Darcie Zudell | Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com
Letter from the editor
It’s never easy saying goodbye.
Still, Backdrop must say “see you later” to some pretty amazing soon-to-be graduates. Many of our seniors joined the publication the same semester I did. After three years of long production weeks with them, it feels bittersweet. I’m so excited to see what they accomplish post-graduation, but man, I wish we could all be students together for a little bit longer.
This issue is for everyone learning how to leave, and how to honor what they’re leaving.
There’s something exciting about getting photos developed. Maybe we don’t need to see the moment immediately after we take it; instead, we could actually live it. Senior Emma Reed gave students digital cameras to chronicle their final months at Ohio University (pg. 26), capturing an exciting yet emotional end to an era. Saying goodbye doesn’t always have to be sad. As a senior, you gain credibility to give solid advice to incoming students. From reminding us to start packing early to what really is the best drunk food uptown, Backdrop seniors share their parting words that they wish they knew before (pg. 30).
Though saying goodbye is difficult, I couldn't be happier to pass the torch to a new team of students dedicated to in-depth, communitybased storytelling and student journalism. I cannot wait to see what the magazine accomplishes under the leadership of Backdrop’s 2025-2026
Editor-in-Chief Maggie Malone and Managing Editor Miya Moore. I have no doubt these two will do incredible things with the publication. I want to give a special thank you to our Managing Editor Layne Rey for always being someone I can depend on. Thank you for reading my long, long texts, picking up stories when something falls through without hesitation and making me laugh during stressful times.
Congratulations to our seniors! The impact they’ve left on this publication will not go unnoticed. As we do now with older issues of the magazine, I’m excited for future Backdroppers to look back and feel inspired by the work our seniors have done.
Seriously, see you later; I’m not graduating, I’m just dramatic. I’ll be here next year, though not as editor-in-chief, I’m excited to continue working with the publication that has given me so much.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DARCIE ZUDELL
MANAGING EDITOR LAYNE REY
COPY CHIEF PEGGY SPETZ
SECTION EDITORS KIRSTEN ABBEY, RILEY CLARK, LUCY RILEY, LUKE WERCKMAN
COPY EDITORS HADLEY LYNCH, AVA JELEPIS, CLAIRE MOSSBRUGER, LILIA SANTERAMO, PEGGY SPETZ, OLIVIA TROWBRIDGE
WRITERS KIRSTEN ABBEY, DIVY BOSE, MCKENNA CHRISTY, MADELEINE COLBERT, PARKER JENDRYSIK, MIYA MOOR, EMMA REED, LAYNE REY, LILIA SANTERAMO, ROSEMARY WILDEY
MARKETING DIRECTOR JENNAVIEVE KERNC
ASSISTANT MARKETING DIRECTOR DIVY BOSE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR ABBY BURNS
ART DIRECTOR ELLIE SABATINO
DESIGNERS MATTHIAS AGGANIS, ABBY BURNS, ELIZABETH DICKERSON, ALLY PARKER, ANGELO POLIS, LAYNE REY, ELLIE SABATINO, PEARL SPURLOCK
PHOTO DIRECTOR PEARL SPURLOCK
ASSISTANT PHOTO DIRECTOR CLAIRA KIMBLE
PHOTOGRAPHERS CLAIRA KIMBLE, ALLY PARKER, PEARL SPURLOCK, DARCIE ZUDELL
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR ALLY PARKER
ASSISTANT SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR CARLEY HINTON
DIGITAL DIRECTOR JULIA PARENTE
FEATURE
CHANGING TIDES
Strouds Run State Park is working to make the beach area more accessible........................................18
COMMUNITY
INK AGAINST THE MACHINE
Local Athens tattoo artists are reclaiming art as a means of protest............................ ..6
WINDS OF CHANGE
Athens County Children Services fills its lawn with pinwheels during Child Abuse Awareness Month, with the help of volunteers............. ........8
RECIPE
(NOT) CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN
Now that eggs cost more than a firstborn child, people should know how to get the most out of their yolks....................................10
ENVIRONMENT
SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The Sugar Bush Foundation supports initiatives that drive economic, social and environmental development in Athens..................... ..12
SECOND LIFE
Thrift stores in Athens provide alternative options to fast fashion.............................. ..14
THE DROP
PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF HARLEM
Dr. Gary Holcomb introduces Claude Mckay’s writing, hidden away in archives for decades, to a wider audience.................................22
A LEAGUE OF ATHENS' OWN
The Cherry Bombs, Ohio’s only women’s baseball team, is breaking barriers in sports..............24
PHOTO ESSAY
LAST HURRAH
Seniors document their final months in undergrad through film cameras...........................26
EXHIBIT A
PARTING WORDS
Advice seniors wish they had known earlier.....30
VOICES
THE POWER OF EMPATHY
Backdropper Miya Moore reflects on a non-profit playground project her family created in response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku, Japan..................................32
MORE THAN A MAGAZINE
Former Editor-in-Chief McKenna Christy shares her experiences and why she is grateful for her time as a Backdropper..........................34
Ahum fills the room in a soft cadence, and blood beads on the surface of the skin. Lines and shades begin to take shape on a human canvas. Fleeting pain lends itself to a permanent artwork etched on the flesh.
Tattooing has a history that is almost as extensive as the human race itself. People have long since used their bodies as a mechanism for storytelling, and despite its modern status as somewhat taboo, the practice persists. For many, the current tattoo culture seems exclusionary, with only certain art styles or people having the proper aesthetic or cultural capital to be inked.
Artists like Charlie Vieregge are defying these expectations. Vieregge, who goes by Charlie V, is a tattoo artist based in Athens. Their shop, which is located on Richland Avenue, boasts colorful decor while simultaneously standing against the presence of corrupt police officers, Zionists, creeps, white supremacists and trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs). Vieregge is using their space to cultivate a safe environment for their clients as an artist who understands that, for many, tattoos hold a personal significance.
“I feel like tattoos are pretty empowering to people. Sometimes they're just for fun, or they might not mean as much, but to a lot of people, they do mean a lot,” Vieregge says. “[Tattoos] make them feel more confident, and sometimes it makes them feel like they could kick ass.”
BY
Getting a tattoo is an intimate process that requires someone to entrust their body with an artist, hoping the result authentically represents them. A situation like this could make any person wary. For Kris Smith, a senior studying health service administration, this reality is what made choosing an artist so daunting.
That aspect of the client-artist relationship, and the possible consequences of body modifications, is something Vieregge is conscious about. “Sometimes I have to navigate the power dynamic of – they're getting something permanently on their body from me,” Vieregge says. “So, I have to decide when to speak up about things and how to.”
That awareness and the anti-bigotry ideology presented on their website is what inevitably led to Smith’s decision to get multiple tattoos by Vieregge. “Before ever being tattooed, I was like, ‘I don't understand why people are faithful with their artists,’” Smith says. “Then I was like, ‘No, I get it because I want every tattoo to be with [Vieregge] from now on.’”
Vieregge has now extended this safe space to more than just clients. Over the past year, they have opened the shop up by hosting collaborative events with volunteer collectives, such as Food Not Bombs, to raise money for a variety of marginalized communities and causes. Those fundraisers take form in flash sales, where people can show support by getting some free food, buying zines or getting a tattoo.
Flash sales are events where artists provide predetermined designs to customers, who get them at a lower price than what a custom piece would cost. Those tattoos are often relatively small, making them quick to ink. Vieregge bases the artwork for each design on the cause the sale is raising money for. They are meticulous about incorporating accurate symbolism associated with the cause.
“It's important for it to be correct and not just cultural appropriation for something,” Vieregee says. “I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't educated on it.”
Victory Earley, a third-year student studying classical civilizations, attended an art and tattoo benefit, hosted by Food Not Bombs, and got a tattoo of a broken chain above the knee. It was important for the design to be both representative of Earley’s advocacy and identity. “[The chain] is very much liberation and just focusing [on], for me, breaking free of expectation and oppression…” Earley says.
“As a trans, queer person, it's very important [for] me to make my body my own.”
The tattoos being done at these sales illustrate the act of art as a method of protesting. Art has historically been used to weaponize opposition and to express subversive opinions. It is jarring to be confronted with a visualization of injustice that makes it increasingly difficult to ignore, an impact Earley noted as well.
“[It’s] using art for activism and using art for visibility, as opposed to just art for the sake of art,” Earley says. “It's so different to see an image of something than it is to see people gathered and screaming. You can kind of ignore that, but you can't ignore imagery that hits you in your heart.”
The provocation intrinsic to art demonstrations gains more weight when applied to tattoos as a medium. Tattoos have the distinct quality of being both interpersonal and intrapersonal, upping the ante of their overall significance. As Earley’s chain suggests, these tattoos create a connection that resonates with the individual as well as the collective. Further, the recipient must endure a certain amount of suffering to get one.
“It's just interesting with tattooing because tattooing is not the most pleasant experience. You’re in pain for a lot of reasons,” Earley says. “To make your body a more homey place, but also in this case because you care so much about a cause, and I think that's really important.”
What happens at these gatherings at Vieregge’s tattoo parlor is a multifaceted expression of defiance, as well as a way of nurturing solidarity. “It was very enlightening to be in a room full of people that you're like, ‘Oh, these people kind of see the world the same as I do, and they're spending this time on their Saturday to either get a tattoo or buy a zine or buy some art,'” Earley says.
Vieregge and those who contribute to these events have provided a domain for people to give and receive art in the name of a shared purpose. Vieregge, at the very least, has no intention of stopping after enduring an environment of ignorance. “It’s something that I've always noticed, and I always felt like I was screaming out of frustration all the time because of how weird everyone's reaction was to hate and everything. But nobody was really doing anything about it in my surroundings,” they say.
It has influenced their desire to continue contributing to social justice and remaining politically active. “I feel a duty to do this, to do as much as I can,” Vieregge says. “It wouldn't be okay for me not to be active ever again.” b
KIRSTEN ABBEY PHOTOS BY CLAIRA KIMBLE DESIGN BY MATTHIAS AGGANIS
Charlie V, a tattoo artist based in Athens, in Tattoo Motel on Richland Avenue.
Victory Earley showing a tattoo by Charlie V.
BY PARKER JENDRYSIK
Athens County Children Services fills its lawn with pinwheels during Child Abuse Awareness Month, with the help of volunteers
Every April, Athens County Children Services (ACCS) dots their lawn with colorful, handpainted pinwheels. The vivid display on East State Street symbolizes a larger cause. Each pinwheel that is planted represents a case of child abuse that Athens County has had over the past year.
Pinwheels became the national symbol for child abuse in 2008. Every April, ACCS recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month with the month-long pinwheel campaign – bringing awareness to the mission of ACCS and spreading awareness on child abuse and neglect to community members and students.
The display is made possible by Ohio University students, volunteers and the staff of ACCS. The pinwheels created for ACCS often catch the wind, symbolizing the hope that all children in Athens County will have a bright future.
With the pinwheels, ACCS hopes to spark conversations about abuse prevention as well as engage with local schools, businesses and organizations to encourage people to take action. The pinwheels also serve as an opportunity for the public to learn more about child abuse prevention and the services available through ACCS, which provides a range of programs and resources designed to help families and protect children.
According to the Ohio Department of Youth and Children Services, the rate of reported child abuse and neglect cases per 1,000 children in Hocking, Meigs, Ross and Vinton counties is significantly higher than both the state and regional average.
Matthew Starkey, the public information officer and events coordinator for ACCS, grew up in Athens and is an OU alum. He is dedicated to making the most out of Child Abuse Prevention Month in a variety of ways. Starkey says he has many fond memories associated with ACCS and jumped at the opportunity to help others.
A large part of that support is spreading awareness. Starkey and ACCS want to make the unfortunate commonality of child abuse known.
“But really, it's about making sure that every child has the ability to grow up and learn and succeed in the best possible environment we can give them."
MATTHEW
STARKEY
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR ACCS
According to the National Children’s Alliance, one in four girls and one in 13 boys in the U.S. are estimated to endure sexual abuse. With more than 550,000 children in unsafe households in the U.S., ACCS makes it their unwavering duty to ensure that every child in Athens County feels safe, protected and supported.
KidFest, an annual spring event hosted by ACCS is designed to engage with the community. They do this by not only educating children and parents about ACCS’ resources and mission but also creating a fun-filled space where kids can simply enjoy being kids, with games, crafts and prizes.
Katherine Marshall is also giving back to her hometown of Athens. She has been with ACCS for 19 years and currently serves as the volunteer coordinator. She is dedicated to keeping volunteers informed about the importance of child care, both in Athens and around the world.
To Marshall, Child Abuse Prevention Month is so much more than just making people aware during April but year round as well.
“We all know abuse and neglect happens, but the frequency and the fact that it's right here in our community — in our backyard — a lot of people aren't aware of that,” Marshall says.
Pinwheels serve as a symbol of hope for many, and for Marshall, they represent something far from hardship — if anything, quite the opposite. The amount planted each year may seem alarming, but Marshall encourages people to view it differently.
“It's not to be seen as a negative thing; the number of children [are] more to be seen as a positive thing, representing [the] number of adults who've seen something that wasn't OK and called on behalf of a child,” Marshall says. “And so we want the community to know that it really does take a community [effort], and if they have concerns, call us, and even [it’s] the smallest concerns, we will look into it.”
Although Child Abuse Prevention Month shines a light on critical issues, it is important to remember that the work does not stop at the end of April. The commitment to child welfare must continue throughout the year. ACCS, along with local volunteers and organizations, remain dedicated to providing ongoing support and resources to families in Athens. From prevention programs to counseling services, the goal is to ensure that children and their families have access to the tools they need to thrive in a safe, loving environment.
As community members and students pass by the bright pinwheels this month, ACCS reminds them that by working together, a community will be created where every child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential — protected, supported and loved. b
A pinwheel made for Child Abuse Awareness Month on the lawn of Athens County Children Services on April 7.
PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK
DESIGN BY MATTHIAS AGGANIS
CHEAPER DOZEN (NOT) BY THE
Now that eggs are going to cost more than a firstborn child, people should know how to get the most out of their yolks
BY KIRSTEN ABBEY | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS
As an unashamed lover of eggs, I am unequivocally heartbroken that the price of a carton will soon require a bank loan. And God knows that college students don’t need to be taking out any more of those. Despite the tragic state of my checking account after a grocery run, I will never abandon my lucky dozen. But that leaves me and others wondering, “What can I do to maximize my eggs-perience?”
Well, I’m here to enlighten you. Eggs can be found in recipes from all over the globe. Now, we’re cooking more than just in the colloquial sense. Here are some recipes to make the most out of a carton of eggs.
OYAKODON
This is the only recipe I have included that uses meat (sorry, vegetarians). You’re probably thinking, “Meat is also an expensive grocery; I thought this was supposed to be economical!” To that, I say, treat yourself. This is a comforting Japanese dish worth your time, and at least I’m not recommending you make Wagyu steak and eggs.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound of chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
• ½ onion, sliced into thin half moons
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1/3 cup of water
• ½ teaspoon of dashi powder (For those unfamiliar, this is fish stock. To find some, visit your local Asian mart!)
Prep all your vegetables and meat according to the ingredient list.
In a pan (the only one you’ll use for the whole recipe, thank God), combine water, dashi powder, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Heat them together at medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Oh, the humble egg salad. I must return to my Midwestern roots and include a salad that has no lettuce (Unless you count the leaf I put on my sandwich).
INGREDIENTS
• 2 to 3 large eggs (adjust based on how much you want to make)
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise (or enough to make yolks creamy)
• Dijon mustard, to taste
• 1 tablespoon diced red onion
DIRECTIONS
Depending on how much egg salad you want, boil however many eggs feel right. I live alone and feed a stomach of one, so I usually go with 2 to 3 eggs.
Once your eggs are boiled and cooled, peel them and separate the yolks from the whites. In a bowl, crush the yolks with a fork.
Mayonnaise has entered the chat. You could use regular mayo, but I do not keep that abomination in my fridge. I use Kewpie mayo – just enough to turn the yolks into a creamy paste.
• 1 stalk spring onion (scallion), diced
• Paprika, enough to tint the yolk mixture
• Garlic powder, measured with your heart
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Add paprika – enough to change the color of the yolk mixture. Pale egg salad just looks off-putting.
Then, sprinkle in garlic powder, measured with your heart.
Dice the egg whites into small pieces and fold them into the mixture.
Adjust everything to your taste.
Serve your not-salad on toast, in a sandwich, wrapped in lettuce – however you like. Just don’t ever let me catch you eating it straight with a spoon.
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sake
• 2 tablespoons of mirin (Another item that can be found at an Asian mart).
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 eggs
Cook the chicken until the meat is no longer pink in the middle. Make sure to be thorough when checking, as I am taking no responsibility if you get Salmonella.
Next, add dijon mustard. I don’t measure this; I just go with what feels right, but I am also a dijon mustard stan. I typically add to my taste.
Dice a small amount of red onion and one stalk of spring onion, and mix those in. I was skeptical when I saw people doing this online, but it’s actually pretty good.
KOREAN MARINATED EGGS
INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
Separate the whites and yolk of the two eggs and beat both separately. Pour in the egg whites first, starting in the center of the pan, and then slowly spiral outwards. Let them cook for a little while and then repeat with the yolks.
These are for the soft-boiled egg fanatics like me. This is a perfect weekly meal prep item, and they can be used for a snack, a side dish or a whole meal itself.
The sauce should be simmering at this point, and now you add the onions and let them cook. I always put the onions in first because I am impatient, and they take a while to get tender. Once those onions have softened, add the chicken chunks.
Let the yolks reach the desired consistency and then cut the heat and cover the pan so that they can cook for 2-3 minutes in the residual heat.
Serve over rice and top with sliced scallions. Then take a bow – you’ve earned it.
• 6 eggs (Though I won’t lie, I tend to make three or four, for I am but one woman)
• ½ cup of soy sauce
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup of sweetener (honey or brown sugar)
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 Korean chili pepper, diced
• 1 green Serrano pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
• For those who like a little spice, I always include Gochugaru, which are Korean chili flakes, and I measure it with my heart.
DIRECTIONS
Soft-boil those eggs! In a container, combine all the ingredients and put those eggs to rest (in the fridge, I mean).
That’s it; that’s literally the recipe. Enjoy!
Social Return on Investment
The Sugar Bush Foundation supports initiatives that drive economic, social and environmental development in Athens
BY DIVY BOSE | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY ANGELO
POLIS
Bordered by the Hocking River and in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Ohio University is dedicated to environmental initiatives.
Named the top “Green School” in Ohio by The Princeton Review, the university prioritizes renewable energy, zero waste, environmental protection and restoration, food security and sustainable development. But, OU is not in it alone.
The Sugar Bush Foundation is a supporting organization of the Ohio University Foundation. It was founded by Mary Anne and Don Flournoy, with the goal of bridging the gap between OU and the town of Athens. The foundation’s board is filled with members of the community, OU staff and other Flournoy family members.
Being a part of this family legacy means remaining committed as a board member of the foundation such as the son of Mary Anne and Don, Eli Flournoy. After Mary Anne’s passing and Don stepping down, Eli became a board member, and his sister, Hylie Voss, became the president of the foundation. Eli and his sister sought out these leadership roles to keep the legacy of the foundation alive, and they made it a priority to be continually involved in what their parents started.
“The most important role is to have that historical knowledge of where we started, how the foundation has evolved and to know what we’ve done that’s worked and what hasn’t worked,” Eli says. “Having that continuity is really important.”
Mary Anne’s best friend, Carol Kuhre, is a founding board member of the Sugar Bush Foundation and the founder of Rural Action. Rural Action is a membership-
based nonprofit organization that is located in Appalachian Ohio. The Sugar Bush Foundation has helped some of Rural Action’s initiatives such as True Pigments, a social enterprise that turns the pollution from streams in the Appalachian region into pigments.
This project promoted university relations with students in the Russ College of Engineering and School of Art and Design as they studied the acid mine drainage pain pigment for environmental restoration and economic development.
Through working with the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, the city of Athens took the Zero Waste Pledge to improve their efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.
According to the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Athens and other surrounding counties’ waste diversion rates increased from 8 to 35 percent. Those efforts were funded by the Sugar Bush Foundation through a gift that was given to Rural Action for that initiative. According to Rural Action, the Zero Waste program is now an LLC social enterprise within Rural Action called Zero Waste Event Productions, LLC. They are the leading provider of outdoor festivals and events, specializing in environmental clean-up and waste management in the midwestern United States.
Rural Action has also found ways to incorporate student involvement by partnering with Ohio Health to help design its brand. They created a tote bag made from recycled fabric and plastic.
are used by the community to buy and reuse building materials. Voss says this is another way for students at OU to get involved by reselling old furniture and fixtures, such as chairs, cabinets, doorknobs and ceiling tiles so they can be repurposed.
“OU was done with the buildings – they’d taken everything they wanted and there’s still stuff in there,” Voss says. “They stripped stuff out of there and resold it at ReStore… and earned enough money to build an entire house for somebody.”
Eli noticed the financial benefit behind the ReStore initiative that Sugar Bush was able to fund. He describes this project as a “social return on investment analysis” when materials can be used again after Habitat for Humanity tears down abandoned homes.
“There’s an actual direct financial benefit because you can use this. You can sell it at ReStore, or you could use it for a habitat build and not have to buy it or get it donated from some other source,” Eli says. “All those things have financial value.”
Before those initiatives were enacted, all organizations had their project proposal approved by the Sugar Bush Foundation. According to the Sugar Bush Foundation requirements, for a project to be eligible for funding, an OU college, center, planning unit or program must be an active partner in the planning and implementation of the project.
Director of the Sugar Bush Foundation Erin Rennich says each letter of inquiry gets screened to set apart some of the proposals they receive.
artists from Passion Works and student athletes. Co-director of the Institute for Storytelling, Dr. Lynn Harder, is a strong advocate for childhood cancer awareness.
To support that cause, a penguin drawn by Andrew Bianco, who died from a rare type of soft tissue cancer, was included in the mural.
Passion Works partnered with the nonprofit Turn it Gold, whose mission is to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. The Sugar Bush Foundation, Turn it Gold and Passion Works logos are all on the mural painted on Larry’s Dawg House, below the playful imagery of the dancing food items with gold ribbons on them, which is a symbol of childhood cancer awareness.
Passion Works also creates gold flowers with upcycled materials, and a percentage of each flower sale is donated to Turn it Gold. Director and Founder of Passion Works, Patty Mitchell, says Passion Works’ purpose is telling a story through the art they produce.
Another initiative that Rural Action implemented is The Appalachian Ohio Zero Waste Initiative. This was funded by the Sugar Bush Foundation in 2010 and led to the implementation of the AthensHocking Zero Waste Action Plan.
“The design students designed logos for Ohio Health that will go on the bags, and the fashion design students designed the pattern for the bags,” Voss says. “Even students from Hocking College in their fashion program were helping with designing patterns for the bags so that the Workforce Development employees at Rural Action could begin the manufacturing.”
Another nonprofit that the Sugar Bush Foundation has funded is Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern Ohio. Habitat for Humanity's ReStores are located around Appalachian Ohio and
“It is a bummer to deliver the news that we can’t fund someone, but a practice of ours is giving feedback,” Rennich said. “It’s very important for us to be transparent and honest about fits, and then what worked for the project and what areas of concern we had.”
After gaining approval, Passion Works Studio, an inclusive art center, and the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact collaborated to make a series of videos that share the meaning behind the art Passion Works creates.
In 2021, Passion Works and the Institute for Storytelling created a mural at Larry’s Dawg House. The mural was painted by community members,
Bush’s unrestricted fund has also allowed them to expand and invest their time in researching their product development, creating a positive social return on investment (SROI) report.
According to its SROI report, for every $1 invested, Passion Works generates $9.63 to $11.67 of social, economic and environmental value. The total annual value created by Passion Works is $8.2 million, signifying its impact in the community.
Passion Works’ collaborations with different organizations on campus have also drawn attention to their work. They have designed campaigns that are campus-wide, such as the Make Respect Visible campaign, which endorses a community connection at OU. Mitchell says they plan to have 1,200 students from every university department help design next year’s homecoming float in collaboration with the Institute for Storytelling.
“We lend our aesthetic, which then blends into more storylines,” Mitchell says. “It builds traction and our artists get to be the experts with the university.”
Passion Works continues to be a campus attraction, as many students are involved in its community service initiatives. Because Passion Works gets all of its materials from local sources, the studio’s art is deeply connected to Athens. Mitchell says Passion Works uses materials that have been thrown out, but they also utilize items like instruments or buttons that are donated by community members.
“It adds value to the creative process, the storyline, and I like it,” Mitchell says. “It’s who we are.” b
“If you’re not a good storyteller of what you’ve done, your good efforts go into the atmosphere,” Mitchell says. “Everything has a story in here.”
Passion Works is known for the flowers it makes out of upcycled aluminum newspaper printing plates. Each flower takes about three weeks to assemble. They get sent to Makerspace, a part of Rural Action, which provides access to tools and equipment. The base of the flower is a Louisville Slugger bat nub.
Passion Works is very well known for its flowers, but they also create other products. Mitchell says that Sugar
Tanner Ingle making a passion flower at Passion Works Studio on April 7.
Completed passion flowers in Passion Works Studio on April 7.
Thrift stores in Athens provide alternative options to fast fashion
BY ROSEMARY WILDEY | PHOTOS BY CLAIRA KIMBLE | DESIGN BY ABBY BURNS
The best way to spice up a closet is to repurpose someone else’s. Fortunately, Athens features many second-hand stores for students and community members to search for distinctive vintage clothing and goods. Rather than purchasing cheaply-made clothes, just to throw them away later, why not wear something one-of-a-kind?
The surge of fast fashion, or cheaply mass producing clothing, is one of the largest contributors to the Earth’s pollution. Shein, a popular fast fashion e-commerce platform based in Singapore, reportedly uploads 2,000 to 10,000 clothing items and products daily for purchase. Although Shein and other fast fashion companies entice consumers with low prices, the products are made out of synthetic dyes and materials that are incredibly harmful.
Sam Crowl, the director of sustainability at Ohio University, works to ensure that the campus meets sustainability requirements. He advises making green choices a regular practice and promotes education on the planet's well-being. On a larger scale, Crowl recognizes the impact that the fashion industry is currently having on the environment.
“As we begin to think about what, sort of globally, is happening with the fashion industry, I know that the greenhouse gas emissions have skyrocketed, that we are purchasing double the amount of clothes that we did – or even more – 10 or 15 years ago or in the 1990s, and a lot of this is coming from these fast fashion, cheaper products,” Crowl says. Crowl emphasizes the importance of making personal sustainable choices as it relates to purchasing clothes.
Thrifting is the process of combing through second-hand stores for stylish, vintage finds. But, it is so much more than just a fun weekend activity with friends – it is a form of impactful activism that is mutually beneficial for both the consumer and the environment.
Lisa Williams, a professor of instruction at OU, expresses the impact each individual has as a consumer. Williams asks that before purchasing from a company, shoppers complete a background check.
“Research the company and see how they treat their vendors on the other side of the Earth – knowing that laws are different there than they are here,” Williams says. “So, kind of getting an idea of what kind of impact [it has] on the community, where it's being produced [and] the people that are there. ‘Are they being ethically treated?’ ‘Are they being paid a living wage so that they can support their families?’”
Williams’ course on textiles teaches students about the production, origin and makeup of materials. Students look at the specific environmental impacts of each fiber used in creating an article of clothing. Williams is asking them to critically examine the parts of fashion they do not see or want to think about.
Inspired to make a difference, another thrift store in Athens, UpCycle Ohio Thrift, ultimately aims to benefit the community by recycling goods.“We aim to capture and keep the resources of this area in and for the enrichment of the people of this area,” Tony Hammons, the manager of UpCycle, says. “We are here to provide economic
Prisha Tembhurne, a freshman studying psychology and biology, wearing a scarf, shirt and skirt from UpCycle Ohio Thrift.
Kat Goecke, a senior studying social work, wearing a shirt from Shop CGI.
Madelyn Joens, a freshman studying psychology, sporting a shirt from UpCycle Ohio Thrift.
Olivia Lutz, a senior studying media arts production, poses in a shirt from UpCycle Ohio Thrift.
Olivia Trowbridge, a junior studying journalism, wearing a graphic t-shirt from Shop CGI.
opportunities for those folks. We are here to do our part to reduce what winds up in the local landfill so that we can keep our rivers and streams clean.”
UpCycle, a social enterprise of Rural Action, opened in 2020. The store does more for the community than just sell affordable clothes and goods, they also provide jobs and other economic opportunities. The thrift store stays true to the goals of ReUse Industries, which closed in February 2020. ReUse created jobs, using waste and discarded materials, for lowincome individuals.
“[UpCycle Ohio Thrift] never [raises] prices on essentials,” Hammons says. “If you are coming here for clothes, appliances or kitchenware – if you are coming here for things you need to live – you will always know what the price is. It will never change.”
UpCycle also features a “free section,” where people can get essential items that usually cost a lot that the thrift store cannot sell; they offer items like unopened food, pet food and toiletries. “We can't sell them, but we can give them away, and people rely on being able to come get that stuff from us,” Hammons says.
That same spirit of giving back and creating a local impact is what inspired EllieAna Shanklin, a fourth-year environmental studies student, to start a free thrift store during OU’s Earth Day festivities, with the help of OHIO Campus Recycling.
Shanklin, who has run the sale since her freshman year, uses the opportunity to educate others on the harm of fast fashion and promote sustainability efforts.
“I just hope that this inspires people to go thrifting more and pursue sustainable fashion further,” Shanklin says.
Shanklin says she is always shocked by how many clothes get taken at the end of the sale. The clothing sold at the free thrift store is always donated or kept in storage for the following year.
Decisions are made every day, big or small and choices add up. If everyone decided to make a difference, positive changes could be made rapidly; but still, every eco-conscious lifestyle change – big or small – matters.
“There are a whole lot of people trying to see what they can take from here, and there aren't very many trying to see what they can keep and redistribute here,” Hammons says. “And that's what [UpCycle Ohio Thrift] is trying to do.” b
SHOP THESE STYLES
CHOP CGI UPCYCLE OHIO
Kat Goecke poses in a graphic t-shirt from Shop CGI.
Madelyn Joens wearing a shirt from Shop CGI.
CHANGING TIDES
Strouds Run State Park is working to make the beach area more accessible
BY LAYNE REY | PHOTOS & DESIGN BY ALLY PARKER
Southeast Ohio is well known for many things, but beaches are not one of them. However, just outside of Athens lies Strouds Run State Park, which is filled with students and community members alike enjoying the beach scene.
Despite its popularity during the spring and summer seasons, some are not able to enjoy the park in the same way.
According to the American Community Survey, 14.1 percent of Ohioans had disabilities in 2022. This includes, but is not limited to, visual impairments, auditory limitations, physical disabilities and psychiatric disabilities.
Now, groups and activists in Southeast Ohio are working to ensure that the whole park - including the playground, beach entrance and restrooms - are accessible for everyone.
“I think a big problem for people with disabilities right now, in Southeastern Ohio and in the city of Athens, is some innate segregation that happens because of the structure,” Davey McNelly says. “People always will say, ‘Oh, it's silly. It's hard.’ We’ve had 35 years to get this right by this point, and there just hasn't been the effort to do it. So, through making Athens more accessible by a project like Strouds Run, we make it so that the next generation of people with disabilities doesn’t feel that same way.”
McNelly serves as the executive director of the Southeastern Ohio Center for Independent Living, chairperson of the Athens City Commission on disabilities and vice chairperson for the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council.
In addition to his leadership roles, McNelly has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a power wheelchair.
“Strouds Run is a project that I've personally been working on – and lots of other people have been working on in the community – for 10 years or so,” McNelly says. “So, it's really good to see this project funded and getting completed this spring and summer.”
McNelly has children who are currently 10 and 13 years old and recalls taking them to the beach since they were young.
“I'll take them, and they'll go down to the sand or to the water, and I'm just up in the parking lot reading a book,” McNelly says. “I think there's so many families in the region that could really benefit from having an accessible beach area. Getting the kids, family members or themselves into the water, it's such a beneficial thing. And, it doesn't really take that much. It just takes an accessible path to get down to it.”
A ramp connected to the beach, which is projected to be the last improvement completed, would allow people who use wheelchairs and other individuals experiencing mobility restrictions to be able to access the area.
“A lot of people with disabilities are kind of segregated out of swimming in natural water,” McNelly says. “So, it's a big change that's going to happen, and I think a lot of people are going to really come and enjoy that.”
McNelly and other advocates in the surrounding communities formed a group that meets monthly, where they discuss opportunities for improvement and funding. Although Strouds Run State Park is a long-standing destination for students and community members, accessibility only recently became a higher priority for donors and decision makers.
“The social model of disability is that it's not the disability that makes us miss out on things, it's how society is structured,” McNelly says. “So, if we make things more accessible, people just naturally do better. They feel included. They're able to participate in life. Maybe people are even seeing Athens County or the Hocking Hills area as a tourist destination for people with disabilities. That's where I want to get to. I want to be able to park uptown in Athens and be able to get everywhere that everyone else gets to. I want to be able to have [a] beach day with other families – just pretty much common life.”
Michael Hicks is OU’s assistant director for employee and campus accessibility and deputy Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator.
“People still may want to put their feet in the water, or just be near the water, or be on the beach with their kids,” Hicks says. “People don't always see it through that lens, right? And so if you're not navigating life through that lens, you don't necessarily think about it, even though it's required.” He explains that this type of advocacy results in other positive changes for the community, such as an ADA-compliant restroom at Strouds Run.
Strouds Run State Park playground on April 1.
“Even though the ADA was put in place in 1990, it takes a lot of advocacy.” Hicks says. “It takes a lot of big voices for people to make changes.”
Hicks says that an ADA-compliant restroom has features such as handlebars, larger stalls, accessibly-placed sinks, changing tables and door openers – ensuring that spaces are able to be navigated with as much ease as possible. That project is also currently under construction.
The playground at the north end of the beach is the third accessibility project currently underway.
Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator at the Athens City County Health Department, Meredith Erlewine, says, “We believe that just by raising the profile of accessibility and the need for things, it has generated interest and awareness in improving the park.”
The completion of phase one of the Alexander Inclusive Playground Project at a nearby elementary school sparked conversations regarding accessibility across Southeast Ohio.
On Sep. 18, 2024, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced that an anonymous donation would fund an accessible playground at Strouds Run State Park. The new playground aims to ensure children have the opportunity to play by installing sensory equipment and accessible swings.
“Unfortunately, there's not a ton of money out there to support these types of initiatives,” Hicks says. “So, a lot of times it's done by the company that's doing it – sometimes
A ramp leading to the playground
there's some grant money. Funding plays a big part, which is sad, because it shouldn't play any role. We should be able to provide access to everybody without worrying about that.”
While balancing emphasis on both accessibility and environmental concerns, the Department of Natural Resource’s release says, “Respecting the park's natural beauty has been a top priority throughout this project. All construction efforts are being undertaken with great care to preserve the character and integrity of Strouds Run State Park.”
This highlights how loved Strouds Run is by Southeast Ohioans and the reasons why accessibility improvements are so necessary.
“I see students all the time hang out at Strouds Run down at the beach,” McNelly says. “If I was an OU student, that's another place I would be excluded from. Hopefully all these projects together will help to draw and keep more people with disabilities in southeastern Ohio.”
And it’s not just Strouds Run.
“If we look anywhere around the town, the campus of the university, the state of Ohio or the nation, there's accessibility needs everywhere,” Erlewine says. “Once you open your eyes, you'll just see that it's everywhere. So, there's probably no end to what could be improved.”
Strouds Run has previously taken action to improve accessibility. The Blackhaw Accessible Trail connects the beach area to the Bulldog Shelter, with an accessible dock to fish
Changes to the swings allow for more accessible entry.
from. According to McNelly, a lot of people with disabilities use that trail because it is fully blacktop and is near the water. That project allowed people with mobility restrictions to be able to walk on a trail with ease and participate in activities such as fishing and sitting by the water, aspects of everyday life that can often be overlooked.
“I just encourage students to look around and think, ‘Why aren't people with disabilities here?,” McNelly says. “And if [people with disabilities are] not [here], ‘What can we do about it?’”
As the accessibility improvements at Strouds Run are set to be completed for the spring and summer seasons, conversations must continue to ensure that OU, Athens and Southeast Ohio are all committed to creating inclusive spaces for everyone.
“I think it's really important in all cases, but especially with people with disabilities, that people just educate themselves [and] become more knowledgeable about what that means,” Hicks says. “…And also just respect somebody that has a disability, show compassion and empathy and provide support where you can. Bottom line is... we're all eligible to be a person with a disability. It's the only protected class in the Civil Rights movement that everybody can be part of. Every single person on Earth can be part of that protected class and have a disability at some point in their life. And if you live long enough, you're likely going to. So, I am surprised that it doesn't garner the love and attention that it should.” b
Blackhaw Accessible Trail plaque at Strouds Run State Park on April 1.
Strouds Run State Park playground on April 1.
PRESERVING THE
HISTORY OF HARLEM
Dr. Gary Holcomb introduces Claude Mckay’s writing, hidden away in archives for decades, to a wider audience
BY LILIA SANTERAMO | PHOTOS BY DARCIE ZUDELL | DESIGN BY PEARL SPURLOCK
Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, a neighborhood in upper Manhattan’s art scene exploded. It was called the “New Negro Movement,” better known now as the Harlem Renaissance. Famous artists and thinkers from the period include Langston Hughes, Zora Neele Hurston, W.E.B. Du Bois and Josephine Baker. 100 years later, another figure from Harlem, the writer Claude McKay, is finally getting writing seen by only a small number of academics published: Claude McKay: Letters in Exile
Dr. Gary Edward Holcomb, chair of the African American Studies department at Ohio University, has dedicated a significant portion of his career studying, preserving and contextualizing the work of McKay.
Claude McKay, Code Name Sasha: Queer Black Marxism and the Harlem Renaissance, Holcomb’s first book, was a New York Times Best Seller in 2007. Holcomb has also written about
McKay for various journals and anthologies, and edited Romance in Marseille, a previously unpublished novel by McKay.
Holcomb first learned about McKay while researching Caribbean writers’ use of travel as an art for his doctorate degree. He became inspired to write about McKay while reading the writer's work. At the time, there were few scholars researching McKay and there was much work to be done to preserve his writing.
“I didn't really know much about him, and I started reading, and I wanted to write about this,” Holcomb says.
“And that led, actually, to the research I did where I came across [Romance in Marseille].”
In his most recent work relating to McKay, Holcomb coedited Claude McKay: Letters in Exile, a collection of McKay’s letters, with Brooks E. Hefner. Claude McKay: Letters in Exile will be published by the Yale University Press in September of
2025. He is also editing Claude McKay in Context, set to be published by Cambridge Press in 2026. McKay’s writing was often influenced by his location. In Jamaica, McKay wrote sonnets in regional dialect. By the late 1910s, McKay was living in Harlem and had begun writing long-form fiction, though he did return to poetry throughout his life. He also wrote essays and journalistic pieces at home and abroad, particularly for leftist and socialist magazines, such as The Liberator in the U.S. and Workers’ Dreadnought in the U.K.
“When you are marginalized, art is part of your culture.
JENNIE
KLEIN PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY
“You can see him going to Soviet Russia in the early 1920s, and his novels and his writings reflect this,” Holcomb says. “He maintained, though, that he was not a political writer… He said he was an artist. His first devotion was not to write in political art, but to create more universal kinds of art, and that freedom to explore sexuality and these things that we think now are quite advanced for somebody in his own time period.”
Holcomb believes the Comstock Laws in the United States, which prohibited the distribution of anything considered “obscene” by mail, prevented McKay’s work from being published or distributed through traditional avenues. This put him in company with writers like James Joyce whose book, Ulysses, was banned from the U.S. under these laws.
Besides the literary value of his works, McKay’s writing gives voice to people who would otherwise have remained voiceless, enriching the exchange of ideas in his time, and providing important historical context to the way people thought and lived for modern readers.
Dr. Jennie Klein, who teaches art history at OU, stresses that art reflects culture – one that in the U.S. is deeply shaped by regional disparities.
“The Harlem Renaissance was going on [in the early 20th century] in Harlem, but you also had the continuation of Jim Crow laws at that point,” Klein says. “So things were very different [in] different parts in the United States… I think what is interesting is that certain art can tell us a lot about what was going on, and the way the artists have depicted things [and] the kinds of inequities that were going on.”
There is a common notion that writers like McKay were, in many ways, “ahead of their time” because of their writing regarding queerness and race-related struggles in the 1920s, but Holcomb challenges this. McKay, who was politically
radical and opinionated, documented life on the margin and was himself forced into obscurity, was not “ahead of his time” simply because publishers were not ready for his material. He was writing about his time and experiences in a way that was actively discouraged, but not in a way that was untrue to his or his peers’ lives during that era.
Thanks to McKay’s resistance to disapproval from publishers, modern readers get to see a side of Black American culture they may otherwise not be able to access.
“When you are marginalized, art is part of your culture,” Klein says. “It is important to hold on to your culture, because a lot of times what's happening is people are trying to take your culture away.”
The importance of preserving and passing down Black art — new and old — can be heard from student testimony at the African American Studies department at OU.
Jada Wilkins is a senior studying African American studies with a focus on African American literature and history, alongside English and Spanish. She found herself drawn to taking African American studies classes to enrich her understanding of history. She ended up really enjoying those classes, particularly a class on the Harlem Renaissance, taught by Holcomb.
“Not only do you get to learn about things that you might not have heard of, but then you get to also learn in depth, or maybe even a different perspective on things you might have learned,” Wilkins says. “In high school or in other classes, we're all just taught [that] slavery was [a] bad thing [and] it ended. And then we kept it pushing. But at the end of the day, that's not really what it was. Slavery ended, but then it changed forms. And it was in these classes that I learned how it transforms.”
Wilkins gravitates toward authors like Toni Morrison and Zora Neele Hurston. Hurston’s book Their Eyes Were Watching God stands out to Wilkins as important because it does not center on suffering.
“I just thought it was interesting to see Black joy be represented or Black normalcy. That Black people don't just exist in the context of what suffering they've been through, or in the context of white society; [it's] just Black people doing their own thing… I feel like it's going to stick with me for a while,” Wilkins says.
As a student moving on to graduate school and aspiring to get her doctorate degree, Wilkins feels uncertain about the future given recent attacks on higher education and bills like Ohio’s Senate Bill 1. She recommends buying physical copies of books by thinkers like Angela Davis, Toni Morrison, Zora Neele Hurston and Audre Lorde, as well as a copy of the U.S. Constitution for good measure. Staying informed is of the utmost importance to her.
If McKay’s resistance exemplifies anything, it is that art preserves the voices of people on the margin and those voices can be used for the future – even if they are censored and villainized. b
A collection of books on Claude McKay by Dr. Edward Gary Holcomb on March 25.
Dr. Edward Gary Holcomb in front of his office bookshelf on March 25.
The Cherry Bombs, Ohio’s only women’s baseball team, is breaking barriers in sports
BY MADELEINE COLBERT | PHOTOS BY PEARL SPURLOCK | DESIGN BY ELLIE SABATINO
Baseball is the so-called “all-american sport” that evokes memories of hotdogs, fireworks, hot summer nights and complete gender division. At Ohio University, the Cherry Bombs women's baseball team is defying the notion that women cannot play baseball.
Cherry Bombs is an all women’s baseball team at OU that was founded by Akisa Fukuzawa, a doctoral student at OU, in 2022. Since then, the team has welcomed nine players, assistant coach Bill Kimok and multiple sports management majors who intern for the team as part of their business practicum. The team was promoted to a club team from a student organization and played their first game last year in 2024. “We were able to play our first game last year in March… We played against the Miami women's baseball team,” Fukuzawa says. “We beat Miami for the first game.”
In the U.S., baseball is seen as a sport only for men, with no professional or collegiate leagues available for female athletes – softball is their only option. Fukuzawa has spent most of her life fighting against this.
Growing up in Japan, Fukuzawa played baseball with the boys but still had very few opportunities to play competitively. Once she began college, she decided to create her own opportunities after working on her school’s men's varsity baseball team.
The history of women's baseball in the U.S. is a tumultuous one. Since the creation of the sport there have been women who have longed to play, and other women who have found ways to play. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the first women's baseball team was created at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, an all girls college in the 1860s. In 1943, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League started playing games in the wake of World War II, as most professional male players were sent off to fight in the war.
That league gained later popularity after the release of the 1992 movie, A League of their Own. After the war ended, women were effectively pushed out of the sport and pushed toward softball, which was seen as a less demanding version of baseball. Women’s baseball has never picked up any real popularity since, a fact that Fukazawa considers indicative of how women are treated as a whole.
“There was an opportunity during the summer camp where they let all the female staff members hit, and when I hit… It was just such a great feeling that I decided, you know what, I just don't like to be sidelined and not be able to play the game, because it's such a fun game” Fukuwaza says. “And I remember when I was a kid running around with the boys…
So I gathered up other female friends from my class, and then we had enough girls to create a team. So I started a women's team in Japan [in] the late ‘80s.”
In the ‘90s, Fukuzawa came to OU to earn a degree in sports management and went on to create a two-team women's baseball league in Columbus. That league and the story behind its creation ended up in a book called Little America: Incredible True Stories of Immigrants in America, which later got picked up as an Apple TV+ show of the same name. Fukuwaza’s story appears in episode six of the show's second season.
After years of working in sports management, Fukuzawa came back to OU to work on her doctoral degree. Fukuzawa's dissertation is on the gender differences in baseball; she also studies the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. When she came back to OU, she founded the Cherry Bombs baseball team.
“I realized that the reason I care about women's baseball is that it's connected to the much bigger picture about women and how women are treated in the sports world, as well as bigger – as a society,” Fukuzawa says.
In Japan, though, women’s baseball has been gaining popularity in recent years. “Somehow there's increasing popularity of women playing sports,” Fukusawa says. “In the last few years women's baseball is the only sport that is increasing in playing population.”
Following this popularity in Japan and the increased popularity of women's sports in the U.S., some, including Taylor Connelly, a junior studying journalism and the catcher for the Cherry Bombs, think it is the right time for women's baseball to make a comeback in the U.S.
The Cherry Bombs are always looking for new people to join. The team practices every week at Walter Fieldhouse, with practices every Sunday in the spring semester. The Cherry Bombs want to be a welcoming community for anyone of any skill level to join.
“We're very welcoming,” Vada Hackbush, a junior studying public health and the Cherry Bombs' vice president and shortstop, says. “We start from day one [with] foundations, and we'll teach you how to throw a ball and hit. We're very welcoming [to] new members, and we usually only practice once a week. It's very low maintenance, and we have a pretty diverse team of lots of different people from different majors, different age groups. I think that just makes us a great team to join.”
The team has also been working on outreach efforts to get more people to join. Hackbush, along with the team's president and second baseman Addi Dines, have been spearheading this effort.
“We did a meet the players event at Front Room… where we just talked about the team and what we offer,” Dines, a senior studying political science, says. The team has also held a bake sale and is planning to collaborate with the Women’s Center. Many team members have become friends outside of the sport and team itself. “There's this camaraderie that develops, which is really neat to watch… There's this instant camaraderie that happens; they're developing friendships that they will have for a long time, even after baseball,” Kimok says.
The Cherry Bombs currently stand alone as the only women's collegiate baseball team in the state of Ohio, after Miami University's team dissolved last year. That lack of representation does not discourage the team from advocating for the growth of the sport and encouraging more women to get involved, though.
“I think women in sports is really important, and I think opportunities like this for girls are really great. I think more people should take advantage of the fact that we have a baseball team here,” Dines says. “We should be encouraging women to try different things and go after sports that they might not have been able to play before.” b
Taylor Connelly practices bunting at Walter Fieldhouse on March 30.
Coach Akisa Fukuzawa uses a pitching machine at batting practice at Walter Fieldhouse on March 30.
Last Hurrah
Seniors document their final months in undergrad through film cameras
Kylie Flenner
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DOCUMENT YOUR FINAL SEMESTER OF COLLEGE?
It was an interesting experience. I was curious about what type of things I should capture that make up not only this last semester but who I am as a person. I tried to take pictures of things like me in class or my cats because those both make up my experience.
Zoë Cranfill
HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED SINCE BEING AT OHIO UNIVERSITY?
When I think about the girl I was four years ago, I don’t even know what I would talk about. I believe the experiences and people I have met in college have changed me completely for the good. I think that in me is a piece of every person, place and experience I have had in college. My group of friends has changed my thought processes on conversations and genuine connections. The places I have traveled to have changed my perspective on how I want to live. The experiences I’ve had brought me the confidence that I now have.
STORY & PHOTOS BY EMMA REED | DESIGN BY ALLY PARKER
Henry Pausch
HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED SINCE BEING AT OHIO UNIVERSITY?
I think I’ve changed in so many ways. Coming into college I was much more shy with zero confidence. I’m still shy sometimes. I don’t have a ton of confidence and my self worth isn’t perfect. But I’m not afraid to put myself out there anymore. Even if I want to crawl back into my shell after a social interaction, I’m glad I at least tried to be social at all. My opinions on politics, life and my worldview are stronger,
Jenna Reitz
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DOCUMENT YOUR FINAL SEMESTER OF COLLEGE?
Honestly my thought process in documenting a couple weeks of my concluding semester at college was pretty mindless. I wanted the photos to authentically translate the reality of my life down here in Athens.
Mimi Calhoun
HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED SINCE BEING AT OHIO UNIVERSITY?
I think I have gained a lot more confidence in myself since coming to college. As a freshman, I thought I had everything figured out and felt that I had already reached my peak of maturity, when in reality, I was holding myself back from learning more about who I truly am and what I’m capable of. I still love my major, but my plans for the future have shifted a bit. I used to want to be a travel journalist, but now I’m more broadly into arts, culture and entertainment journalism and public relations like social media.
Lydia Perry
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DOCUMENT YOUR FINAL SEMESTER OF
COLLEGE?
I am someone who has way too many photos in their camera roll. Over 25,000 as I'm writing this, and it grows every day. Documenting my life in photos and videos was never intentional, but I now have countless memories to look back on. So, it's easy to assume I had no problem carrying around a disposable camera and snapping photos whenever I saw a good shot. This project has been so special to take part in, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. b
Tips from Creative Director Abby Burns, who is a senior studying information graphics and publication design.
The best bar is always subjective to where your friend group gravitates. And you should always become friends with bouncers so you can say you knew them when they get promoted to bartenders (discounted drinks)! Speaking of discounts, be on the lookout for discounts on drinks at campus cafes at the end of each season. They discount the specialty drinks when it’s time to change seasonal drinks. Also, for whatever reason, once you hook up with someone on campus, you will see them everywhere. Beware. Finally, always keep a deck of cards in your purse when you go out.
Advice seniors wish they had known earlier BY BACKDROP SENIOR STAFF DESIGN BY ELLIE SABATINO
Recommendations from Managing Editor Layne Rey, who is a senior studying journalism.
For the best night in, download the Volley app on any Roku TV and play Jeopardy – bonus points if you and your roommates are competitive. Also, always opt in for day drinking – it’s impossible for it to not be fun. But, don’t put Mio in alcoholic drinks because regular drinks with Mio will start to taste awful. I’ve also learned that there is nothing a huge Diet Coke from Sonic can’t solve – bonus points if you take the walking path to get there and use the app for 50 percent off.
That said, don’t get a credit card – please I am begging. Finally, get a roll of brown paper or a pack of white sheets and make a sign for every event possible – everybody loves it, and it makes for great photos.
Words of wisdom from Photo Director Pearl Spurlock, who is a senior studying photojournalism.
As a senior with most of my classes in buildings uptown, the Brenen's meal plan was so helpful! They have lots of delicious and healthy options, and it was really convenient when I only had an hour between classes and meetings to grab a bite to eat. I think it’s a better value than paying for meal plans through the school. Speaking of our school, who loves to rush students out at the end of finals week, whether you’re in an apartment or dorm, you should start slowly packing to move out about a month before. Gradually packing up some daily non-essentials like room decorations, winter clothes and shoes as well as books will save you from a lot of overwhelm during move-out week. If you happen to go home for the weekend, take some of that stuff with you!
Input from Copy Chief Peggy Spetz, who is a senior studying history.
If you want the best bar deal, go to Lucky’s on Wednesday night and get a liquor pitcher. And then, after you finish the liquor pitcher, get pizza from Courtside – the best drunk food deal in Athens.
Guidance from Features Editor Kirsten Abbey, who is a senior studying journalism.
Best place to buy borg materials is Kroger on East State Street because every other place on campus sells water gallons with no real handle – speaking from experience and a four-hour hunt.
Suggestions from Art Director Ellie Sabatino, who is a senior studying graphic design.
Brennans Two for Tuesdays is a must — buy a coffee and get a second coffee later in the week completely free. It’s the best way to save money while staying caffeinated. On the topic of caffeine, a lavender latte is the best drink from Donkey – hands down. Union Street Market is also the first place to get new Alani flavors in stock. Finally, the drink specials at The Union are the cheapest (and strongest) drinks on Court Street. b
Backdropper Miya Moore reflects on a nonprofit playground project her family created in response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku, Japan
Ihave always been an overly empathetic child, constantly subjected to sadness from headlines flashed across the TV or the subheaders about tragedies in the morning newspaper. With a gaping hole in my heart, I soak up the emotions of the people around me; I feel everything. To understand my story, you must also understand my heritage. I am Japanese-American. My father is fully white and my mother is half-Japanese. Ever since I was little, I have been very in touch with my Japanese heritage. My mother has always been adamant about staying connected to my family members across the globe.
STORY BY MIYA MOORE DESIGN BY ELIZABETH DICKERSON
As a small first grader in 2011, I watched the national news in horror as the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami of Japan devastated the lands of my family’s history.
I had never previously dealt with a tragedy that hit so close to home, both literally and figuratively. Although I did not live in Japan, I felt a physical ache watching the destruction broadcast nationally; it tugged at my 7-year-old heartstrings.
The next morning, I went to school. I spent the entire day thinking about the Japanese citizens whose lives, belongings and families washed away within a day. I felt an inherent, internal connection with people I didn’t even know — people who lived over 6,000 miles away. Nonetheless, they were people.
I was particularly concerned about the children of Japan. At recess, I sat on the blacktop, contemplating what I would want if I were in their situation. I concluded that I would want to play. Amidst all of the death, destruction and loss, I figured that the children of Japan would like to play too. I came home to my mom after school and told her about my plan. I wanted to raise money for the children of Japan. I told my mom the children needed a way to play.
As a child, I figured the best way to play would be on a playground. After lots of discussion in the coming months, my family and I were able to develop a project designed to raise money to help the people of my late grandmother’s hometown of Ishinomaki, Japan. We began a nonprofit organization called the Ishinomaki Playground Project.
Amidst three years of rigorous fundraising through events, campaigns, festivals and partnerships, my mother miraculously found the time to scout out a plot of land where the tsunami had washed away a local playground, in a town none other than Ishinomaki.
In 2014, my parents and I flew to Ishinomaki to assist in the building process of a beautiful playground for the children. Since that moment, we have raised thousands of dollars for the Red Cross and other relief programs. We have continued fundraising and sharing our story to maintain the land and contribute to the upkeep of lush flower gardens and green grass for our plot.
In my short time on this planet, I have learned a very valuable lesson: Being overly empathetic is to be powerful. Being emotional is to be powerful. It is what makes us human. People who feel everything should treat it like a superpower. It is what drives us to help others. It is what has fueled a passion in me to uplift those in need. My sensitivity is the very thing that makes me the strongest of all — it just took building a playground across the globe to make me realize it. b
Children play at Matsunami Park on opening day. Photo provided by Miya Moore.
Children play at Matsunami Park on opening day. Photo provided by Miya Moore.
Over 800 people come together for the Matsunami Park Opening Ceremony. Photo provided by Miya Moore.
Miya and her family share a message to Japan at Matsunami Park. Photo Provided by Miya Moore.
MORE THAN A
Former Editor-in-Chief McKenna Christy shares her experiences and why she is grateful for her time as a Backdropper
BY MCKENNA CHRISTY | DESIGN BY LAYNE REY
As a senior in high school committed to attend Ohio University, I sat in my journalism class researching campus life and student media opportunities. Naturally, when Backdrop magazine popped up on my laptop screen, I had to take a closer look.
The first issue of the magazine I ever looked through was its “The Origins” issue published on Feb. 17, 2021. I remember its masthead being small, but its content mimicking anything but the size of its staff. From stories tackling difficult and sensitive subjects to its daring journalism, I was set on somehow joining Backdrop.
The COVID-19 pandemic left its harsh effects on Backdrop, as it did with the majority of print journalism, but what I saw was determination from its staff to keep moving forward and to continue producing quality magazine work.
The editor-in-chief of the time, Maya Meade, and the managing editor, Helen Widman, were tasked with motivating the staff to keep making the magazine despite facing burnout from the pandemic. Their leadership inspired me to pick up stories and begin editing.
My first story for Backdrop was about the Ohio Pawpaw Festival and the fruit’s origins and historical significance. I was
ecstatic to write for a college publication and put my all into producing the piece. Maya and Helen were most likely annoyed with me because of all my story updates about a seemingly simple article, but they liked it enough to make it the cover story, which is still one of the best parts of my college career.
After my first year working for Backdrop, I applied for an editor position with more responsibility and leadership. I became the assistant managing editor as a sophomore and worked alongside the managing editor of the time, Caroline Bissonnette. I was still a timid college student at the beginning of my second year at OU, and Caroline brought me out of my shell. For anyone who has ever known Caroline, they know she can make anyone laugh – this made her an excellent person to work with during those stressful production weeks and everything in-between.
On one unfortunate production night, when Caroline and I were editing stories at 2 a.m. for an upcoming issue, I was uploading story edits to the platform we used to organize the magazine’s content. Suddenly, I accidentally clicked some random button on my computer and every document vanished.
Naturally, Caroline and I freaked out and were sending chaotic texts back and forth. With some more random
I am incredibly grateful and appreciative of my staff for working alongside me to make money for the magazine and still producing four issues throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. I never felt worried that my fellow Backdroppers wouldn’t get the job done, which is what I think makes the magazine special. Year after year, there is always a group of people willing to make the magazine and commit to its mission no matter the cost of time and effort.
Backdrop was founded to provide a different form of journalism to Athens and OU, one that prioritizes indepth and daring feature writing. The magazine’s goal has always been to tell community and campus stories through a unique angle, and I look forward to seeing that mission continue.
clicking, all the content re-appeared on our screens, and all was well. However, that’s just the nature of producing the magazine. Although making each issue of Backdrop was stressful, when the end of my sophomore year rolled around, I debated applying to be editor-in-chief. To be fully transparent, I was not going to apply to be editor-in-chief. I felt the state of the magazine would be too difficult to handle as staff numbers dwindled and we struggled to produce the final two issues of the year. As I began to entertain other student media opportunities for the following academic year, it felt wrong straying away from Backdrop. I thought about all the publication had given me as a sophomore and how much I had learned about producing the magazine. After a lot of reflection, I applied right before the application deadline.
When entering my term as editorin-chief, I was shocked to discover the magazine’s financial state; advertising dollars were missing, and multiple print issue invoices were left unpaid. Backdrop also did not have enough funds to pay off its invoices or to renew several necessary subscriptions to share its digital content. Before becoming editor-in-chief, I had never fully understood what it took to keep the magazine alive.
As I wrap up my college career, I certainly have a lot to thank Backdrop for. From memories with friends to finding my passion for magazine journalism, my time at the magazine has been nothing short of rewarding. My final and parting note is to encourage people to read and support Backdrop because it is sure to continue leaving an impact in this region and on the people who live here. b
McKenna Christy posing at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. Photo provided by McKenna Christy.
2023-2024 covers of Backdrop Magazine. Photos provided by McKenna Christy.