man in American society and the oppression he faced He first started writing lyrics in seventh grade when a friend from the justice system and police. Chicago rapper Polo G came passed him a note with lyrics on it that he had written. He out with “Last Man Standing” in February 2021, a song that found it interesting so he decided to write his own, and he also calls out the problem of police brutality. hasn’t stopped writing since. The first song he ever recorded It is hard to escape the sound of rap, even if one is not a was a freestyle over the beat for “C.R.E.A.M.” by Wu-tang fan of the genre. Along with great music, rap has provided Clan. He was 16. the world with so much more: a voice for people who have a Now 21 years old, G-swerve says rap has changed him a lot as story to tell, a community for artists who share the passion to a person, and for the better. create and most importantly different perspectives from those “Before I first started rapping, I didn’t talk that much, I was willing to share. kind of quiet and called an outcast,” he says. “When I started “Rap is just a reflection of the communities and the rapping it was like learning a different language. I was finally backgrounds that some of these artists are coming from, able to communicate with those around me about how I was myself included,” G-swerve says. feeling and what made me feel the way that I do. Having that For those interested in supporting G-swerve, check out his language that not everybody can speak however everyone can music on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube or understand is a privilege.” connect with him on Instagram @swerve_therealest or Twitter @TavianGray. b

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STORIES TOLD IN SOUND

Rap provides a platform for artists to connect with their audience and bring awareness to pressing issues.

Tavian “G-swerve” Gray, a rapper, songwriter and music producer poses at his home in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

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COMMUNITY

CSA members pose with Dr. Vibert Cambridge at OU's annual Street Fair.

KINDRED FROM THE

CARIBBEAN

Despite OU’s long history of working with Caribbean countries, inconsistent enrollment of Caribbean students leaves an island of emptiness in the hearts of the few who are here.

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BY CAROLINE BISSONNETTE | PHOTOS BY AZIZ AL FADHA | DESIGN BY RACHEL RECTOR

he presence of Caribbean culture at Ohio University has seen decades of fluctuation. Despite OU's tendency to leave the islands on the backburner, the importance of embracing Caribbean recruitment is not as variable.

For years, the Caribbean has welcomed OU faculty and students for various events or study abroad programs and more.

Despite this institutional connection, Caribbean students still struggle to find a place to call their own in a sea of Ohioans and other international students.

The late 1980s brought a strong wave of Caribbean students to Athens that encouraged the creation of the Caribbean Scholars Association (CSA). The organization’s goal was to celebrate Caribbean culture in Athens and keep it alive on campus. Throughout the years, the cyclical nature of a Caribbean presence at OU has rendered the activity of the organization inconsistent.

Dr. Vibert Cambridge, a proud OU alumnus and professor of international communications, is originally from Guyana.

Since he arrived at OU in the late 1980s, he has always been a strong advocate for expanding and showcasing Caribbean culture on campus.

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Cambridge was an original member of CSA and says the Caribbean students at OU would join forces with those at Hocking College to plan celebrations and events together.

“In those days, jerk chicken was very popular among Caribbean people, but the seasoning didn’t exist here as a product,” Cambridge says. “So, the students from Hocking College would come, make the jerk seasoning and then we would have the barbecues all together.”

The spirit of the Caribbean thrived in Athens following the creation of CSA. Caribbean students at OU and Hocking College had a place to go and get a taste of home, even though they were over a thousand miles away.

“It was in that space one got to understand a little bit more, not only about the Caribbean, but its place in the academy,” Cambridge says. The existence of an organization that is solely there to promote culture and tradition added light to Athens that those of Caribbean descent hadn’t previously seen.

As years went on, the number of Caribbean students on campus fluctuated and the activity of CSA rode the wave.

When there were more Caribbean students, there would naturally be more activity within the organization.

Eventually, the numbers sank low enough that CSA ceased activity.

During the 2019-2020 school year, before the coronavirus pandemic began, Anna-Kaye Rowe, a Ph.D. student from Jamaica, helped to revive the organization as its president.

As a Caribbean student, Rowe is passionate about sharing her culture and encouraging other Caribbean students to come together.

With the support of the CSA executives and their advisor Marian Carr, the organization was able to plan several activities which brought together not just Caribbean students, but any OU students from diverse backgrounds.

“Seeing people at OU getting a glimpse and taste of our culture and traditions was really heartwarming,” Rowe says. “All of our events were well-supported, and we were very strategic in planning fun and creative activities, because togetherness and excitement are core features of our Caribbean culture; we want other people to feel the excitement that we do when we are all together.”

Unfortunately, the coronavirus spread rapidly in Spring 2020, prohibiting further in-person events. However, due to the success to which Rowe and her team led the organization, CSA was named Best Overall Organization for the 2019-2020 school year by the International Student Union’s Executive Team.

Despite the synergy on campus and being recognized, CSA was only revived for that one year.

“I had to take a step back. While it was a fulfilling experience, it can become time consuming and because of our low numbers, it wasn’t possible for us to continue without more support,” Rowe says. “That one year was incredible and I was so sad we could not build on that momentum, but that’s part of the dilemma. We want to have a more sustained presence on campus, but a steady flow of Caribbean students is needed.”

The inactivity of the group does not mean that there aren’t any Caribbean students left at OU. There are still international students who find sanctuary at OU, and without CSA, it may be difficult for a lot of them to find people that make Ohio feel more like home. This is largely due to the university’s lack of recruitment in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean students that were and are currently on campus have mostly only heard about OU through other Caribbean people. The recruitment of students (particularly among graduate students) and faculty in the Caribbean relies mainly on word-of-mouth.

“OU has centralized and strategized its recruitment,” Cambridge says. “In the last two years, the largest amount of new oil has come from Guyana. The country is beginning to invest heavily in graduate education — is OU at that door?”

Cambridge says that it is in OU’s best interest to “strategically engage the Caribbean” if it hopes to “maintain its status and continue to pioneer as a leading international university.”

OU needs someone to champion Caribbean engagement, according to Cambridge.

“Champions do not necessarily have to be of direct ancestry,” Cambridge says. Regardless of Caribbean descent, students and faculty can push for the exposure of Caribbean culture.

Having other people on campus also from the Caribbean encourages a feeling of belonging within these students and will further encourage them to share their experience with their friends back in the Caribbean.

“It can be hard to be away from home, but when we get together or see each other on campus, it just fills your cup when you’re on empty,” Rowe says. “We just need the university to see our part of the world as being valuable.” b

Caribbean students celebrate together at OU's club fair.

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FEATURE FEATURE

“QUEERING SPACE”

for Creators

A recent art initiative produced by Athens’ very own has goals of hosting inclusive art spaces for queer members of Ohio University and the community.

S

BY ADDIE HEDGES | PHOTOS BY DYLAN BENEDICT | DESIGN BY CJ HERR

tanding in a parking lot surrounded by more people than she had been in months, Cricket Jones was overcome by a sense of healing. She watched as her colleagues, local artists and art enthusiasts distanced themselves from each other physically, but not emotionally. They were sharing what they had created in isolation, and now that they were able to gather again, they sought to reconnect through each other’s acts of creativity.

During the pandemic, Jones, a local artist known in Athens for her spoon rings, says she noticed for the first time how much people needed art; whether it was to create it and showcase it, or just the need to experience it. Following her spontaneous parking lot art show, she was inspired to become an “art curator” for the community.

“I am an LGBT person, so I know that LGBT people are marginalized in our society, and I felt that it might be a great, revolutionary thing to have an LGBT art show,” Jones says.

Without a set plan, Jones reached out to Micah McCarey, Ohio University’s LGBT Center director and an Athens City Council member, as she was selling her rings on Court Street. McCarey was the perfect person to collaborate with, according to Jones.

Donkey Coffee art curator David Lawrence was looking for an art exhibit around the same time Jones and McCarey began collaborating.

According to Lawrence, Chris and Angie Pyle, the owners of Donkey Coffee, are committed to supporting local people and their perspectives on social justice and equality. Setting aside space in Donkey for local artistry is just one of the ways the business supports the community.

“They love exhibits that demonstrate a community vibe, a community feel, that incorporates all members of the community and celebrates them for who they are,” Lawrence says. “I knew something was going to happen and … I felt that we were going to have something really, really special going forward.”

Envisioning a safe space for artists in the LGBT community, Jones, McCarey and Lawrence decided to showcase LGBT artists’ work in local Athens establishments. Jones, already the curator of Donkey Coffee’s Queer Coincidence Art Experience, wanted to expand the reach of that art exhibit to other uptown businesses, and thus the Uptown Art Hop was created.

All the Uptown Art Hop needed was participants, and McCarey’s connection to OU was instrumental in finding LGBT student artists.

Cricket Jones works on her spoon rings in her studio in Athens, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.

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“I was able to help spread the word through our LGBT Center [and I] immediately identified some students, even some LGBT Center staff members, who are talented artists who were willing to contribute some pieces from pottery to digital prints,” McCarey says. “I was inspired to contribute one of my own pieces that celebrates powerful women, many of them women of color, and I love the idea of queering spaces.”

Not only does the Uptown Art Hop correspond with the diversity and inclusion goals of the university, but also the goals of the city of Athens. According to the City of Athens 2040 Comprehensive plan, highlighting the “artistic and creative spirit of (the Athens) community” is a guiding principle in courses of action local government will pursue.

‘‘

I think it’ll inspire a lot of queer people to get into art more often and be able to connect with other queer artists ... it’ll create a more welcoming atmosphere for people to just make art and to connect with other queer people ...”

SER SPINELLI OU SENIOR AND PRESIDENT OF SPECTRUM+ The crossover of the university, city of Athens and local establishments helps to cultivate areas of understanding and acceptance for people of various backgrounds within the community. The goal of the Uptown Art Hop is to formalize these areas and display the art of talented LGBT community members.

Donkey Coffee, a popular spot for OU students and Athens community members alike, is the perfect spot for LGBT artists to gain exposure, according to Lawrence.

“It’s one of the most prevalent areas in the community in which you have people from the city of Athens and the students just colliding,” Lawrence says.

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“If you just happen to walk into Donkey, you’ll see, you know, people 60 to 70 [years old] talking with first and second-year students all the time. It’s just a very warm and inviting space. And so again, when you can queer a space … and create some cognitive dissonance for folks who are coming from places or origins in which they’re not exposed to a lot of different ways of being, it’s very disarming, the place is disarming. I think it can really inspire a change in perspectives, paradigm shifts and an opening up of people’s hearts to different ways.”

As of right now, Donkey Coffee, The Union and Casa Nueva all showcase art as part of the Uptown Art Hop. The first exhibit took place on Sunday, Nov. 14 from 4-6 p.m. Moving forward, new art will be exhibited every six weeks in Donkey, The Union and Casa Nueva.

“The more spaces we have for this sort of thing, the better; it will create more of a culture and it’ll be tightly woven in there,” Lawrence says. “So, you get your coffee, and you walk around, you do whatever and it’ll be really neat.”

When McCarey presented the opportunity of the Uptown Art Hop to members of OU’s LGBT Center, he found that many students were completely on board with the idea and wanted to know what they could do to be a part of it.

Instead of having to encourage students to put themselves and their art out into the community, McCarey was asked questions like, “How many pieces can I submit?”, “Can I bring some examples in tomorrow?” and “What is considered art? Do short stories count?”

Students were beyond ready to think outside of the box to participate in the exhibition, according to McCarey.

Ser Spinelli, a student in his sixth year at OU studying media arts and studies, as well as fine arts, says the Uptown Art Hop allows LGBT artists to display art in a space they are comfortable in. He hopes the Uptown Art Hop will encourage more queer people to make art.

“I think it’ll inspire a lot of queer people to get into art more often and be able to connect with other queer artists. There’s already a lot of tight-knit communities … and groups, but I think with these art shows specifically, it’ll create a more welcoming atmosphere for people to just make art and to connect with other queer people and use art as a form of self-expression.”

The exposure of local LGBT artists’ work not only allows the participating artists to showcase their talents, but also make money from selling their pieces. According to Lawrence, two artists sold art during the November Uptown Art Hop display at Donkey alone.

“One of the issues you have is [that] a lot of people will stop by venues, see art on the wall and not really

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go there with the mindset of taking home a local artist’s piece of expression,” Lawrence says. “With the [Uptown] Art Hop it kind of makes it intentional that that’s what you’re doing; you’re kind of shopping, it’s almost like an art hop and shop.”

The cultivation of the Uptown Art Hop has further established Athens as a town with an “art scene.” Art in Athens is not limited to university students or adults in the community, but also the youth.

A local after-school arts program, PRISM, is LGBTQ oriented and works to support local youth and their selfexpression. The program takes place at ARTS/West and is sponsored by the OU LGBT Center. PRISM was the only LGBTQ oriented arts group in Athens that Jones was aware of before the Uptown Art Hop, so she hopes to invite middle and high school students who are a part of PRISM to submit pieces to the exhibition.

“People look to Columbus as an art scene where they have gallery hop in the Short North and we have such amazing things going on here too, that [are] sustainable because we want this to be something that can be perpetuated,” McCarey says.

The addition of thousands of new students each year should sustain the participants in the Uptown Art Hop, and as it continues to grow so will the support of LGBT artists in Athens. Jones, McCarey and Lawrence are hopeful the Uptown Art Hop will lead to other opportunities for LGBT people to express themselves, whether it be in OU’s LGBT Center, the university as a whole or the Athens community.

“I really think we have a critical mass that we would always be able to have submissions coming through.

With [Jones’] organizational skills, combined with the many people we could potentially partner with when our LGBT center eventually relocates to a larger space, I imagine that space having a designated art area and/or a gallery. I know it would be ideal to have such a gallery be more public-facing and potentially more easily accessible by community members, but … if we were doing that kind of stuff in the LGBT Center it would bring more people into the center. I’m really excited to see where all this goes.”

Lawrence agrees with McCarey and says the cyclical nature of OU students leaving, returning to and starting college life in Athens will create a never-ending supply of talented artists. He is excited to watch the Uptown Art Hop grow and thrive.

Jones hopes her efforts in starting the Uptown Art Hop will aid in creating support for providing gallery space for LGBT artists in OU campus buildings.

“Another thing I’d love to see is an LGBT gallery. I feel that will firm up the LGBT [people] and artists saying ‘20 percent of the population really could fit in there, but we have 0 percent of the representation or close to it here,’” Jones says. “I believe a gallery space would not only be great meeting and workshop space, but we’d include [the Athens] community, OU, OU staff and OU alums. They all bring something new and fantastic to the table.” b Cricket Jones cuts the top of a spoon off as a step in creating her spoon rings in her studio in Athens, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.

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FEATURE FEATURE

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THE MAGICK OF MODERN DAY WICCA Practitioners of Witchcraft challenge the negative stereotypes and reclaim the word “Witch.”

BY CAROLINE GILLEN | DESIGN BY JOSIE RILEY

C

rystals, tarot cards and zodiac sign readings have made their way into mainstream culture; however, a lot of people might not realize how Witchcraft is involved in the many things they interact with on a day-to-day basis.

Witchcraft has been a consistent part of human history and is believed to be thousands of years old, older than most well-known religions, according to The Complete Book of Witchcraft, written by Raymond Buckland, the founder of Sax Wicca, in 1973. Buckland founded Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in 1966.

Sax Wicca is only one of several branches of Wicca. The first branch that was created is Gardnerian Wicca, which was formed by Gerald Gardnerin 1954. Gardner is also known for coining the term “Wicca,” which comes from a Germanic root meaning “wise-people,” according to History.com. So, although Witchcraft has roots that go far back, Wicca is considered to be a relatively new religion.

“Wicca is a modern tradition of Witchcraft, but the beliefs and practices are inspired by older concepts,” Cara, the assistant to the director of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, says.

Cara has been practicing Witchcraft since the age of 12 and is a part of “reclaiming the tradition of Witchcraft.” This concept is all about reclaiming the word “Witch” and what it means to each individual practitioner.

“Being a Witch is a combination of things and the definition really depends on the individual. You’re a Witch if you practice Witchcraft, but what constitutes ‘Witchcraft’ depends on who you ask,” Cara says. “Wicca is just one subset of Witchcraft, so the idea as whole is much more complex.”

Although the Buckland Museum has plenty of information about other types of Witchcraft and Magick, the institution mainly focuses on educating about Wicca, according to Cara and the museum’s website.

“One of the defining characteristics of Wicca, as far as religious beliefs and theology, is recognizing a balance between a polarity of deities, so instead of just worshiping a Goddess or a God, we recognize the existence and balance of multiple,” Cara says.

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FEATURE The level of intensity at which people use Wicca completely depends on the individual. Sara Molina, a sophomore at Ohio University studying applied linguistics, first started reading about Wicca in 2016, but didn’t start practicing until she was in quarantine at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m not as extreme in a sense where I have something I do every day. What I do is practice glamour, so like when I’m taking a shower, I’m thinking about ways to make me feel more confident in myself,” Molina says. “I use Wicca as a kind of selfmotivation. I guess it’s like finding ways to love and appreciate myself differently.”

Dr. Dereck Daschke, a professor of philosophy and religion at Truman State University, explains in his book, New Religious Movement, about how Wiccans have existed for the majority of human history. He also mentions in his book the period during which Witchcraft was an underground and hidden practice at times, like during the Salem Witch Trials which made practicing Wicca dangerous.

“The practices remained underground for centuries for fear of prosecution during the ‘Burning Times’ 15th to 17th centuries,” Daschke writes.

The 'Burning Times' are defined as a period of time where charges of Witchcraft and Paganism were punishable by death, usually by being burned at the stake.

OU Associate Professor Brian Collins created a course in 2017 called the Global Occult, which touches on various supernatural phenomena and spiritual practices in religions, including Wicca. Collins once learned of an experience that represents how the stigma surrounding Witchcraft can negatively affect a Witch’s life.

“There was someone who practiced Wicca in Athens in the 1980s,” Collins says. “A kindergarten teacher I believe, I remember hearing from a former resident, who lived there at the time, about how she lost her job when her Witchcraft affiliation was made public.”

Cara has had their fair share of interactions with people who have a strong stigma against them being a practitioner of Witchcraft. They have had hateful comments left on their YouTube videos and have even been followed around the grocery store by a religious woman trying to “save them” by encouraging them to the read the Bible, according to Cara.

“I was in Bible study as a kid, so I’ve made my choice very consciously, not because I’ve never heard of Jesus Christ,” Cara says. “When people have tried to ‘save me’ by telling me to read the Bible, I tell them I have read it, but I always wondered if they have ever read a book about Wicca? It’s interesting to see how many people refuse to even try and understand other’s practices yet expect others to learn theirs.”

The stigmas around Witchcraft can sometimes make being Wiccan difficult.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed about being a college student is having my own dorm and space. It’s a lot easier for me to practice Wicca without worrying about my parents knocking on my door or someone seeing me and being disappointed,” Molina says.

Molina points out that there is a difference in meaning behind the words “magic” and “Magick.” Witchcraft Magick is spelled with a “k” at the end to differentiate from the

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other type of “magic,” such as a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Magick is any act that brings someone closer to their purpose in life; the act can be both metaphysical and mundane.

“The practice of Magick is a part of Witchcraft, but that is not all there is to Witchcraft, in fact there are a lot of other religions and cultures that have magical practices. So Magick is not necessarily only for Witchcraft, but it is something that ties into it,” Cara says.

Like other religions, Wicca has its own holidays and celebrations.

“Wicca is a celebration of the power of nature and especially the rhythmic cycles of the moon and the seasons,” Daschke writes in his book.

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft shares about how Wiccans measure their holidays with the “Wheel of the Year.” There are eight yearly celebrations that occur on the solstices, equinoxes and the midpoints in between the two.

The next holiday is the Imbolc, which will occur from Feb.1 to 2 this year.

“Most of the time on holidays I self-reflect. But if you are in a small space, the simplest thing you can do is set up an alter and your intentions for whatever you are celebrating or hoping to improve at,” Molina says.

Although Magick and holidays are seen in the core of most religions, one thing that makes Wicca stand out is the individuality involved in it. Unlike most religions where gatherings of the members are common and expected, Wicca is something its followers can practice on their own.

Anyone can start practicing Wicca if they want, and it is easier than some might think.

“I would encourage people to come to the museum if they want to learn more,” Cara says. “If you want to find likeminded people, there are various places I tend to meet Pagans and Witches, such as Pagan Pride events, metaphysical shops,

renaissance fairs and even Unitarian Universalist churches.”

UUA is the acronym for Unitarian Universalist Association, under which Unitarian Universalist (UU) churches exist. A UU church is where someone can go to learn about various world religions, traditional and non-traditional, according to uua.org.

“A lot of families with kids who want their kids to be raised learning a bunch of religions so that they can make their own decisions involving their faith will take them to UU churches,” Cara says.

UU churches often have speakers at gatherings from different religions and practices. Therefore, they can act as a common space for anyone who is interested in or currently practicing a non-traditional religion like Wicca.

With the help from social media, Wiccan ideas and ideals have been spreading faster than ever. The Wiccan community has grown from 8,000 people in 1990 to about 1.5 million today, according to Newsweek.com. Wicca is ever-growing and practitioners to this day are still deepening their spiritualism.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m still learning things, so really it is a lifelong journey,” Cara says.

The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick is located at 2155 Broadview Rd. in Cleveland. Visit bucklandmuseum.org to learn more about the museum and the history of Witchcraft and Magick.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens is located at 184 Longview Heights Rd. for those interested in visiting a UU church. b www.backdropmagazine.com

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SEX & HEALTH PHOTO STORY

Support Survivors Dismantle Rape Culture Local Athens and Ohio University non-profit organizations support survivors of sexual violence and combat rape culture.

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BY MCKENNA CHRISTY | PHOTOS BY JACOB DURBIN | DESIGN BY CJ HERR

n college campuses the rates of sexual violence are high and difficult to prevent while misogyny remains a pillar of the higher education experience. Culture of Respect — an organization committed to ending sexual violence on campuses — reports that one in four female undergraduates are sexually violated after enrolling into their university. The case for male undergraduates is one in 14.

Survivors deserve the support they prefer, but rape culture often prohibits them from receiving help.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, four out of five students who are women and between the ages of 18-24 did not report to law enforcement after being sexually violated. 26 percent of students did not file a report of the incident because they believed it was a personal matter. Some

people do not feel systems in place will support them if they do seek help.

Organizations in Athens County and at Ohio University encourage survivors to receive help and can support them in ways traditional systems may not. The Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program (SAOP) and the Survivor Advocacy Program (SAP) are resources for survivors with leaders who know how to help with compassion and knowledge.

Jennifer Seifert, the executive director of SAOP, received her Bachelor of Science in communication studies and her Ph.D. in communication and media studies from OU. Seifert has been working at nonprofits for six years and defines rape culture as a buildup of misogynistic actions or comments, whether they be large or small. “… You can think of [rape culture] almost like a pyramid, that there are these foundational behaviors or

Jennifer Seifert (left) and her associate Rene Redd (right) outside of the SAOP office in Nelsonville.

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activities that then, in some ways, normalize and justify an ever-increasing kind of other behaviors, beliefs and ultimately, acts such as gender-based violence,” Seifert explains. “And so, at the very bottom level, you have things like sexist jokes, a lot of gender-based discrimination and sexism. Then it kind of escalates up to say, wage discrimination in employment.”

While the SAOP has the resources to support both community members and college students, systems such as law enforcement differ between the two. This is the reason why the SAOP is geared more toward community-based support, but the mission remains the same: to support survivors.

“We are always trying to look at everything,” Seifert says. “Every system that a survivor might interact with identifying how that system is either not helpful or re-traumatizing or helpful. And helping survivors navigate that system, and then helping educate and empower [themselves] to realize the change that they want to see.”

The SAOP achieves their goals of supporting survivors by evaluating the organization internally through the ways people interact with each other in the workplace.

They want to ensure people’s identities are respected.

In turn, the anti-oppression practices in their work environment allow for a greater understanding of how to properly assist community members.

“Over the years we’ve done bystander intervention trainings, we teach healthy sexuality — so comprehensive evidence-based sexual health education in high schools and with elementary school students,” Seifert says. “We’re launching a new prevention program that focuses on economic empowerment because what we know is if you provide economic support to women, girls and families, it prevents child abuse, sexual violence and domestic violence.”

Along with these steps to prevent sexual violence comes the necessity of recognizing the language used to address sexual violence. Kimberly Rouse, the director of the SAP, chooses not to label a survivor’s experience unless they choose to themselves.

“We don’t approach our work from the basis of if you have to meet [the] legal definition from Ohio Revised Code, or even the university’s policy definition, because we know that those definitions don’t always encompass the full spectrum of problematic behaviors or situations,” Rouse says. “And a lot of times with situations like this, there are a lot of gray areas.”

Rouse and the advocates at the organization focus on listening to survivors instead of labels.

“More so we tell people if they’re uncomfortable with interactions that have happened to them, or that they’ve been involved with, that we’re here to support them, and to connect them to resources and to answer their questions and really just listen,” Rouse says. The advocates at the SAP are licensed social workers and assist people in many ways.

People can reach an advocate by calling the 24/7 hotline and from there are able to speak with them virtually or in person. The advocate can meet survivors at the hospital or police station depending on their preference.

Accessible resources are crucial for the safety and wellbeing of survivors of sexual violence. Education can help people better explain their experiences and find support best suiting for their needs. Oakley — whose name is changed to protect their identity — is a junior studying public health at OU, a certified peer health educator for POWER/GAMMA and an intern with Planned Parenthood where he answers people’s health-related questions through an anonymous chatline.

Peer health education is a passion of Oakley’s and helps him combat sexual assault culture, which has affected him personally. Oakley was sexually assaulted when he was 15 years old.

“It definitely impacted my experience identifying as a lesbian even though I was sure I identified that way,” Oakley says. “I was so sure about it starting [at] like 13 and 14, I was out super early and then that happened, and I sort of just distanced myself from that label and I was going through some gender stuff too and that certainly didn’t help my relationship with my body …”

But Oakley’s dedication to helping others through sex education can make a difference. He believes one of the focal points of sexual health education should be consent, and POWER/GAMMA uses an acronym to help sum up what consent looks like.

“And for many people, consent is not taught to them or they just hear the word and they’re not given a definition or a way to think about it. The way we talk about it in POWER/GAMMA is we use the FACE model; it stands for fully conscious, acting freely, clear intent and enthusiasm. And I think it’s great,” Oakley explains.

Peer education about consent can help prevent sexual violence. But rates of sexual violence are still high and if a person feels violated in a situation with another person, that is arguably more important than being able to label an experience with any legal definition — and is a warrant for support.

“What we’ve seen is that sometimes people will read [legal definitions], and they’ll think, ‘Mine wasn’t bad enough, right? So, I don’t deserve that service.’ And we really want to get away from that because we have so many people who are kind of suffering in silence alone,” Rouse says. “They feel like they don’t meet criteria for services or that it wasn’t bad enough. And we have the capacity to serve and to support them.” b Where to reach out for help: SAP’s 24/7 hotline: 740-597-SAFE (7233).

After 5 p.m. this phone number turns into the crisis hotline.

SAOP 24/7 hotline: 740-591-4266.

Ohio Sexual Violence Helpline, 24/7: 844-OHIO-HELP RAINN 24/7 hotline: 800-656-4673 www.backdropmagazine.com www.backdropmagazine.com 2727

INFOGRAPHIC

WORLD OF

CELEBRATION Five students share cultural traditions for their favorite holidays.

STORY, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY EMME BOWE

A

s students return to campus for spring semester, some are reluctant to let go of the relaxation, comfort and excitement that comes with the holiday season. Traditions surrounding food, family and activities are often celebrated during the holidays, but can also be celebrated year-round. Regardless of the differences in when, where or what one celebrates, there is usually a universal feeling of joy that comes when engaging in favorite holiday traditions. With these celebrations in the past and the next break seemingly so far away, Backdrop asked five students to look back on their favorite holiday traditions to remind them of all the good to come in the new year.

Kwanzaa

According to History.com, in 1966, a professor at California State University, Long Beach, sought ways to unite the African American community. After extensive research, Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa. The week-long holiday is modeled after African harvest celebrations and honors African values through the kinara lighting ritual. Each night, one of the seven principles is discussed, and its corresponding candle is lit.

Nailah Johnson, a sophomore studying psychology at Spelman College, appreciates the pertinence of the seven principles.

“These things make us a group and show the values that are important to us,” Johnson says. “It’s nice to see these principles are not arbitrary and that they actually show up in real life.”

On the last day of Kwanzaa, Johnson’s family celebrates with gifts that align with the seven principles. The gifts are usually either creative, which relates to the principle “Kuumba,” or educational, which culminates aspects of the other six values.

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The African Student Association Undergraduate Chapter (ASAUC) and the African Students’ Union at OU provide resources for African and nonAfrican American students looking to learn more about African and African American culture. Email asaucohio@gmail. com or asu.ohio@gmail.com to connect.

The candles on the kinara represent unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

Navratri

While this Hindu dance festival translates to “nine nights” as it is celebrated from Sept. 26 to Oct. 5, the nature of Navratri means so much more.

The colorful celebration honors the divine

feminine through hours of folk dance on a ground decorated in lights, according to Nivedita Chawda, a freshman studying studio art at OU. Navratri is the biggest cultural festival in Chawda’s state of Gujarat, India, because of the story behind it.

“This festival celebrates the feminine power and mythologies describe the valor of women who conquered demons that supposedly brave men couldn’t,” Chawda says. “In a patriarchal society, I absolutely love how this festival recognizes female empowerment and the right of every woman to be angry, rebel, pursue education and their goals.”

The garbah deep, which means “womb lamp,” is a clay lantern with a light inside of it. During Navratri, the Garba dance is performed in a circle around the garbah deep to celebrate feminine divinity.

Latinx Christmas

The Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus is widely celebrated across the world, but in the United States, Christmas traditions are often portrayed in a way that does not highlight its intersectionality with other cultural practices. For Maribel AntunezUriostegui, president of OU’s Latino Student Union, Christmas is a time to gather with family and celebrate through Mexican customs.

Antunez-Uriostegui’s Christmas traditions start on Christmas Eve, when the entire family comes together to make tamales, which can take up to six hours.

Once the tamales are ready to be eaten, the true holiday fun begins.

“We usually have a bonfire with smores; one year we even had a piñata,” she explains.

The family stays up until midnight waiting to open the Christmas presents, and Antunez-Uriostegui eagerly waits to see their reactions to the thoughtful gifts she gives. The excitement doesn’t end after the gifts are opened, though, as the traditions continue into the next morning.

“Everyone spends the night wherever dinner is hosted and the next morning we have ‘el recalentado,’ which is essentially the reheating of all the food,” AntunezUriostegui says.

For more information on the Latino Student Union, check out their Instagram @lsuohiou or email latinostudentunionou@gmail.com.

Posadas piñatas are shaped as seven-point stars to represent the seven deadly sins. The piñatas are broken on Christmas Eve to honor Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem to birth Jesus. The tradition symbolizes forgiveness of sins after Jesus's birth.

Passover

Based on a Biblical story found in the book of Exodus, Passover is celebration of the Jewish people escaping slavery in Egypt after God sent a wave of ten plagues upon Egypt to coerce the Pharoah into granting their freedom, as explained by the Index of Medieval Art website. The first night of Passover occurred after the tenth plague — which called for the death of every first born and caused the pharaoh to finally surrender. The holiday is traditionally a Jewish holiday, but some Christians also celebrate this time of rebirth and new beginnings.

With a Christian mother and Jewish father, Rowan Behrens, a sophomore studying musical theater at OU, experiences a medley of traditions during Passover. The two religions bring their own unique forms of celebration to the holiday but are happy to come together to rejoice their common ground.

“This holiday celebrates something both faiths are thankful for,” Behrens says. “My dad sometimes hosts a Seder at mom’s church to educate the congregation and celebrate Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt.”

Seder is the ritual that takes place during Passover and involves food, song and storytelling. The Seder plate includes foods that represent different elements of the story. Behrens finds the food to be the best part of the holiday, specifically the Charoset, which she explains as “an apple paste, symbolizing the mortar they used to lay brick for the pharaoh. It tastes very sweet and is good with matzah, which is unleavened bread.”

To learn more about Jewish resources on campus, check out Chabad at OU or Hillel at Ohio University. Email info@jewishbobcats.com or info@hillel. org to learn more.

Korean New Year

How can a baby be born and turn two years old the next day? Birthdays and aging are two separate entities in South Korean culture due to a tradition in which everyone ages one year on New Year’s Day, according to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway website. A child is considered one year old as soon as he or she is born, and every other child born in that same year ages concurrently in correspondence with the New Year. While birthdays are still celebrated, the New Year’s traditions are markedly significant due to the importance of age for titles of respect and hierarchy in Korean culture.

Similar to the tradition of presents for one’s birthday, Korean New Year comes with presents and a celebration of becoming older and wiser.

“We’d get little money pouches from our grandparents with cash matching the age we were becoming. It was always so special to me,” Rosaline Jun, a postgrad medical student in Portland, Oregon, says. Aging is an honor, and those aging on the New Year admire themselves by dressing in Korean clothing meant for special occasions.

“I loved to get dressed up in the traditional costume called ‘Hanbok,’ which is an intricately detailed, brightly colored dress,” Jun says. “… It’s made up of several layers, so I always felt like a princess putting on the underskirt and numerous layers that went on top of it!”

The Asian American/Pacific Islander Student Union serves as a resource for Asian American students at OU. Email ouaapisu@gmail.com to connect. b Hanbok is a Korean type of formal attire, typically defined by its fitted top, wide bottom, bright colors and intricate designs.

During Passover, the Seder plate is a symbolic way to tell the Exodus story through food. Items on the Seder plate include roasted egg (Beitzah), bitter herbs (Chazeret and Maror), shank bone (Zeroa), an apple-wine mixture (Charoset) and parsley (Karpas). www.backdropmagazine.com

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VOICES

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2022

y identity as a German American is something I have always struggled to explain to people. On the outside, I sound and look American, but my family history and origin are much more complex. I have been told many times that my “becoming” story is something out of a Hallmark movie, but it seems so normal to me.

My mom is American, and my dad is German. They were never married and have had the privilege of co-parenting me from different continents. Their story is very long and confusing, but essentially, they were family friends and the only reason I exist is that my dad’s flight back to Germany was canceled because of 9/11.

Due to my parent’s different nationalities, I am a dual citizen, giving me legal rights in both countries, as well as an EU passport. Traveling internationally has been a major part of my upbringing, starting at around one year old when my mom (who was six months pregnant with my brother) brought me to Germany to meet my grandparents for the first time.

Since then, I have been to Germany many times and my paternal family would come to the U.S. to visit me. I began traveling alone to Germany when I was 10 years old and having gone so many times, I am used to the routine of international travel.

Going to Germany as I got older began to impact my life because I understood more clearly the reasoning for why it was so important for me to spend time there and expand the experiences in the culture I was given. It has also gotten significantly harder to leave because I never want to say goodbye to my family. I have so many distinct memories from being little in Germany such as eating Yogurette chocolate that my dad always would slip to me and feeding apples to the farm animals who lived around my grandparent’s property. I have cousins, grandparents and a five-year-old brother named Felix who I only get to see once a year for a month. To me, this is normal because it is the only family dynamic I know.

I have had some amazing experiences in Germany. I have been to a number of stunning castles and historical churches, most notably Neuschwanstein Castle. I have also been to the top of Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak. I have been to several other countries in Europe and experienced new cultures and new foods. I am so grateful for those experiences because they have contributed to the person I am today. My family along with my grandparents, my aunt Jessie, my cousin Luis and many other relatives live in a tiny village called Nöpke in the middle of the country outside of Hanover, in northwestern Germany. Gun shooting is a popular sport in Northern Germany, and in 2004 my dad was crowned “the Shooting King”, with the theme of his parade being “Born in America.”

Germany has the most amazing food, and no, that does not just mean bratwurst. Popular breakfast meals include hard rolls with an array of cheeses, meats, jams and Nutella of course. Everything my Oma (grandma) makes is amazing, but in particular, she makes great schnitzel and when white asparagus (a German delicacy) is in season, she prepares plenty for the table. One of my favorite bavarian meals is Käsespätzle, which is basically a more delicious version of mac and cheese. Another thing I always look forward to during my summers in Germany is the produce. My Opa (grandpa) has a very large garden, and he grows many different fruits and vegetables which are always freshly picked. Currywurst is a popular street dish and German-Turkish food, such as Döner, is very popular as well due to the large Turkish population in Germany. And of course, I could never forget the most famous German drink, beer. A popular alcoholic beverage, known as an Alsterwasser or Radler, is a combination of beer and lemon-lime soda, which sounds weird to Americans, but is a favorite amongst the Germans.

I have taken German classes throughout my childhood, used practically every language learning app and while I am a quick study and would consider myself mostly efficient at speaking, there is still a disconnect between me and my German relatives. Conversations with my grandparents specifically can be very difficult sometimes because there are words I do not know and although I can explain the word, sometimes that confuses them even more. But even with that language barrier, I have never felt unloved because we speak the silent language of actions that have always spoken louder than words.

Julia wit h the Teu fulsstein of Marie (devil sta nkirche in Lübec tue) in fr k , 2019. o nt

Connecting with my German culture in the United States has always been tricky because so much of the American population claim German ancestry. I constantly find myself wishing that I could be with my family in Germany. Places like German Village in Columbus exist, but in my opinion, it is so Americanized that it does not remind me of what Germany is really like.

I have questioned my identity as a German American because I am not German enough to Germans, but the broadness of my cultural identity and experiences is much greater than most Americans, so I feel more European. I am not a third culture kid either and I have never met another person with a similar background. Third culture kids are raised in a culture separate from both of their parents’. So finding a community of people who really get what my experience is like is difficult.

My dad was supposed to come to my high school graduation in 2020, but it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with his flights. I have been separated from my German family for more than two years now and still, I do not know when I will get to see them again.

The Omicron variant has caused another delay with seeing my dad and that is disappointing, but international travel is too risky. So, in the meantime, my dad and I FaceTime and talk most Sundays, the same way we have since I was little.

Some people might look at my situation and think it is sad that I grew up separated from my family, which it is sometimes. But I am so lucky because if things had been different and my dad was American, I would never have experienced this life of international travel and cultural immersion. Being German is one of the most defining characteristics of my life and I cannot wait to get back to the country and the people I love. b MEINE DEUTSCHE FAMILIE, ICH LIEBE UND VERMISSE EUCH ALLE SO SEHR.

www.backdropmagazine.com

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VOICES

An Ode to

Appalachia STORY & PHOTO BY JOSIE DONOHUE | DESIGN BY JESSICA ADAMS

The sun sets on a day in southeast Ohio, creating a myriad of colors in the sky.

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Backdrop writer criticizes J. D. Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and describes how Appalachia is so much more than what meets the eye.

H

illbilly Elegy is a memoir by J.D. Vance about “a family and culture in crisis,” as stated on the cover of the novel. I read the 2016 book for the first time in the fall.

An elegy is a lament, typically for the dead. We are not hillbillies, and we should not be lamented. We are alive and we all have our own stories to tell. This is mine.

I’ve talked to classmates, colleagues and professors about their opinion of the book and found two themes. One opinion is that Vance is too assuming of collective Appalachia by addressing his experiences with the pronoun ‘we,’ rather than ‘I,’ as if everyone in Appalachia lives the same life as he did. This view typically came from those who have grown up or lived in the 13 states that are part of the Appalachia region, which include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Virgina and West Virginia, according to the research initiative “Creating a Culture of Health in Appalachia.”

The other opinion was that Vance was correct in his descriptions, and that it would be unfortunate to live in Appalachia due to lack of resources. This view came from those who have not grown up or lived in Appalachia.

I neither agree nor disagree with both opinions. It is up to one’s own interpretation if they have read the book. I will agree that the negative attributes of Appalachia portrayed

by Vance exist such as drug epidemics, domestic violence and lack of diversity. However, not everyone in Appalachia experiences those things. Does that invalidate the people who do? No, that is their story to tell, and it deserves to be told.

The issue is that the positive side of Appalachia has been shrouded in the narrative by Vance’s desire to escape the area. He cannot assume that everyone has the same story.

This is a piece of my story.

When I think about my Appalachia, I think of home. I think of the rolling hills, hay bales in wide pastures and wildflowers sprouting among weeds in the yard. I imagine the sunrises streaming golden light through my window in the morning before riding a yellow school bus along bumpy dirt roads.

My Appalachia is the dirt beneath my nails when my dad and I plant a garden in the yard, the stalky leaves of corn and tomatoes making my arms itch with little red bumps.

My Appalachia is the blackberry bush my cousins and I picked from that produced enough for a steaming hot pie on the counter, my hands stained purple from the juice.

My Appalachia is riding old bicycles with my sister and wrecking at the bottom of our gravel driveway after she dared me to race her up the hill. She helped me up when I almost passed out from the blood, and we laughed about it the next day.

Most of all, Appalachia is made up of its people.

The people I see smiling at me from farmers market booths along the Ohio River selling hand crafted jewelry, mums and local honey. The teachers who inspired me to discover my passions and chase after them.

I laughed when a girl from Cleveland asked me, “So, what do you do around here since the closest mall is 45 minutes away?” I told her that before the weekly Friday night football games, my friends and I would go to the same Chinese buffet and then walk around Walmart for a while. I always looked forward to those Friday nights.

Looking back, I don’t think the place really mattered, but rather the company I kept while at those places. As long as we were laughing and smiling with each other in the aisles of Walmart, we were content.

One of the things Vance got right was that Appalachia people are, indeed, some of the most loyal people you’ll ever meet. Appalachia, to me, is seeing people just as people. Not as someone who fits within a socioeconomic class or who has a certain status.

We mourn together. When someone passes away, it’s common to drop everything to cook a comforting meal and hand-deliver it to the affected family.

We laugh together at 4th of July potlucks, complete with bonfires and water squirters and playing backyard games.

We watch out for one another with a phone call warning about an incoming storm or before driving home at night saying, “Watch out for deer!”

We celebrate the local high school plays, sports events or graduation ceremonies, when it seems as if the entire community shows up and gives a standing ovation for each student at the end.

Most importantly, we support each other. There has been a countless number of people in my community who ask when they see me how I’ve been and genuinely want to know, rather than asking out of courtesy.

People from outside the area see the abandoned gas stations, the puffing smoke of power plants and country roads as a sign of poverty — as no opportunity, no growth.

I will say that my experience does not account for the experience of everyone in my hometown, and definitely not throughout the entirety of Appalachia. I cannot deny that there is poverty here and that there is a struggle because there is. Although this struggle may not target every family or household, it is still present.

I, however, choose to see the good. Challenging circumstances do not denote the goodness within a person’s heart.

No matter where life leads, I’ll always remember and cherish the roots of my Appalachian heritage.

This is just a glimpse into my experience, and I wish I could tell the stories of all the wonderful people who have inspired me growing up, but that would be too long for this article.

Hopefully this shows that Appalachia is so much more than what meets the eye. b www.backdropmagazine.com

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Backdrop photographers Jacob Durbin, Dylan Benedict, Pearl Spurlock and Ellie Habel each have their own unique photography style. In this exhibit, we showcase their talents and individuality from trains in Maine to close-ups of cats.

Two volunteers of the Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum prepare locomotive #9 for its nighttime slumber before the next day's train rides on July 17, 2021.

A pedestrian crosses South Court Street, the main throughway of Athens, Ohio, on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021.

Cheers and laughter echo through the otherwise quiet night as Ohio University students gather under the falling snow to sled, make snowmen, and have snowball fights on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Athens, Ohio.

Pumpkin the cat photographed in the summer at the Athens County Board of Elections on Court Street.

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CALENDAR CALENDAR

OONN TTH THE HHEE Check out these entertaining and educational

BY CAROLINE BISSONNETTE events this spring.

BAKER PEACE CONFERENCE FEB. 24 - 25 After a one-year hiatus, OU’s Baker Peace Conference will return to campus, presented by the Contemporary History Institute. This year’s theme is “Technology and Freedom: A Brave New World” — the goal being to consider effects that emerging technology has on our lives. The keynote speaker, Yaël Eisenstat, will be speaking in the Walter Rotunda on Feb. 24 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be three panels held on Feb. 25 in the Galbreath Chapel between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with either three or four qualified professionals per panel to talk about different topics relating to technology.

GLOBAL ARTS FESTIVAL SYMPOSIUM MAR. 22 - 23, 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. This two-day symposium, hosted by OU’s College of Fine Arts, will allow for the exchange of ideas and concepts of all attendees under the theme “Arts, Health, Wellness & Sustainable Development.” The symposium itself will take place in Baker Theater, but there are many other involved events spanning from Mar. 21 - 26. A more detailed schedule can be found on OU’s website.

BLUE MAN GROUP (MAIN SERIES) MAR. 31, 7:30 P.M. The world-famous drumming group will be performing at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium for people of all ages. Tickets are $35.

COLUMBUS SYMPHONY (MAIN SERIES) MAR. 15, 7:30 P.M. The Columbus Symphony will bring their talent and musicianship to the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. There will be a special performance from members of the Ohio University School of Music Symphony Orchestra, as they will play alongside the Columbus Symphony for the first half of the program. Student tickets are $8.

50th Anniversary Linguistics Colloquium MAR. 25, 12:55 P.M. - 1:50 P.M. This colloquium features a panel of former and current faculty, as well as alumni, who will discuss “Remembering 50 Years of the Linguistics Department” to honor and celebrate this milestone. The event will be held in Gordy Hall, Room 301, but online attendance is also available via Microsoft Teams. The Teams link can be accessed via OU’s website. www.backdropmagazine.com www.backdropmagazine.com

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