February 6, 2020

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020

MADE WITH LOVE Athens Sweet Arts Bakery & Desserts prepares for Valentine’s Day, its busiest time of year

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Chinese New Year celebration postponed indefinitely

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Sexism in Hollywood calls for social change

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Nathan Rourke’s legacy at OU

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

The media deserves a seat at the roundtable

E

ELLEN WAGNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

very semester, Ohio University invites local reporters to the media roundtable with President Duane Nellis. It’s a time for the reporters to ask any question they want to the president and for the university to be transparent about what is happening at the university.

The last roundtable was held Jan. 11, 2019.

Since that time, a lot has happened at the university that left more questions than answers for students, faculty and staff. As a student, three major topics have come up as a conversation that still has many unanswered questions among students.

At the time of the January roundtable in Cutler Hall, students, faculty and Athens residents were outside protesting the removal of delfin bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and does not capitalize their name, as the director of the LGBT Center. Members of the group spoke about bautista’s impact on the community and demanded answers for their removal.

According to former Post reports, bautista had a positive work record and spent thousands on meals and personal purchases. They filed a grievance, which was denied by Nellis. As this went on, the university was suspended from the Campus Pride Index, which was previously ranked four out of five stars, and began a search

for a new LGBT Center director.

During Fall Semester 2019, the university suspended all fraternities on the Interfraternity Council after receiving seven complaints of hazing. Other organizations that were suspended included three sororities, two business fraternities, the club rugby team and the Marching 110.

The majority of the Greek life groups and student organizations have been reprimanded with only four still under review.

At the end of last semester and at the start of the Spring Semester, there has been a lot of conversation surrounding the budget crisis.

The university’s enrollment has decreased, which means there is less money coming in.

The budget has to be adjusted to make up for the money lost in order to be successful moving forward. Meanwhile, there are claims that there is no crisis at all.

The OU Fun Facts has been trying to raise awareness through banners and meetings about what has been going on. The group also hosted a rally to show their support, which ended with them trying to get Nellis to come out of Cutler Hall to speak with them. The group was in contact with Nellis’ office after the rally, but soon, discussion stopped. They were sent an email from the president that redirected them to Student Senate about their concerns.

The OU American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, has also been trying to get answers about what has been going on at the university. Faculty members feel as if they have been left out of budget planning and decision-making when it comes to their departments, especially talks of potential cuts being discussed.

The media roundtables were held as a way of connecting to the local media and getting answers from the president about what is going on within the university. It is our job as local media to ask the questions and get answers for the people of OU and Athens, but we cannot do that when the conversation is not available semesterly like it has been in the past.

The president should not just host this event when the university is doing well and positive things can be discussed. It’s important to be transparent no matter what the university is facing.

In a time where the president should be vocal, we are only hearing silence.

Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN WAGNER DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Taylor Johnston

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITORS Abby Miller, Nolan Simmons ASST. NEWS EDITOR Ian McKenzie LONG-FORM EDITOR Ashton Nichols SPORTS EDITORS Matt Parker, Anthony Poisal CULTURE EDITOR Baylee DeMuth ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells OPINION EDITOR Shelby Campbell ASST. OPINION EDITOR Noah Wright THE BEAT EDITOR Molly Schramm ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Mady Lewellyn COPY CHIEF Bre Offenberger SLOT EDITORS Jack Gleckler, Avery Kreemer, Chloe Meyers, Kevin Pan

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STUDENT MEDIA SALES INTERNSHIP MANAGER Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Emily Cassidy, Ali Gifford, Kyle McCort

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Students lined up for craft fries on Court Street at brand new restaurant Fry’d EMMA SKIDMORE STAFF WRITER Fry’d Fries, 5 N. Court St., held its grand opening Friday night, boasting a proud ’70s theme, photo opportunities with rapper Afroman and a line for its wide variety of fries.

The restaurant, opened and owned

by Myles Culter, a senior studying sports management and marketing and current CEO of Fry’d, had a rowdy opening night.

“We wanted to open up a fry place that really resonated with college kids and that had more of, like, the ’70s heavy vibe,” Cutler said. “When my family and I were on a trip to Amsterdam, we saw these fry shops on every single corner, and they had lines out the door. It was crazy. When we came back here, I was actually really high. I called my dad, and I was like, ‘Hey, we should open up a french fry restaurant named Fry’d.’ He was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”

Cutler said his dad is a Dunkin Donuts franchisee, so he is no stranger to

working in the food service industry.

Cutler also said he decided to bring it to Athens because he’s a student himself.

Charles Cutler, Myles’ dad, said he thought the restaurant would be a ‘hit’ in Athens.

“I thought this would be perfect for my son to do because I wanted him to have his own business,” Charles Cutler said.

Josie Lyons, a freshman studying psychology and social work, was working the grand opening as a waitress.

“This is the best workplace ever,” Lyons said. “Even on my off day ... I still came in at, like, 10 because you don’t want to be away from these people, and you love the vibe. You don’t ever want to leave.”

Lyons said Fry’d is unique compared to other restaurants in Athens.

“The cool thing is that you can’t compare Fry’d to any other restaurants,” Lyons said. “That’s why I tell people it’s gonna be overwhelming because there’s nothing else like it.”

Tom Bell, CEO of Vertex Labs and family friend of the Cutlers, flew into Athens

FRY’D FRIES 5 N. COURT STREET OPEN 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 A.M.

from New York for the grand opening.

“I decided to fl y out because I think it’s a great idea,” Bell said. “I think the branding is amazing. I was just telling somebody else: it’s like everybody looks at fries as the secondary thing, but when you build an entire brand around fries — and not just any fries, craft fries, the best fries you can have — I think it’s a home run. I’m a big foodie, so I’m super excited. I can’t wait until they bring it to Philly, New York and beyond.”

Many students could be spotted with friends either waiting in line for food or for a picture with Afroman.

“I’m excited because it’s just really cool that he’s opening it here in Athens, and he’s just like a cool guy,” Allison Lennon, a freshman studying environmental pre-law, said.

Allena Knight, a sophomore studying nursing, said the fries she tried were

really good. Knight also enjoyed the puns they used that referred to marijuana use.

“I really like all the puns they use,” Maisy Krystek, a sophomore studying art, said. “I fi nd it hilarious that they don’t even try to hide it.”

Jared Kennedy, a freshman studying electrical engineering, said he heard about Fry’d from a friend.

“My buddy went to the soft opening on Wednesday, I believe, and he told me ‘Afroman’s going to be there,’” Kennedy said. “I was like ‘Afroman?’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah,’ so I showed up, and he’s here.”

Sydney Kennedy, a sophomore studying restaurant, hotel and tourism said she came to try out the food.

“I was here to try out this new fry place because I love fries,” Sydney Kennedy said.

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Women’s sports had half the budget of men’s in 2019 MAYA MORITA FOR THE POST Of the $22 million dollars the university allocated to athletics in 2019, about $15 million was spent on the six men’s sports teams while about $7 million was spent on the nine women’s sports teams.

In 2019, the men’s football team was given about $9 million, more than half of the budget for men’s sports.

This money went toward the team’s student aid, travel and game expenses, among other expenses, Mike Ashcraft, assistant athletics director for communications, said in an email.

The other five men’s sports teams split the remainder of the budget, which was about $6 million.

Ashcraft said in an email that sports funding is based on the needs of each sport.

“We allocate funding to the sports based on the needs of each program with consideration to equity and to the resources available to us,” Ashcraft said in an email.

With more support from the athletics department, smaller teams would be able to have the same kind of opportunities as the larger ones, Kendall Ballard, a women’s field hockey player who graduated in 2019, said in an email.

“We would be able to update our locker room, our scoreboard, goals, watering system, and gear,” Ballard said in an email. “The team would also be able to travel to more opponents during the season and even fly to opponents that are farther away.”

While OU football receives the highest amount of

funding within the athletic program, in 2019, head basketball coach Jeffrey Boals was the highest paid employee at OU, receiving about $581,000 a year, according to The Post’s Salary Guide.

Athletic salaries are determined by a plethora of factors, including experience and position, Ashcraft said in an email.

“Ohio University’s executive compensation philosophy takes into account experience, market data, market influences, performance factors, position criticality and resource availability,” Ashcraft said in an email. “The University relies on these factors when determining initial compensation as well as salary increases due to position changes or raises.”

Boals receives more money than both OU President Duane Nellis, at about $489,000 a year, and head football coach Frank Solich, at $525,000 a year, according to the Salary Guide.

Before becoming president of OU, Nellis worked as an administrator at several universities, including as the provost and senior vice president at Kansas State University in 2004. Nellis was hired by OU in 2017, according to the university’s website. Solich began his coaching career 21 years ago and was hired by OU in 2005, according to Sports Reference.

Boals began his coaching career about 13 years ago and was hired by OU in 2019, according to CantonRep. Ballard said in an email she appreciated the opportunity to be a student athlete at OU. “I have been given so many opportunities through being a student athlete,” Ballard said in an email. “As student

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Coronavirus concerns lead to Chinese New Year celebration indefinitely postponed RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Ohio University’s Chinese New Year celebration, which was supposed to take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, has been postponed indefinitely.

The annual celebration is sponsored

by OU’s Chinese Language Student Association, the Chinese Learners Association and the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association. The main student organizers from the three groups were contacted by several professors at OU, requesting that they postpone the event due to concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak.

Cameron Mauzy, a senior studying international business and business economics, is the president of the Chinese Language Student Association and one of the main organizers of the event.

Mauzy said he thinks the indefinite postponement of the event will turn into a cancelation.

“With the coronavirus situation, some groups of people are kind of ignorant about the whole thing, and I don’t think the Chinese New Year gala would’ve been much affected by it,” Mauzy said.

The event is student-sponsored every year. OU administration was not involved in the decision to postpone the event, Jim Sabin, media relations manager for OU, said in an email.

At least three other universities have canceled their Chinese New Year events, including the University of Akron, the University of Arizona and University of Exeter in England.

Cristine Boyd, director of media relations for the University of Akron, said a large number of people planning to attend Akron’s Chinese New Year celebration were nervous about the timing in correlation with the coronavirus.

“Many individuals have voiced con-

“ Tina Zhang and others perform a silk dance during the Chinese New Year celebration held in Baker Ballroom on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. (MEAGAN HALL / FOR THE POST)

cerns about attending, knowing that a large amount of the population in attendance may have either traveled from China or been in contact with individuals who had,” Boyd said.

The University of Arizona announced in a press release that they were canceling the event due to “travel concerns and

With the coronavirus situation, some groups of people are kind of ignorant about the whole thing, and I don’t think the Chinese New Year gala would have been much affected by it.”

- Cameron Mauzy, president of the Chinese Language Student Association

related challenges arising from the novel coronavirus.” The University of Exeter announced in a press release that they canceled the event because of “ongoing public concerns about coronavirus.”

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

NEWS BRIEFS

OU revises climate action plan; group pushes for higher Ohio minimum wage EMMA SKIDMORE STAFF WRITER HOUSING DISCUSSION CONTINUES INTO THE NEW YEAR Even after election season came to a close in Athens, rental housing properties and discussion surrounding landlords continued to be widely debated.

Former mayoral candidate David Krane said the housing issue is simply part of a bigger picture of how wealth is distributed in Athens. He is also the creator of Operation Slumlord Smackdown, a plan that includes reforms such as rent control and the reduction of both utility bills and carbon emissions, among others.

Ellie Hamerick, former City Council candidate, also endorsed Operation Slumlord Smackdown and spoke about her personal views on housing in Athens as well as her canvassing experiences. Hamerick said while she canvassed, she saw houses with broken pipes, chronic mold problems and people who had incurred serious injuries from their living conditions.

Hamerick said she has not seen the city make any significant changes to improve these issues.

David Riggs, director of the department of development, enforcement and facilities, said the conversation surrounding housing issues arises from the high number of rental properties in Athens as a result of the student population. Riggs said they try to inspect every rental unit once a year and look at standard safety measures such as working smoke detectors and proper ventilation in the correct areas.

He said the code office does not have an extensive relationship with landlords, but one of the challenges includes communicating with absentee landlords, or landlords who own rental property in Athens but do not live in the area.

OHIO UNIVERSITY REVISES ITS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN The university now hopes to be carbon neutral by 2050 instead of 2075 by changing its plan.

OU is responsible for having an up-

to-date Climate Action Plan that Elaine Goetz, director of the Office of Sustainability, said can take three to four years to complete. After the Office of Sustainability comes up with attainable goals, they go through the public and responsible parties before presenting to the president and Board of Trustees.

The current Climate Action Plan is in the middle of this process.

There are many factors that must be considered and detailed in the plan, including building energy, water waste, transportation and more. In total, there are 16 different sections to the plan. One main focus is on the use of local food in Culinary Services. While it is impossible for the university to buy 100% of its food locally simply because there is not enough supply, they aim to localize 15% to 17% in the next five years.

Students are also involved in these plans through Sustainability Hubs on campus. Abbey Rodjom, a graduate assistant for the Sustainable Infrastructure Hub, is working to analyze the cost benefit analysis for measures to increase sustainability.

OHIO GROUP PUSHES FOR BALLOT ISSUE TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE A proposed ballot issue may raise the minimum wage to $13 per hour by 2024, instead of the current $8.70.

A full-time employee working for the current minimum wage does not make enough to cover the costs of groceries and rent, among other necessities, according to Ohioans for Raising the Wage. Council President Chris Knisely said the positive effects to raising the minimum wage would include financial independence and more stability for students.

Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At Large, said the difficulty in raising the minimum wage comes from the fact that societal systems are based on it.

Kostes said the minimum wage should be increased to reflect the effort and time employees contribute.

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POLICE BLOTTER

Chair set ablaze; man thinks house is burning down IAN MCKENZIE ASST. NEWS EDITOR MY HOUSE! The Athens County Sheriff ’s Office responded to Carbondale Road on Tuesday for a dispute.

Deputies talked to the man, who said he was fighting with multiple people, but deputies were given conflicting stories about what happened.

The deputies determined that one of the men was hallucinating and believed that his house was “burnt to the ground.”

He was transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

6 / FEB. 6, 2020

JUST THE GAS A deputy responded to the Coolville area on Monday regarding a stolen vehicle being recovered.

The deputies determined that the vehicle was taken from a business and located on a road earlier in the morning.

The gas tank on the vehicle was removed, and the incident is currently under investigation.

HEAR HIS VOICE Deputies were dispatched to Carbondale on Sunday for a report of a man yelling in the roadway.

Deputies patrolled the area, but they did not find the man.

WHO IS RIGHT? Deputies were dispatched to New Marshfield Road on Jan. 31 for an incident report.

The caller said a man was staying in a camper on his mom’s property, and he refused to leave.

The deputies spoke with the caller’s mother, and she said that her son was allowing the man to stay in the camper, but the caller said the man had just shown up.

Since the mother and son had conflicting stories, deputies advised both of them to tell the man to leave.

THE HOT SEAT Deputies responded to Carbondale Road on Jan. 31 for an alleged arson report.

The caller said someone had set a fire in his trailer while he was not home.

Firefighters arrived at the trailer and extinguished a small fire on a burning chair.

No sources of the fire were determined, but the caller said he had multiple suspects in mind.

NOT IN LOS ANGELES ANY MORE Deputies met at the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday at the county line to pick up 32-year-old Anthony Davis.

Davis had an active warrant out of Athens County on a previous charge.

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State LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill would add new protections to existing legislation

Ohio Sen. Nicki Antonio, the first openly LGBTQ member of the Ohio House of Representatives, introduced the bill.

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ANNA BIRK FOR THE POST A bill making its way through the Ohio Statehouse would expand anti-LGBTQ discrimination law from the pockets of local law to the state level.

The Ohio House Civil Justice Committee further discussed the Ohio Fairness Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to current anti-discrimination laws, on Tuesday.

Grant Stancliff, communications director for Equality Ohio, believes the act should be passed because it provides basic protections to those in the LGBTQ community.

“Over two dozen local areas, like Athens, have these local protections … but that only covers about a quarter of Ohio,” Stancliff said. “You shouldn’t have to move to the city just to have basic civil rights … The state really needs to step in and make sure that everybody does.”

Equality Ohio began in 2005 when it was founded by activists after samesex marriage was voted against in Ohio.

Now, the non-profit works to include LGBTQ representation into Ohio law.

Twenty-nine states have already passed laws protecting sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Stancliff said.

The primary sponsor of the Ohio Fairness Act is Ohio Sen. Nickie Antonio.

Prior to becoming a senator, Antonio, a Democrat, was the first openly LQBTQ person in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Stancliff said that throughout the years, Ohio citizens have realized that LGBTQ citizens need to be protected under state law.

“We’re trying to put in sexual orientation and gender identity so that there is a better protected body,” Stancliff said.

On Jan. 15, OU Student Senate unanimously passed a bill in support of the ILLUSTRATION BY RILEE LOCKHART

OHIO FAIRNESS ACT PRIMARY SPONSOR: SENATOR NICKIE ANTONIO PREVENTS DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY

Ohio Fairness Act. Lydia Ramlo, Student Senate president, said she was surprised that the state doesn’t already have protections for those in the LGBTQ community.

She said Student Senate wanted to take a stance on the issue.

“I think it’s really important that we want this for our Bobcats in Ohio as well and make sure they have a safe community,” Ramlo said. “It’s kind of confusing to me as to why this hasn’t passed yet because we want to be inclusive and also safe … It should have passed years ago, but it should definitely be, no question, passed now.”

A copy of the bill was sent to OU President Duane Nellis and other administrators and legislators.

In January, Athens City Council also passed a bill in support of the Ohio Fairness Act, according to a previous Post report. Peter Kotses, D-At Large, said Athens has continuously affirmed its commitment to inclusivity since prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation back in 1998.

The city also added the categories of gender identity and expression to its non-discrimination policy in 2010.

Ohio legislators will have until December to pass the Ohio Fairness Act through state legislation before the session is adjourned and the bill discarded, Stancliff said.

@THEANNABIRK AB383718@OHIO.EDU

Sexism in Hollywood calls for greater social change RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR As actress Issa Rae read the Best Director nominations for the 2020 Academy Awards, women everywhere felt the door slamming in their faces, as each of the nominees were male filmmakers. Those watching felt Issa Rae’s unforgiving attitude toward the list as she said: “Congratulations to those men.”

Three years after the rise of the #MeToo movement and two years following the rise of the Time’s Up movement, which both revolved around coming forward and ending sexual assault and violence in Hollywood, people like Rae are disappointed in the lack of female representation in Hollywood.

Patty Stokes, an assistant professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio University, feels that since the rise of these movements, there hasn’t been as much change as there should be. Stokes said men who are accused of sexual violence against women mostly end up getting off with a mere slap on the wrist.

“Has there been noticeable progress in the last two-and-a-half years? I’m very skeptical about that,” Stokes said. “For a lot of men, ‘their lives were ruined,’ but not for all that long. So people see that yes, there is a penalty that there didn’t used to be for this kind of behavior, but it’s not the death penalty, so to speak, for people’s careers.”

Though Stokes notices more women speaking up for themselves and getting more involved in the industry, be it acting or directing, she still has yet to see a major breakthrough of the “glass ceiling” that is women’s respect.

The biggest example of this may be the lack of female directors in the nominee list for the 2020 Oscars, but Stokes also sees a sexism issue with what movies count as serious films. For example, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has received a lot

ILLUSTRATION BY MALLORY STOWE

of critical acclaim through awards, nominations and reviews, but it tells a very domestic story that only begins to touch on female empowerment.

Further, Stokes seeks a solution that elevates women in various facets of the Hollywood industry, rather than tokenizing them, which can quickly turn from an exciting feat for a woman as a person to a gender bias.

Not only do people notice an unbalanced scale of women and men in Hollywood, but Maddie Moore, a sophomore studying social work, notices the lack of intersectional feminism throughout the industry.

“That’s a big thing, is the lack of racial diversity in the field,” Moore said. “It’s really awful. And it happens with so many

award shows, even the Tonys and the Grammys and other things like that. It’s awful to see how we think so many steps are being taken, and yet, we look back and see that there’s still so much left to do.”

Moore believes that if women were more elevated in Hollywood, a domino effect would ripple throughout other aspects of life, be it among women or men.

Stokes also believes in the domino effect because of how people idolize figures in Hollywood.

“If nothing else, emotionally, representation matters to people,” Stokes said.

“In terms of what stories are thinkable and what stories are told, showing women as strong protagonists, people who are not just sex objects or sidekicks, I think

has a positive impact in other aspects of women’s lives.”

Her logic is if people see women in more powerful roles and being praised in the industry, women will benefit in everyday life. However, she doesn’t just believe that women will benefit: she thinks men would benefit from the elevation of women because it will create a broader scope of understanding among the genders.

It’s not just up to women to make this grand social change. Ian Dickens, a sophomore studying journalism, sees sexism in everyday life as well as the industry and tries to do his part to act as an ally to women.

“It’s Hollywood: it’s riddled with just powerful men stepping on people below them, like women and minorities, just so they can get a role,” Dickens said.

Dickens believes that men must understand their privilege and use it to help people rather than for their own good.

Though there is no clear solution for solving the “Hollywood Boys Club” complex, Moore and Stokes both agree that integrating more women into the Hollywood industry in an organic way is a great first step. They think another progressive step would be providing women with more opportunity to succeed without any sort of gendered bias.

“I think that getting more women in the pipeline is important,” Stokes said.

“We’re still seeing, at the higher levels, that men still dominate. Part of it also needs to be more equity in front of the camera, so roles for women for sex minorities, for people of color, you know. I also think it’s important to recognize that social change is slow, so as long as it still keeps moving in one direction, it’s good.”

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

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The Women Pioneers Exhibit in Alden Library on Feb. 2, 2020. (MADDIE BRYANT / FOR THE POST)

Centennial celebration of women’s suffrage aims for inclusivity of marginalized groups LAUREN SERGE FOR THE POST This year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, and Ohio University is holding a semester-long celebration of events to commemorate women being granted the right to vote.

The celebration will include special film showings at Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., informational exhibits and empowering activities that reflect the historical and contemporary issues facing women. These activities are sponsored by several OU departments and organizations.

Among those events is a semester-long exhibit entitled “Women Pioneers,” located on the fourth floor of Alden Library. The exhibit displays historical artifacts pertaining to the various women and events that occurred during the suffrage movement in Athens and the nation.

Saraya Abner, a senior studying English, and Harmony Renn, a junior studying creative writing and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, were each recruited to discover elements that could be put into the exhibit.

The two students will lead a tour on Feb. 3 to discuss the research they found and the artifacts they collected.

Abner, whose research for the exhibit focused on the artistic side of the movement, said showcasing this pivotal period in history in an educational realm is representative of how women’s issues are detailed in academic settings.

When delving into their research for the exhibit, Renn narrowed their focus onto topics of intersectionality. Renn said while the suffrage movement was an important step for women, it was problematic in its lack of inclusivity.

To Renn, this exclusion paints a skewed portrait of the movement, which contributes to injustices still occurring in the present day.

“We get this warped, whitewashed view of the suffrage movement,” Renn said. “It takes away a lot of the complexities that we need, especially for a modern understanding of identity politics and marginalization because intersectionality was not recognized in the 10 / FEB. 6, 2020

movement and still isn’t today.”

Despite the inequalities present within the movement, Abner said that gaining the right to vote was a stepping stone for future female activists to critique and refine.

“The big thing with suffrage is that it was a starting point that laid the groundwork for (the) second and third wave of feminism,” Abner said. “And while it wasn’t intersectional, it still opened up the playing field for women to get that right to vote and for other women to acknowledge its issues with intersectionality and improve.”

Geneva Murray, director of the women’s center, elaborated on the 19th amendment as a foundation for future movements.

Murray emphasized that while it was a significant moment in history, it was only the beginning and should be recognized as such in its celebration.

“It was not where we stopped having the conversation about what it means for women to be involved in politics or to have a voice in the government that is representing them,” Murray said. “That is an ongoing conversation.”

The celebratory events spanning the remaining semester will aim to acknowledge these faults in the movement and inspire changes. The women’s center will hold a craft session where individuals can customize suffrage sashes to reflect modern issues on March 24 and April 4.

Sara Egge, a Claude D. Pottinger associate professor of history at Centre College, is a suffrage expert who will speak at Alden Library on Feb. 19 about her research surrounding women’s suffrage in the Midwest.

Egge said that her exploration of the topic reflects the marginalization of the rural Midwestern women who were shadowed during the time of the movements.

“This has been a tribute to those rural women, my grandmothers, my mother, my mother-in-law, all of those strong women that I knew understood politics, understood the fight for equality,” Egge said. “I wanted to bring that history to light and then also challenge the narrative and make it more inclusive.”

While the suffrage movement was not a flawless event, Egge emphasized the importance of recognizing and celebrating those women who fought for equality while the system was fighting against them.

“The rights that we as citizens and non-citizens can exercise are not guaranteed,” Egge said. “When you think about women working to get the right to vote, they did so recognizing that it was not a guarantee because there was no constitutional or legal provision that offered them that right, so they had to really fight for it.”

A full list of the semester-long events can be found under the “library news” section at ohio.edu.

@LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU

Local bakery gears up for Valentine’s Day

The mom-and-daughter-run Sweet Arts Bakery & Cafe is a local favorite in Athens, and students at Ohio University crave its pastries, which can get delivered to their dorms. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

ERIN GARDNER FOR THE POST Jenn McClain Eskey, owner of Athens Sweet Arts Bakery & Desserts, has been baking all her life. One could say baking is the family business.

The bakery, 817 W. Union St., has been around since 2013 but has recently gained popularity on campus. For McClain Eskey, it’s unsursprising that February is the busiest time of year for the bakery. The normally two-person operation brings in more family members to help with pre-orders and deliveries.

“I’ve learned all I know from my mom, who has been working as a pastry chef for over 33 years,” McClain Eskey said.

McClain Eskey’s mom, Nancy McClain, is a retired pastry chef, and McClain Eskey was a cook in the army. A friend paid her for her pastries and sweets, which sparked the idea of opening a stand-alone bakery.

In 2013, she operated a licensed home bakery, which she soon outgrew.

McClain Eskey said the bakery was certified by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, but according to the department, the bakery could only have one residential oven.

On May 2, 2016, McClain Eskey opened the brick-and-mortar bakery on West Union Street next to Morrison-Gordon Elementary School. The confectionery started out by only serving donuts and coffee to the general public, but now, the bakery takes special orders only. Customers can place orders via the Facebook page, McClain Eskey’s email or text.

Now, almost four years later since establishing the special order process, McClain Eskey believes business has been amazing.

While business is good, McClain Eskey said January typically sees less business because everyone is recuperating from holiday shopping. February is the bakery’s best month due to Valentine’s Day. May through September is high time for wedding season, and November through December is reserved for holiday baking.

Despite her busy schedule, McClain Eskey never tires of her craft.

“Though some days are super long and can be very stressful, the smile on a kid’s face when they see their cake makes it all worth it,” McClain Eskey said.

She loves it when a customer comes in and gives her total creative control. Oftentimes, customers will come in with a fam-

ily recipe with no idea how to make it and will ask McClain Eskey for help.

The weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day are especially popular for the bakery. Last year, McClain Eskey said her bakery had 116 pre-ordered boxes of berries and/or macaroons. This year, she predicts they’ll get 40 delivery orders. As of now, they have 19 pick-up orders, but McClain Eskey believes that will most likely double before the holiday.

The bakery has gained popularity for its sweet cake pops. In the past, McClain Eksey would use the scraps from cakes to make cake pops, but now, she bakes cakes specifically for the pops. In one instance, the bakery made 600 cake pops, which were gone within hours.

To McClain Eskey, Athens Sweet Arts Bakery & Desserts bakes “anything and everything.” The majority of the sweets are baked by McClain, except the French macaroons. McClain Eskey makes those. The mother-daughter business works well. McClain bakes, and McClain Eskey decorates.

“Most people live their adult life and only get to see their parents every so often,” McClain Eskey said. “I get to stand beside my mom and create the things that

people gather around to create memories.

How many people can say they got to do something like that?”

Heather Thompson, owner of Stages Early Learning Center, a childcare facility located above the bakery, has known McClain Eskey for years. McClain Eskey worked as a staff member for Stages, creating a bond with Thomspon that would last for years to come.

“That relationship and partnership was born a long time ago,” Thompson said. “Gosh, I can’t even remember exactly the year … It went from, you know, an employee-type relationship to a friend relationship as well as now, you know, a business relationship.”

The working business relationship Thompson has created with McClain Eskey gives Thompson the opportunity to utilize the bakery for personal and professional occasions, such as an employee’s birthday.

“It’s really nice to have somebody that kind of goes above and beyond. Instead of just ordering, you know, a plain basic cake or just plain brownies, she puts those extra special touches on employee birthdays for us,” Thomspon said. “One year, she made me—she probably has a specific name for it—but it was a caramel cheesecake. It was pretty divine. Number two would have to be her ooey gooey bars.”

The bakery also delivers to dorms, which has sky-rocketed business, thanks to numerous Ohio University Bobcat Parents Facebook groups. McClain Eskey has found that the cake pops are the most popular item to be delivered to students.

Most parents want to surprise their children with a sweet treat, utilizing McClain Eskey’s talents to do so.

Taylor Hall, a freshman studying biological sciences pre-medicine, loves the bakery’s cake pops.

“Cake pops are an amazing invention that make it extremely easy to eat your cake on the go,” Hall said.

Sydney Henninger, an undecided freshman, also enjoys the cake pops. Her mom even had a cake from the bakery special delivered to her dorm.

“I love cake pops,” Henninger said.

“They’re amazing and easy to eat. My mom bought me a cake from Athens Sweet Arts Bakery & Desserts for my birthday, and it was delivered to the dorm. It was delicious.”

@ERINGARDNER_ EG245916@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

A Sincere Farewell Nathan Rourke’s lasting legacy that won’t soon be forgotten

Ohio’s quarterback Nathan Rourke (No. 12) throws the ball during the OU versus LouisianaLafayette game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI / FOR THE POST)

12 / FEB. 6, 2020

“

I was happy, but at the same time, I wasn’t. I didn’t want to step away. It comes to an end abruptly.”

- Nathan Rourke, 2017-2019 Ohio quarterback

Nathan Rourke runs the winning touchdown against Kent State on Oct. 6, 2018.

(KELSEY BOEING / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR

N

athan Rourke stood on the deck outside of the Allen Noble Hall of Fame in the southwest corner of Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

He had both a smile on his face and tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

In front of him was a field filled with his teammates, coaches, fans and family, all of which were celebrating Ohio’s 30-21 win over Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in various ways.

He watched his offensive line bite chunks into raw potatoes, and members of the defensive line flexed as they posed for a picture while fellow seniors soaked in their final moments in an Ohio uniform.

Rourke, who was crowned the game’s MVP, had to step away from the celebration and wait for his postgame media obligations. But as he stood there on the deck with his hands grasping the rails, he didn’t know where his football journey was going to go next.

All he knew was he just finished one he’s most proud of.

“There’s a quote from Brett Favre when he won the Super Bowl, and he was standing up there saying it was kind of bittersweet to him because ‘Yeah, we won, but the ride was over,’ and he just wanted it to keep going,” Rourke said. “That’s kind of how I was feeling. I was happy, but at the

same time, I wasn’t. I didn’t want to step away. It comes to an end abruptly.”

It’s hard to believe that after three years of countless practice repetitions, rewinding film, lifting weights and putting on the No. 12 jersey, it had a finish line. It seemed farther away than what it was, not just for Rourke, but for his coaches, his teammates and Ohio fans alike.

There’s no longer a need to say perhaps the greatest. Three years ago, when the Oakville, Ontario, Canada, native stepped foot into Walter Field House as an early enrollee, he was just an unproven sophomore who spent a year playing at a junior college in Kansas.

But looking at what he did in one year at Fort Scott, it would’ve been predictable to see how his career at Ohio would unfold: 2,367 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and three more on the ground.

Flash forward to now: Feb. 6, 2020.

He went from another name on the roster to not only Ohio’s best quarterback in program history, but maybe one of the best to ever play in the Mid-American Conference.

He is the first quarterback to lead the Bobcats to three consecutive bowl wins.

He only lost 13 games as a starter. The yards and touchdowns, too, are immaculate, and all of the records rank first in the program: 111 touchdowns responsible for, 49 rushing touchdowns, 10,091 total offensive yards and 7.65 total yards per play.

The resume goes on and on. The records take up nearly a whole page in the game notes.

But none of that ever mattered for Rourke. It truly didn’t. You could’ve harped him consistently about one achievement after another in the last three seasons, and the answer was never about him.

But it’s been a month and three days since he last put on the white No. 12 and played for Ohio. Those individual questions, while still a struggle, finally found some answers that shed light onto what he felt about himself. And even more so, with the up-and-down year that Ohio (7-6, 5-3 MAC) experienced, he opened up about some of the frustrations he felt.

“We knew we were a much better team than our record showed,” he said. “We had so many games that just came down to the very end. A couple of plays or a couple of moments could’ve made it a completely different season.”

He touched on how in Week 2 against Pitt that the offense could’ve played better. That was a game that Rourke said he wanted badly. How in Week 3 against Marshall, it was a road rivalry game that had people excited, but Ohio left Huntington with a loss and a blown fourth quarter lead.

It was a one-possession game against Louisiana-Lafayette with less than half the fourth quarter to go in Week 4, and all three of Ohio’s conference losses were by

a combined nine points.

Most of all, the biggest stain on the senior’s season and career was the inability to take Ohio to the MAC Championship in Detroit. Narrow losses have kept the program out of the conference championship since 2016.

A homecoming loss to Central Michigan in 2017, a road loss to Miami in 2018 and — even worse — a primetime home loss to Miami on college football’s 150th birthday.

“I got to go twice for MAC Media Day, but that was never the goal,” Rourke said through a chuckle on the phone. “That’s going to bug me. That was the goal every single year, and I thought every single year we could’ve done it.”

And yet, the senior willed on. He still carried himself in a matter where you couldn’t necessarily tell it was a frustrating time to be an experienced quarterback with inexperienced skill players. Instead, he took to heart his role as a two-year captain and set an example on what it means to persevere through struggle.

“Nathan’s ability to lead and his play on the field kept us competitive with a lot of young guys around him,” offensive coordinator Tim Albin said.

The talent around him was young indeed. The running backs consisted of a redshirt freshman, a redshirt sophomore and a true junior in his first season at Ohio.

The wide receivers were a mix of redshirt freshmen and sophomores and Cam Odom, a redshirt junior.

Yet Albin pointed out that there wasn’t much drop off in the end. The 2018 season – which had a cast of characters like A.J. Ouellette, Papi White and Andrew Meyer – averaged 466.8 yards per game. It was 443.3 yards in 2019. The Bobcats averaged 40.1 points in 2018 and 34.7 points last season.

Why no significant dropoff?

Rourke.

“Nathan helped us transition,” Albin said. “We didn’t have a huge dropoff, and Nathan’s got as much to do with that as anybody. I know players around him elevated their play and helped us get through those growing pains.”

It didn’t matter what position someone played. It could’ve been the third-string center, the starting cornerback, a scout team linebacker. When Rourke stepped onto the field, there was an intensity that was unrivaled. Offense, defense, special teams, players on either squad saw the example he set and followed their leader.

For most Division I football programs, offensive players stick with the offense and likewise with the defense. But when safety Jarren Hampton was asked to put to words what it was like to be a teammate of Rourke’s at the end of the Potato Bowl, those tears that Rourke had welled up finally burst.

“He wants to be remembered as a great

teammate,” Hampton said. “That’s exactly what he was: a leader, captain. He comes on the field, puts it all out there, works hard. He gives us everything he has. That’s why we’ve been successful in the past.”

And that’s exactly how he wants to be remembered. He’s currently in Nashville training for a chance to continue his dream of playing football. The goal is the NFL no matter what.

To him, it feels like standing out there on that balcony was longer than a month ago. And at the same time, it feels like yesterday. Just a few months ago he was slinging passes to Shane Hooks and Isiah Cox and handing the ball off to O’Shaan Allison and De’Montre Tuggle.

But it’s over, as all things do end eventually. But one thing will remain, and that’s that Nathan Rourke left a lasting legacy that will never be erased. His name is in the same breath as Tyler Tettleton, Ouellette, Tarrell Basham, Mike Mitchell and others who have cemented themselves as Ohio legends.

He doesn’t know where his football journey will take him.

All he knows is that the next one will have a piece of Ohio with it.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke tries to escape Central Michigan defense during the Homecoming game on Oct. 7, 2017.

(MIDGE MAZUR / WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The new and improved Edecia Beck J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER Deesh Beck is no more.

The 5-feet, 9-inch forward from Grand Rapids that wore No. 32 for Ohio last season was a one-and-done player that will never be seen again.

Beck was a promising freshman for Ohio. Bob Boldon thought she would play a vital role in his future plans. Her solid rebounding ability and grit were an addition to the team, but she was wild and often in foul trouble. Last season, he once compared her to a “bull in a china shop.”

“It’s good for the rebounding, but then she might pick up two or three unnecessary fouls because of it,” Boldon said of her last season.

It’s unknown what Beck’s freshman year could have been. At times she showed promise, but her inexperience and unhealthy habits off the court hindered her play. Freshmen don’t always work out.

People move on. Beck will be missed, but Ohio can count on her replacement.

Enter Edecia Beck.

Don’t let the similarity in the names fool you. Edecia is the new and improved version of Beck. Deesh 2.0, if you will.

The 5-feet, 9-inch forward from Grand Rapids that wears No. 21 for the Bobcats this season is a sophomore sensation. The real deal. A problem night in and out.

Beck isn’t just a part of Ohio’s future.

She’s its present. She’s a great rebounder, solid scorer and a poised player that plays with passion and control.

“She’s looked like a new player,” Boldon said. “She’s finally comfortable. I think toward the end of last year, she got in a comfort level with her role, but it didn’t seem like it clicked right away this year.

Now she seems very comfortable in how she’s playing.”

Beck was anything but cozy and content with her freshman season. On paper, her 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game were eye-opening for a player who averaged only 19.1 minutes a contest. In her eyes, however, she had failed to live up to her expectations.

She remembered her days when she was one of the top players in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. The forward that she was wasn’t the same beast of the past.

If she was going to get that back, she had to go back to her roots.

The first change was the number.

Beck wore No. 32 during her freshman season. She decided to change it to one that reminded her of better days.

“I played for a team called the Michigan Crossover in Detroit my sophomore year of high school, and they gave me the num14 / FEB. 6, 2020

Ohio women’s basketball forward Edecia Beck (No. 21) holds a ball for a portrait in The Convo during a routine practice.

(NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

ber 21, and I felt like I was in my prime,” Beck said. “Like I was really good.”

When Beck played for the Crossover, she averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game, according to the team site. She was one of the team’s best players and played with an attitude.

“I was a dog,” Beck said. “I had that mentality that we’re not losing.”

Beck’s determined physical play is what earned her minutes last season. She was considered the Draymond Green of the team: the player that’s willing to sacrifice her body to make a play. But Beck felt like her mindset also needed an adjustment before her sophomore year.

When Beck arrived on campus her freshman year, she felt like she wasn’t prepared physically or mentally. She wasn’t in the best shape. A pepperoni pizza from Dominos was her go-to choice for a post-practice meal. Oftentimes, she’d be the last person down the court on a fast break. She knew that had to stop.

In the off-season, Beck embraced the weight room. Extra workouts with strength and conditioning coach Dak Notestine made her stronger. She also made a major change to her diet.

“I started drinking more water,” Beck said. “I never used to drink water because I don’t like water.”

A new number, a new diet and a new workout regime were a great start. She needed one more change to put it over the top, though.

During a team volunteering day at the Athens County Food Pantry, Beck had an announcement.

“I don’t want to go by Deesh anymore,” she proclaimed. “Call me ‘Edecia.’”

Edecia — Beck’s birth name — comes from a mistake on her grandmother’s birth certificate.

“Her name is Edith,” Beck said. “But on her birth certificate, it says Edecia, so my mom named me Edecia.”

The team had no problem with the name change. Some people still call her Deesh, or “E,” out of habit from last year, but make no mistake: Beck has made her name known over the course of the season.

Currently, Beck averages 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Bobcats. The numbers aren’t significantly higher than last season, but the eye test shows improvement.

Beck is more controlled and explosive.

She’s patient with the ball but isn’t passive.

When the break starts, she’s one of the first people down. The changes are working, and her coach is proud of the results.

“It comes at different times,“ Boldon said. “It’s not like every freshman clicks at the same time. They hear what we’re saying. They hear it, they hear it, they hear it, and then they’re like ‘Oh, that’s what he means.’”

Edecia hears and sees what Boldon means. Deesh didn’t. In her second year, Beck has seen her role and her play elevate, and all she had to do was go back to her roots.

In her first start on Saturday, Feb. 1, the announcer belted the name Edecia Beck over the speaker as she trotted onto the court. Beck ended up having the best game of her career as a Bobcat. She finished with a career-high 12 points and eight rebounds.

For Beck, change has been good. Her confidence is back. She’s becoming the player she hoped to be: the new and improved version.

@JL_KIRVEN JK810916@OHIO.EDU

WRESTLING

Zac Carson has become a leader for Ohio 2 years after his transfer ELI FEAZELL FOR THE POST Zac Carson knew that he would be comfortable when he transferred to Ohio from Eastern Michigan in 2018.

Kyle Kaminski, a friend of Carson’s since middle school and a former Ohio wrestler, was one of many reasons why Carson decided to leave Ypsilanti, Michigan, for Athens.

Thanks to Kaminski, the people who Carson met at Ohio through him and great visits with the coaching staff made Carson confident that the Bobcats were the right team for him.

Everything about Ohio seemed to match up with what Carson wanted.

“I just felt like it was a really good fit,” Carson said.

For Carson, the transfer process was both busy and fast. Right after he got word that he could leave Eastern Michigan and decided that he was going to Ohio, he had to get his transcripts over to his new school and begin taking summer classes right away.

All of that lasted from March to when the Fall Semester started in August that year.

Luckily, the fall wasn’t nearly as busy for him.

“Once I got through that summer, it was pretty good,” Carson said.

Carson is a bigger fan of Athens than he is of Ypsilanti. He doesn’t have a problem with

his old campus, but Carson loves the architecture, buildings and atmosphere that he believes gives Athens more of a college feel.

While staying in the Mid-American Conference wasn’t a priority during Carson’s transfer, he thinks that his experience in the conference helped him throughout the process. He knew that other MAC coaches were paying attention to him after he qualified for the NCAA Tournament through Eastern Michigan and that they knew his style of wrestling. That helped bring a lot of interest toward him.

Schools aren’t the only thing that has changed throughout Carson’s wrestling career. He has switched weight classes twice: first in 2017 at Eastern Michigan when he went up to 165-pounds from 157-pounds, and again in 2018 when he went back down to 157-pounds in his first year with the Bobcats.

Carson never had a problem with these changes.

“At Eastern (Michigan), my coaches talked to me about going up, and I was like, ‘All right, I can wrestle whatever weight,’” Carson said.

When Carson came down to Ohio, he didn’t know what would be available to him, so he was ready to wrestle in whatever weight group that the team needed him in. He talked things over with coach Joel

Greenlee and made the final switch back down to his original weight class.

Carson felt quicker when he came down as well.

“I worked on more footwork and stuff like that when I came back down,” Carson said. “I think that made a big difference, too.”

Since he is a fifth-year and one of two returning Bobcats that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, Carson sees himself as a bit of a leader now. He’s had so much experience that he understands how certain wrestlers work.

He knows what he needs to do in order for himself and his team to be successful. “(I’m) just trying to get people to understand what they need to do,” Carson said.

“That doesn’t have to be the same thing as me, but (I’m) just kind of trying to take that leadership role to be able to be (like), ‘This is what need we need to do. This is how we need to do it.’”

The team that Carson is leading is young, which unfortunately showed in the team’s slow start this season. The team lost a lot of tough duals, the wrestlers would perform inconsistently from week to week and the Bobcats simply couldn’t figure themselves out.

Carson, however, is seeing a lot of progress with the team.

“These last few months, it’s cliche, but we’ve been working hard, and it’s showed up on the mat,” Carson said. “I think we keep progressing and do pretty well, and we’ll get a lot of guys to nationals.”

This season will be Carson’s last with the team, and he’ll miss the experience of getting through practices with some of his best friends every day while they also joke around and have a good time.

He won’t graduate until next fall when he plans to start a career as a student teacher. After graduation, he would love to coach wrestling, whether it be in high school or college.

Both wrestling and the state of Ohio have always been important to Carson.

He’s from Akron, and coming back to his home state was an important factor in Carson’s recruiting process. He loved Athens’ location because he was far away enough to do his own thing, but he was also able to remain within the reach of the people important to him back home.

Those people will always be a big part of his life.

@ELIFEAZ EF195418@OHIO.EDU

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INSIDE BAYLEE’S BRAIN

Canceling the OU Chinese New Year celebration is racist The coronavirus is not a valid reason to cancel Chinese New Year celebrations in Ohio

BAYLEE DEMUTH is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University.

Pre-Season Basketball Tournament | $25 January 18 – 19 Register today on recshop.ohio.edu Sibs Weekend Escape Room | $5 (or free for intramural pass holders) February 8 NCAA Basketball Bracket Challenge | $5 (or free for intramural pass holders) • Men’s: March 9 – April 6 • Women’s: March 9 – April 5 Moms Weekend Sand Volleyball Tournament | $15 April 4

In the case of inclement weather, the tournament will be relocated to the indoor volleyball courts at Ping Recreation Center

Register for the family weekend events or NCAA challenge on the OHIO Rec app or imleagues.com Questions? Contact imsports@ohio.edu

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS www.ohio.edu/recreation

16 / FEB. 6, 2020

“X

innian hao” means Happy New Year in Chinese. You know where you might not be hearing that this year? At the annual Chinese New Year celebration held in Baker Ballroom.

Why? Because of the fear surrounding the coronavirus.

The 2019 novel coronavirus is a recently discovered outbreak of a respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Since its detection in December 2019, the disease has spread to numerous countries around the globe, including the U.S. With the world death toll surmounting to over 500 people, it’s understandable to be afraid. But cancelling an entire cultural celebration because of something not affecting people here is borderline xenophobic.

As of Feb. 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not found any confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio. Two students at Miami University supposedly contracted the disease, but that turned out to be false. Unfortunately, that incident and countless other cases have led to a national fear of not only the virus, but the Asian population as a whole.

The Lunar New Year is China’s most important holiday. Celebrating it in Athens gives overseas Chinese students and Chinese American families living here the opportunity to commemorate a significant part of their heritage. It’s also an occasion for others to come and appreciate the rich culture of China through food, music and dance. The experience is truly all-encompassing.

The gala was supposed to take place Sunday, Feb. 9, but when I heard it was being postponed indefinitely, leaning toward cancellation, I was angry.

Planning an event of this scale is no small feat. You have to advertise well and sell tickets, figure out who has the best Chinese cuisine around and if they’ll cater the event and create a lineup of performances that best reflect Chinese culture. All of that and more probably went into planning this year’s gala, but will anybody see all the hard work the performers, organizers and restaurants have put into getting ready for the festival?

Most likely not because people can’t risk getting the “Chinese Disease.”

Newsflash: You’re much more likely to catch the flu than the coronavirus, especially in Ohio. While OU’s celebration is currently only postponed, there are other universities in Ohio that have completely canceled their celebrations due to the coronavirus scare.

It’s disappointing to know racism has clouded people’s judgment, leading them to make decisions about something without getting the whole picture first. But what’s new? The false information surrounding coronavirus needs to be addressed, and that doesn’t start by canceling China’s largest festival of the Lunar New Year in communities where it matters so much right now.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Baylee? Email her at bd575016@ohio.edu.

FREAKS AND GEEKS

GEIGER COUNTER

Iowa Caucuses: Blame the technology, not the process

F

eb. 3, 2020, is a date that will live in electoral infamy. The Iowa Caucus, an event that is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for many candidates and MATTHEW commentators, experiGEIGER enced significant delays is a freshman in the reporting of restudying sults. The consequences economics of such have prompted at Ohio many pundits to quesUniversity. tion the credibility and purpose of Iowa’s caucusing system and their pole position on the primary calendar.

The Iowa Caucuses themselves, however, are not to blame. Instead, the fault should be placed on the Iowa Democratic Party, or IDP, and its complete lack of preparedness on Monday.

The problem? A new app used by the IDP to report results.

“As part of our investigation, we determined with certainty that the underlying data collected via the app was sound,” IDP Chairman Troy Price said in a news release.

“While the app was recording data accurately, it was reporting out only partial data. We have determined that this was due to a coding issue in the reporting system. This issue was identified and fixed.”

Iowa Democratic officials should have seen this coming. According to an NPR report, the IDP declined to answer if the app had been investigated for any vulnerabilities.

The party also refused to explain what measures had been instituted to certify the application’s security and effectiveness.

Such a lack of transparency left cybersecurity experts understandably concerned.

Doug Jones, a computer science professor at the University of Iowa and a former caucus

NOAH DESANTIS is a freshman studying integrated media at Ohio University.

precinct leader, said in that NPR report that “drawing the blinds on the process leaves us, in the public, in a position where we can’t even assess the competence of the people doing something on our behalf.”

The backup plan for system failure is to use a hotline to report results. The ineffectiveness of that system was also exposed on caucus night when a caucus chairman was hung up on by the state party after holding for nearly 90 minutes. All of this unfolded live on CNN, deepening the hole that Iowa Democratic officials have dug themselves.

The IDP was not ready for Monday evening’s caucuses. Despite the incident, the caucuses themselves should be viewed in a separate lens.

A separate NPR article summarizes precisely why Iowa makes an excellent choice for the first vote of the presidential primary: “Iowa is small enough for every candidate to make his or her way all across the state and advertise on the cheap. Small candidates can compete with the big dogs in Iowa from Day 1.”

For instance, a once little-known senator by the name of Barack Obama surged to prominence with a victory in the 2008 caucuses. Other underdog candidates who used Iowa as a catapult to nominations include Jimmy Carter and John Kerry.

If a large state like California or New York was selected for the first vote of election season, then the vote would be decided by who has the biggest bank account.

Iowa, even if it doesn’t look like it, is the epitome of a proper democratic process: small, intimate and filled with passionate candidates and voters alike.

Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Matthew?

Tweet him @Mattg444.

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5 ways to get yourself out of a gym rut Turn your New Year’s resolution into a lifestyle change

ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR JOHNSTON

MADDIE BUSSERT FOR THE POST We’ve all been there: You made a New Year’s resolution to start going to the gym more, and for the first month of the year, your motivation has been sky high. Maybe you’ve been going to the gym consistently, eating right, feeling good — but suddenly, as February rolls around, you lose all of your motivation, and you’re back to square one.

Getting back in the groove can take hard work and determination, especially in these cold winter months when you’d much rather stay inside. Here are a few things you can do to get back on track: SET AN EARLY ALARM There’s nothing worse than going to the gym right after class or work, only to find the gym is almost too crowded to

18 / FEB. 6, 2020

move. If you have to wait for your favorite machines to be open, you’d probably just rather leave.

To avoid the 5 o’clock rush, set an early alarm and go to the gym before you start the rest of your day. If you’re really early, you might even have the gym to yourself.

Sure, getting up a few hours earlier might seem terrifying, but grab a cup of coffee or tea before, and you’re guaranteed to feel better afterwards.

TRY A NEW WORKOUT If you’re doing the same workout each time you go to the gym, you’re likely to get bored quickly. Switching up your workout routine is not only good for your body — it can help you get excited about the gym again.

If you’re a regular runner, try doing some weight lifting exercises. If you always lift, give your muscles a break with

a yoga class or low-weight workout. If you end up not enjoying the new activities, that’s even more reason to get back to the form of exercise you love.

FIND A FRIEND TO GO WITH YOU Going to the gym alone can be intimidating at times. When it comes to working out, sometimes two is better than one.

Bringing a friend along with you can help hold you accountable to get a good workout in. You’ll be more inclined to push yourself with a friend there to motivate you, and you’ll always have someone there to spot or help with workouts as well.

GET SOME NEW WORKOUT CLOTHES If you’re looking for a reason to treat yourself, this is it. Sometimes getting yourself some new gym clothes can give you that extra push to go.

Get yourself something that makes you

feel comfortable and good in your own skin, so you look and feel amazing while you’re working out.

REMEMBER YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL If you made a resolution to get back in the gym and you’re having a hard time getting there, sometimes it’s good to take a step back and remember your long-term goals. If sticking with a routine is something you’re struggling with, it may be a good idea to set smaller goals and work your way up to your end goal.

Focus on what you can do to improve yourself each time you’re at the gym, whether that’s increasing your weight by 5 pounds or running that extra minute.

The key is to remember why you started in the first place.

@BUSSERTMADDIE MB901017@OHIO.EDU

Louis Tomlinson’s ‘Walls’ has 3 OK songs, and that’s it BRE OFFENBERGER COPY CHIEF As the last member of the world-class British boyband One Direction to release a solo album, Louis Tomlinson knew he had to create something extraordinary. His efforts — though it’s not evident he even tried at all — fell extremely short, as his debut, Walls, is utterly forgettable and does nothing but put listeners to sleep, excluding a few sufficient moments.

When One Direction began conquering the world after placing third on The X Factor in 2010 and getting signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco Records, every fan soon picked a favorite. Tomlinson seemed to sit in the back of most people’s minds.

He has the softest voice of the five members, and it was easy to forget he was in the tracks at times since he had a low number of solos. He wasn’t able to assert himself then, and he still isn’t now.

Despite having 37 songwriting credits on some of One Direction’s best work, Tomlinson couldn’t translate that lyrical flair over to Walls. The 12-track album is Tomlinson’s poor attempt to be something he’s not: a soft pop star and a ballad virtuoso.

He doesn’t even sound like he can sing

PHOTO PROVIDED VIA @POPCRAVE ON TWITTER

RATING: on the opener, “Kill My Mind.” “Perfect Now” is anything but what the track suggests, as Tomlinson’s vocals sound flat alongside the lackluster instrumentation. “Habit” sounds like it would better suit Kacey Musgraves’ tender vocals, but Tomlinson takes it and makes it repetitive to the point that Rebecca Black’s “Friday” would be a better listen.

Nine of the tracks are lifeless, and Walls as a whole proves Tomlinson is not much without his former bandmates besides a decent harmonizer. Here are the only three bearable tracks from Walls:

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3. “TOO YOUNG” What works on “Too Young” is its simplicity and the fact that it’s not intolerably repetitive.

Tomlinson’s delicate vocals pair well with the soothing acoustic guitar as he reveals how he’s just now realizing his young love was everything he’s ever wanted. That unquestionably alludes to Eleanor Calder, who Tomlinson started dating in 2011 amid his rise to fame. The pair parted ways in 2015 but reunited in 2017, and despite false rumors they’re engaged, they seem to be as happy as ever with each other.

He’s talking directly to the love of his life as he reminisces on how he had it all and let it go: “I’ve been looking back a lot lately / Me and you is all I’ve ever known / It’s hard to think you could ever hate me / But everything’s feeling different now.”

2. “ALWAYS YOU” Containing the most enthralling instrumentation on the album is “Always You,” a track with the same overall theme as “Too Young”: Tomlinson shouldn’t have split from the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Alongside a gentle electric guitar from producer John Foyle, Tomlinson uses his small vocal range to his advantage as he

realizes nothing feels right without Calder by his side. “I went from LAX to Heathrow / Walked through my door, but it felt nothing like home ’cause you’re not home,” Tomlinson sings.

1. “DON’T LET IT BREAK YOUR HEART” Tomlinson has endured a rough last few years. His mother, Johannah Deakin, passed in 2016 after battling leukemia, and his sister, Felicite, passed in 2019 of a heart attack. “Don’t Let it Break Your Heart” seems to be Tomlinson’s ode to them.

As he struggles with recovering from the loss of two of the people closest to him, he tries to think optimistically, promising himself it’s only up from what he’s currently feeling: “It comes, it goes / We’re driving down a one-way road to something better, something better / What hurts you is gonna pass, and you’ll have learned from it when it comes back / You’ll be doing better.” The track is the only one on that album that’s worthy of more than a couple listens, making it the best on Walls.

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Chesterhill Produce Auction helps fight Morgan County food desert COURTNEY PERRETT | FOR THE POST hen Jean and Marvin Konkle retired to the small, rural village of Chesterhill in 2003, they noticed one thing was missing from the community: a produce market.

They decided to help by creating their own.

Located about 30 minutes southwest of Athens in Morgan County, the remote location made it difficult for its residents to access fresh, good-quality produce. The Konkles started the Chesterhill Produce Auction, which helped bring an isolated community out of a food desert.

The Konkles had previously experienced the success of a large, fruitful produce auction managed by a local Mennonite community where they had lived in Bainbridge, and it planted a seed in Jean’s mind.

“Jean had the idea to create a produce auction in Chesterhill, and it became her big project,” Tom Redfern, the director of sustainable agriculture and forestry at Rural Action, a local non-profit organization, said. “I came here to work with Rural Action’s agricultural program, and what we’re trying to do is make a local food system to help improve the economy.”

He said it’s imperative for a non-profit to be applying

for all the grants they can in order to support their initiatives. Redfern said he knew better than anyone how badly Chesterhill needed Jean’s idea to pan out in the community’s favor.

Marvin died in early October 2019 at 85 years old, and Jean has been in declining health since. Redfern said he worked closely with the Konkles as they dedicated the future of their retirement to transforming rural Southeast Ohio into a profitable, local food hub. The process of developing a produce auction is long and laboring and something the Konkles had experience with when they moved to the area.

Redfern said the primary goal of the auction was to ensure that more people would have access to fresh produce while supporting the local farmers who grow it. Jean began the process by reaching out to her Amish neighbors, who were dedicated farmers and carpenters, to see if she could pique their interest in an otherwise daunting initiative. She conducted meetings where she explained how the produce auction would be successful and how it would help generate more income for the community in Chesterhill.

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Morgan County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio.

It has a total population of fewer than 15,000 people with a median household income of $28,868 per year, according to a 2010 study done by the Ohio University Voinovich School for Leadership and Public Affairs.

“Rural Action worked with Jean, Ohio State University’s educational extension and a few producers from Bainbridge who had started the auction there, and we basically began meeting each month,” Redfern said.

Redfern said that Rural Action helped turn the Konkle’s dreams into a reality.

“The produce auction serves as a point of aggregation to make it worthwhile for people to come there,” Redfern said, describing the impact the auction made in combating the village’s geographical isolation.

As the auction developed, Rural Action created a culturally acceptable, functional framework to ensure the involvement of the Amish farmers who played a key role in the project’s success.

“The majority of people who participate in the produce auction are non-Amish, but the majority of food is from the Amish farms,” Redfern said.

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Every Monday and Thursday afternoon from May to October, the market is open. Redfern said that many local consumers who participate in the auction purchase wholesale produce, including but not limited to local restaurants, resellers and Ohio University. However, most auction attendees are residents of Morgan County picking up a bag of produce for the week.

“Without the produce auction, Chesterhill would be very dependent on major corporate grocery chains miles away for access to food,” Levi Brown, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer responsible for managing the auction’s business development, said.

In June 2005, the first produce auction took place under a few shaky tents, as the official auction house was still under construction. Amish farmers watched as their produce sold in bulk, finally allowing them to turn a sustainable profit for the first time in many years.

Amish farmers often hoist fresh produce onto their horse-drawn buggies and make the journey to the auction house. Wooden pallets hold the produce on the auction floor while excited buyers inspect it, hoping to set their sights on the best fresh deals.

“These are very diversified producers,” Redfern said. “They have greenhouses, raise livestock, mill lumber and build furniture, so there’s plenty of work to do on the farms.”

Rural Action’s role has grown as the produce auction has evolved over time. Initially, the non-profit’s role was to connect the Konkles with local resources that would help them to manage the logistics of the auction. In 2010, the Konkles decided to retire permanently, and Rural Action approached them about purchasing the auction with the promise that it would remain fully functional. Rural Action now runs the auction as a social enterprise with help from community investors, various grants, loans and partnerships with local organizations.

Redfern estimated that the auction brought in approximately $370,000 in gross sales in 2019. This shows a significant increase from the auction’s early days, where a full year’s sales barely made $50,000. Despite these figures, the residents of Chesterhill say that the auction is beneficial to the community.

“A lot of people choose to go to the grocery store, but the Chesterhill Produce Auction has created a time and space for people to come and shop. They’ve brought those conveniences to the farmers, too,” said Rose Berardi, owner of the Triple Nickel Diner, a local, family-owned

and operated restaurant that regularly sources produce from the auction. “I know that tons of restaurants from Athens and Morgan County buy from the produce auction, especially in order to store for the winter.”

The main goal of the auction is to create a space where people can come together to build a community, Jessica Dotson, the site assistant for the auction, said.

“Community impact is a combination of economic im-

pacts and fresh food access,” Dotson said. “Chesterhill has no grocery stores and few places to buy fresh produce.

Given its central location, the Chesterhill Produce Auction meets the needs of this community by providing affordable food to residents.”

@COURT_PERRETT12 CP160517@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Sibs Weekend

SOPHIA ENGLEHART FOR THE POST

Spring Semester in Athens can mean a lot of different things to the students of Ohio University. This particular semester, filled with the afterglow of Joe Burrow’s Heisman trophy win and the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, continues to brim with possibilities for all.

Despite all the business, some things, such as the various OU Sibs Weekend festivities, remain the same. Sibs Weekend, which lasts from Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 9, will host a plethora of fun, spontaneous activities and events for students and visitors alike.

“I’m always excited about special events that allow a student’s family to enjoy campus and see what their students have been working on,” Josh 22 / FEB. 6, 2020

Gruenke, associate director of student activities for the Campus Involvement Center, said. “We have heavy involvement from a lot of multicultural groups having things like fashion shows.”

OU hosts a variety of different weekend events, such as Dad’s Weekend, Mom’s Weekend and Sibs Weekend, to bring liveliness and vigor back to Athens.

Stand up comedian and former America’s Got Talent contestant Preacher Lawson will perform at 8 p.m. at MemAud on Friday. Lawson, in addition to his comedic career, maintains a Youtube channel with over 370,000 subscribers.

“We are really excited to have Preacher,” Corbin Marsh, assistant director of programming of the OU Performing Arts & Concert Series, said. “He is going to work well with the crowds because he has a goofy sense of humor, which appeals to a lot of different age

groups.”

The OU Performing Arts & Concert Series program traditionally presents a family-friendly program on the Friday of Sibs Weekend, with Saturday being reserved for concerts and music performances.

“The last few years, we have been looking to offer a new program for Friday nights,” Andrew Holzaepfel, senior associate director for student activities, said. “The Multicultural Center has always done a Saturday night ‘sibs concert,’ and they’ve had a lot of success with that.”

This year, OU will host rapper G Herbo, who will perform at MemAud on Saturday. The doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m.

For students and siblings looking for more music-related events, Alden Library will host a silent disco Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the CoLab on

Two models participate in the FACES Sibs Weekend Fashion Show in Baker Theater on Feb. 4, 2017. (LAILA RIAZ / FOR THE POST)

the third floor. The CoLab will also provide wireless headphones, refreshments and local DJs to entertain attendees.

Additionally, Alden will host a free ‘A to Zine’ workshop from noon to 2 p.m., where students construct a mini magazine — a zine — out of cutout letters and images in the Friends of the Library, Room 319.

OU athletics will also be turning out in full force to compete this weekend. OU men’s hockey will play against Stony Brook University from New York at Bird Arena on both Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will play at home on Saturday in The Convo. The ladies will be up against Kent State at 1 p.m., and the men’s team plays Miami University at 3:30 p.m.

If students are looking to spend some quality time with their sibling away from the ruckus of campus, The Ridges is hosting a zipline activity on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be hiking trails open in Hocking Hills to visitors and a stargazing and campfire session available from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.

OU FACES, a student modeling organization that encourages body positivity and self love, will also put on its annual fashion show at Baker Theater at 3 p.m.

With all the many activities available this weekend for students and siblings, there is no limit to the mischief or memories to be made.

“For Sibs Weekend, I would probably take them (siblings) around campus and show them around,” Justin Sackett, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering, said. “The thing I would be looking forward to most for that weekend is to just see my siblings.”

@ENGLEHART_SOPHIA SE269217@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S GOING ON? TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST

FRIDAY The Big Cover-Up XXI at 9 p.m. at

The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. Blackout Booking and 97.5 FM WLCI will present a show of local bands and artists performing for the night as cover bands to raise money for the Athens County Humane Society. Admission: $5 donation recommended Hearts on Fire Pop up Sale at 5 p.m.

at West End Ciderworks and Distillery Tasting Room, 237 W. State St. Shop local and find high-quality, handcrafted wares and taste some local spirits. Admission: Free For the Love of Athens: Photo Exhibition at 5 p.m. at ARTS/West, 132

W. State St. The art opening is free and open to the public featuring food, drinks and live piano music

by Amy Abercrombie.

Admission: Free

SATURDAY Fire Fest at noon. at Hocking Col-

lege, 3301 Hocking Parkway. An event bringing together local and regional artists to celebrate glass, ceramics and other fire-based media. The event will include ceramic demonstration and networking for artists. Admission: Free

Kazma’s Dating Game at 6:30 p.m.

at Athens Uncorked, 14 Station St. Kazma Knights and her Uncorked Dolls will be having a very special evening of fun. Those who dare can play the dating game at intermission. Admission: $8 at door Brrrrr Oak Winter Hike at 10 a.m. at

Burr Oak State Park, 10660 Burr Oak Lodge Road. Explore the scenic views of Burr Oak State Park while trying to spot the Burr Oak eagles. Admission: Free

The Union• 18 W Union St

The Dairy Barn Arts Center

GYRATION NATION

A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF

DANCE LIBERATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION A Dance Liberation for VOTER REGISTRATION! featuring DJ BARTICUS Bring your friends, register to vote, and then dance the night away All ages welcome, especially 17 and up.

Thursday Feb. 6th 9 pm - 2am

SUNDAY

21 and over FREE $2 cover charge under 21

18th Annual Bowl-A-Rama! at 1 p.m.

at Starbrick Cooperative Gallery, 21 W. Columbus St., Nelsonville. The event features art bowls made by the artists at Starbrick and an array of chillies, including hot, mild, vegan, vegetarian, beef, pork and chicken. Buy a bowl and the chili is free. Admission: purchase of a bowl Game Night at 3 p.m. at Little Fish

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Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

PREACHER LAWSON Friday Feb. 7th 8:00 pm

Admission: $5, free for members and children under 12..

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West End Ciderhouse

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Join Chris Monday for Open Mic Night. $1 off most house & draft taps

EVERY MONDAY 7-10 pm

OPEN STAGE Donkey Coffee

DESIGNATED SPACE Poetry, prose and spokenword open stage.

OPEN STAGE

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$20 General Admission

Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road. It will feature games like Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Risk and Euchre. Players are encouraged to bring any games they would like to share.

Admission: Free Full Moon Hike at 6 p.m. at Lake

Glidden Recital Hall

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on view through Feb. 8th

ohio.edu/performing-arts

The Front Room • Baker Univ. Ctr

Hope State Park, 27331 OH-278, McArthur. Enjoy a hike with nature while looking out for nighttime creatures. No flashlight needed, as those on the hike will be allowing their eyes to adjust to the nighttime darkness. Admission: Free

GARY JACKSON KIRKSEY

EVERY TUESDAY 9-11 pm

EVERY FRIDAY 8:00 pm

TROMBONE DAY 2020

The Ohio University Trombone Day 2020 will be a full day of trombonerelated activities at the Ohio University School of Music including master classes, mass trombone choir and a final concert.Fueatured artist José Milton Vieira; rising trombone superstar will perform.

Saturday, Feb. 8th

Guest Artist Recital • 1pm Trombone Day Concert • 5pm

FREE ADMISSION

This exhibition, from the artist’s personal archive of roughly 30,000 images taken in more than 100 countries.

Through Mar. 22nd

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Market on State

ATHENS FARMERS MARKET: THE HANDS THAT FEED US The exhibit features a body of work created through a partnership between the Athens Photo Project and the Athens Farmers Market.

The exhibition features work from 22 APP artists who spent six weeks exploring and documenting many of the local farms and businesses that comprise the Athens Farmers Market.

on view Through April 30th

FREE ADMISSION

OPEN STAGE

Showcase your talent-or just enjoy a cup of coffee as a spectator

Kennedy Museum of Art PICTURE THE WORLD: BURHAN DOĞANÇAY AS PHOTOGRAPHER

Baker Univ. Ctr 3rd Floor Atrium

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CLOTHING SWAP Stop by and browse potential additions and upgrades to your wardrobe. All items will be priced between $2 and $4. Receive 50% discount if you bring clothes to swap!

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An incomplete historical survey of work by African-American graphic designers. Curated by Jerome Harris

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

OU announces new separation and early retirement programs Who is eligible for this program?

IAN MCKENZIE ASST. NEWS EDITOR Ohio University announced two voluntary separation and early retirement plans on Wednesday that make 674 employees eligible for an early retirement or separation.

OU is doing this for “operational and budgetary purposes,” according to a university document.

The first program, the Voluntary Separation or Retirement Program, is available to 608 faculty members who are tenured professors, tenured associate professors and administrative staff who are ranked as tenured professors or tenured associate professors, according to the news release.

The 608 faculty members are in all colleges at the Athens campus or regional campuses, except the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, or HCOM. There are over 300 associate professors who are eligible by age and over 20 associate professors who are not eligible by age.

There are over 250 professors eligible by age and 19 professors who are not eligible by age.

Employees who are not eligible are visiting, temporary, on-call, under special contracts, early faculty retirees and people who have participated in a previous voluntary separation or early retirement incentive program.

People who choose to participate in the program will leave OU on May 31 and will get one year of their current base salary. It will be paid over four times over an 18-month period: in July, December, July 2021 and December 2021.

There will also be a one-time payment of $20,000 for healthcare if the employee is currently enrolled in the university’s medical insurance plan, according to OU’s website. That payment will be made in July.

People who have 10 or more years of work with OU will also receive the retirement sick leave payout in the June 15 pay period.

In order to be eligible for the retirement program, employees who are 60 years old or older need to have worked at OU for five years. If the employee is between 55 and 60 years old, they need 25 years of experience. If the employee has 30 or more years working at OU, they are eligible, according to university policy.

THURS

FEB 20 3-7 pm

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Baker Center 3rd Floor Atrium

66 employees

608 faculty

Employees have to declare their intention to participate in the program by 5 p.m. on March 20.

The second program, the Early Retirement Incentive Program, is available to residential custodians who are in the AFSCME trade union. It is also available to custodians who are eligible to retire.

There are 66 employees who are eligible for the program.

Employees who decide to participate in the program will leave the university between April 30 and June 30.

They will receive either $15,000 or 100% of their annual salary for the 2020 fiscal year, whichever is the smaller amount.

There will also be additional funds to offset health benefits for employees who are enrolled in OU’s medical

insurance plan.

OU President Duane Nellis worked with people in academic affairs, legal affairs and human resources to develop the Voluntary Separation or Retirement Program and the Early Retirement Incentive Program, according to an OU news release.

OU is also in the process of starting an alignment project for administrative areas.

The Board of Trustees authorized Nellis to develop this early retirement incentive or voluntary separation program at its January meeting.

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