April 21, 2026

US Headlines

60 minutes in Baker Center with UAOU

opens

Peace talks, Strait of Hormuz

FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER

13 Mon _________________

Viktor Orbán loses Hungarian election Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lost the Hungarian election over the weekend.

The loss has major implications for the U.S., as Orbán has long been an ally of President Donald Trump as well as many other conservatives in the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

Trump has been in support of Orbán’s reelection campaign, even sending Vice President JD Vance to Budapest to advocate for the candidate. Orbán’s loss demonstrated how the ongoing Iranian war is impacting Trump’s ability to influence elections overseas.

Orbán’s defeat is highly influential, as the former Prime Minister was the closest European leader to Russian President Vladimir Putin and even blocked aid to Ukraine. The election loss was celebrated by Democrats and Republicans alike, who were critical of U.S. support for the Hungarian leader.

14 Tue __________________

US enacts blockade at Strait of Hormuz

Trump has announced a blockade of Iranian ports that began April 13. The blockade could bring further disruptions to oil prices and raise concerns regarding international law, the AP reported.

The blockade was threatened after the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran failed, and no deal has been reached. It is expected to draw major resources from the U.S. Navy and bring about concerns regarding military force.

According to a defense official, the U.S. has 16 warships in the Middle East currently, but has offered few details beyond that. A second defense official said there are currently no warships in the Persian Gulf, which borders Iran.

15 Wed __________________

Trump pushes to extend foreign surveillance program

Trump is pushing Congress to pass the reauthorization of a program that allows U.S. spy agencies to monitor and surveil foreigners’ calls, texts and emails. He is arguing the program has saved Americans’ lives, while those who oppose worry about the concerns of such vast monitoring, according to the AP.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires Monday, allows the CIA, FBI and other agencies to analyze and collect communications overseas without warrants. Americans’ data.

JACKSON MCCOY, SOPHIA ROOKSBERRY, ALEXANDRA HOPKINS | FOR THE POST

United Academics of Ohio University is the labor union representing OU faculty members. Formerly OU American Association of University Professors, UAOU started organizing in 2019 and officially voted to unionize in March 2025, with 71% of faculty voting in favor of unionization.

The Post’s executive editors – Jackson McCoy, editor-in-chief, Sophia Rooksberry, managing editor, and Alexandra Hopkins, community standards editor – sat down with members of UAOU for an hour-long conversation Friday. Present UAOU members included Matthew deTar, associate professor of communication students and organizing coordinator for UAOU; Miriam Shadis, associate professor of history and members of the union’s organizing, communications and nomination committees; Rachel Terman, associate professor of sociology and member of the union’s bargaining team; Joe McLaughlin, associate professor of English and member of the union’s bargaining team; and Julie White, professor of political science and member of the organizing committee.

Sophia Rooksberry: What was the moment that you all knew that you wanted to organize with UAOU?

Rachel Terman: It was a very stressful, intense time for everyone. And faculty did a lot of work to get all of our classes online and make sure that we can finish out the semester. That semester, there had been talk about budget cuts, and there was a lot of concern, especially among instructional

faculty and untenured faculty, about being laid off. And I was also eight months pregnant with my second kid, and we made it to the end of the semester, and everyone was like, “OK,” and the administration said, “We’re gooing to put a pause on these budget cuts. Let’s just all work together to get through it.” And we did. And then it was right after the semester ended, they were like, oh, budget cuts are back on the table. They laid off several people from my department, instructional faculty and our administrative assistants, and also we knew that the decision from the Dean was that any untenured or instructional faculty were on the chopping block. I was like, “Oh my gosh. My whole life is hanging in the balance here.” I was not laid off, but several valuable colleagues were. I knew I had been hearing about the unionization effort, and I was like, this is insane. Like, I can’t work, we can’t work like this. So that’s when I decided to join.

Joe McLaughlin: When things started, really in the fall of 2019 some people, including (White), started to kind of coax me to get involved. I had just finished a three year term as chair of Faculty Senate, and I was just ready to step back and not do anything for a while. But this seemed important. There were certain things about that process that were unsatisfactory, and it seemed like organizing a union was maybe a better way forward. And then, like (Terman) just described, they fired 50-plus faculty in the spring of 2020 including very valuable and beloved colleagues in English at that point, there was just no looking back.

For me, it seems that it’s always been there. Why aren’t we unionized? Faculty at other universities are colleagues, and other places have very different experiences of how they contribute to the status that they have at the university in terms of their contract, but also in terms of academic freedom. I just think that to me, it seemed like a natural, obvious thing that there should be a union; if you have a university, that the faculty should be organized. I’m a medievalist, and that’s how it was in the

Ohioans lead petition to prevent growth of data centers

FINN SMITH | NEWS STAFF WRITER

A coalition of Ohioans is collecting signatures to establish a constitutional amendment prohibiting the development of a data center exceeding 25 megawatts of electricity per month.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office certified the petition title and summary for the amendment, known as “Prohibition of Construction of a Data Center,” on March 26. The grassroots movement is led by residents of Brown County, Adams County and Clermont County, Andrew Gula, an organizer of the petition, said.

Jessica Baker, one of the organizers of the petition and a resident of Clermont County, discussed the impacts that data centers had that sparked the idea for the petition.

“We started realizing that it’s not going to benefit the community,” Baker said. “The tax abatements, the tax exemptions, the TIFS, the water consumption, the power consumption. We’re screaming at every legislator that we can talk to our concerns, and we feel like nobody’s listening, so we decided that we would just take it into our own hands.”

Republican Rep. Kevin Ritter of District 94, comprising Athens County, Meigs County and Washington County, addressed some of those concerns, urging readers to look at the specific data center being proposed and to stay informed on the issue. He said all data centers work differently and it is important to be aware and knowledgeable.

‘The next county commissioner is going to be a woman’

HOGG | NEWS STAFF WRITER

Primary election absentee and overseas voting has begun in Ohio, with inperson voting scheduled for May 5. Among the races on the ballot is the election for president of the Athens County Board of Commissioners.

Current president Lenny Eliason is stepping down after serving in the role since August 1998. His term ends Dec. 31, leaving an open seat on the board.

Two candidates are seeking the position: Democrat Autumn Brown and Republican Sarah Smith. Both are running unopposed in their primaries and are expected to face each other in the general election.

Proposed income tax increase to appear on primary ballot

HOGG | NEWS STAFF WRITER

Athens voters will see a proposed 0.20% municipal income tax increase on the primary election ballot. Athens City Treasurer Josh Thomas said the new proposal comes after a state audit found city expenses are rising faster than revenues.

For residents earning about $30,000 annually, the increase would amount to approximately $60 more per year in income taxes.

The proposal follows a similar measure in the 2025 primary election, when a 0.30% increase was placed on the ballot and rejected by voters.

Thomas said if the trend continues, it could create long-term financial challenges.

“We lowered the rate a little bit,” Thomas said. “We listened to the voters as well. A lot of things people told us were, ‘Can you cut expenses and do things like that?’ So actually, the city did. We passed a budget this year that was lower, a flatter budget than we’d ever seen, so we did a lot of cutting expenses, but we still felt like we needed to talk about revenue as well.”

If approved, revenue from the increase would go into the city’s general fund, which primarily supports essential services such as police and fire departments. Thomas said about 75% of the general fund is allocated to payroll, and the additional revenue would not fund new initiatives.

KAITLIN

KAITLIN

SR: How are the negotiations going? What have the attitudes been about the negotiations, for you and for everyone on the other side of the table?

Julie White: Slow.

McLaughlin: I don’t know that we can talk a lot about specifics of what goes on. I mean, I think we can reiterate something that has been at the core of our messaging since we started bargaining last August, which is very frustrating, and it feels incredibly disrespectful; all of the delays that we’ve experienced, that we continue to experience. Today is 170 days since we introduced our compensation proposal to them, and we have heard nothing in response. Yet this is, this is the time of year when administrations are planning budgets and plans for next year, and because of status quo provisions, this is a second year in a row now that 900 faculty are not going to be receiving raises, and that’s not because we didn’t try to sort of push the process forward in an expeditious fashion. I think I can say this without getting into trouble, just as that kind of wider context of delay is happening, I would say the atmosphere in the room is leisurely.

Jackson McCoy: Dr. White, you had said “slow.” Is that pretty similar?

Julie White: Yes. I will just reflect on the sense among faculty who are not at the table. Yes, I think that it’s going too slow in the eyes of many faculty. And because some of the proposals have been things like longer term contracts for instructional faculty. It makes a difference to have faculty who have stable jobs, because they carry with them a kind of informal knowledge of curriculum of students, and I think our instructional faculty more than deserve that, but it is also really in the best interest of students for those faculty to have some commitment from the institution to their employment going forward. And so understandably, many of those faculty feel very vulnerable. And I think when there’s sort of a leisurely pace adopted by administration, I think that creates conditions where we’re likely to lose faculty, and we’ve lost a lot of faculty over the last couple years.

JM: What’s something you wish that more students specifically, or just people in general, knew about the negotiation process as you’re going through it?

McLaughlin: I think it’s important, students, people in general, to know that historically in bargaining, first contracts always take a long time. We’re probably going to be back at the table every three years from this point forward and those subsequent contracts, it’s not going to take that long.

The other thing, which I think more people need to know, although quite a few people do know, our negotiations have been incredibly complicated because of Senate Bill 1. We’re the first Union at a university in Ohio to bargain a new contract under SB 1. And you might have noticed, our administration is hyper cautious and overcompliant with SB 1. So this, this is one of the reasons why I think of their six person bargaining team, four of them are lawyers, one of whom is the General Counsel, Stacy Bennett, who, frankly, I was kind of surprised to see as part of the bargaining team. There are certain things because of SB 1 that we can simply not bargain for anymore.

in our contract. It’s explicitly prohibited in SB 1.

I think that to your question about what students and faculty maybe don’t know about the bargaining process, the thing that happens in the room is not actually where our success will be achieved, essentially. And this is true for the current student movements that are happening on campus. The success of those movements and the success of our movement will happen from our ability to make it inconvenient for the university to continue to delay and not respond. And so that’s part of what our public pressure and public presence is about, is trying to get them to actually do the thing they’re supposed to do at the table and that they’re trying to delay doing. And so we’re trying to be loud. We were at the Board of Trustees meeting this morning to do that. That’s why we’re all wearing red shirts.

Alexandra Hopkins: What’s different about this negotiation process, as opposed to other typical, for lack of a better word, negotiation processes?

McLaughlin. SB 1.

deTar: Joe already mentioned the number of lawyers in these meetings. I don’t think that’s typical, especially at the university level. So there is a lawyer employed by the university who is for negotiating contracts, Michael Courtney. He’s the head of Labor Relations at our university, but his boss is also in all of these meetings, which is what is so surprising. And they’re doing that because of SB 1, and this attempt to over comply in ways that benefit the administration.

Historically in Ohio, there have been lots of changes that have produced union contract development. Kent State negotiated its union contract before there was any law in Ohio about public employees, because they unionized right after the shooting, and so they were the first faculty union in Ohio. And since then, every union has sort of organized in a different atmosphere. Part of our comparative approach to these different unions is to think about, “When do they do this? Is that possible for us or not?” And some of it is not possible for us.

McLaughlin: I don’t know, typical or atypical, but they have a six person bargaining team. There are two lawyers from OU general counsel’s office. We have their lead negotiator, who is from BakerHostetler firm, who also comes to the meetings with a junior partner from the firm who has been at least three or four different people at this point. David Moore, who is the vice president for finance and administration, and Cary Frith, who is the executive assistant to the provost. Frith is the one person on the other side of the table who actually understands what our jobs are. I think, again, that is part of the disrespect.

While it is good that President Lori Stewart Gonzalez has chosen to send two vice presidents to the table, that’s part of the problem too, because these people are enormously busy. And I think not appointing a team who either could or were willing to make expeditious negotiations a priority is again, something I take as a sign of disrespect on their part.

JM: What are some of those things that you can’t bargain for under Senate Bill 1, are there any specifics that really stand out?

McLaughlin: Tenure, and post-tenure.

Matthew deTar: In most contracts at unions in Ohio, there’s a clause about how the university will fire faculty in closed departments and where the tenured faculty in closed departments will go within the university. We can no longer bargain any of that after SB 1. So there used to be a rule, and this happened to our colleagues at Wright State, where when (university administrations) closed departments and they had to move faculty to other departments who were tenured and their union fought to make that happen, and we can’t have that kind of a clause

anyway. So the point is not necessarily that we can’t strike, that was never going to be the way that we went to contract. And I think that our organizing power comes not from that. I think it’s disheartening, certainly, but that’s not where our organizing power is.

AH: Why, specifically, in your opinions, though, do you think OU is one of the last universities to actually organize a union in Ohio, especially considering how old OU is?

Shadis: When I first came to Ohio, which is now 30 years ago, I felt like the commitment to Faculty Senate was pretty strong, and Faculty Senate had a voice, and people felt that it represented them. So when we started talking about unionization 20 years ago, whatever, there was a lot of skepticism about what this would do to Faculty Senate, and do we really need this? There was a particular culture here of governance that was effective enough, I think. And also, I mean, our salaries have gone down. There was a time when I think people just didn’t feel the urgency of it.

McLaughlin: There was, there was a commitment on salaries to be the top three in the state. I served on Faculty Senate for 20 years, and I watched this happen over time. There was a lot of respect, there was a lot of feeling that it mattered. Then by the time I was done 20 years ago, my model of what Faculty Senate had become is what I call “thank you for your input.” It’s like

difference between getting what you need out of the class and experiences that aren’t what students or faculty would like to be having.

Shadis: It’s not just the individual classes, but also the fact that we just can’t offer, we can’t offer whole areas of study. My department right now is kind of a shambles, and it’s not all to do with the firings, moreso just the general misapprehension that the university seems to have about how a department needs to be structured, right? And how much that matters to the students’ experiences to be able to say, “Oh, yeah, I took a course in African history, or I took a course in Asian history.” It’s discouraging.

JM: There were two students arrested yesterday at the Board of Trustees protest. What were your reactions to that when you heard about that, is that, like, was that kind of, I don’t know, encouraging, disheartening?

Shadis: I think it makes the University look really bad. It makes them look anxious and punitive. I wasn’t able to be there. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see anything. I just heard about it. It wasn’t like there were these two students, who were causing all this trouble. There were 100 students there, so they were making an example out of these two kids, I think that’s my impression, and it just seems like it’s a bad look.

deTar: I think it just further

JM: Speaking of the president, in our interview that we did with her a couple weeks ago, she had mentioned specifically that under SB 1, faculty cannot strike. Can you talk about that a little bit? Are you looking for alternatives to a strike?

deTar: It’s true that we can’t strike under SB 1, but a union’s power doesn’t actually come from its ability to strike. I think a lot of people sort of boil down the negotiation process to like, we’re either going to bargain this or one party is going to walk away from the table and go on strike. And I don’t think that that is the reality of how strikes usually operate. In order to strike, you have to vote like your members have to vote. So Ohio University faculty, 51% of them, we need to vote in order to have a strike. And, I’ve talked to a lot of faculty in my college, the Scripps College of Communication, but also a lot of faculty in the College of Engineering. I’m not sure that that would ever happen

is a faculty member as well, and that was the ethos of her response. Does she show up to Faculty Senate meetings? Is this something that you’ve seen? Is she present at these?

Terman: Yes, but as the president, not as a faculty member, which I think is part of the procedure, but they leave, they come and give a report and take a couple questions, and then they leave for the actual bulk of the meeting, when the work is happening.

Shadis: It would be delightful if she really wanted to engage, as a faculty member, with faculty, even, even controversially, even on the other side of things, right?

JM: Is that different from previous presidents?

Shadis: I think it’s been a long time since there’s been a president who really got involved. President Nellis actually tried to; he liked being a faculty member. He tried to do that, even though it was not super successful. But I think it’s been, it’s been some some administrations ago, that was something that faculty the Presidents could easily do, actually.

President Davis, who was here for a long time and had a share of conflict with faculty. He at least had regular coffee-donut situations where you invite some faculty to come and talk to him. If it was all performative, that’s okay. It was something that’s just not.

SR: Could you speak a little bit to the impact that specifically, student support has had for you guys and just how you operate?

McLaughlin: They show up. They were there at our events this morning.

Shadis: It’s so encouraging. It’s just personally encouraging.

White: I think there are just very concrete shared frustrations. For instance, class sizes that are too big for your students to get what you hope as an instructor, they will get out of the class. And also, you’re often in a position where you can’t give the kind of feedback that would make a difference to the student moving through the material. So I think there are some really concrete convergences of interest. And when we lost the 53 faculty, we lost in 2020 we lost some really experienced and well loved instructors, and the replacing them, which we almost immediately had to do, because after COVID, our enrollments bounced back and then exceeded what what they had been in the past, they’ve been slow to bring new people on, and oftentimes, it takes all of us a little bit of time to get up to speed. So I feel like the students know how to value faculty much more clearly than the administration knows how to value faculty, because they’re in the classrooms and they recognize the

misunderstanding of

students. This is, I mean, it’s quite shocking, really. It also demonstrates a quite short memory. The Baker 70 (70 students who were arrested for protesting in Baker University Center in 2017) is still very recent, and so to not know what harm that did to the university is, it’s appalling.

McLaughlin: I was struck going to the rally, which I can only stay for the first 20 minutes for, but I heard, I heard four or five speakers, although they were mentioning things they were angry and frustrated about, like the closing of centers, like the lack of clear understanding about the university’s vision of what happens when ice comes to campus. What I heard even more strongly was they were out there protesting because the university was refusing to engage with them and dialog so that there are these issues that were hanging in the background, but we had a town hall and the President didn’t show up. The President folds one office hour a month, and you have to submit questions in advance and hope your question gets cherry picked by probably communications and marketing decides who gets to talk to the President. So it’s those kinds of frustrations, is what I was hearing out there. I mean, yes, there are issues, and people are angry about them, but they’re just fed up at the non response that they’re getting from the university. And in that sense, that seems something that’s very similar, not only to what we’re experiencing in negotiations, but what we have been experiencing from the administration for a very long time.

Shadis: It’s really sad to me, actually, that this administration has alienated themselves from faculty, from students, from the community. No, and I see them digging. I mean, I don’t know what’s going to happen, because they’re the ones who get the most money and have the most resources. But they’re kind of pinning themselves in a corner, it seems to me.

SR: Which specific principle that UAOU stands for is your guiding force that keeps you motivated?

White: Democratic control of the institution by the faculty and shared governance.

Members of the United Academics of Ohio University talk with members of The Post in the newsroom, April 17, 2026, in Baker Center. (Camden Paeltz | For The Post)

Scan the QR code to read the full interview!

U.S. authorities say the program is critical for national security, and changes to the program seem less possible after Trump supports a renewal. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously opposed the legislation but is now a strong supporter, the AP reported. Critics want to initiate warrants before they monitor any Americans’ data.

U.S. authorities say the program is critical for national security, and changes to the program seem less possible after Trump supports a renewal. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously opposed the legislation but is now a strong supporter, the AP reported.

16 Thur __________________

US might shift to economic warfare with Iran

The Trump administration is pivoting to a more economically focused war with Iran if no ceasefire or deal is reached soon, according to the AP. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. is planning to ramp up economic pain on the nation.

The U.S. already explores sanctions on Iran, and is now threatening to bring secondary sanctions. U.S. officials said the economic campaign is going to be the equivalent of the physical warfare seen recently.

Trump is threatening other nations, including allies of Iran such as China, the UAE, Oman and Hong Kong. In a letter sent recently to their financial institutions, the Treasury Department said there is the potential of secondary sanctions if business is done with Iran.

17 Fri _____________________

Strait of Hormuz opens, may open again

Iran officially reopened the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels, but concerns are still present about the extent of freedom ships have in transit, due to Tehran’s maintained grip on the strait. The country also threatened to close the strait again if the U.S. keeps its blockade in place, the AP reported.

Trump said the blockade will stay in place until a deal is reached between Washington and Tehran, including on a nuclear program in Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media that ships will use routes specified by the Islamic Republic, hinting at the continued level of control Iran might have on the key waterway.

The recent talks between the U.S. and Iran did not result in any deals, but Trump hinted at another round of discussions coming up soon.

19 Sun ___________________

Pakistan to host second round of U.S., Iran peace talks

Trump announced the next round of U.S. and Iranian talks will be hosted in Pakistan on Monday. The talks come as many hope it could bring an extension of the fragile ceasefire that is set to expire by Wednesday, according to the AP.

Iran did not immediately confirm the talks, but the chief negotiator for the nation said “there will be no retreat in the field of diplomacy” on Saturday.

Vice President JD Vance, who led the last round of talks, is set to lead the delegation in Pakistan.

Authorities in Pakistan are already tightening security in Islamabad, with U.S. advanced security teams already on the ground. On Saturday, Iran said it had received new proposals from the U.S., but it is unclear whether either nation has changed its stances on key issues that led to a failure in the last rounds of talks.

FS227223@OHIO.EDU

Blotter: Warrants of the week, arrests, ‘suspicious’ individuals

KAITLIN

HOGG | NEWS STAFF WRITER

10 Fri ___________________

Arrested

Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to help the Adult Parole Authority on BeeBee Road in Coolville after learning a parolee had a gun.

The APA made contact with a suspect at the scene, but it was determined another man was at the residence.

Brandon Losey was arrested for having multiple felony charges on his active warrant. Losey was taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.

Not quite a breaking and entering

Athens County Sheriff’s Office

deputies assisted the Albany Police Department at West Clinton Street in what they thought was an active breaking and entering.

It was determined on the scene that the individuals had permission to be on the property.

Snake in the couch

Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to North Plains Road after a caller said they believed a snake was inside their couch.

Deputies searched the couch but did not find a snake.

11 Sat __________________

Not suspicious, just elderly

Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sunset Lane in The Plains after receiving a report of a suspicious individual in the area.

The suspicious individual was determined to be an elderly person with dementia who was on their own property. Deputies ensured the individual was safe, and patrol resumed.

Verbal fight

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Chauncey area after receiving a report of a verbal dispute.

Deputies on the scene spoke with all involved parties and determined no crime had occurred. Deputies resumed patrol after the parties separated.

12 Sun _________________

Incident report

Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s office were dispatched to Vore Ridge Road in Athens regarding an issue between a driver and a construction flagger.

Deputies on the scene spoke with the flagger, who told deputies he did not want to press charges.

Drone use

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Trimble Township after receiving reports of a drone flying in the area.

Deputies spoke with the drone operator, who said they were hired to find a missing cat. It was determined they had the proper paperwork and license to operate the drone.

13 Mon __________________

Warrants of the week

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has warrants of arrest out for Demitria Eckels and Shandi Kincaid. Eckels is wanted for aggravated robbery and felonious assault. Kincaid is wanted for two counts of counterfeiting.

If anyone has information on either individual, they are to contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately.

Just resting

Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to state Route 13 to conduct a well-being check on a woman who was reportedly lying near the road.

Deputies found the woman walking along the road. Upon making contact, it was determined she did not require any assistance.

14 Tue ____________________

Theft complaint

Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Bean Road in The Plains following a theft complaint.

Deputies spoke with the caller on the scene, and it was determined that nothing was stolen.

Dog Check

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to North Plains Road in The Plains to conduct a wellbeing check on a dog.

Deputies searched the area but were not able to find the dog.

15 Wed ___________________

Just working

Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a suspicious individual in The Plains. However, deputies found the man was just a tree contractor examining his next job.

Bus Accident!

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Alexander Local Schools after two of its buses were in an accident.

No students were on the buses, and no one was injured.

Well-being check

Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to Houston Road in Glouster regarding a man walking around with no shoes who appeared to be yelling and talking to himself.

Deputies on the scene determined the man was having a mental health crisis and took him to the hospital for an evaluation.

16 Thur ___________________

Why are you trespassing?

Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Downing Street in The Plains following a trespassing complaint. The caller told deputies that two individuals were inside an abandoned residence.

Deputies made contact with the property owner. The individuals were removed from the scene.

“Dr. Frymier has had a tremendous impact on the school, college, and university over the past five years. Her reputation as an instructional communication scholar and her leadership as a director will forever be part of her legacy as a colleague and friend.”

SCOTT TITSWORTH Dean, Scripps College of Communication

Athens mayor on Ukraine sister city as war intensifies

LAYNEE ESLICH FOR THE POST

Russian forces launched a large-scale drone and missile attack across Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least 12 civilians, as Athens Mayor Steve Patterson highlighted the city’s ongoing relationship with its sister city, Ostroh, Ukraine.

The strikes targeted Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro, hitting residential areas, according to United Nations News.

“According to Ukrainian officials, nearly 700 Russian drones were launched over the previous day and overnight, along with 19 ballistic missiles and additional cruise missiles –many aimed at the capital Kyiv,” United Nations News reported.

Athens established its sister city partnership with Ostroh in 2024 through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which encouraged U.S. cities to build ties with Ukrainian communities during the war.

Patterson, who has visited Ostroh twice, said the conflict has directly shaped his experience in the county.

During a combined 12 days in Ukraine, Patterson said he entered bombing shelters four times.

On June 6, 2025, when Patterson was in Kyiv for the 3rd International Summit of Cities and Regions, Russia launched a drone attack in Kyiv that lasted several hours.

“I remember sleeping for a couple of hours and then waking up to get ready to go to this meeting, and I looked out my hotel window, which was on the fifth floor, and I’m looking right down on the main street of their downtown right in the heart of the city, and it’s just bustling with people and cars everywhere,” Patterson said.

“It’s like nothing had happened because the Ukrainian people are so experienced in this, yet so resilient and have so much resolve.”

The war, which began Feb. 24, 2022, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion, has killed at least 15,578 civilians, including 784 children, according to United Nations Human Rights reports as of April 10. In March 2026 alone, short-range drones killed 66 civilians.

On Saturday, a gunman killed six people in Kyiv, according to The Associated Press.

“The 58-year-old attacker

was not named by police, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy said he was born in Russia, as authorities worked to piece together a motive for the violence,” the AP reported.

In an interview with ABC News, Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Oleksii Sobolev, said an economic agreement between Russia and Ukraine was previously sanctioned, but political disagreements have stalled negotiations.

“We know that we can win this, to bring this to an end, to bring Russia to the negotiating table,” Sobolev said in the interview. “During the last month, we sent more longstrike drones to Russia than Russia did to Ukraine. This is the first time ever.”

In the U.S., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that the federal government will not renew the general license on Russian oil. Sobolev said this could help limit Russia’s drone production.

Locally, Patterson said Athens will continue its involvement with Ostroh despite larger political changes, including cuts to USAID funding.

In early 2025, the Trump administration cut $60 billion in funding towards the agency, and 10,000 USAID contracts were ended, according to the AP.

“USAID was set up as an organization that is providing goodwill to developing nations around the globe,” Patterson said. “When the person living in the White House decided to do this, it was just destroying those relationships that had been established, but I wasn’t going to let our relationship with Ostroh change at all.”

Patterson said he hopes to return to Ostroh in September to visit a greenhouse project he personally funded at a primary school for students in a forestry club.

During his first visit in 2024, Patterson brought pawpaw tree seeds native to the Appalachian region. In June 2025, he joined three students in planting one of the trees the club grew in a pot.

“We planted it in the heart of their city park, which is right in the center of the city,” Patterson said.

@LAYNEEESLICH LE211424@OHIO.EDU

Smith lives in Athens County, outside the city on a dairy farm near Meigs County, and owns a beef cattle farm in Albany.

Since 2022, Smith has served on the Athens County Republican Party Central Committee as a representative for Alexander East precinct, as well as the treasurer of the Athens County Republican Party Executive Committee.

Brown moved to Athens County from Mansfield at the age of 12 and lives on her family farm in Millfield, which is in Dover Township, Athens County.

Brown and Smith, both Athens County residents who raised their children in the county, said their local ties shape their approach to the role.

Brown previously served on the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities for about 30 years and is currently the director of Integrate Athens, focusing on community collaboration and disability inclusion.

different priorities when asked why they believe they are the best choice.

Smith said representation for all Athens County residents is a key concern.

“People outside of the city feel that they’ve been left behind,” Smith said. “They feel they don’t have a voice … I know what it’s like to live in an area that doesn’t get any attention on a county level. The people of this county need to feel that they’re being served, and they’ve felt disrespected and underserved for so long. I want to change that.”

Brown highlighted her

Voters would typically set up those forums so that the community can ask questions and get to know both of us,” Brown said. “I do look forward to those opportunities, and I’m excited to definitely work through this process.”

Smith said her campaign and platform center on engaging with all residents, no matter their political views.

Brown said her campaign has been community-focused and has involved volunteering and participating in local events.

In interviews with The Post, both candidates shared messages for voters ahead of

“This position has given me the opportunity to get to know Athens County on a much bigger scale, and I see such potential and so many opportunities, and I’d really like to be a part of moving some of those initiatives forward,” Brown said.

Smith said her candidacy offers a different political perspective in a county where local government is largely Democratic.

“Being a Republican, I believe I have a different perspective that I can bring to the office and hold other county commissioners who have been either serving for quite some time a little bit more accountable,” Smith said. “I would like to bring transparency to the office.”

on.”

The candidates have not yet participated in a debate or public forum, but Brown said she expects one after the primary.

“I just think with the current state of what’s going on in our county, I do want to say that I think it’s sad that Athens County is being painted in such a negative light,” Smith said. “I’ve lived here my entire life … I would like to see Athens County move past what’s going on, and the citizens and patrons of Athens County deserve better, and I think that we can move together.”

Both candidates emphasized

“There are no plans right now, until we get through the May primary, but I am certain that the League of Women

Brown said she welcomes voter choice in the race.

“An election is about having choices, and so it would be nice if the community had that much trust in me, but I feel like having at least another candidate gives the community a chance to get to think a little more about what they really want and need,” Brown said. “I feel like having a choice is important, so I’m excited to watch this unfold.”

KH303123@OHIO.EDU

PG.1, PG.4 ART (ABBY DOENCH | ASST DESIGN DIRECTOR)

Democratic candidate for treasurer visits OU

OU is the first stop on state treasurer candidate Seth Walsh’s university tour.

Ohio Treasurer Democratic candidate Seth Walsh visited Ohio University on Thursday for the first stop of his university tour. He will also be visiting Kent State University, Ohio State, Miami University and the University of Cincinnati.

The university tour was prompted after Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Ohio universities and colleges need to be consolidated.

“We wanted to get out here and go to these college campuses because they’re important to the backbone of Ohio, not just from how you attract talent and educate youth and young people and try to keep them here,” Walsh said. “It was really important for us to get out here and actually engage with people that would be impacted by that.”

In an interview with The Post, Walsh highlighted what he wanted the voters to know about him and his policies.

“I think the most important thing is, I’m running for state

treasurer, not because this has always been a dream and ambition, but because I really see the ability the State Treasurer’s Office can have on helping all of Ohioans and rebuilding the communities,” Walsh said.

Walsh mentioned Ohio’s deep-rooted legacy in American history, putting the first man in flight and on the moon and leading the country in presidents, but he said lately it feels as if politicians have abandoned Ohioans and it is time to get people back in office who aim to help.

Political disillusionment has long been a theme, but has become all the more prevalent in recent years, especially among younger generations of voters, according to Walsh.

Sean Michael, president of the OU College Democrats and a junior majoring in political science, met Walsh outside of Baker Center while Walsh was passing out pizza and speaking to students. Michael said he had heard of Walsh before and that he liked Walsh’s policies, adding he is mainly tired of the Republican-run Ohio General Assembly.

“I think anyone would be

better than a Republican in that office,” Michael said. “The most corrupt statehouse in the nation, it’s a pressing issue here. Finance is part of that situation.”

Walsh is running uncontested in his primary, but will face off against Republicans Jay Edwards or Kristina Roegner in November.

Edwards, who visited Athens during the Pledge of Allegiance debate around the City Council, wrote on his campaign website that “As State Representative, Jay served as the House Finance Committee Chair where he sponsored and passed a 3.2 billion dollar tax cut, and universal school choice.”

Edwards, a Nelsonville native, got his bachelor’s degree from OU and was endorsed by Vice President JD Vance, according to an Instagram post from Vance.

Roegner said on her campaign website that “As a legislator, Kristina has worked to strengthen Ohio’s economy by creating an environment inviting to business. Kristina has championed tax policies that keep money in the pockets of those who earn it. With strong family values, Kristina

has also led the way to ensure that every child in Ohio has access to quality education.”

When asked if he had spoken with either Republican candidate, Walsh said he had opened up about a conversation, but had not received a response.

“I think they’re very distracted by each other right now,” Walsh said about the primary.

Edwards and Roegner did not respond to The Post for comments.

Lauren Worley, campaign director for Walsh for Treasurer, said the campaign aims to make connections with people and be personable.

“Too much of politics is a oneway conversation,” Worley said. “We think the way to change that up is to make it an actual conversation with people.”

Walsh also mentioned in his interview the state of Ohio has a $280 billion budget, and if one person had that amount of money, they would be the second-wealthiest person in the world, behind Elon Musk.

“I want people to know that we’re going to the state treasurer’s office, because it does matter,” Walsh said. “It’s

a lot of money to oversee. It’s a lot of money that, if invested properly, can really transform Ohio again.”

Worley said the campaign is spending a lot of time in small towns because the Democratic Party needs to get back to listening to the people.

“It’s not so much about what the policies were, but maybe we should actually start listening to people and what they are thinking and saying and stop assuming we know what people think their best interests are,” Worley said. “The best way for us to do that is to spend a lot of time in small towns.”

The campaign has been utilizing social media more, and the videos have gained a lot of traction, Walsh added.

“What we’re trying to do is just engage with people in the really human way that we all want to be engaged with,” Walsh said.

“I think as the year goes on, we’re really going to see some benefits of that, as we continue to just explore the state and find some really cool places.”

KH303123@OHIO.EDU

KAITLIN HOGG NEWS STAFF WRITER

Data Centers/continued from pg 1

“We, of course, have the argument about the loss of farmland,” Ritter said. “I don’t think that’s a big issue. I think there’s lots of farmland across the state. One of the concerns I’ve heard is about the water usage … In the case of Washington County, the one being built here will use a closed-loop water system. So that means they will draw water once, and they’ll treat it and use it over and over again, so it’s not going to be an ongoing issue in terms of water usage.”

Ritter said the biggest concern people have is energy costs. However, he said the data center being built in Washington County is going to build its own gas-fired power plant and will produce more energy than it uses, eventually putting more energy in the market and lowering prices.

Baker said the movement has reached statewide levels. Its goal is to have a representative in every one of Ohio’s 88 counties, and it currently has one in more than 70 counties.

Gula, a resident of Clermont County, discussed the process of meeting and talking to people about the issue. He said concerns about data centers lie on both sides of the aisle.

“I’ve met hundreds of people that I never probably would have met before, shaking hands, smiling,” Gula said. “I like to think of myself as an independent, probably left-leaning, and I’m hanging out with a bunch of people who are proud Trumpers, and we’re getting along great. We’re trying to work together as

Ohioans, and I think that is one of the most positive things, whether this goes anywhere or not, it’s everybody in this together. It’s Ohio, it’s people. It’s not political.”

To address the growing rate of data centers in Ohio, Republican Reps. Gary Click of District 88 and Kellie Deeter of District 54 recently introduced House Bill 646, which would initiate a data center study commission.

The commission would consist of 13 members, appointed by the governor, speaker of the House and president of the Senate. It will require examination of various topics regarding data centers, have the committee submit its findings in a report and submit legislative recommendations to both the Governor and the General Assembly no more than six months after the bill’s effective date.

Baker said the study commission is a good idea, but thinks the legislature should be slowing down the expansion of data centers while the group studies its impact.

“It’s good to study it, but for us down here, and actually, anyone all over the state of Ohio that these are coming into their area, we don’t have time … we are in like, fight or flight mode down here,” Baker said. “We don’t have time for them to study it because some of these are going to be starting to break ground before they even get it passed in the Senate.”

The team landed on a 25 megawatt cap after the attorneys drafting the amendment scoured data to discover a

Income Tax/continued from pg 1

“Our plan is not to try to expand anything,” Thomas said. “It’s not to do anything new. What we basically want to do is just maintain what the city already has.”

Athens City Councilmember John Staser, D-2nd Ward, said the increase would help delay the projected budget imbalance.

“The 0.2% tax increase will delay the point at which expenses outpace revenue to 2032 and will give the city time to further reduce expenses,” Staser said in an email. “We need to address the impending budget issues now (expenses outpacing revenue) because the city revenue lags expenses by about a year; a tax increase improved in 2026 will not start impacting revenue until 2027.”

Staser said he knows residents might be hesitant to support a tax increase but emphasized that it will be beneficial for the city.

“I understand that there is hesitation anytime a tax increase is proposed, but I would urge city residents to seek out information about the proposed tax increase and why it is needed,” Staser said in an email. “This isn’t being proposed to fund new programs or services, merely to maintain the current programs and services that the city provides by responding to increased expenses for these programs and services.”

Athens City Councilmember Beth Clodfelter, D-At Large, said if the income tax increase does not pass, services might change in the city.

“The prices for the Athens local government have been rising a lot: asphalt, water salt, health care, electricity bills, etc,” Clodfelter said in an email. “If this tax increase does not get approved by the voters, then there will likely be reductions in city services that everyone likes and expects.”

Clodfelter also said if the income tax

increase fails, the Community Center and the City swimming pool might have fewer open hours and fewer classes, and it could take longer for potholes to get filled or streets to get repaved.

She said if the proposal is approved, Athens City buses will start running Saturdays again for the first time in years.

Thomas also noted the voter hesitancy and said the city is working to provide more information to voters ahead of the election.

“There’s still a lot of hard things happening in the world,” Thomas said. “Having a war going on right now doesn’t help, so it’s been a mixed reaction, but we’re hopeful with putting the information out there, people might listen.”

To address questions, Thomas created a brief video presentation explaining the proposal.

In the video, Thomas said projected city revenue growth is about 5.02%, while expenses are expected to grow at approximately 6.54%.

Thomas also said Athens’ tax structure is comparable to other college towns, where municipal costs can be higher.

“When you look at some of the university towns, you might see they’re a little bit higher because you need the money to support those things,” Thomas said.

Although some voters remain undecided, Thomas said the timing of the proposal is critical due to delays in when new tax revenue would take effect.

“People ask, ‘Why are we doing this? Do we have to do this now?’ And the one thing we really like to stress to people is, yeah, we kind of do,” Thomas said.

“We need to do this now because we’re not even going to really see this extra revenue for another year and a half.”

KH303123@OHIO.EDU

“reasonably sized” data center. Baker mentioned Maine’s 18-month data center ban, which used a similar metric of 20 megawatts.

Ritter said the growth of data centers will have major positive effects for communities across the state. He mentioned the first concern he heard from constituents after moving to the area was that there were not enough consistent, high-paying jobs available.

“Data centers will provide that,” Ritter said. “They’ll provide consistent, longterm, high-paying jobs for the area. The tax revenue that will come in will be very, very good for the school system, good for local governments, so

economically, I think they’re development for our

collect more than 413,000 valid signatures from half of Ohio’s 88 counties. The deadline to collect the signatures is July 1, providing the group with a little over three months to comply.

MEGAN VANVLACK FOR THE POST

Budpost

Spark it up, terms and conditions apply

BUDPOST STAFF WRITER

For a day that started as a countercultural wink, 4/20 has become something much more recognizable: a sales event.

Walk through any Ohio dispensary this week and you’ll see it: discounted pre-rolls, bundle deals, loyalty perks. What used to be underground is now advertised on storefronts and social media.

Bloom Dispensary has been pushing its 4/20 deals since March. Advertised on its website, its sale features 30% to 40% off a massive selection of the products it sells, making it a huge day for “gardeners” to get more green.

Since voters passed Issue 2 in 2023, legalizing recreational cannabis, it has turned into a legitimate retail market. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control reported that recreational sales began in late 2024, and Ohio has since seen marijuana sales climb to more than $1 billion as of Jan. 3.

At the local level, that matters. Dispensaries bring in foot traffic, they create jobs and more importantly, they impose a 10% sales tax on all adult-use cannabis. Under Ohio law, municipalities with dispensaries receive a portion of cannabis tax revenue, making 4/20 not just a cultural moment, but an economic one.

But if this year feels a little different, because it is.

Behind the 4/20 promotions is a quieter reality: Ohio’s cannabis landscape changed significantly in the

past month thanks to Senate Bill 56.

The law, which took effect March 20, 2026, didn’t overturn legalization, but it did reshape it.

One of the biggest changes imposed by the new law is where people can buy certain products. Items that exceed 0.4 mg in THC and were once sold in smoke shops and convenience stores are now being classified as marijuana and can only be sold at licensed dispensaries.

For local dispensaries like Bloom, The Landing, and Mavuno, that’s a win. It consolidates the market and funnels more customers through regulated storefronts. For small businesses, like Buddy’s Lounge, that relied on hempderived products, it’s a different story.

According to the Buddy’s Lounge website, its permanent closure was a result of Senate Bill 56 and its impacts on hemp sales in Ohio.

Before the new legislation, Buddy’s was operating under the 2018 Federal Farm Bill, which legally separated hemp from marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act, allowing it to legally sell its THC, HHC and CBD products.

What Buddy’s represents is something bigger than one storefront closing; it shows how quickly the rules of the cannabis industry can change, and those changes don’t impact everyone equally.

The law places tighter control over how cannabis and hemp-derived products are sold, limiting certain items to licensed dispensaries and reshaping who can legally participate in the market. In doing so, it significantly changes the system that voters

The Pest

approved when they passed Issue 2 in Ohio.

For consumers, the changes to cannabis consumption come with fine print that isn’t always obvious. Just because cannabis is legal in Ohio doesn’t mean access is simple or consistent.

And beyond what’s available for purchase, cannabis still exists within a framework of rules that don’t disappear just because of legalization. Workplace policies remain in place, public use is now more restricted and the responsibility still falls on consumers to understand where legal access begins and ends.

That’s where 4/20 in Ohio lands today. What was once a symbol of something outside the system has become part of it. Now built around storefront promotions, tighter restrictions and an entirely legalized marketplace, the meaning of the unofficial holiday has gotten lost behind smoke.

But even as the holiday becomes more commercial, the system behind it is still being rewritten.

Because legalization didn’t resolve the question of cannabis in Ohio, it only changed where the conversation happens. Now, it’s playing out in dispensaries, in legislation, and in the gap between what was promised and what is actually practiced.

BudPost is a cannabis opinion column that does not reflect the views of The Post. Have thoughts? Email the Editor in Chief at editor@thepostathens.com

Addressing the middle school infestation of Alden

THE PEST STAFF WRITER

It’s mid-afternoon on the seventh floor of Vernon R. Alden Library and people are screaming and running through the stacks. It’s not an emergency or a couple of drunk frat guys who accidentally stumbled upon the library, but instead a group of six to seven middle school boys.

After four years of studying in Alden Library, I have learned that when the clock hits 2:30 p.m. on a weekday, my time is running out, because by 3 p.m., my favorite study spot will be infested by middle schoolers.

I feel for them, I really do. Assuming the average age of this group is 12, they would have been six years old during the peak of COVID-19. During this critical time of development, they were separated from their peers and glued to a laptop, all while being stuck inside.

I’m happy these kids are playing with each other instead of spending their after-school hours buried in screens, but I question if it has to be at the expense of my sanity.

The first time it happened, I remember thinking, “Gosh, am I really getting that old where I’m annoyed by younger generations?” Apart from the panic-inducing phenomena of hearing frantic running on a college campus, I thought, it’s also just plain disrespectful to people’s space.

My next thought was that there must be another place in Athens for them to go, but as a freshman, I knew less about the city than I do now.

I was fortunate enough to attend a middle school with the public library across the street. After the last bell rang, dozens of us would pour into the building. It was a haven for us because it was meant for us. Certainly, we annoyed the regulars and locals with our antics, but that was expected in a public space.

In a space dedicated to academia, like a college library, there are different expectations and different social norms, as well as a higher expectation that visitors follow these norms. When middle schoolers run through the halls of quiet areas, they are violating the rules and regulations designed for the space.

However, Athens’ students don’t have access to the same public spaces I grew up having.

To get from Athens Middle School — where I can only assume they come from — to Alden Library, it is a leisurely 0.6-mile walk (thank you, Google Maps).

In comparison, the closest, indoor, non-college-centric public space is the Athens Public Library, which is over twice the walking distance, 1.3 miles to be exact, and is located outside the confines of Uptown Athens. The Community Center is even farther with a 1.8-mile walk.

The other option is Athens Public Transit, which is notoriously inconsistent and hard to use. If the average college student struggles to navigate the Passio Go! app, I can’t imagine a middle schooler relying on

that app only to get stranded in The Plains.

According to the World Playground Research Institute, children are spending less time outside of their homes due to “parental safety concerns” and “play deserts,” areas that lack well-maintained public playgrounds. Even when they do go outside, there is an inherent lack of spaces for them to go.

Uptown Athens is chock full of coffee stops, bars and shops, but there is no space designated for public activity that doesn’t require a financial exchange or being college-aged. It makes sense that instead of these spaces, middle schoolers gravitate toward Alden when the weather is cool.

It’s Athens’ responsibility to take care of its students, but it feels as if they favor the college-aged ones. Something as simple as a small center Uptown, or connected to the Middle School, could be the solution to this issue.

Creating a place for middle schoolers to be annoying that isn’t the seventh floor of Alden Library will benefit many students, middle school and college alike.

The Pest is an anonymous column for writers to air their grievances about Ohio University, Athens and society at large. Want to share your thoughts? Email the Editor in Chief at editor@ thepostathens.com

Growing up, I can vividly remember the first time I watched “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” I remember thinking at the age of 12 how wildly unrealistic it all was and how no one actually gets to experience days that feel like that.

Yet somehow, after nearly a decade and four years at Ohio University, I think maybe Bueller wasn’t all that unrealistic. Maybe all I needed was to find that magical place like hOUme where I could live out my best “Twist and Shout” parade montage on my days off.

As the last week of my senior year glares back at me, I can’t help but feel that strange ache you get when you realize you’re about to leave something you’ll never experience the same way again.

It feels like just yesterday it was my first day of college, hearing “these four years fly by,” thinking that I had plenty of time. Yet here I am now, reminiscing on Bueller’s words and urging my younger friends to remember that: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

The outside of Alden Library in Athens, March 3, 2026.

(ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

Editorial

When students asked to be heard, OU answered with handcuffs

THE POST EDITORIAL BOARD

There has been a common theme among student protesters on College Green this semester: silence from President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and her administration.

Hundreds more students gathered on April 16 for a walkout demonstration titled “yOUr disrespect is visible.” The protest was intended to address what organizers described as administrative inaction amid ongoing concerns raised by students and faculty. By the end of the day, Ohio University had once again reinforced the message behind that title.

The demonstration, organized by the Ohio Student Association alongside other campus organizations and student groups, was part of a broader campaign called “The Students Stand United.” Organizers described it as the culmination of advocacy efforts throughout the academic year and a direct response to what they see as a continued refusal from university leadership to engage with student voices.

Two individuals who participated in the protest were arrested by Ohio University Police on criminal trespass charges after entering Walter Hall and refusing repeated orders to leave, according to OUPD. University spokesperson Sam Pelham later told The Post that OU supports free expression, but demonstrations must remain within legal and policy boundaries.

That statement is revealing not because of what it says, but because of what it avoids. The university was prepared to respond to arrests, to trespass charges and to procedural matters. Yet it has shown far less urgency in publicly responding to the concerns that led hundreds of students to gather in protest in the first place.

This has become a pattern.

When students raise concerns about campus climate, administrative transparency or controversial speakers, they are often met with delayed statements, carefully managed messaging or silence altogether. But when the issue becomes one of enforcement or institutional image, the response appears quickly. Students notice that distinction, and so does the broader campus community. It has been weeks since controversial

speaker Myron Gaines appeared on College Green, drawing criticism from students who believed antisemitism and hate speech were given a platform on university grounds. Many students hoped that university leadership would clearly defend values of inclusion and respect in the aftermath. Instead, many felt abandoned by the absence of a strong response.

Thursday’s protest eventually moved into Walter Hall, where students sought to attend a Board of Trustees meeting and voice concerns directly to Gonzalez. Some covered their mouths with tape. Others carried bullhorns. Their methods were symbolic, but their message was straightforward: students feel unheard.

Students do not need a president who agrees with every demand or endorses every tactic. Universities are places of disagreement, tension and competing viewpoints. But students do deserve a president willing to engage with criticism, acknowledge unrest and communicate directly during moments of controversy. Those are not extraordinary expectations. They are basic responsibilities of leadership.

Ohio University prides itself on preparing students to be engaged citizens, critical thinkers and future leaders. It should welcome passionate advocacy, even when it is uncomfortable. Protest has long been part of higher education’s history. Attempts to reduce demonstrations to inconvenience or disorder ignore the civic purpose they often serve.

Students protested because they wanted to be heard. They wanted accountability. They wanted leadership willing to meet the moment.

Instead, they watched their university speak most clearly after arrests were made.

President Gonzalez, it’s time to speak up. Meet with students. Address faculty concerns. Communicate values plainly and publicly. Show the campus that leadership is more than statements after controversy.

Because the silence from Ohio University’s highest office has become one of the loudest sounds on campus.

HEAD TO THE POLLS

1. Students gather in a class walk out protest against university administration on College Green in Athens, April 16, 2026. (Ethan Herx | For The Post)

2. Students address President Lori Stewart Gonzalez during a class walk out protest against university administration in Walter Hall in Athens, April 16, 2026. (Camden Paeltz | For The Post)

3. Students gather gather outside of Walter Hall to protest against university

on College Green in Athens, April 16, 2026. (Ethan Herx | For The Post)

4. Students gather in a class walk out protest against university administration on College Green in Athens, April 16, 2026. (Camden Paeltz | For The Post)

Over the past year, The Post has taken a deeper, more intentional approach to storytelling through our solutions journalism grant, strengthening both our reporting and our commitment to serving our audience.

With the support of the grant, we have published five solutions-focused stories, with more on the way. Our coverage has explored responses to the opioid epidemic on Ohio University’s campus and in the Athens community, examined how both Ohio University and West Virginia University are addressing the crisis, and reported on maternity deserts in Southeast Ohio. We also highlighted the Appalachian Children’s Coalition’s work in behavioral health care and the Athens Photo Project’s approach to mental health in Appalachia.

Each story was paired with strong visual and multimedia elements, including original photography, video and podcast components, allowing us to tell these stories in a more complete and impactful way.

The grant has also created opportunities beyond the newsroom. We were able to submit our work for awards, travel to New York City to present our progress and report in West Virginia through on-the-ground interviews and tours of key facilities. That investment has already shown results.

Our West Virginia University coverage has earned recognition at both the

state and national level, including second place at the Apple Awards in New York City, first place for indepth reporting from the Ohio News Media Association and a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award.

Just as important as the recognition is what we have learned. Through audience metrics, we have seen a clear preference for reporting that not only highlights problems but also explores solutions. In the newsroom, this project challenged us as leaders to trust our

staff and delegate more responsibility, a shift that resulted in thoughtful, high-quality work. We have also seen how meaningful long-form reporting is for our writers as they build portfolios and prepare for careers beyond Ohio University.

As a newsroom of student journalists, we understand this project is an ambitious undertaking. We are balancing coursework, internships, jobs and the demands of a 24-hour newsroom. But we also believe The Post’s mission extends far beyond

campus lines. For more than a century, The Post has covered life at Ohio University, yet we know it’s just as important to move beyond campus and into the communities surrounding us. Covering Athens and the greater Appalachian region means understanding our neighbors’ histories, struggles and resilience.

None of this work would have been possible without the dedication of our editors, writers, photographers and videographers, who embraced this approach and pushed our journalism forward. We are equally grateful to our audience for engaging with these stories and supporting this kind of reporting.

Solutions journalism is not a one-time project for The Post. It is a commitment we plan to carry forward, continuing to ask not only what challenges our community faces, but how people are working to address them.

Thank you to the Solutions Journalism Network for trusting us with this opportunity, and to Sharon BoydPeshkin for her guidance and support throughout this process.

Abby Waechter is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note the views and

Ohio wraps up spring ball with positive outlook

OWEN LIPSTREU | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Ohio finished the 2025 season with a 9-4 record, capped off by a bowl win against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Frisco, Texas. This game marked a changing of the guard in Ohio, as John Hauser coached his first game as the head coach of this program. New coaches build on the past but have to find their own rhythm in recruiting and in their team’s mentality throughout camp.

The Bobcats are a young program heading into the 2026 season. However, Hauser is optimistic that with on-field reps and a collective culture built from the top down, this group will continue to improve throughout the summer.

“We always tell guys to be who you say you are,” Hauser said about his first recruiting class. “We got a lot of team-first guys in that group, so they have really bought into the culture and run with it. Some of those guys have experienced playing FCS, so they’re a little different from some of the guys coming from the group of four, or power five, who have not played as much, so it’s been fun to see them get some really meaningful practice reps.”

On Saturday, Ohio closed out spring camp with its spring game in Peden Stadium. The event was open to fans to see a sneak preview of the Bobcats as they look to get back to the Mid-

American Conference title next year. At the conclusion of Saturday’s practice, Hauser met with reporters and gave his thoughts. These were some of the biggest takeaways.

Quarterback battle will be the story of the summer

Over the past three seasons, Ohio has found remarkable success at quarterback with Kurtis Rourke and Parker Navarro, whose college football career ended in 2025. Now, questions have surfaced about the position in Hauser’s first year, with many names hoping to fight for the starting job, including graduate student Nick Poulos, who took first-team reps, but the decision is not finalized.

“As far as the depth chart, I think we have three or four guys that are competing,” Hauser said. “I think Nick (Poulos) is ahead of some of them right now and is carrying himself really well, but we’ve got guys on his heels. It’ll be fun to see as Matt Vezza and Levi Davis work in our system this summer from the second install, just how much ground they can make up here.”

Offensive skill positions deep with talent Saturday’s exhibition showed Ohio

brought back lots of strong talent from last year’s group, but with graduates and transfers having hit the portal themselves, it started on offense. Skill positions will make the difference in 2026, and it starts at running back with junior Duncan Brune and transfer graduate student Victor Rosa, who looks to split time next season, plus a pair of fresh faces Hauser wants to get involved, too.

“We’ve got a couple of guys with a lot of experience there,” Hauser said.

“Duncan’s kind of been in the mix for a couple of years now, and then bringing in Vic Rosa, who has a ton of experience from UConn, is a good one too. Then I think we’ve got two young guys that are battling to get in that mix, with Michael Taylor and Irving Brown. So I’m really happy with that room.”

Similar to quarterback, Ohio has had plenty of success in recent years at wide receiver with Coleman Owen, Chase Hendricks and Rodney Harris II. Owen has seen NFL reps after his time at Ohio, while Hendricks and Harris II decided to move on after the year, calling for a rebuild of the receiver room this offseason.

“We got Dom (Dorwart) coming back as the returner,” Hauser said. “We’ve had a number of guys step up, and we have to keep pushing at that position.

Preston Bowman’s done a really good job coming in and showing he can be explosive. We’re excited to get Max Rodarte and Ian Ver Steeg back from injury in the summer. I mean, we got a good pool of guys now. We got to play more, but we got to have one of them step up.”

Learning through failure

The final big thing Hauser addressed was the growth he hoped to see in his team after the work they had done this spring. He also addressed that his group was inexperienced and would have to fail before seeing total success. He and his staff have been working in practice on the players’ response to adversity, and it has been helping build the culture and trust within the program from the top down.

“I think they have to fail in practice and then respond the right way,” Hauser said. “That’s where I’m really focused on some of these guys that I haven’t coached a lot, especially to coach them hard, you’ve got to know them, they’ve got to know you and we’ve got to trust each other. It’s just, how are we going to respond to the bad things, and can we get right back and reset?”

Shaun Cook is ready at the helm of Ohio football

CHARLIE FADEL | SPORTS EDITOR

Football is increasingly becoming a young man’s game. If you look across all levels of football, from the college level to the professional ranks, young coaches and executives are on the rise in the sport.

Some of the top coaches in the sport like Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and Oregon’s Dan Lanning are 40 years old or younger, and new first-year coaches like Kentucky’s Will Stein and Kansas State’s Collin Klein are also under 40.

Although a new youth movement is starting to take over professional and college football, none of those coaches are as young as Ohio’s new general manager Shaun Cook, who arrives in Athens as a first-time general manager at just 29 years old.

Cook, a Nashville native, bounced around college football after graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2019. It was while he was a Volunteer that he knew he wanted to make his career in college football.

“Second semester (of my freshman year), I got into the football program in a scouting, player personnel intern role, and then figured out that’s what I wanted to do with my career,” Cook said. “I had no idea that was a career, but I found my way into it.”

Following his graduation, Cook stayed in the Southeastern Conference, as he took a job with his old rivals in his hometown college team at Vanderbilt. He worked with the Commodores as a football personnel and recruiting assistant, a title he would hold at many other programs in the future.

Cook was a young, post-graduate kid looking for a way into a very tough and competitive industry in college football, and he got the job at Vanderbilt after some help from an old coach.

“It’s a really competitive industry coming out of school so you kind of just take the job to get in,” Cook said. “I took a really low paying job at Vanderbilt … one of my high school coaches was in their recruiting department so

he helped me get on there. He’s the current (general manager) over at Memphis right now, Corey Phillips.”

After his time in Vanderbilt, Cook took a couple of other jobs, as he headed north to New York to work not for a college football team, but The 33rd Team, an NFL analytics and content company. Cook continued his work as a scout there, but just for six months.

The stint working for The 33rd Team was quick, and he jumped to UConn to get back into a role in player personnel in college football.

By the time he wrapped his work with the Huskies, Cook bounced from three jobs in less than three years, moving around the country and learning insight about how unpredictable the sports industry can be.

“I think it teaches you to be ready for anything in college football,” Cook said with a laugh. “It changes year to year … a lot of those coaches go into fight or flight mode, so you kind of learn how to navigate through that and try to just put your head down and work.”

“

All we want to do in the end is win.”

- Shaun Cook

Cook finally found some stability as he made his way back down South when he took a job at Duke as the assistant director of scouting for two years before he went back to the SEC to work at Texas A&M as the assistant director of player personnel.

He was with the Aggies for two years as well, being brought over by former Duke head coach and current Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko.

“My roots are in the SEC, so that was nice getting back to that level of football,” Cook said. “(It was a) highly competitive environment, trying to go after the best in the country, trying to compete for national championships at the time, so it was a good experience, but I was in a similar role at Duke, which is why I wanted to get into an executive role.”

Cook found that executive role in Athens, working closely with first-year head coach John Hauser.

“Sometimes you interview (for) these jobs, and the head coach isn’t the same person you interview initially,” Cook said. “Coach Hauser is not that way at

all. All we want to do is win in the end. As long as you’re trying to do that (the relationship will be good).”

The general manager job is still very new in college football, and the role at Ohio is even fresher, as Cook is just the second ever general manager in the history of Ohio’s football program.

The job is very broad and allencompassing, especially at a smaller school in the Mid-American Conference like Ohio.

“I’m overseeing all of recruiting, all of scouting, kind of overseeing a little bit of our creative vision, helping coach Hauser build a roster,” Cook said. “(I’m) involved in summer camps, our revenue share budget, preparing for the transfer portal’s next cycle, as well as trying to sign the 2027 high school class. I think you get thrown into a lot of different things, which is good. I try to be flexible, but it’s definitely an allencompassing role, which is what I was looking for.”

The Ohio football team runs onto the field during the game against Northern Illinois, Oct 18, 2025, at Peden Stadium. (CALEB SMITH | FOR THE POST)

Photo provided by Ohio Athletics

Ohio loses two in series with Central Michigan

CAMERON CREGO | FOR THE POST

Ohio baseball (8-30, 5-16 Mid-American Conference) traveled north to face the Central Michigan Chippewas in a three-game series. The Bobcats lost the first two games 15-5 and 4-3, but won the final game 16-6.

Both teams entered this series looking to improve their standing in the MAC. Ohio is in last place in the conference with a 4-14 MAC record.

Meanwhile, Central Michigan was 8-11, good for eighth in the conference, but still looking to enter the top six and move into a spot in the MAC Baseball Championship.

The first game on Friday opened with the Chippewas showing offensive dominance. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Central Michigan loaded the bases in the third inning. Logan Keilen hit a double that sent all three runners home, expanding the lead to 5-0. Keilen scored later in the inning and gave the Chippewas a 6-0 lead after three innings.

The Bobcats began to claw back in the fourth inning. A Will Henson triple allowed Cameron Boyd to score and put Ohio on the board. The Bobcats were able to score two more runs during the inning and cut the deficit in half, only trailing 6-3 after the top of the fourth. However, Central Michigan responded

with three runs of their own, taking advantage of a basesloaded situation as they exited the fourth inning leading 9-3.

The bottom of the fifth inning saw similar offensive success for the Chippewas.

Miguel Correa Jr. kicked off a scoring run with a triple that sent Drew Loikits and Zach Knowlton home. Correa and Harrison Bowman added two more runs that made it a 13-3 ballgame after five innings. Correa would drive home another run in the sixth to increase the Central Michigan lead to 14-3.

Ohio looked to fight back in the seventh inning. With bases loaded, Dylan Shepherd sent Boyd and Taylor Harris home, cutting the Chippewas’ lead to 14-5. However, Central Michigan’s Joey Milto hit a single that sent Dominic Bouscher home in the bottom of the seventh inning, making the score 15-5 and ending the game after seven innings.

In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Bobcats drew first blood with Grant Wilson reaching home in the top of the third inning. Henson scored at the top of the fourth inning on a wild pitch to extend Ohio’s lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Milto reached home and put the Chippewas on the board, but Central Michigan still left the inning

trailing the Bobcats 2-1.

Ohio then added another run at the top of the sixth inning, doubling the lead to 3-1 on a run from Shepherd. The Bobcats held this lead until the ninth inning; however, the Chippewas fought their way back to force extra innings. Loikits singled, which was followed by a Correa double, putting two runners in scoring position. Bowman cut the deficit to one with a flyout, and a Cole Prout single sent Correa home to tie the game at 3-3.

In extra innings, Ohio failed to get a hit in the top of the tenth inning. Then, in the bottom of the tenth inning, Bouscher reached home as a pinch runner courtesy of a single from Knowlton. This walked off the game for Central Michigan and allowed the Chippewas to take game two of the series, 4-3.

The final contest of the series on Saturday seemed to be similar to the first game, with Central Michigan taking a 3-0 lead after the first inning. However, the Bobcats were able to flip the script from the previous two games. Ohio cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning, then tied the game in the top of the sixth inning.

The seventh inning saw an offensive explosion from the Bobcats. Ohio scored seven

runs in this inning, the most it has scored in an inning this season. Aiding the scoring output was a three-run home run from Wilson and a tworun home run from Harris. Although the Chippewas responded with some offense of their own, the Bobcats left the inning comfortably in the driver’s seat, leading 11-6. Ohio’s offense carried the momentum into the eighth inning. The Bobcats took advantage of multiple basesloaded situations to tack on five insurance runs, extending the lead to 16-6 and putting the game on the doorstep of mercy rule. Landon Price was able to hold Central Michigan scoreless in the bottom of the eighth inning from the mound, officially ending the series with a Bobcat win, 16-6

Ohio stays hot, sweeps Kent State

LONDON DEMARCO FOR THE POST

Ohio softball (32-15, 14-7

Mid-American conference) won its sixth straight series with a sweep over the Kent State Flashes on the road this weekend. Despite the Bobcats’ complete conference dominance, this was their first series sweep of the season. Ohio’s offense was rolling this weekend. Throughout the three games, the Bobcats averaged an insane 10.6 runs per game. They also averaged over 10 hits a game, while bombing six home runs. Out of those six bombs, three of them came from senior infielder Colleen Bare, while the other three came from graduate infielder Rylee McDaniel. They both had a home run in each game, while batting a combined 12 runs.

GAME ONE:

The first game of Friday’s doubleheader was probably the most dominant of the series. The Bobcats took over game one with a smothering offense that was too overwhelming for the Golden Flashes, and Ohio took the game in just five innings.

The Bobcats went into the second inning down 2-1, and then they opened up an offensive clinic. Junior catcher Kylie Gorsuch opened up the inning by reaching first on an error, and McDaniel came in and hit her first home run of the season to put the Bobcats back on top.

Ohio then went on to force a walk and hit three doubles, a single and got a sacrifice fly, which all tallied up to four more runs. In total, the Bobcats got six innings and two runs to completely bust

the game open and make it 7-2.

With the help of graduate pitcher Skipp Miller, Kent State would never be able to recover from that brutal second inning.

Miller held the game down on the defensive front as she pitched all five innings, while only allowing five hits and racking up four strikeouts.

Another big four run third inning for the Bobcats and two more in the fifth inning ended the game with a Bobcats mercy rule win.

GAME TWO:

Just a few minutes later, game two started. The second game was very similar to the first, with Ohio’s dominant offense forcing another mercy rule. Unlike game one, the Bobcats’ defense was just as suffocating as the offense, with junior pitcher Mikie Lieving at the helm.

Lieving pitched the first four innings of the game while only allowing three hits and just one run as she locked it down.

Senior pitcher Keegan Moore then came in to close out the final inning, aas she allowed just one hit to quickly end the game.

On the other hand, the offense was just as good in this game as it was before. Ohio scored a big seven runs throughout the first three innings.

Ohio entered the fifth inning up 7-1, as it was going for another five-inning win. The Bobcats’ wishes were fulfilled as they hit three solo home runs. McDaniel and Bare both got their second home runs of the series.

Although the first two games did not go the Bobcats’ way, the final game is an encouraging sign for the remainder of the season.

Their 10-run margin of victory is Ohio’s largest win of the season, and the first time the Bobcats won a game via mercy rule under new head coach Andrew See.

Ohio returns home Tuesday, April 21, as it hosts the Northern Kentucky Norse. The Bobcats lost to the Norse 11-8 on the road April 14 and will look for revenge.

@CCREGO.MEDIA

CC415524@OHIO.EDU

This was enough to enact the mercy rule as Ohio swept the doubleheader going into Saturday’s game.

GAME THREE:

Ohio came out swinging throughout the first two innings of game three, as it looked like it was going to easily sweep the series with another five-inning game.

The Bobcats tallied four hits in innings one and two, with one of them being Bare’s third home run of the series to jump out to a huge 5-0 lead.

While the Bobcats’ offense was on fire, Miller was throwing smoke and allowed only two hits through the first two innings.

A McDaniel triple in the third inning continued her fabulous

series and made it 6-0. The Golden Flashes then seemingly flipped a switch after that moment.

Four hits, two walks and two errors in the third inning gave Kent State three runs and some momentum as it drew the game within three runs. This was also enough for Ohio to pull Miller in favor of Moore.

Both teams held it down through the next inning and a half as only two runs were scored in favor of Ohio. It was up 8-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Golden Flashes got a walk early in the bottom of the sixth, which was followed by a two-run home run to make it 8-5.

McDaniel hit her third home

run of the series in the seventh inning to get an insurance run for her team entering the bottom of the seventh inning.

Kent State got two runners on with only one out as it was trying desperately not to get swept. With the tying runner up to bat, Moored retire back-to-back hitters and the Bobcats fought off the Golden Flashes’ comeback attempt and swept the series.

Ohio’s four straight conference wins tied them in second in the MAC for conference wins, with only six conference games remaining.

The Bobcats are back at home this weekend for their last home game of the year against the hottest team in the MAC, the Akron Zips.

LD004224@OHIO.EDU

(JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)

Starting pitcher Skipp Miller, during the Bobcats game against Bowling Green, April 12, 2026. The Bobcats beat the Falcons 9-1 on the Ohio Softball Field. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)

Connecting care in Appalachian Ohio’s behavioral health system

DREW HOFFMASTER FOR THE POST

In Appalachian Ohio, where geography, transportation and funding often limit access to behavioral health care or services that support mental health and substance use, organizations are finding ways to work together to reach more families.

The Appalachian Children’s Coalition, a nonprofit working across 32 Ohio counties, focuses on connecting providers, communities and resources to strengthen systems already in place.

“We really want to be a servant to those who serve kids, and that means I don’t think we should ever be doing anything on our own,” Randy Leite, executive director of the ACC, said. “Everything we do we should have partners and collaborators.”

In a region where resources are often limited, the coalition’s approach reflects a broader reality that improving behavioral health care is not just about adding providers, but also about connecting existing ones. By focusing on coordination rather than expansion, organizations in Appalachian Ohio are working to stretch limited resources while adapting to the needs of individual communities.

That approach comes as behavioral health needs remain high. During the 20232024 school year, 30.9% of children in Ohio experienced behavioral health conditions, with Athens County reaching 41.4%, according to Appalachian Ohio Child & Family Health Data.

Rather than building standalone programs, the ACC works through partnerships. The organization formally collaborates with 70 groups and maintains about 500 relationships with local organizations, including health providers, schools and community coalitions.

Leite said the network allows the coalition to expand its reach. On its own, the

organization might host a single prevention conference. With partners, it can support multiple events and initiatives across the region.

Some of that work includes school health projects, workforce initiatives, community events and professional trainings aimed at supporting children and families.

“There are mental health boards, public health departments and Family & Children First Councils in every county, and they do a good job of bringing together people in those counties,”

Leite said. “What we can really do is help connect people in Meigs County with people doing similar work in Trumbull County, which are four hour drive, but we’re in both places.”

Local organizations say those connections can lead to new opportunities.

Diana Pfaff, executive director of the 317 Board, said her organization partners with 30 groups to fund 60 programs and invest in behavioral health services.

For groups like the Tomcat Bridgebuilders, collaboration has helped expand programming for students.

“The Dairy Barn Exhibit Voices and Visions highlighted our Trimble students and gave them an opportunity to get on stage and read their stories to a bigger audience,”

Becky Handa, president of the organization, said. “At the closing event at the

Dairy Barn, there were professionals in the audience that seen them, which led to an invite to the 2025 Ohio Prevention Conference in Columbus.”

The coalition also works to bring funding and data into the region. It has created a data dashboard with 260 health indicators, ranging from food insecurity to mental health trends.

“(The ACC) were tremendously impactful with the (American Rescue Plan Act) funding and getting all those rural school health clinics up and running,” Pfaff said. Some indicators show a gradual change. The number of mental health providers in Appalachian Ohio has increased to 710 per 100,000 people, rising by 189 since 2019.

Leaders say

collaboration has also helped bring funding into the region.

“I think our main gift is that we have a lot of funding to put back in the region,” Erin Space, senior director of programs for the ACC, said.

“We’ve drawn a lot of money into the region, and what we’re using it for is to support programs and things that already work out there.”

Even so, barriers remain.

“People who are not in the Appalachian Region are able to receive these services because in bigger metropolitan areas you have public transportation and you have more options,” Garcia said. “In the more rural counties in Appalachia, there isn’t a lot.”

Transportation, broadband access and funding continue to shape what care looks like in the region. Telehealth expanded options during the COVID-19 pandemic, but internet access is not universal. Broadband access in the Appalachian Region is 86.2%, below the national average of 89.7%, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission. Additionally, finding the

financial aid to expand treatment is another ongoing challenge.

“We have the services, we have the staff, we have the commitment and we have longevity of the community of providing this care over the 50 years that we’ve been in existence; however, the funding to be able to support that piece is what is a very definite gap,” Ellen Martin, director of operations for Health Recovery Services, said.

Leite said improving behavioral health outcomes often requires addressing broader conditions in children’s lives.

“You can provide a child access to behavioral health, but if they go home every night to a house with no food in it, they’re going to have problems,” he said.

Across Appalachian Ohio, collaboration has become one way organizations are trying to stretch limited resources, even as the broader challenges facing the region remain. However, because each county faces different challenges, the approach is not one-size-fits-all.

“Each community is unique,” Garcia said. “What is going on in Athens may not work in Meigs … just really sitting and listening a lot to what these communities are.”

by Peggy Garcia

A camera, a community and a path to healing in Appalachian Ohio

MARIA SAUNDERS | FOR THE POST

CAMDEN PAELTZ | FOR THE POST

For more than 25 years, the Athens Photo Project has turned photography into a tool for healing, giving community members a creative path toward mental health and recovery.

The founder, Elise Mitchell Sanford, began APP in 2000, creating a community-centered photography initiative designed to support mental health and healing in Appalachian Ohio.

“Whenever The Ridges closed, she recognized that many people were released and there wasn't anything for them to do,” Lacy Davis, the program director at APP, said. “Her background was photography. So she thought, ‘What can I do?’ And photography class was what she did.”

The deinstitutionalization movement that closed The Ridges and similar institutions created both a gap in support and a shift in approach, Rebekah Crawford, an assistant professor of community health at Ohio University, said

“We know that having people who live with mental illness being incorporated into their communities is the gold standard of care,” Crawford said. “We don't want to marginalize or institutionalize or separate people. In some ways, it gave power back to the individuals who live with mental illness, to be incorporated into their families, into their communities. That being said, there was sort of nothing that was put into place to replace institutional care.”

That lack of institutional support led Sanford to create APP. While the issue extends

specialists, psychiatrists, in general. In the United States, there aren't enough trained psychiatrists to take care of the number of people who need a psychiatrist. We know those disparities are even more pronounced in rural areas like Appalachia.”

A 2024 survey by Mental Health America found Ohio had 310 mental health providers per 100,000 people, just 10 fewer than the national average of 320. Among the 12 other states with regions in Appalachia, only two exceed the national average. Of the five states with the highest number of people per provider, three are in Appalachia.

APP began at a time when not only were mental health institutions drastically changing their approach, but also not long after former President Ronald Reagan pushed for health care privatization.

“About as long as the Athens Photo Project has been in existence, we have been defunding public services for folks, which always hits hardest among people who are in the lower socio-economic bracket,” Crawford said. “It's fine to take away public services if you have private alternatives, but so many people don't, and people in Appalachia really don't.”

Crawford said some informal support exists, one example being “neighborhood churches” where the community is very tight-knit. But religious communities don’t help everyone. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found 37% of Americans say they would not be too comfortable or not

about it here … (there is) an attitude of acceptance.”

Since APP isn’t as formal as a health center or clinic, Crawford called it “interestingly hybrid.” Looking at APP, it fills a niche in the community by offering a different approach to recovery than many formal institutions.

Every week, participants show up to the studio at 434 W. Union St. for peer-led classes where they take photos, reflect on their work and share it with others.

“We talk about some kind of prompt and think about ways we can approach that prompt,” Davis said about the

beyond Appalachia, rural regions face distinct challenges in accessing mental health care. Programs like APP reflect one approach that communities are responding to those gaps, using creative, community-based approaches to support mental health alongside traditional care. In areas where access to providers is limited, those programs can offer structure, connection and an alternative way to engage in recovery.

“Chronically, we have underresourced everything in Appalachia,” Crawford said. “We don't have enough medical facilities. We don't have enough

comfortable at all speaking with a religious or spiritual leader about their mental health.

Other informal support includes organizations such as the Salvation Army that aim to aid struggling community members. However, some informal support organizations exclude groups such as the LGBTQ+ community.

However, that exclusion isn’t found at APP, Elena Caple, a current participant, said.

“This is a very welcoming space,” Caple said. “My experience is I can leave my race, my gender, whatever, at the door, and I don't even think

classes. “We take our cameras outside, take some pictures, come back in, make prints of their favorite one and give them an opportunity to write about it, and then we all look at it together and discuss it.”

Participants move through multi-year programming, from learning self-expression to developing technical skills and eventually creating personal projects.

"Your first year. It's all about learning self-expression,” Davis said. “The second year is more about camera skills and learning about the genres of photography. The third year, we

Landing Dispensary chain opens location in Athens

FIONA PETTICREW | HUMAN INTEREST STAFF WRITER

The newest addition to the Athens dispensary list is The Landing Dispensary, which recently opened its seventh location in Ohio on 932 E. State St.

The new location is complete with a drive-thru for pickup orders and in-store shopping. Lindsay George, the general manager of the Athens Landing location, joined The Landing Dispensary team two years ago to open the Morgantown, West Virginia, location.

George was recently promoted to general manager in Morgantown and moved to Athens in March for the newest location.

“My favorite thing with The Landing is just the compassion and care that they have for not only their employees, but for the general public,” George said. “I love that part of my job, teaching and training and just being a leader.”

The store is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Drive-thru hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

aim to help them make a book with all the things they've been working on. And then the fourth year, they move more into an advanced group where they're

people poorly and still have people want to be around you. I've learned a lot, not just photography, but over the years, participation has shaped me in many ways.”

There’s something about knowing that you’re here on this planet that you can take up space”

- Katherine Jackson

working on more individualized goals, or sometimes they'll have a theme.”

For some participants, that structure and consistency become part of their recovery.

Caple first joined APP in 2010 after her psychiatrist recommended the program.

“She thought that it might be a useful program to try and keep me busy and stay out of trouble,” Caple said. “I wasn't used to being around people very much, so there were some growing pains. But ultimately, I've learned a lot. I've grown so much as a result of this project.”

Over time, Caple has returned to the program even after breaks, something staff see as a sign of its impact.

“I actually think the biggest measure of success is that people keep coming back,” Davis said. “Everybody's kind of reserved at first. They don't want to tell everything, but you can see them start to open up and feel more comfortable … but they keep coming.”

That consistency can be especially meaningful for people who find routine and social situations challenging, offering both structure and a sense of belonging.

APP has also helped participants engage with the broader community through exhibitions and public displays of their work.

“When I started, I was actually a very angry person,” Caple said. “I had to learn through trial and error, you can't treat

Experts say creative approaches like this can complement traditional therapy.

“There's something about knowing that you're here on this planet that you can take up space,” Katherine Jackson, a licensed art therapist, said. “That is healing for people, that you matter.”

Art can also help people express experiences that may be difficult to put into words.

“Having photography as a neutral topic to focus on sometimes frees people up so that they can express a little bit better how they're really feeling,” Jackson said.

Still, programs like APP face limitations. Access depends on staffing and capacity, and demand can exceed what the organization can offer.

“The thing that's the hardest right now is how fast we're growing,” Davis said. “We're growing at a rate that feels almost unsustainable, but we're doing it.”

At times, the waitlist to begin the program has stretched for years, Caple said.

For those who do participate, the program offers more than just photography. Even as APP provides an alternative path for some, broader challenges, including provider shortages and access to care, continue to shape mental health support in Appalachian Ohio.

“Giving people a place to belong while creating art and building each other up is truly something that is unique in the mental field, not just here, but in society at large,” Caple said.

Students enjoy warm weather with spring activities

CASSIDY MCCLURG | FOR THE POST

To reduce stress from the last two weeks of the semester, there are exciting spring activities for students and locals to partake in. Ohio University has great hangout spots, and the city of Athens has several events to enjoy.

HAMMOCKING

There are plenty of trees around campus to tie a hammock; however, there is a designated spot for hammocking on campus at OU’s Paw Print Park. Located behind Nelson Commons, the park has metal poles that can accommodate as many as 56 hammocks.

Hammocking is perfect for warmer days with blooming nature. Light swaying with a book in hand, music playing and friends to chat with sounds like a perfect spring evening. This is a perfect activity to nap during these stressful weeks.

Current APP participant Elena Caple poses for a portrait. (CAMDEN PAELTZ | FOR THE POST)

Professor Rebekah Crawford poses for a portrait. (CAMDEN PAELTZ | FOR THE POST)

Hei Hei Kimchi supports local farmers, celebrates heritage

Irene Chin, founder of Hei Hei Kimchi in Athens, values producing and selling traditional Korean kimchi with ingredients from local farmers.

Hei Hei launched in 2024 with a special kimchi recipe passed down from Chin’s aunt, who started making kimchi when she was 6 years old. Chin said she is proud to have started the business.

"It's been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my life and (it was) totally unexpected,” Chin said. “It was such a leap to do this because … it has always been in the back of my head. I love food.”

Honoring local farmers, their land, the food and customers is a top priority for Chin. Chin sources all of her produce from local farms when ingredients are in season and works with more than 20 family farms in the Athens region, according to the Hei Hei website.

With spring and summer underway, the farmers Chin works with are growing vegetable seedlings.

“We have a bunch of farmers

growing us snapping cabbage right now (and) ponytail radish,” Chin said. “We're going to start doing sauerkraut too, and other ferments.”

Chin is in business year round and sometimes purchases produce and ingredients from farms in Canada, or further north in the U.S.

Hei Hei sources multiple ingredients from Attican Farms, a woman-owned farm established in 2022 in the Appalachian hills. Kara Olsen, owner of the farm, said she met Chin at an Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association led farm tour.

Both Chin and Olsen went to school for art and bonded immediately.

“So when they first had the idea of starting a food business, Irene was asking me a few questions about the market and things like that,” Olsen said. “I was just so excited because I knew it would be awesome because anything Irene does is awesome … it was a really exciting prospect to then get to work and collaborate with a friend.”

Sourcing from nearby areas can uplift local businesses and farmers, but also pose benefits for the environment.

According to Slow Food Miami, “when ingredients are grown nearby, the distance they travel from farm to table is minimized” and “reduces emissions by a substantial margin.”

Olsen said Chin could source all of Hei Hei’s produce and ingredients from other areas, but chooses to support and buy local.

“It’s really a special and pretty transformative thing for people,” Olsen said. “(I) just really want to make sure to emphasize how unique and special (Hei Hei is) in their just complete commitment to supporting and buying local whenever they possibly can.”

Chin said Hei Hei was also inspired by the work of vendors and farmers seen at the Athens Farmers Market.

“I started becoming friends with the farmers and … they were growing amazing food,” Chin said. “I was like, ‘Man, Athens has a great food scene.’ We have these amazing farms

Mauvette’s shares Jamaican cuisine, builds family

Spices and ingredients line the shelves, transforming the harsh lighting of the industrial kitchen where Mauvette Gregory cooks her Caribbean specialties into a welcoming atmosphere.

Gregory, the owner and chef de cuisine at her namesake restaurant, Mauvette’s, calls herself a “transplant” to the Athens area. Gregory is from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“I’m all about the people, all about entertaining,” Gregory said. “I’m really big on my culture. So for me, I get the most joy knowing that I’m cooking something that others are able to enjoy, and while enjoying it, they’re learning a little bit about my culture while making me happy by doing all of these things in the process.”

A redirection from art school faculty and an acceptance to culinary school led Gregory to Athens.

“I just decided, to hell with it, I’m going to go with the other school,” Gregory said. “That was how I ended up doing culinary and hospitality. It wasn’t that this was my first love or anything, but I’m from a big family and we cook a lot. I was a greedy child growing up, so I was always in the kitchen.”

In November 2000, Gregory traveled to New York for school; however, when she arrived, she was too late to start the semester. Luckily, the school had a partnership with Hocking College, which was on the quarter system and asked Gregory if she would be OK doing a quarter at Hocking then returning to New York for the next semester.

“I should have left Hocking at the end of that quarter, but Hocking asked me to be part of their residence life … so I took the job,” Gregory said. “I never bothered to go to New York, because not only was I on scholarship, I was now making money doing the resi-

dence (assistant) job.”

When Gregory started looking for a permanent location, “problems came in different ways.” At the first location Gregory considered, she said the building’s owner wanted a “guarantee” of “no smells.”

“I tell her that I can’t make that guarantee,” Gregory said.

“In Jamaica, if you’re cooking and nobody’s smelling it, you’re not cooking at all.”

Prices of other locations and equipment skyrocketed and did not fall under Gregory’s budget. Eventually, the cook relocated to 540 W. Union St.

“In Jamaica, we have a saying that you can’t hang your basket where your bamboo pole can’t reach it,” Gregory said.

“In other words, you can’t put your sights on something that is bigger than the amount of money that you have … I said, ‘You know what? It doesn’t matter. We’re gonna make this work.’”

The building needed renovations and what was expected to be a six-month project, stretched to nearly two and a half years.

“I can’t begin to tell you the tears,” Gregory said. “I’ve been blessed with a bunch of women and a core group of people in Athens that have been my rock, my foundation.”

Mauvette’s opened nearly two years ago, serving all sorts of Jamaican staples including fried plantains, jerk or fried chicken, oxtails and ram goat curry. Prices range between $5 and $25.

“I do have a standardized menu, but I try to change some of the items so as not to have folks become bored or for their palates to become lazy,” Gregory said. “I try to introduce as much to them as I possibly can in the small ways that I am able to, because Jamaica is by far more than cured goat, managed water, jerk chicken, fried plantains.”

doing really interesting things, and it's unlike anywhere else that I've lived. So it just felt really special.”

Hei Hei is available at the Athens Farmers Market every Saturday and sold at Kindred Market and The Village Bakery and Cafe. Other retailers in Columbus, Cincinnati, Lancaster, Circleville and Northern Kentucky have Hei Hei in stock, according to the website.

Types of kimchi and ferments sold on Hei Hei’s website include napa kimchi, cucumber kimchi, daikon kimchi, ponytail radish kimchi and sour corn. All 14 oz jars of kimchi cost $14.99, with an 11 oz jar of sour corn costing $13.

Chin’s napa, cucumber and daikon kimchis are always in stock, but the ponytail radish and sour corn are seasonal and limited.

Chin said Hei Hei products are created out of an Appalachian Center for Economic Networks kitchen in Nelsonville. ACEnet is an “economic development organization” serving people in 32 counties in Appalachia.

Logan Ousley is Gregory’s “lead” at Mauvette’s and he takes orders and phone calls, restocks products, cleans and “lifts things.”

“She’s a very particular lady,” Ousley said. “She knows exactly how she likes things done … in the shop, everything has a place. She’s also very dedicated to the craft of cooking … she always asked me to help taste test things, make sure that things are on point.”

Dave Zlatkind visited Mauvette’s for the first time recently. However, it was not his first encounter with Jamaican food.

“I’ve been to Jamaica seven times and I learned to cook some Jamaican dishes,” Zlatkind said. “This is authentic. It’s excellent. I’m ecstatic because I just found out (about Mauvettes) a few days ago … I wish I would have known about this a year ago, because I’ll be coming back.”

In his eagerness to try the food, Zlatkind did not check the hours and showed up before Mauvette’s opens. However, the new customer was welcomed inside.

“While she’s getting ready to open business, we had a conversation,” Zlatkind said. “Instantly became friends … we chatted about cooking in Jamaica and her life and my life, and how she ended up here.”

Gregory said she is grateful for the support shown by Athens’ locals.

“They religiously come,” Gregory said. “They’re not going anyplace else to spend their money. They say that when they come here, they feel as though they’re a part of a family, and they get to talk, and we interact, and I guess people like that.”

Each week, Chin said Hei Hei produces a few 100 lbs of kimchi.

“One of the big takeaways from learning about making kimchi from my aunt is you just make a really good tasting marinade, and that acts as the dressing for your vegetables,” Chin said. “So you can really experiment with different things.”

Chin sources red pepper flakes from Korea, which she says makes a difference in the end product. The kimchi also contains local honey and apples, which helps balance out the flavors in the kimchi.

The apples are sourced from Wagner's Fruit Farm in Waterford. Eric Wagner is the owner of Wagner Fruit Farm and said his family does what they can to support local businesses like Hei Hei.

“I grew up on the farm, it is just what I do, helping to feed the world,” Wagner said. “I mean, there always seems to be somebody sourcing our raw material for their product, which is great.”

I’m a Navy veteran, software engineer, and Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio’s 12th district. I’m running a grassroots campaign to unseat Rep. Troy Balderson, a Republican who consistently votes in support of lobbying groups, super PACs, and his billionaire donors. It’s time to give power back to Ohio’s working class.

Nov. 3 No amount of money will change my positions. I don’t care about being a good Democrat or politician. I care about being a good American.”

vote early now THE

THE

This is not an abstract concept or a handout. Universal healthcare is a non-partisan policy in nearly every other modern country. It is proven to lower costs while removing the middle men who tell us which doctors we can see and which medications we can buy. It provides the freedom to start a business without the fear that you or your child will get sick, the freedom to leave a job you hate and find one you love, and the freedom to take a chance on something without your health being chained to an employer’s HR department. Right now we tie our lives to jobs in a way that keeps us stuck. Coverage disappears when employment does. A layoff becomes a medical crisis. An entrepreneur has to “price in” private premiums before they even open the doors on a new business. That is not a market that encourages innovation and growth. It is a system that punishes risk and rewards consolidation. Universal healthcare breaks that chain.

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE

If you work full time in the United States, you should not be poor. That is a baseline standard of dignity. The minimum wage has been allowed to erode for years while productivity and corporate profits soared. People working forty hours a week are still choosing between rent and groceries. In the wealthiest country on Earth, that is a policy failure. Raising the minimum wage is not radical. It is an adjustment to reality. Housing, child care, food, health care - everything costs more. Wages at the bottom have not kept pace. When people earn more, they spend more in their own communities. Small businesses benefit. Local economies strengthen. The alternative is what we have now: profits concentrating at the top while taxpayers subsidize corporations whose employees still qualify for public assistance. We can debate the exact number and how to phase it in. What should not be up for debate is whether someone who works deserves to live above the poverty line.

MARIA SAUNDERS | FOR THE POST

(MEGAN VANVLACK | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

OHIO

The Crane Wives were valued by audiences at the Music Industry Summit

CASSIDY MCCLURG | FOR THE POST

Ohio University’s Music Industry Summit hosted The Crane Wives on April 14 at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. The band started in the 2010s and produces a sound associated with indie folk and a touch of rock and roll. With over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band began its national tour, split into three acts, in Athens.

Ben Zito plays bass, Dan Rickabus plays drums and Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury are co-leads on their electric guitars. The band has six studio albums under their belt, with a recent 2024 release titled “Beyond Beyond Beyond.

The Crane Wives have received big praise in the past from NPR’s “All Songs Considered” back in 2017. In a discussion of their song, “Scars,” Glasse Factory wrote that the band was “able to articulate a traumatic experience through lyrical content” and how it is more impressive that the band’s “musical elements also reflect the growing understanding of trauma.”

“Scars” is about Petersmark’s experience as an adopted child and how she learned more about herself and her view on adoption. The trauma coming from self-exploration can be messy, and the lyrics and visuals at the band’s concert reflect that.

At the Music Industry Summit concert, small sets were on stage of cattails and sticks in the mud, drawing attention to murky waters. This aesthetic can symbolize traveling through self-exploration and the isolation that comes with it, feeling stuck in the mud.

Morgan Hanner performed as the opener. Hanner’s solo performance with his guitar and harmonica was a perfect start to the concert. Singing lyrics of folk roots, Hanner connected well with the Southeast Ohio audience.

Hanner mentioned being close with Zito and said they have written songs together. The Crane Wives

bringing a personal connection on stage with them is all the more meaningful.

Before The Crane Wives arrived, a masked person placed lanterns to a siren song track. After this, the band was welcomed and began the first act of its tour. The interlude of lanterns was part of a bigger story with each “act” of the tour.

The Crane Wives performed with professional electricity and passion. Although there were moments when the instruments overpowered the vocals, the audience knew the songs by heart.

Landing Dispensary/continued from pg B4

The dispensary’s cannabis, or flower, prices range between $8.50 to $105.60, depending on the quantity and brand of the product. Pre-roll prices range between $3.90 to $16.20, with edibles reaching $60. Other products include vaporizers, concentrates, tinctures, topicals, accessories and apparel.

The Landing Dispensary has a daily discount of 30% off of its first-party products and 20% off third-party products for veteran and indigent customers. For medical patients, there is a 20% discount if the customer places a pre-order, and 15% for walk-ins, according to the official website.

“Along with the other deals, we focus pretty heavily on offering a wide range of daily deals and discounts,” George said. “So whether people are value shoppers or looking for premium products, we have something for you, and one of our goals is to just make cannabis accessible without sacrificing quality.”

Other Ohio locations include Berea, Cleveland, Columbus, Monroe, Cincinnati and Huron.

“We just love the small town vibes and you know, modernness of Athens,” George said.

“We really wanted to put our location there because we kind of feel like it aligns with our morals and values as a company.”

Open for nearly one month now, George said Athens’ residents responded positively

to Landing’s services and products, and Ohio University students are a great clientele.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cannabis is the “most commonly used federally illegal drug” in the U.S., with 19% of Americans using it at least once in 2021.

“People really like the interior layout of our design, and they like that they can work one-onone with a bud-tender, and they’re not strictly stuck to going to a kiosk,” George said.

George said budtenders, people serving customers in a marijuana establishment, make The Landing stand out.

“We always want to help people get the relief and stuff they need because cannabis is primarily a medicine for a lot of people,” George said. “So, we take a lot of pride in helping medical and recreational people get the outcome they would like from cannabis.”

Ashley Hall, the lead customer experience representative for Landing, said the dispensary’s environment is upbeat and welcoming in a statement.

“I enjoy working at The Landing because it is incredibly rewarding to connect with people and help them find exactly what they need in their day-to-day lives,” Hall said.

Kelsey Thompson, an inventory supervisor at the dispensary, said she hopes to see people visiting its new location in Athens.

“Being with The Landing has given me the opportunity to do something that is near and dear to me,” Thompson said. “Giving people a hospitable guide through cannabis.”

George said the most popular product right now is flower, although vaporizers come in close second, especially for cannabis users who prefer a more “convenient” or “discreet” option.

“It’s really awesome to give other people the opportunity to find their dream job, or even if they don’t do this for the rest of their lives, being able to give people opportunity and see their eyes light up and just get to experience something different,” George said.

The magnetic lighting was multi-colored, with lights along the crowd and stage. The lights would change depending on the song, with yellows and greens for louder songs and blues and reds for softer songs.

The instruments, especially the bass, were mixed to emphasize the rock feel of the concert. With the lighting shifting colors for each song, the show was technically cared for so that the audience was drawn into each song.

Being live in concert, The Crane Wives were able to show off more of their sound. Instruments that were unnoticed in recordings came out louder during the performance. The vocals were prominent, but the guitars and drums were brighter. Even though it was a bit bottom-heavy at first, the band pulled it off and let loose with their sound.

Each band member showed they were comfortable with each other. There weren’t any uneasy glances at each other while performing. They trusted each other with the timing of the music; each member knew their role. They were able to focus on the audience without being worried about the quality of the performance.

To make this tour different from the last, the band played songs they usually don’t play or haven’t played for years.

“We’re going to play some deep cuts,” Petersmark said to the crowd.

A visualizer of water and tall grass with the band’s title played behind them as they performed, bringing the audience further into the marsh story that was established with lanterns and cattails.

The Crane Wives brought a powerful show that rocked the theater. Their presence was valued by the audience.

Warm weather/continued from pg B4

STROUDS RUN STATE PARK

Students and locals have been using the lake at Strouds Run State Park as the weather gets warmer. Swimsuits, spikeball and sand volleyball make appearances, too. The 700-foot sand beach is great for friends to enjoy the sun and water.

The beach at Strouds allows getting a tan before the summer. People can test out their summer beach outfits at Strouds to see what works for mobility, tanning and fashion.

That is not all Strouds has to offer; the state park also has spots for picnicking, hiking and camping. These are all cheap options to spend time with friends. With more planning and interest, Strouds also welcomes hunting in designated areas and during designated times, and fishing with proper licensure.

Planning a visit to Strouds is inexpensive and great for friends and family as nature blooms.

MOONLIGHT PADDLE ON THE HOCKING RIVER

Strouds isn’t the only place to enjoy nature. Hocking Hills State Park has trails, camping spots and more to enjoy. On May 1, a limited event is taking place at Hocking Hills, welcoming guests to enjoy a nighttime paddle.

The event is hosted by Adventure Pro Outdoors River Trips and is their first moonlight paddle event. Glow sticks are encouraged, and only 40 spots are available. The event is posted on Facebook for more information.

NELSONVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL

This summer, the Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary. Tickets are now available for the festival from June 18 to 20.

The festival’s 20th anniversary is sure to be an exciting year to attend. With musical guests, Geese, Marcus King Band, Hannah Cohen and more, with a lineup of over 40 artists.

It takes place at Snow Fork Event Center and has activities for the whole

family with food, camping, artisan vendors and music, of course.

COURTS AND SPORTS

OU has plenty of spaces on campus where students can grab a blanket and lie out on any of the Greens or play a sport at respected courts. A sand volleyball court is available on South Green. Students have also been playing spikeball on the sand or grass on South Green, but spikeball has popped up around campus on other lawns.

Ohio University’s Ping Recreation Center has over 20 pickleball and tennis courts available for students and more to reserve.

Even if you don’t play pickleball or tennis, picking it up and enjoying the warm weather is much better than being cooped up in the gym.

COURT STREET

Of course, a walk down Court Street is a great way to spend time. There are numerous unique shops, bars and restaurants available to peek inside or spend an evening in.

Thrift stores like CGi and Athens Underground are the perfect place for vintage lovers. Seeing what students and locals have donated is always an exciting opportunity to step into Athens history and get cheap OU merch.

MUCH MORE TO ENJOY

Whether you want to spend time with friends or chill alone, there are so many options on campus and in Athens.

The spring is a great time to soak in the sun and enjoy nature, and adopt fresh new activities that will last all summer long while school is out of session.

Photos by JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST

CLARA LEDER

ASST. OPINION EDITOR

This week, Venus and Uranus both align in Taurus on April 23. This energy pushes you to take risks and bring instant connections in romance and friendships. At the end of the week, Uranus, the planet of sudden changes, technology and innovation, enters Gemini for the first time since the 1940s. It remains there until 2032, with massive technological breakthroughs and likely societal transformations in politics.

Aries (March 21–April 19):

As your season ends, the universe begs you to move through life with more honesty. Get serious about your future. Energy is high this week, but you might find yourself overly frustrated or burnt out if you don’t pace yourself. Focus on where you want to be in five years. There is abundant energy with the new season, and it is yours for the taking if you stop running and pick what serves you.

Taurus (April 20–May 20):

This week, you are the main character, Taurus. As your season begins, you will find yourself finally getting a much-needed energy reset. Expect confidence to increase, as well as strong opportunities in your career to present themselves. Financial growth is likely this week. Focus on grounding yourself

HOROSCOPE

in your own power and remember that what is meant for you will find you.

Gemini (May 21–June 20):

Gemini, this is a huge week for you. Your greatest tool is reflection, and this week you will feel your own identity and self-worth shift toward positivity. Expect deep conversations in love, a mindset shift in work and a greater ability to process your emotions. If you let it, this week can transform you into someone new.

Cancer (June 21–July 22):

Your greatest gift is your ability to connect with others. Take extra care not to shut yourself out and spend time being social; this will fuel you for success. Connections are what drive you. Remember, being vulnerable is not a weakness, but rather a strength that releases what drains you. You don’t need to do everything alone; you just need to do it with the right people.

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22):

This week, Leo, you might experience more tension or anger in your personal relationships. Expect difficult conversations to arise as you may find yourself with a shorter fuse than usual. This week, remember you don’t need to prove yourself; you need to earn the successes you long for. Push yourself to embrace consistency and let go of

CROSSWORD

the need for reassurance. You can do it, through discipline and hard work.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sep. 22):

Virgo, it is time to step out of your routine this week. Growth is scary to you, and you already know the choice you have to make; you are just scared to do it. Remember that opportunity comes from effort; it’s time to take the risk and embrace what is meant for you.

Libra (Sep. 23–Oct. 22):

For you, Libra, now is a vital time to reset and re-examine your mindset. You have been performing more than usual lately, burying your emotions to make others feel better. Deeper connections and intimacy come from self-focus and honesty; it’s OK to be real even if it’s messy.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21):

This is a strong relationship-focused week for you, Scorpio. Expect emotional intensity, deeper conversations and connections. You must proceed with an open mind and let the universe show you what you need. As you move through the week, remind yourself to let go of control and instead embrace what is in front of you. Learn who is worth it.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21):

Your work life takes center stage this week as you will be asked to balance your freedom and your stability. To find freedom, you must first embrace discipline and the mundane parts of life; this is the foundation for change.

Challenge yourself to manage both and remind yourself that hard work doesn’t eliminate carefree moments.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19):

Congratulations, Capricorn, you made it through the trenches, and this week will bring you immense joy. The universe is here to tell you to exit survival mode, allow softness and embrace your creative gifts. As you move through the week, pay extra attention to romantic moments, as there is a strong potential for a new romantic connection to arise.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18):

Aquarius, you have spent the last few weeks burying your feelings in an attempt not to ruffle any feathers. This has only hurt your own heart. This week, thankfully, brings you some emotional clarity, as you are encouraged to finally speak your mind. After reflection, be honest with yourself and others about what hurts and helps you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):

Pisces, for you this week brings deep and meaningful conversations with your loved ones. Your mental energy will increase this week and you might find yourself more inclined to exercise or travel. Embrace the movement in your soul and use that to say what you actually feel; this will change everything for you. Your biggest gift is your emotional intelligence; use this to charm your way to what you deserve.

SUDOKU

racing rivals

XANDER STAUFFER FOR THE POST