Athens scores $160k for new bus … pg. 3
South Green skate park wheels out … pg. 6
Ohio’s sideline shift: Smith out, Hauser in … pg. 16
ODNR sued over approval of two injection wells
FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER
Buckeye Environmental Network is suing the Ohio Department of Natural Resources following the approval of two oil and gas waste disposal wells, Stephan #1 and American Growers #4, in Southeast Ohio.
DeepRock Disposal Solutions, a waste management company in Marietta, applied for permits for both Class II injection wells in Washington County in 2021. However, ODNR issued the permits Aug. 28, after rules were changed to be more protective of the community.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a Class II injection well is an underground well where fluids are injected to produce oil and gas. The injected fluids are often wastewater brines, a fluid that is saltier than seawater and can contain toxic metals and radioactive substances that come to the surface during drilling processes.
Bev Reed, Appalachian organizer for Buckeye Environmental Network, said the lawsuit alleges ODNR should be following the new laws. The legislature passed in 2022.
“The lawsuit argues that ODNR did not follow their own rules that they created in preventing these two permits simply because the company, DeepRock, applied for the permits right before the new rules took effect,” Reed said.
ODNR declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
The regulations, found in the Saltwater Operation chapter of the Ohio Administrative Code, placed more restrictive mandates on permit approvals and permissible activity of injection wells. Those restrictions took effect Jan. 13, 2022.
One of the restrictions included an increased radius required for the area of review. The area of review is the zone surrounding an artificial penetration, such as an injection well, which is analyzed to determine where increased pressure from injected fluids could
potentially cause contamination of underground sources of drinking water.
Catherine Helm-Clark, who has over 35 years of experience in geology, reviewed the geography of Washington County. She determined how the injection wells might impact drinking water.
In a writ of mandamus, Helm-Clark wrote how DeepRocks’ use of outdated AORs could impact drinking water in Washington County.
“These smaller AORs allowed the owner of the two permits, DeepRock Disposal Solutions LLC, to avoid examining whether their new well would potentially impact Marietta’s municipal water wells, less than two miles away,” Helm-Clark wrote in the summary.
According to Reed, the new restrictions also capped the number of barrels of waste a company can dispose of per day at 200, which is significantly lower than the previous cap of 5,000 barrels.
One concern is the proximity of the wells to the drinking water sources in Marietta. Locals established a Facebook group titled Washington County for Safe Drinking Water, which advocates against the injection wells.
Some experts claim the waste could make its way into the water system, contaminating water for the entire city. Helm-Clark highlighted the dangers injection wells have already posed in the Washington County area.
“Two of Washington County’s 17 Class II injection wells have been documented by ODNR and other researchers as leaking injected brine more than two miles out of their targeted injection intervals, causing increased seismicity and infiltration of brine into producing oil and gas wells,” Helm-Clark wrote in the review. “Over 12% of Washington County’s Class II injection wells have already leaked.” Helm-Clark argued the presence of rocks in the ground is not sufficient to prevent the contaminated water from moving its way into the Underground Source of Drinking Water aquifers.
The Marietta City Council recently
began focusing on the issue after Susan Vessels, president of the Marietta City Council, attended a water and sewage meeting discussing the matter with Reed and a leader of the Facebook group.
Vessels decided to convene the Committee of the Whole to discuss the matter in July. She invited people with different opinions, including those from ODNR, Ohio EPA, elected officials, petroleum engineers and people from the injection well company.
“The meeting went forward, and the speakers showed up, people with the injection well company, people from (Ohio University), from the college and it was a fantastic meeting,” Vessels said. “It went on for three hours. I had probably 100 people from the community.”
Following the meeting, the council voted to draft an objection to the approval
of the reissue of the Stephan #1 well. All members of the council signed the document Aug. 8, which was then handdelivered to ODNR.
Vessels discussed how those from all over the region are joining together to oppose these injection wells and express their concerns.
“This isn’t just a fight with the city of Marietta; we have Buckeye Environmental and Earth justice, and not just the city,” Vessels said. “We have got the water districts in the county there that are joining in and filing their own moratorium resolutions with the state, asking for help. So it’s the trustees, it’s the water districts, it’s the city of Marietta … so it’s a whole effort to say, please, please pay attention. This is not going to end well, unless something changes soon.”
The Muskingum River from the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Marietta, Ohio, Dec. 1, 2025. (MEGAN VANVLACK | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
(MEGAN VANVLACK | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
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Police blotter: Loose dogs, goats, well-being checks, arrests
KAITLIN HOGG NEWS STAFF WRITER
21 Fri ________________________
I have the recording!
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office took a walk-in report, wherein the complainant told deputies she received a threatening call and had recorded it.
The complainant also wrote a report and said they would send the recording later.
I’m not missing, I’m right here!
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Meadowbrook Road in Albany after receiving a report of a missing child.
Once on the scene, it was determined the child was safe and inside the residence.
22 Sat _________________________
There is activity, but maybe not suspicious
Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Liars Corner in Millfield after a report of suspicious activity.
Deputies were unable to locate any such activity.
Threats
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a call wherein the caller stated they had been receiving threats over the phone and wanted to contact law enforcement.
The caller said they had been receiving texts and phone calls from a well-known individual that contained threatening content. Deputies reviewed the material with the caller and determined the information was not enough to be considered a criminal offense.
No further action was necessary at the time, and the caller was instructed on how to deal with the situation.
23 Sun ________________________
Call 911 during emergencies, not during playtime
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to state Route 550 after a 911 hang-up call.
On the scene, deputies determined the call came from a juvenile playing with the phone and there was no emergency.
Explosion?!
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to state Route 13 after a report of explosions in the area.
Once deputies were on the scene, it was discovered the sound was coming from an individual shooting a muzzleloader.
24 Mon________________________
No gift for you!
Deputies of the Athens County
Sheriff’s Office received a report regarding a scam involving gift cards and money. Deputies took a report.
Warrants of the week
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has warrants of arrest out for Michael Newlun and James Barnhart Jr.
Newlun is wanted for possession of drugs and illegal conveyance of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordinance in a courthouse. Barnhart Jr. is wanted for theft and possession of drugs.
Individuals with any information on either man are to contact the Athens Court Sheriff’s Office immediately.
25 Tue ________________________
Arrested!
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office received information on the location of Michael McKay, who had a warrant out for his arrest.
Deputies made contact with McKay, who was subsequently arrested and taken without incident to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
Stop bullying! Just be kind!
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Baker Road after receiving a juvenile complaint. The caller advised their child was being bullied at school, so a report was taken and school officials were contacted.
26 Wed ________________________
Who goes there? … nobody, actually
Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to state Route 681 in New Marshfield after a caller reported seeing someone with flashlights on a neighbor’s property while the homeowners were out of town.
Deputies checked the area, found the property secure and did not observe any flashlights or suspicious activity.
The man who wasn’t there
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Roy Avenue after a caller reported seeing someone outside her window in a neighbor’s yard.
Deputies spoke with the caller and checked the area but were unable to locate the man she described.
27 Thur Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey Day tensions
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mill Street in Chauncey for a domestic complaint.
Upon arrival, deputies learned the dispute started over someone eating before the Thanksgiving meal was ready. The parties agreed to separate for the night.
U.S. Weekly Headlines: Obamacare, National Guard members shot
FINN SMITH | NEWS STAFF WRITER
24 Mon _________________________
Trump administration labels Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization
According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration decided to classify the Venezuelan-based Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.
The decision comes after months of pressure between the U.S. and Venezuela, due to the Trump administration’s claims that Venezuela has been trafficking drugs into the U.S.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denies the existence of the cartel, while Trump officials claim the new designation can provide new options for ways to deal with Maduro. President Donald Trump has not yet ruled out military action against Venezuela, the AP reported.
Former Prince Andrew faces pressure to testify in Epstein investigation
The former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has faced recent pressures to testify in the ongoing congressional investigation into the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, according to the AP.
Last month, the former prince was stripped of all royal titles and honors due to the continued criticisms regarding his relationship with Epstein.
Keir Starmer, prime minister of the U.K., stated that generally, anyone with relevant information regarding cases like Epstein’s should come forth with evidence. Those remarks come after members of the House Oversight Committee said Mountbatten-Windsor continues to hide from serious questions, the AP reported
25 Tue _________________________
White House considers continuing Obamacare subsidies to support health care needs
White House considers continuing Obamacare subsidies to support health care needs
The White House is currently discussing a potential proposal that would help consumers pay for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act by extending subsidies, the AP reported.
The plan extends Obamacare provisions while the administration, alongside Congress, attempts to establish a new healthcare policy.
According to the AP, anonymous sources familiar with the proposal claim the proposal would cap subsidies at 700% of the federal poverty level.
26 Wed _________________________
Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace plan gains traction
The Trump administration recently proposed a 28-point peace plan that hopes to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the AP reported.
The plan is heavily geared toward Moscow’s wishes, with regulations that would prevent Ukraine from joining NATO in the future, limit the troop number of Ukraine’s military, forfeit the eastern region of the Donbas to Russia and more.
The plan was given to Ukrainian officials, who then met with European allies to establish counterproposals that await a response from Russia and Washington.
28 Fri _________________________
Trump pushes for a pause in migration from poor countries
Trump recently made a statement discussing his intention of permanently pausing migration into the U.S. from poorer nations and promising to revoke the legal status of and expel millions of immigrants from the country, the AP reported.
The heightened statements follow the shooting of two National Guard members who were stationed in Washington for the crime reduction program.
The Trump administration has since promised to reexamine the status of millions of legal immigrants in the U.S., according to the AP.
30 Sun _________________________
Trump reacts to National Guard shooting, pauses asylum decisions, visas
The Trump administration stopped all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for anyone traveling on an Afghan passport, according to the AP.
The decision follows the shooting of two National Guard members in the capital, which killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
The suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan who was living in the state of Washington, after working with the CIA during the Afghanistan War.
Trump deemed the shooting a “terrorist attack” and threw criticisms at the Biden administration for allowing Afghans who worked with American forces to immigrate to the U.S.
The Trump administration also ordered 500 more National Guard members to the capital.
ODOT awards $160K for new Athens bus
The Ohio Department of Transportation is investing over $13 million in Ohio’s public transit. This means $160K for a new bus to serve Athens
The Ohio Department of Transportation will fund $13.5 million each state fiscal year, now until 2027, to transit agencies statewide through its Workforce Mobility Partnership Program.
The program allows transit agencies to apply for grants to fund a transit line connecting people to workforce centers, such as factories, business parks and office locations, according to Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary.
The Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership Program, which began July 2023, expired June 2025 under House Bill 23. OWMP was reestablished with House Bill 54, continuing funding from July 2025 to June 2027.
The Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, the non-profit community action organization responsible for the Athens Public Transit, was awarded $160,000 to purchase a new bus in accordance with the OWMP.
Ben Ziff, HAPCAP mobility coordinator, said HAPCAP applied for funding for a 30-foot bus, equaling $160,000. He also mentioned HAPCAP has to provide a 20% local match for the project, which rounds to $40,000. The bus expands service on Line 3, which runs from The Market on State on East State Street to Andover Road in Athens. The line runs once an hour, Monday to Friday, 6:48 a.m. to 9:56 p.m., with Saturday runs temporarily suspended.
“We have been reaching capacity on this line in particular, the past few months, with only standing room available and sometimes not even that,” Ziff wrote in an email. “With Line 3 being our busiest line, this will definitely help alleviate some of the capacity issues we’ve been running into.”
The new bus is an improvement from the current buses along that corridor, increasing the capacity from about 1216 passengers to 30.
“We never want to have to turn someone away from the bus, but when it’s full, it’s full,” Ziff wrote in an email. “Hopefully, we won’t run into this issue once we have the larger bus on the road.”
In addition to the new Athens bus, Bruning added that in Ohio, there are 28 different projects from 15 different transport agencies in 16 counties.
For example, neighboring Washington County is purchasing additional vans as part of its Community Action Bus Line, which serves the Marietta area.
“Since a lot of our vans are side loading, we’re getting some vans that are rear loading, which will be helpful for some of the larger passengers or passengers that can’t sit straight up in a wheelchair,” Stephen Collins, housing and transportation program director for the Washington-Morgan Community Action, said.
The new vans also allow for an expansion of “non-emergency transit” trips, which connect people in Marietta to regional hubs such as Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh. OWMP has already been a success in other parts of the state, such as the Butler County Regional Transit Authority in Southwest Ohio, which runs a bus line to and from Cincinnati.
“This year in this particular program, they have applied and been awarded money to expand that program, so obviously it’s working well enough that they’ve decided to expand it,” Bruning said. “I think they’re adding five or six additional vehicles.”
The bus service improvements help to serve one part of the community: those without access to vehicles, according to Bruning.
“We don’t want to have a situation where those people say, ‘Well, gee, I live in a part of the state where I just can’t get to a job consistently because I don’t have a car,’” Bruning said. “This will hopefully help knock down those barriers and that’s really the idea here is to be able to connect people to those job employment centers, no matter where they live.”
ALEX PASSERO FOR THE POST
Buses wait for passengers at the Baker Center stop, which will see a new 30-foot bus on Line 3.
(ALEX PASSERO | FOR THE POST)
Union negotiations continue without agreements, academic freedom discussed
The United Academics of Ohio University met with the Ohio University administration Nov. 19 to continue contract negotiations, but did not reach an agreement on academic freedom.
UAOU first filed to unionize March 5, 2024, delivering a letter to the Office of the President. After a vote of 453-189 in favor of unionization March 24, 2025, UAOU selected a 10-member bargaining team to represent faculty in negotiations, according to a previous report by The Post.
At its ninth meeting with university administration, the bargaining session focused on the administration’s counterproposal to UAOU’s academic freedom article. The union first proposed it Aug. 27, according to Joe McLaughlin, an associate professor of English and an UAOU bargaining team member.
McLaughlin said academic freedom is a central issue for faculty, particularly following the passage of the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, or Senate Bill 1. The law, which took effect in June, places restrictions on course content at Ohio’s public universities.
SB 1 also mandates the closure of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which OU ended in June, prohibits universities from taking stances on political or social issues and calls for greater transparency in course offerings.
“There’s a strong, you could say, lack of trust between faculty and the administration because we
saw no attempt on their part to resist Senate Bill 1, to resist the assaults on academic freedom that are there.” McLaughlin said. “Unfortunately, that is overshadowing the bargaining process, where they seem more concerned with keeping people happy in Columbus than doing the right thing by the university.”
UAOU’s initial proposal for academic freedom includes four components: research and creative activity, teaching, extramural expression and service. It aims to limit university oversight on educational matters undertaken by the faculty and includes protections for conducting and publishing research, classroom autonomy and freedom from censorship.
McLaughlin said he was disappointed in the administration’s counterproposal.
“They’re not simply trying to comply with the law,” McLaughlin said. “They’re trying to over-comply with the law.”
Dan Pittman, a university spokesperson, said OU is committed to negotiating sincerely and continues to uphold confidentiality regarding discussions held during negotiation sessions.
Since the initial meeting Aug. 4, the university administration and UAOU met multiple times, but progress has been limited.
So far, the negotiations have yielded two tentative agreements out of the 24 articles proposed by UAOU: Labor-Management Meetings and Health, Safety and Security. The two tentative agreements will be sent to union members for a vote.
McLaughlin said several major issues remain
unresolved, including salary and grievance procedures.
UAOU’s salary proposal seeks to raise benchmark salaries for bargaining unit members by $4,632 by Aug. 15, 2027. It also calls for increased compensation for promotions, ranging from $5,000 for advancement to clinical associate professor or associate professor of instruction to $10,000 for promotion to professor. The union said these increases would bring OU faculty pay more in line with other Ohio universities.
OU ranked second among Ohio’s public universities in average salary for the 1994-95 academic year but fell to eighth place by 2017-18, according to a previous report by The Post.
Some students have expressed support for the union’s efforts. Cami Jackson, a sophomore studying nutrition science pre-med and the president of the Ohio Student Association, said improved working conditions for faculty benefit students in the classroom.
“If you have a less stressed-out professor or a less busy professor, they’re probably going to be less stressed out in class,” Jackson said.
On Nov. 24, Jackson and other OSA members delivered a letter to President Lori Stewart Gonzalez’s office in support of UAOU.
“If admin listens to our faculty, and we the students are backed by faculty, then we will be listened to,” Jackson said.
BT037924@OHIO.EDU
BRIDGET THOMAS | FOR THE POST
Strong Towns Athens strengthens, enlivens neighborhood
RENAE HEFTY FOR THE POST
Strong Towns Athens, a chapter of the wider nonprofit organization aiming to “pursue growth, development and prosperity, is calling local residents to action.
Strong Towns, headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, has over 300 “real, active groups,” according to its website, had $934,030 in assets at the end of 2022 and brought in more than $1.24 million in revenue, including $881,837 from grants and contributions.
Strong Towns Athens has five leaders: Rob Delach, Stephanie Hunter, Gracie Vaughn, Andrew Guidarelli and George Turner.
Delach, who formed Strong Towns Athens alongside the other four, said he started Curbside Conversation, a local organization discussing zoning proposals, in 2019.
“We would have a city planner come in and talk to us about what the proposal was and why it was a good idea,” Delach said. “We then had a discussion about it … then COVID hit. It started up again, but with lower turnouts.”
Delach said members expressed their desire for hands-on work at a Curbside Conversation meeting, introducing Strong Town Athens.
“They said, ‘We want to get Strong Towns going, not as a conversation group … but a group that actually does stuff,’” Delach said. “So that is why we restarted (Curbside Conversation) with a new name: Strong Towns Athens.”
Ohio University’s Urban Planning Student Association drew inspiration from Strong Towns’ mission and helped launch hands-on projects aimed at helping the group achieve actionable results.
Stephanie Hunter, an Athens native and graduate student at The Ohio State University, was first introduced to the projects by Turner, whom she met through the Pedestrian Accessibility and Bicycle Task Force, which promotes walking and biking as part of Athens’ transportation system, and advocates for “awareness of traffic, pedestrian, bicycle and personal mobility device safety and accessibility.”
“(Turner) approached me about making some sort of group with the community that would put the work that those student planners had been working on into action,” Hunter said. “Their plans were going nowhere … and my suggestion was, ‘Why don’t we make it a Strong Towns chapter?’ … I was familiar with the organization.”
Turner, a senior studying urban planning and sustainability, and Gracie Vaughn, a junior on the same track, are current copresidents of Urban Planning. Vaughn, alongside Hunter, Delach and Turner, said starting the chapter was not challenging.
“It seemed like a relatively easy process to start a community group so we just kind of dove into it,” Vaughn said. “I am a student leader so most of my (role) is bringing students in to come help.”
Delach said about 12 people attended the first meeting Oct. 5, which discussed the purpose of the chapter and areas of focus.
“The first meeting was more focused on what is wrong,” Delach said. “Some of the people knew what Strong Towns was, but others did not. … We’re looking for people who care about Athens and want to make it a better place. I mean, it is a great place already … but it can always be better. We are looking for people that have that mindset.”
Delach said the chapter also organized a “work session,” which was held two weeks later at Richland Avenue Park on Dairy Lane. He said 10 people attended, six of whom were OU students.
“The paths were overgrown, so we went in to do our work,” he said. “That was our first (time) actively trying to do something.”
There is no payment required to join Strong Towns Athens, and Delach said all are welcome. The national organization has more than 6,500 members and 50,000 subscribers.
“Strong Towns is basically just people coming in from that community and filling in the gaps that they see that might be lacking funding from the government or has a lack of resources,” Vaughn said.
Delach said the chapter uses the City Source App to flag down issues, including broken sidewalks, potholes, litter, graffiti and more.
“You can submit a photo … to the city and then it goes into a process where the city reviews it and assigns it to someone,” Delach said. “It’s a good way to get something that needs fixing and get the city to pay attention.”
At the next meeting at 5 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Big Run Kava Bar, Hunter said the chapter will discuss sidewalk restoration policies and regulations so members can better understand how to change them.
“If you do those small changes, they add up, and you can see a difference in your community, and hopefully that creates a ripple effect of people also following that,” Vaughn said.
Hunter said Strong Towns is apolitical, despite the influence politics can have on policies, regulations and development.
“You have to know how to get that plan to align with broader community sentiment,” Hunter said. “It has to have political appeal to the powers that be … (and) we also have to get more people involved who might not have a lot of knowledge about issues, but are interested in them.”
Hunter also said Strong Towns has a special method of achieving goals and calling people to action.
“First step out your front door,” Hunter said. “Start walking around your neighborhood and look around and say, ‘What are people struggling with?’ It is like feeding yourself. You do it and then it’s lunchtime, and you do it again.”
CHILL OUT
Tuesday Wednesday
events are FREE while supplies last
The Richland Avenue Park, Nov. 30, 2025, by Dairy Lane in Athens. (MEGAN VANVLACK | FOR THE POST)
OU to remove skate park on South Green
Ohio University contacted the Skate Club to inform it of a policy violation, and ordered the removal of their ramps, pipes and boxes from the South Green Basketball Courts. Skaters are currently trying to get an exception from the university, as the loss of the courts would leave them without access to an accessible practice area.
than 1,000 signatures, the university remained firm in its decision.
The collection of ramps, rails and other skating equipment on the Ohio University South Green basketball courts is being removed at the request of the university Dec. 12.
Students and skaters in the area refer to the spot as “the courts” or “the OU skate park;” however, the university rejects these terms and refers to it as the South Green basketball courts. The university contacted members of the OU Skate Club to inform them they were to remove all of their property from the area due to policy 01.044.
The skate equipment removal is leaving Bobcats, including Skate Club members, with limited spaces to skate, raising concerns not only for students but also about university property and spaces. Section B-nine of the policy states students cannot store equipment or install any fixtures in outdoor university spaces. The policy does allow one-time exceptions in accordance with policy 01.003, which is something the Skate Club is hoping to receive.
Blake Fingerhut, a junior studying business analytics and president of the Skate Club, started skating 10 years ago and joined the club his freshman year. He said he is in contact with several school representatives to reach a resolution.
“It provides a safe third space for everyone who enjoys skating or just wants to hang out,” Fingerhut said.
Despite the Skate Club’s online petition with more
“To my knowledge, it’s been around at least four years before COVID, so around 10 years,” Fingerhut said. “The school has taken (ramps) down before in 2020.”
Fingerhut said the Skate Club provides a space for people to improve skateboarding skills and connect with others interested in the hobby.
In a statement about the courts, Imants Jaunarajs, assistant vice president for engagement and career services, said the university reached out to the skate club to inform it that no student organization can have primary use of a university space or store equipment on university grounds.
“Since early October, Student Affairs has reached out to the club on multiple occasions to provide them with alternative space options and to offer their help to relocate all of the club’s equipment, including their ramps, pipes and boxes, before the end of the semester (and no later than December 12),” Jaunarajas said in an email. “They have also continued to encourage the club to explore further use of our community’s official skate park, located nearby at the Athens Community Center.”
Jonas Hoelzle, a senior studying nursing, is the vice president and a founder of the club and said the community park is too far for students with no transportation and not beginner-friendly. The Skate Park is a 46-minute walk from Baker University Center.
“It’s not a place where you learn how to skateboard,” Hoelzle said. “It’s a place you go once you already
know how. And that’s kind of like the role the courts were serving for the longest time. (There are) smaller obstacles you can learn on if you’re beginning. It’s way more beginner-friendly.”
Hoelzle said the university’s decision to enforce the policy after years of neglecting to notify the club of any violations is interesting, and also claimed the club was not asked to move when the university did maintenance underneath the courts last year.
“My theory is that since they’re redoing all of South Green, I think they want it to be, you know, picturesque,” Hoelzle said. “I think maybe some of them see it as an eyesore, which I disagree with.”
With students having fewer places to skate, Hoelzle said the university will see people skating “where they’re not supposed to,” such as on structures and other university property. Currently, the Skate Club is searching for a new place to store its equipment and is planning to set up in a backyard before regrouping and finding a permanent place.
Hoelzle described the courts as a center of inclusion, especially for new students and skaters. He said multiple people put time and money into purchasing equipment and practicing, and the area itself is wellmaintained.
“I think it was a really cool, free community space that the university didn’t have to do anything to maintain at all, and it was all student-run,” Hoelzle said. “I think it’s gonna be a big loss for the university, even if they don’t see it that way.”
FIONA PETTICREW | FOR THE POST
Skate ramps on a basketball court on South Green in Athens, Nov. 30, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST}
Burrito Buggy serves up Athens tradition
The Burrito Buggy is in its 41st year of delivering Mexican cuisine for locals and fans from afar. The buggy has been traveling throughout Ohio to cater events and celebrations for OU alumni and loyal customers.
FIONA PETTICREW HUMAN INTEREST STAFF WRITER
The Burrito Buggy has parked in Athens since 1984, serving up burritos and tradition for generations of students and locals. The Buggy has gone through several owners in its 41 years, but Gary Charles has owned it for the last four years.
Since the Buggy was purchased from childhood friends Eli Flournoy and Jim Stricklin, Charles said business is thriving, and has not experienced any decline in customers or demand. He said the Buggy sees a couple hundred people every day it is open.
The Burrito Buggy also travels around the state often, recently coming back from a trip to Loveland, where it catered for a WOUB Public Media fundraiser at Cappy’s Taproom and Bottle Shop. Charles said the owner of the taproom is an Ohio University alumnus and told him the Buggy gave the bar the busiest day it has ever had. Charles said the Buggy encounters OU alumni wherever it travels, due to the alumni chapters around the state. Its popularity since 1984 brought many opportunities for the truck to grow and improve, which is exactly why Charles came out with the Burrito Buggy XL last year.
The Burrito Buggy XL offers a wider variety of menu items, including fried foods, such as fries, cheese sticks and macaroni and cheese bites. Although the XL truck offers more options for customers, Charles said there is no difference in popularity between the trucks. Most of the time, the bigger buggy is used unless they are traveling to cater.
The Buggy is available for catering all over the state, giving nostalgic OU alums a chance to enjoy a burrito the way they remember it from college. Charles said the buggy gets at least three or four catering orders a month, which consist of the Buggy parking on the property for guests to enjoy their cooking.
Todd Stiles, an OU alumnus who graduated in 1989, has been a long-time fan of the Buggy’s burritos since he was in college. He said he visited the truck at least once a week. Stiles, an Athens native, said he knows Charles personally, as well as many previous workers from Athens High School and OU.
Stiles said he always gets a beef burrito without onions or hot peppers with mild sauce and extra cheese, and recently visited the truck during Homecoming to get two of these burritos. Now that Stiles lives in Columbus, he said he only gets to see the truck about four times a year when he visits.
“You don’t have it in Columbus,” he
said. “So yeah, definitely, I look forward to it every time I’m in Athens.”
The reason Stiles continues to visit the truck is for its special sauce. He said it’s not the same as other Mexican cuisine staples like Chipotle or Taco Bell.
“They have a special sauce on the burrito that ... is just incredible,” Stiles said. “You know, a weekend in Athens is not complete unless you get a burrito from the burrito buggy.”
As of Oct. 17, all burritos, including traditional, gourmet and vegetarian, are priced at $12. While prices have increased on burritos since Stiles has been in school, he said the burritos have gotten bigger, making the price increase worth it. Along with the portion sizes increasing, Stiles also said the quality of the food hasn’t changed.
Saleh Al-Esaili, an Athens resident, has eaten at the Burrito Buggy all his life.
“I have been visiting the Buggy since I was a kid,” Al-Esaili said. “I’m 32 now, so the Buggy has been around and passed multiple owners. I actually grew up with the girl whose family owned it.”
Despite the numerous owners AlEsaili said the recipes have remained the same, and the food continues to have the same taste. He said he enjoys the street tacos and beef and cheese explosion burrito and visits the Buggy whenever he gets the chance.
“I was going once a week when they were more around,” he said. “Now I started work, so (I go) whenever I can catch them.”
For those looking to taste these famous Athens burritos and Mexican cuisine, the Burrito Buggy will be at its usual spot next to the Sunoco on Court Street during this year’s Santa Fest.
FP074825@OHIO.EDU
Ohio has big choices ahead
Sherrod Brown is running to replace a Trumpy guy as Senator from Ohio. The primary takes place 5 May 2026, and the election takes place 3 November 2026. Jerrad Christian is running to replace a Trumpy guy as Representative for Ohio’s 12th District.
Liberals Run Amok!
When Maury Maverick, Jr., served in the Texas House of Representatives in the 1950s, he introduced a bill that would raise the daily amount of money spent on food in Texas mental institutions from 75 cents to $1.10 per patient — thus allowing the patients to eat three meals a day. The headline about the bill
the
The Burrito Buggy serving customers outside of Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. Nov. 15, 2023. (BECKETT STARK | FOR THE POST)
David Bruce paid for this ad, which is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s campaign.
Source: Maury Maverick, Jr., Texas Iconoclast (Edited by Allan O. Kownslar. Fort Worth, TX: Texas Christian University Press, 1997), pp. 58-59. Retold in David Bruce’s own words.
in
Dallas Morning News the next day said, “Liberals Run Amok.”
MAC tiebreakers need reworking, but Ohio is to blame for missing Detroit
CHARLIE FADEL | SPORTS EDITOR
Now that the dust has settled on another chaotic college football regular season, I think it is fair to say that the biggest news coming out of the sport was not Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss to join LSU, but instead what went down in the Mid-American Conference to close the season.
The MAC was as entertaining as ever this year, with the last spot in the MAC title game in Detroit coming down to the last week of games and three final teams: Miami, Toledo and Ohio.
Going into the holiday weekend, Miami was seen as the projected favorite to take that spot to face off against Western Michigan, and that favorite pulled through.
The RedHawks routed Ball State in Oxford for a 45-24 win to clinch their third straight MAC title game appearance, the first being a win over Toledo in 2023 and last year’s appearance being the famous 38-3 blowout against Ohio.
Miami has yet another shot at MAC glory, but there has been debate about whether or not that shot is deserved, with almost all of the debate coming from fans of Toledo and Ohio.
Both teams did their jobs this week. Ohio got a road win on Black Friday against Buffalo, and Toledo got a road win against Central Michigan on Saturday.
Those two wins tied the schools at 6-2 overall in conference play with Miami. The RedHawks’ two losses in the MAC were to Ohio and Toledo, which is what is causing the mass confusion.
Fans would expect the head-to-head matchups between Miami and Toledo and Miami and Ohio, both resulting in losses for the RedHawks, to spell doom for the season; however, because Miami defeated the 7-1 Western Michigan squad that has wins over Toledo and Ohio, Miami takes the tiebreaker.
The headto-head games have to matter, and if both Toledo and Ohio have wins over
another 6-2 team, those wins should take precedent. Miami beating Western Michigan is a big deal and should merit some favor in the tiebreaker system, but the head-to-head games between the schools have to matter in the end, and for both Toledo and Ohio, it didn’t.
Both of those squads are waiting on the bowl game announcement, which is the final game of the year, while Miami has secured two more games.
While I agree with fans that the MAC’s tiebreaker system is a flawed system that comes as a result of splitting up divisions, there is more context than that.
If divisions were in place this year, it is true Ohio would be heading to Detroit over Miami, but if divisions were in place last year, the Bobcats would not have the MAC championship banners donning the lightpoles outside of Peden Stadium because Miami defeated Ohio in the regular season last year.
And beyond divisions, Ohio’s 8-4 finish overall and 6-2 finish in conference could have been avoided multiple times throughout the year; the first being the disaster of an afternoon in Muncie, Indiana, that saw Ohio fall to Ball State by a score of 20-14.
Ball State was inherently awful this season, but there is still no doubt Ohio
should have beaten a team that went on to finish 4-8 overall and 3-5 in conference.
The Bobcats had a lead at halftime in that game, but a huge comeback from Ball State was aided by a mountain of mistakes from Ohio, including multiple bad snaps, a missed field goal and a safety that came as a result of a botched snap.
That day in Muncie ultimately cost Ohio a shot at becoming the first back-to-back MAC champions since Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012.
This season was an overall success in the first and last year of the Brian Smith era, which featured signature wins against West Virginia and Miami and an overall record of 8-4 with a chance to make it 9-4 in the bowl game; however, the MAC’s tiebreakers and Ohio’s own shortcomings against Ball State will turn the 2025 season into one with untapped potential.
@CHARLIEFADEL CF111322@OHIO.EDU
2-4
JACK TATHAM FOR THE POST
What to know for Ohio’s matchup against Maine
OWEN LIPSTREU ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Ohio men’s basketball (1-6) struggled through the first month of nonconference play, dropping its last five games in a row. Ohio was on the road a lot in these opening games, and that is always a challenge, especially when the level of the opponent is strong. Ohio head coach Jeff Boals and the program wanted a challenge to start the year, and they’ve gotten it, but now they need to regroup and get back in the win column.
After a two-week hiatus from The Convo, the Bobcats welcome the Maine Black Bears (0-9 overall). Maine played a moderately tough schedule to this point and is winless. Ohio should look to take advantage of what has been working so far this season, which is its presence within the paint, by utilizing aggressiveness and physical play down low.
The other big factor for Ohio is senior guard Jackson Paveletzke. He had two consecutive 28-point performances against Louisville and Bethune-Cookman, but in the Sunshine Slam last week, he was limited to 17 points combined over both games. The ability for him to score the ball is the engine that makes this Ohio offense go for both him and his teammates, because when he gets going, he can also facilitate for others.
These factors could pay big dividends Wednesday night if Ohio can get rolling and get back in the win column. Now, let’s take a look at Maine.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Maine Black Bears
Location: The Convo
Time: Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Where to watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats at Statbroadcast
Head Coach: Chris Markwood (fourth season)
Markwood has a 48-57 record as the head coach at Maine. Last year, he led
the Black Bears to their second winning season in the last 21 years, and was a part of the first team to go to the America East Conference Tournament Championship game in 21 seasons.
Markwood also started his coaching career as part of the staff at Maine from 2006 through 2011, including a 19-win campaign in 2009-2010.
PROJECTED STARTERS:
#01 TJ Biel
#03 Ryan Mabrey
#24 Mekhi Gray
#25 Keelan Steele
#64 Bashir N’Galang
STATISTICAL LEADERS:
Points: Biel (12.7 per game)
Assists: N’Galang (2.1 per game)
Rebounds: Ace Flagg and Biel (5 per game)
FG%: Isaac Bonilla (52.9%)
3-point percentage: Bonilla (53.8%)
MAINE PLAYER TO WATCH: BIEL
Biel has been a force on both ends of the floor for the Black Bears. The senior big man leads them in scoring and will play physically to match Ohio’s big men. He also averages 1.2 blocks per game, something the Bobcats have to look out for as they attack the basket.
Biel is also effective rebounding for Maine. He is tied for the team lead, averaging five a night, but more importantly, is averaging over one offensive rebound per contest. Ohio struggled in its first few games at crashing the defensive class strong, and teams took advantage with secondchance points. Someone like Biel can facilitate these extra opportunities with his rebounding ability.
The Bobcats have to hold him in check with guys like Javan Simmons and Jalen Breath to have a successful night Wednesday.
Excellent shooting not enough to overcome Davidson
BRANDON GROSS | SPORTS STAFF WRITER
Ohio women’s basketball (3-3) lost on the road to Davidson (5-3) in a tight 64-59 loss. The Bobcats shot a lot better than Davidson did, with splits of 37.5% from the field and 41.7% from the three. Davidson’s splits were much worse, shooting 31.6% from the field and 21.6% from three.
The free-throw line was where Ohio lost the game, as it made 13 out of 19 free throws while Davidson made 20-23. Davidson also outrebounded the Bobcats, having a staggering 19 offensive rebounds to Ohio’s six. Davidson also had more defensive rebounds, totaling 27.
The first quarter of play started with Davidson getting the first two points, both from free throws by Katie Donovan. The Bobcats had their first points of the game off a jumper from Aliah McWhorter and tied the game at three apiece with a made free throw from Bella Ranallo.
The scoring continued to be traded off for the rest of the quarter. Ohio took the lead with a score of 17-15 as the quarter ended.
Despite Davidson shooting poorly in the first quarter, only making four of its twelve shots, the Bobcats’ fouling issues this game started early. Davidson got five points off of free throws compared to Ohio’s.
Ohio also was tame on three-point shots in this quarter. It only attempted three, the lowest amount through all four quarters.
Davidson quickly took the lead back from Ohio with the second quarter opening as Donovan drained a 3-point attempt, but Ohio answered back with two made free throws from Asiah Baxter.
Ohio further cemented the lead with a 3-point swish from Bailey Tabeling, which made the lead four points.
Although in only a few more minutes of play, Davidson once again had the lead with a close score of 24-23, showing all the little things add up in the game. Any missed free throw could have cost the lead with how close these teams played.
Davidson kept this lead until the halftime buzzer. The second quarter of play ended with a score of 33-31 with Ohio down two.
Both teams shot well this quarter, but the rebounds began to kill Ohio, as despite Davidson having a lot of missed shots, it also got a lot of second-chance opportunities from offensive rebounding. With halftime over and the third quarter starting, Davidson went all out to extend its lead. Despite Ohio jumping out to an early 3-point lead, Davidson ended the quarter with a lead of 10.
The big culprit of this was the freethrow disparity between the teams. Ohio only shot four free throws for the entire third quarter, while Davidson shot and made 11.
Half of Davidson’s 22 third-quarter points were scored off free throws, and that threw off Ohio’s momentum.
For a team that usually forces a lot of turnovers, lots of fouls happened. Davidson also shot very poorly in this quarter, and went 1-12 on three pointers while Ohio went 3-7. The third quarter ended with a 55-45 score, and Ohio had a hole to dig itself out of.
Ohio wasn’t able to dig itself out of the hole fully, but it did make the game closer in the fourth quarter.
McWhorter split a pair of free throws to give Ohio the first point of the quarter, but Davidson’s Kyra Bruyndoncx drained a 3-pointer to extend the lead by two points. This played off for the rest of the quarter, as Davidson let off the brakes and coasted to a 64-59 lead.
Despite how many free throws Davidson attempted in the previous quarter, it took none in the fourth quarter. Those free throws added too much to the deficit, and Ohio fell to Davidson.
The game contained 14 lead changes with 10 ties, showing the competitiveness between the two teams.
With this loss, Ohio returns to The Convo this Friday to face off against UIC.
Guard Jackson Paveletzke (13) during the Bobcats game against Arkansas State, Nov. 3, 2025. The Bobcats lost 89-85 to Arkansas State in The Convo.
(JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
Guard Kennedi Watkins (5) during the Bobcats game against Eastern Michigan, Jan. 25, 2025. The Bobcats beat Eastern Michigan 69-59, in The Convo. (John Fouss | For The Post)
CAMPUS EVENTS
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SCAN
Ohio wins regular-season finale at Buffalo
OWEN LIPSTREU | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Ohio (8-4 overall, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) defeated Buffalo (5-7 overall, 4-4 MAC) 31-26 behind over 500 yards of offense. Graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro had over 100 yards passing and rushing and three total touchdowns to lead the way in a big road win.
Ohio looked to make a statement early with a scoring drive, but a mishap on a handoff resulted in a fumble by Navarro. The Bobcats needed a response from their defense and got one, forcing a turnover on downs.
The next drive, redshirt senior running back Sieh Bangura powered Ohio down the field and into the red zone. The emphasis on the run drew extra defenders into the box, so former Ohio head coach Brian Smith countered with some play-action. Navarro made this pay off by finding sophomore tight end Mason Williams in the flat. He turned upfield and took the ball in the end zone from 11 yards out, giving Ohio the 7-0 lead.
After some punts, Ohio started deep in its own end, and Buffalo sent a lot of pressure on third down, and it got to Navarro, who made an ill-advised throw to Williams that was intercepted and gave Buffalo the ball inside the red zone. The Bulls immediately took advantage as Cordell Roberson found his receiver in the back of the endzone for a 10-yard strike to tie the game at 7-7.
Ohio needed an answer, but could not muster a first down until they stunned Buffalo with a fake punt that resulted in a 48-yard run by senior tight end Jake Bruno to put them inside the 10. After a Navarro run got the Bobcats inside the one, Bangura punched it in. It was a crucial score after the turnover on the last drive, as Ohio retook the 14-7 lead.
The Bobcats’ defense forced another punt, and the offense took the field. Navarro kept the Buffalo defense guessing, continuing to evade defenders once he got out of the pocket and flashing past defenders to put Ohio in the red zone. It did not take long for the Bobcats to cash in as Navarro found junior wide receiver Chase Hendricks behind the Buffalo defenders for a 15-yard score, and they were up 21-7.
“He did a lot of really good things and some opportunities for him to make some plays, and he did that,” Smith said of Hendricks’ impact in the passing game. “That was a tough catch that he made, and there were some contested catches that he had an opportunity on that were pass interference balls as well.”
The Ohio defense capped off its great first half with a sack from redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jay Crable, giving the offense the ball back with just under two minutes to play. It only took one play to cross midfield as Navarro found Hendricks for 41 yards. The Bulls kept playing hard and forced a fumble by Bangura to get the ball back and head to the locker room only down 14.
The Bulls looked rejuvenated to start the second half as they stormed down the field. They relied heavily on the run game, handing it off on five of the six plays. The drive was capped off by a 23-yard run by running back Al-Jay Henderson. The score was 21-13 after a failed twopoint conversion by the Bulls.
Ohio looked for a response and had a nice start to its drive with a 20-yard run for sophomore running back Duncan Brune to cross the 50. Ohio then went for a critical fourth down, but a simple pass to Hendricks helped Ohio move the chains. The Bobcats answered Buffalo’s opening score to half number two with one of their own on a six-yard run by Navarro to extend the lead to 28-13.
“I thought the (offensive) line played hard; they were pushing a plow, and we have a lot of respect for Buffalo,” Smith said. “The job they do on defense, and what they’re really good at, is getting the ball out. So we emphasize the whole line, break down the football, pound the pile and push the pile to prevent that. I thought our guys embraced it and played hard, played physical.”
Ohio got the ball again in the middle of the third and was looking to stay hot on offense. Navarro kept rolling alongside Brune to move down the field. After a holding penalty, Ohio attempted a 35-yard field goal, but it was missed, and the lead remained 15.
The Bulls immediately made the miss crucial when Roberson found wide receiver Victor Snow for 58 yards. The red zone trip was smooth for Roberson and the Bulls, who made quick work and found the endzone with the quarterback’s legs. They tried to bring the game back inside of a score by going for two, but were once again stopped by the Bobcats.
After a great punt, the Ohio defense responded with pressure on Roberson, who missed his receiver over the middle and instead found Ohio redshirt sophomore cornerback Kendall Banister for an interception. This put Ohio inside the 30-yard line as they hoped to ice the game.
The Bobcats added on with a 33-yard field goal to go up 31-19, and more importantly, ran another couple of minutes off the clock. Buffalo answered quickly with a five-play drive highlighted by a 29-yard touchdown grab by wide receiver Jasaiah Gathings, who sprinted past the Ohio defense to cut the lead to five with three minutes and 47 seconds to play.
Ohio drained the clock behind the run game that performed well all day with 359 yards to shut the door. It won 31-26 against the pesky Buffalo squad to finish the regular season on a high note, winning two straight games.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5
Vol. 1 hits ground running
EMILIE DEOREO | FOR THE POST
Warning: Spoilers ahead
On Nov. 26, Netflix’s biggest blockbuster series returned to screens, dropping the first four episodes and turning the world upside down all over again. So grab the walkie-talkies, tune in to WSQK 94.5FM “The Squawk” and prepare because there are some insights into “Stranger Things 5” Volume One.
Despite an early five-minute preview released nearly three weeks ago, absolutely no one could have predicted what these opening chapters had in store. Volume One wastes no time launching viewers back into Hawkins, which is now gated, guarded and groaning under the weight of everything bubbling beneath and above it.
The Byers clan has unofficially merged with the Wheelers, Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) is back on the mic with her own radio gig and the core four are trying to survive high school, heartbreak and lingering grief of past losses.
Episode one, “The Crawl,” sets the tone with a thumping 71-minute return that scatters the characters across a transformed Hawkins. Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) are navigating a tense social landscape. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) is struggling with unspoken feelings, and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) remains in a coma with Sinclair firmly planted by her side.
The new military presence in Hawkins has established armed access points to enter the Upside Down, including a government lab facility operating within the warped dimension. Byers’ sixth sense for the creatures of the Upside Down is growing.
Meanwhile, Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), the youngest Wheeler family member, has a new figure hovering in her orbit. Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton), a mysterious scientist, emerges with a vibe reminiscent of the deceased Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) operating inside the Upside Down lab facility.
Episode two, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” kicks things into investigative overdrive. A sudden attack shakes the Wheeler household, sending Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) and Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest) to the hospital in critical condition, and Holly Wheeler is missing.
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who is yet again being hunted by the military, plunges into the Upside Down to find Holly Wheeler and ends up trapped. Though hope isn’t lost. A long-awaited reunion with Jim Hopper (David Harbour) gives the episode its emotional heartbeat.
Meanwhile, Byers forms an unexpected bond with Buckley, turning to her for advice about when it’s “the right time to date someone,” with heavy implication for his feelings for Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard). Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) find themselves forced into a reluctant duo thanks to a very battered Henderson. The mystery tightens until the final moments, when Holly Wheeler arrives at a startlingly familiar and unsettling place.
Then comes episode three, “The Turnbow Trap,” where the threads start tangling into full-blown chaos. Eleven discovers a strange sonic weapon, a kind of kryptonite that neutralises her powers, courtesy of the ever-encroaching military.
The group uncovers the identity of the next targeted kid, sending everyone, including Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson), who crashes the plot with unmatched
Sinclair-sibling energy, into a bold plan that involves infiltration, sedation and a barn.
Mike Wheeler and Will Byers finally start to work through some of their long-buried tension, Hopper and Eleven interrogate a soldier tied to Dr. Kay’s operation, and Henderson reunites with the gang, with visible injuries from his run-in with Andy (Clayton Royal Johnson) and his goons.
Holly Wheeler makes an eerie trek into the woods, and just when danger seems inevitable, someone very unexpected steps out of the shadows.
Episode four, “The Sorcerer,” at 86 minutes, is practically a movie. Multiple missions unfold at once: a frantic attempt to wrangle “Dips--t” Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly) before a creature closes in, a high-speed pursuit across the rightside up and a tense infiltration of a massive military facility hidden in Hawkins.
Dr. Kay, convinced Eleven is behind the disappearances, orders children to be rounded up “for their protection.” At the same time, Mayfield, whose consciousness is revealed to be stuck in the Upside Down, reveals to Holly Wheeler what really happened to her after last season’s climactic showdown.
Buckley connects with Will Byers during a quiet, heartfelt moment deep in the tunnels, Hopper fights through the Upside Down’s horrors and Eleven struggles against that paralysing sonic weapon. By the time the episode barrels toward its final stretch, every group is in motion, the plan is cracking at the seams and Hawkins feels more volatile than ever.
So, keep your dials tuned to “The Squawk” because you won’t want to miss what comes next.
Pennywise finally arrives in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Episode Five
JUDE HANNAHS | FOR THE POST
Five episodes into HBO’s “IT: Welcome to Derry,” Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård) finally arrived in the show. It’s been six years since audiences have seen one of Stephen King’s most terrifying creations brought to life, and he’s back like he’s never left.
Gen. Shaw (James Remar) informed Maj. Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) the military plans to collect the pillars the Native Americans used in the past to contain and control IT. Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) navigated Taniel’s (Joshua Odjick) mind and discovered what IT is and how the people kept it in Derry.
In the fifth episode, Hallorann also found out where one of the pillars was in an abandoned house on 29 Neibolt Street. Shaw sends Hallorann, Hanlon, Capt. Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso) and a handful of troops into the house to collect the pillar and orders them to shoot and kill anything that isn’t supposed to be there. Meanwhile, the band of kids comes into contact with Matty Clements (Miles Ekhardt), who was previously believed to be dead. Clements informs them IT has killed and eaten Teddy Uris (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) and Susie Malkin (Matilda Legault), but has kept Phil Malkin (Jack Molloy Legault) alive in the sewers.
Clements and the kids then go down to where Phil Malkin is said to be alive in IT’s lair, while the military searches for the pillar. Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider) is sent to Shawshank State Prison by Derry Police Chief Clint Bowers (Peter Outerbridge).
On the way there, the bus is turned on its side, and all of the people aboard are killed except for Grogan. He’s nowhere to be found at the scene. It’s later revealed
Grogan is having an affair with Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe), the head of housekeeping at Juniper Hill, who is a close friend of Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack).
Kersh agrees to help hide Grogan from the authorities and contacts Charlotte Hanlon (Taylour Paige) for more assistance. In the sewers below the surface of the town, both the military and kids are tortured and scared by IT. Clements is not the real Clements at all and transforms
into none other than Pennywise, to which the kids run away from in fear. Pennywise corners Bainbridge, but can’t kill and eat her as the pillar is placed right in front of her. IT backs into the shadows and isn’t seen for the remainder of the episode.
Now that “IT: Welcome to Derry” is in the second half of its first season, the story is beginning to ramp up. A lot of information concerning certain characters and the overall plot can be discussed, and it all starts with Bill Skarsgård’s performance.
Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. masterfully directed the buildup and eventual reveal of Pennywise. Although he doesn’t have much screentime in this episode, Skarsgård still owns the show and is just as effective as when he was depicted in “It” (2017) and “It: Chapter Two” (2019).
Something that was not disclosed prior is how Hallorann plays into the story now. Upon going into the underground sewers, Hallorann was taken over by IT and had a vision of his deceased grandmother and grandfather. The grandfather tries to get Hallorann to open his box, as established in Mike Flanagan’s “Doctor Sleep” (2019).
The boxes in Hallorann’s mind and others who have the shine ability are used to contain the entities that haunt him. His box is opened, and at the end of the episode, Hallorann sees a deceased soldier as he exits the sewers. Where this will go and how it will affect not only Hallorann but the greater story as a whole is intriguing. Other than IT, Hallorann is the most powerful character in the show. If Pennywise can easily make Hallorann crack, then it’s only a matter of time until all of those in Derry are in great danger.
ABBY DOENCH | ASST. DESIGN DIRECTOR
IT: Welcome to Derry. Photograph by Brooke Palmer/HBO
‘DWTS’ crowns season 34 champion
CLARA LEDER | ASST. OPINION EDITOR
During the three-hour live finale of “Dancing with the Stars” season 34, a record-breaking 9.24 million viewers tuned in and cast over half a billion votes. At the end of the night, Australian conservationist Robert Irwin was crowed winner and received the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
For the first time in show history, the remaining five couples competed in three separate dance challenges throughout the night: the judges’ choice round, the freestyle dance and the instant dance challenge.
For the judges’ choice round, each couple was assigned one of the three judges at random, and their style was then chosen by the judge.
The night kicked off with a sparkly opening number featuring every contestant who appeared on season 34. They also appeared in small group dances throughout the night and were seen cheering in the skybox.
Alix Earle kicked off the night, dancing a samba complete with fantastic fringe pants alongside Val Chmerkovskiy. Earle was assigned judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The pair scored a perfect 30 out of 30 for their first routine of the night.
Dylan Efron performed a shirtless paso doble. His assigned judge, Bruno Tonioli, was speechless at the performance, then said Efron’s torso was a shape Michelangelo himself couldn’t make.
Derek Hough joined Elaine Hendrix and partner Alan Bersten in rehearsal for their rumba. Hendrix performed a fantastic routine, earning her a perfect 30 out of 30 score.
Hough also visited Irwin and partner Witney Carson, choosing the quickstep for the pair. The couple performed a fast-paced routine, and Hough called Irwin the “quickstep king.” They scored a 29 out of 30.
Inaba joined her last couple, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, in rehearsal for their paso doble. Chiles earned a 29 out of 30 for her intense routine.
Earle topped the leaderboard in the first round of
competition and also went first for the instant dance challenge. Couples prepped four different styles during rehearsal week, and randomly drew a style of dance, blindfolded; Host Alfonso Ribeiro also pulled their song randomly. Couples had the commercial break to pick costumes, change and then quickly rehearse their dance. Earle blindly chose a cha-cha, bringing out her pink and orange pants again, and earned a perfect 30 out of 30 for her instant dance challenge. In the skybox, her partner Chmerkovskiy pleaded with the camera to never make them do the challenge again.
Efron drew a foxtrot, despite looking disappointed at the reveal, rehearsal footage later showed he was hoping to get this style of dance. He received a perfect 30 out of 30 with partner Daniella Karagach and rendered each judge speechless.
Hendrix and Bersten drew a quickstep, but Hendrix’s impressive showmanship was not enough to hide the footwork mistakes the judges pointed out. She wound up with a 27 out of 30 for her instant dance.
Irwin drew a cha-cha and performed it to “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE with partner Carson. Irwin had many mistakes during his dance, but somehow earned a 30 out of 30. Chiles also earned a perfect score for her impressive tango.
The most anticipated dance of the night, the freestyle round, closed out the three-hour-long finale. Earle was up first and performed a tango-fusion routine to “Maneater” and “Sports Car.” Earle earned her third perfect score of the night.
Efron shed tears in his rehearsal package as he shared how he wasn’t proud of himself the first few weeks of competition, but was in the finale and felt like he belonged there. He performed an emotional contemporary freestyle, dedicated to dance itself, earning a perfect 30 out of 30.
Hendrix and Bersten danced one of the most performance-packed freestyles of the night. The theme of her freestyle was Bersten’s own dance journey; she acted and danced her way through a fake dance audition and received the part in her routine. She was joined by
a familiar face and best friend, Lisa Ann Walter, as well as Andy Richter, who played the director. The routine earned Hendrix a perfect score.
Irwin and Carson performed a jam-packed freestyle mixed with emotional moments and sharp holds. Hough recalled seeing Irwin in the ballroom at 11 years old, as he was partnered with his sister Bindi Irwin, and called him a true dancer. The pair earned a perfect score.
Rounding out the freestyle dances, showstopper Chiles stole the night as she performed a hard-hitting, sexy freestyle to “Motivation” by Normani. Normani joined Chiles on stage for the performance, as Chiles flipped across the stage.
The freestyle caused Inaba to claim it was the best freestyle routine she has seen in 20 years. An impressive feat for Chiles and partner Sosa, who is in the finale for the first time during his second season as a pro. The pair also earned a perfect score.
After freestyle routines, the pros hit the ballroom floor to perform a routine together, used to market the DWTS tour. The tour starts Jan. 22 in Akron, featuring most pro-dancers as they travel across all 50 states.
After three intense rounds of dances and six routines learned by each couple, the hosts brought the five couples out to the floor for the final standing announcement.
Hendrix and Bersten earned fifth place. Efron earned fourth place. Chiles earned third place.
Earle and Robert Irwin were brought down to the center stage. After a commercial break, it was announced Earle and Irwin received the most votes combined, than anyone in show history.
Despite finishing at the top of the leaderboard for finale night, Earle earned second place and Robert Irwin was crowned the Len Goodman mirrorball champion.
The win means the Irwin siblings now each hold a mirrorball, as Irwin won exactly 10 years after his sister did. Robert Irwin’s partner, Carson, earned her second mirrorball.
Steam Hardware might rewire gaming industry
NYLA GILBERT
ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
The popular gaming platform Steam announced Steam Hardware, its very own gaming console in tandem with its host corporation, Valve. Having already released its Steam Deck, its handheld portable gaming PC, it is adding three new devices to its officially launched Steam Hardware brand.
This first of the newly announced devices is the Steam controller. Steam, as a gaming archive, lets players have a more hands-on experience anywhere, without having to travel with a full-sized console.
The device also comes with many features meant to help enhance gameplay, including magnetic thumbsticks designed for “improved feel, responsiveness and longterm reliability” while also supporting “capacitive touch to enable motion controls.”
The controller comes with high-definition rumble, which can handle high-frequency waveforms for immersive physical responses. Gyro aiming is the ability to aim in shooting scenes or games using the remote. The controller allows players to do this through grip pads on the back.
The controller has numerous other features and perks, including trackpads that allow players to play their favorite desktop games with more precision than a mouse and keyboard.
Made to make gameplay easier, the controller can be used both wirelessly and with a wire. Containing a rechargeable battery with a charging adapter that comes with every controller, the Steam controller has a battery life of 35 hours for continuous gameplay.
The second device to be announced by the gaming platform was the Steam Machine, a new gaming PC. The six-inch cube is designed to be customized by players. Although the device is 6 times more powerful than the Steam Deck, it is designed to be quiet with cooling
features to avoid overheating.
The device provides a 4k gaming experience, no matter the station. Adaptable for TV or monitors, the device supports all screen types, including a desktop mode. The device includes fast “suspend and resume,” seamless updates, notifications, cloud saves, friends list, Steam chat and remote play.
The device comes in two storage options, which are 512 GB and 2 TB, and both come with expandable storage via SD card slots. It also comes with a customizable LED strip that can display different system functionalities, such as download progress even when your screen is off, and can be customized by the player to include various colors and animations, creating a light show.
Designed to work hand and hand with the Steam controller, the PC is compatible with all desktop and gaming accessories, along with running whatever software the player chooses. It can stream games to players’ phone, tablet, laptop, desktop or any partnered Steam Hardware device.
Steam Fram was the third and final device announced to be added to the Steam Hardware lineup. With the ability to stream virtual reality and non-VR games, the Steam Frame is the next generation of VR headgear from Valve.
The wireless headset uses camera-based tracking to make it easier to log in to games. The dual controllers come with a split gameplay layout to adapt to all players’ gameplay needs, including motion controls and capacitive tracking for all fingers.
The controllers feature a D-pad, ABXY buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and bumpers, all designed for nonVR games gameplay.
A USB wireless adaptor comes with the Steam Frame, which, once plugged into a device, allows people to stream games from their PC to their headset, allowing for a fast and seamless connection.
Games streamed to the headset are enhanced for VR, with new technology that delivers the highest possible resolution in the area the eyes are focused on. Not only do Stream Frames act as an accessory to PCs, but they are a PC themselves.
Also running Steam OS, people can install VR and nonVR games straight to the headset without a host device. The Stream Frame also comes with expandable storage, including an SD Card slot.
Steam Hardware devices start shipping out in early 2026, with much anticipation from the gaming world, as these are the first PC and console hybrids. This launch has garnered attention due to the possibility of revolutionizing gaming and the future of PC and console hybrid programming.
Some are already considering this a step toward the future and away from PlayStation and Xbox, while others see this as the downfall of the gaming conglomerates. Due to its ability to run like a normal PC, the ability to run both Xbox and PlayStation games through the device is possible.
Steam might have just created a device that ends the console wars that have ran gaming for decades now.
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Emily’s Evidence Sonder, an olive branch to polarization
EMILY STOKES | FOR THE POST
Passing through the center of Shibuya Crossing in Japan, you are hit with the gravity of interconnected lives and diverse stories. An estimated 1,000 to 2,500 people cross the intersection every two minutes, and travelers merge in the perfect example of sonder.
Sonder is described as “the strong feeling of realizing that every person you see has their own life story in which they are the most important person,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
Let’s face it, we are increasingly becoming polarized, divided and pitted against each other. We find ways to disagree with one another to prove why we can’t possibly relate to them. We focus on sorting ourselves into categories based on morals, viewpoints and human rights perspectives.
Polarization is rooted in politics, but the end goal is profit. Partisan divides are shaping businesses, with workplaces divided by political parties and investment returns, credit ratings and greater economic growth influenced.
Among a society filled with animosity, there is a light swirling around at the end of the tunnel in the way we perceive others, specifically through the positivity and realization of sonder.
Instead of siding with division, we can side with awareness and understanding of others. In terms of sonder, enjoying the little things and appreciating the depth of any given person are good ways to start.
I recall a few specific moments in my own everyday life where I’ve found peaceful minutes of reflection in others. Specifically, my good friend and I were aiding with election support outside of Baker University Center, a hub for students in the heart of Ohio University’s main campus. While we sat outside for most of the morning, our presence on the corner felt like a fixed hand on a clock.
Watching people go to and from class, talk with friends, etc., gave me a true sense of appreciation for humans just being humans. Specifically, how our species interacts with each other, picking up on small cues, emotions and connections.
I remember the bus driver on her regular loop passed us at least five times while we were sitting outside. Every time she passed us she waved, each time with joy for interaction. Even though we were sitting there looking at the same
BY ABBY DOENCH
trees, bricks, generally the same people and having a similar conversation across multiple hours, I was struck by how our short interaction was the convergence of two full and busy people.
She had been around the entire city with her loop, interacting with locals and other people driving cars, but our small presence in her loop was something positive to be had, giving me a sense of sonder.
I often think about this in the context of other interactions as well. For example, after walking home one night to unlock my front door, I noticed a few men walking behind me on the street. Once I got inside and locked the door behind me, I heard them yelling out, “PUMPKIN.”
Reminiscent of the popular TikTok sound that was circulating at the time, they noticed the baby pumpkin sitting on my front porch. I felt a sense of sonder at the idea that my small baby pumpkin sitting on the front porch allowed them even just a small moment of joy and camaraderie.
An ongoing record high of Americans are fearful of toxic polarization. According to Politico, 59% of Americans say political polarization is much or somewhat worse than five years ago.
Similarly, the AP-NORC Center reports over half of Americans say political polarization is extremely or very threatening to the United States.
The concept of sociopolitical stress also has an impact on students. With a constant exposure and discussion of political topics, ideologies and civic engagement, students are increasingly implicating their mental health in navigating viewpoints.
Sociopolitical stress includes social relations, governance and culture. According to the American Psychological Association, election stress during the 2024 cycle affected 77% of U.S. adults, when in 2016 only 52% of U.S. adults reported the same stress.
The reality is, there is money to be made in driving people apart rather than allowing them to enjoy the little things and love humans for being.
So next time you see the guy with the banjo in the tree on Court Street or the lady selling flower stems on the corner of Court and Union streets, appreciate them and notice sonder.
With love, Emily
“FRIEND”
Abby’s Angle | Ozempic in Hollywood destroys beauty standards
ABBY SHRIVER FOR THE POST
Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist drug developed for diabetes patients to control blood sugar levels, and has become “the worst-kept secret in Hollywood.” Originally a medical treatment, it’s now an entertainmentindustry weight-loss staple. It is so common that two in five adult Americans report using a GLP-1 for weight loss.
With stars like Meghan Trainor, Chrissy Teigen and Kelly Clarkson being open about using Ozempic, the rapid normalization of extreme weight loss is becoming impossible to ignore.
However, the concern isn’t just celebrities getting thinner. Registered dietitian and certified eating counselor Sammi Brondo warns we are seeing a “reemergence of thinness we haven’t seen since even the ‘90s or ‘00s,” as well as an increase in “weight loss and really thin bodies” stemming from the growth in popularity of GLP-1s. The rise of GLP1 drugs is fueling a revival of extreme weight loss and eating disorder culture, normalizing emaciation and weakness as standard and desirable.
The body positivity movement, which took off on social media in 2012 and promoted the acceptance of all body types and challenged unrealistic beauty standards, seems to be gone.
In its spring and summer 2025 size inclusivity report, representatives at
Vogue Business said, “progress has stalled, and we are facing a worrying return to using extremely thin models, amid the Ozempic boom,” while one celebrity stylist said we are “trending backwards.”
There’s never an easy or appropriate way to discuss celebrities’ bodies; however, these conversations matter. Seeing thin celebrities shouldn’t be inspiring, instead raising concerns that make us question their health and why this is seen as normal.
Following the release of “Wicked: For Good,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, many were alarmed by their extremely frail bodies at the press tour. While both women are petite, the comparison of before and after the releases of “Wicked” (2024) and “Wicked: For Good” was obvious and alarming. Fans tuned in, commenting on X, “It’s downright WEIRD how all three female leads of the Wicked movies look like they haven’t eaten solid food in two months. Not healthy!”
These concerns about their looks and weight have begun to overshadow the film itself. Many say it’s difficult to pay attention to the film when their noticeably malnourished appearances go unaddressed. Some even urge others not to see the film, claiming it was a “horror movie visually,” while commenters in response say, “I can’t imagine how triggering it must feel to someone with an ED (eating disorder).”
Other stars, including Natalia Dyer,
Lily Collins and Alexa Demie, appear unhealthy, nearly to the point of malnourishment or starvation. If you tune into award shows, your attention is pulled from stunning outfits and makeup looks to “super-slim waists, thin arms, hollow cheeks and visible collar bones.”
Even athletes like Serena Williams are open about using GLP-1s, with Williams partnering with Ro, the telehealth company that prescribes the medication. It’s disappointing and jarring to see a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, someone defined by strength and power, still feel pressured to be thin.
British actress Jameela Jamil recently spoke out about the use of GLP-1s and extreme weight loss in Hollywood, even stating William’s campaign made her uncomfortable.
Jamil, who struggled with an eating disorder herself, criticized the “apparent glorification of extreme thinness in Hollywood” on TikTok and said, “It is not body-shaming to comment on the fact that there is a rapid rise of the aesthetic of emaciation amongst women in Hollywood.” Jamil also called attention to the bigger issue of harmful beauty standards and the disappearance of body positivity movements.
Professionals say eating disorders are intensely competitive, with people striving to be the sickest and push the limits of extreme weight loss methods. This rise of extremely thin celebrities all over Hollywood, who treat their starved appearances as conventional, enhances
this dangerous, competitive culture. Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at eating disorder charity Beat, warns celebrities to refrain from “promoting unhealthy diet or exercise behaviours as this could lead to people copying them and risking their health.”
It’s crucial to recognize the extremely thin and frail appearances of celebrities are not normal, and we cannot allow this beauty standard to continue. Rapid weight loss and emaciated bodies shouldn’t be seen as inspiration, and no one’s body should be expected to look like this.
Ozempic, paired with the return of shockingly thin bodies, is a huge warning sign pushing us backward. When celebrities we admire begin to look weaker and smaller, it reshapes the standards we see as normal. We cannot afford to slip back into a world where thinness equals worth.
As Hollywood’s unchecked use of GLP-1s fuels extreme weight loss, the industry will keep glorifying dangerous skinniness and weakness, reshaping beauty standards in harmful ways.
Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email them at as064024@ ohio.edu. Instagram- @abbyshriver_
Chase on the Case | Political activism isn’t online, it’s in our actions
CHASE BORLAND FOR THE POST
From social media to news outlets, it’s easy to stay politically engaged. Brands create identities based on political issues, blurring the lines between genuine activism and performative politics.
Activism with meaning has been at the forefront of our history since the American Revolution. From the Civil Rights Movement to women’s suffrage to environmental protection, the U.S. has made significant progress due to bravery.
In the modern age, however, social media has made it increasingly easier to brand yourself as an activist without actually putting in the work of marches, sit-ins, strikes, petitions, boycotts and community organizing.
Political and social activism is the art of changing current politics, policies and culture to support anything from human rights to the environment. It often sees heightened support, serving as both good and bad on social media.
The No Kings movement to end authoritarian-like policies and protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement took off largely on social media. Many protest announcements circulated on social media to gain traction for people to show up and fight for change.
On Ohio University’s campus and around Athens, activism took physical
form with protests against Israel, No Kings and OU’s compliance with Senate Bill 1. Many of which were publicized on social media.
The rise of social media activism and its ability to make a difference dates back to 2017 when the #MeToo movement was created in response to sexual harassment and assault. The movement largely gained attention by utilizing a hashtag in its campaign, which made it go viral on the internet, allowing a safe space for survivors to speak out about their experiences with sexual violence.
Yet, bringing legitimacy to activism doesn’t stop at social media reposts. It also involves protesting, covering protests or donating.
One of the most infamous cases of social media activism was the Blackout Tuesday posts, which supported the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement was supported by activists to support policy change following the murder of George Floyd.
The idea was to pause regular posting in a stance against police brutality and acknowledge the privilege white Americans possess. The movement, however, involved posting black squares to show support to followers, many then deleting them later that day. The way to truly show support was to get up and make an active, real change.
According to Pew Research Center, only 24% of U.S. social media users posted in support of BLM, but only 7% of U.S. adults say they actually attended a protest. There is a massive
disassociation between online activism and genuine activism.
Oftentimes, social media can become a distraction for genuine activism. Reposts, retweets, likes and stories can certainly help get the word out there. But, only doing that is not enough when it comes to getting out and protesting, holding officials accountable and sparking genuine change.
Acknowledging the negative effects social media can have on activism is a start to true advocacy. Social media can disconnect and distract people from the cause according to 77% of Black adults, 75% of Hispanic non-white adults, 82% of Asian adults and 85% of white adults.
Online activism can help amplify marginalised voices and promote protests. Social media is the greatest form of interconnected communication available for people to use for activism.
Regardless of the negative side effects referring to distractions caused by social media, action cannot be completed without talking about human rights violations, environmental protections and authoritarian policies. It’s inherently better to inform people than to stay silent, even on social media. However, online activism without action only stays online. Without real change made through protests, sitins and marches, we would be years behind in anything from human rights to climate change.
Getting your followers to attend protests with you emphasizes the use of
online activism. Strictly policing people on social media is not a form of activism until it can be backed up with genuine change.
To delete your beliefs and voice on social media makes you performative, whereas attending protests and making a change creates an activist. Only uplifting causes temporarily on your feed creates the illusion that you care, but does not have the sustained effort of change.
OU has many activist resources in creating change and highlighting the need for campus protests. Following social justice organizations on campus allows students to stay updated and informed on protests going on around Athens.
Interacting with their posts simply isn’t enough if you don’t stand hand in hand with students trying to make a change. Social and political activism has created some of the most genuine change in America, but nowadays, hiding behind a screen can only do so much for change. We should want to continue our efforts on the streets as much as we do on our feeds.
Chase Borland is a junior studying journalism strategic communications at Ohio University. The views and opinions of this columnist do not necessarily reflect those of The Post. If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns then you can contact him at cb297222@ohio.edu.
CROSSWORD
Editorial | Department of Education fails students looking for professional degrees
THE POST EDITORIAL BOARD
The U.S. Department of Education has made significant changes to degrees classified as professional. Nursing, education, social work and physician assistant degrees have been excluded from the list of professional degrees. These changes have already sparked outrage amongst many and continue to cause tension.
The change stems from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which requires the Education Department to identify degree programs that are considered professional. The goal of this distinction is to limit the complicated student loan repayment system. Degrees classified as professional qualify to pursue higher amounts of student loans and higher federal lending limits.
Non-professional degrees are limited to a lower amount of student loans, which the Education Department explains is intended for students not to take out more than they can repay, effectively saving them from going into extensive debt.
For students seeking a professional degree, as defined by the Education Department, loan limits are capped at $50,000 per year with a $200,000 lifetime limit. For non-professional degrees, students are allowed to take $20,500 in loans annually, with a $100,000 lifetime limit. These changes take effect July 2026 and only affect graduate students, leaving undergraduate students unaffected.
SUDOKU
Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent spoke about the changes made by the OBBA.
“The consensus language agreed upon by the negotiators today will help drive a sea change in higher education by holding universities accountable for outcomes and putting significant downward pressure on the cost of tuition,” Kent said.
The classifications made by the Education Department of professional and non-professional programs sparked outrage across the country as degrees such as nursing, education, social work, accounting, architecture and audiology are no longer considered professional degrees.
The American Nurses Association released a statement detailing its concern. The ANA stated this decision will “severely restrict access to critical funding for graduate nursing education, undermining efforts to grow and sustain the nursing workforce.”
Students pursuing a higher degree in a field such as nursing are already facing high tuition costs and may carry over student loans from undergraduate programs. Students will now be excluded from financial benefits because they are not considered to be pursuing a professional degree.
Students from low-income areas or economically disadvantaged backgrounds will be significantly affected. They may even be deterred from pursuing a graduate degree due to the limited ability to take out higher amounts of student loans.
Each field excluded from the list of professional degrees is a public service field, as each field works directly with people to educate, serve and heal them.
Meanwhile, teachers, who are also not considered professional degree holders, face nationwide shortages, as there are over 400,000 teaching positions across the country unfilled or filled by unqualified employees without teaching degrees.
Graduate degrees are needed for professions across the country. Student loan caps put into place by the Education Department only limit students from pursuing professional degrees, especially those who may be coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Catholic teaching compels the faithful to uphold human dignity. It is hard to conceive of the law as promoting the sanctity of every life when it cuts key programs for the needy and expands tax cuts to the wealthy.”
— Esau
Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/opinion/ trump-republicans-christians.html
JACKSON PENNINGTON | FOR THE POST
David Bruce paid for this ad, which is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s campaign.
McCaulley,
The Weekender
Finals preparations, holiday spirit and musical performances
MARIA SAUNDERS FOR THE POST
TUESDAY, DEC. 2
The weekly International Conversation Hour is happening in Gordy Hall, room 113 from 7-8 p.m. All are welcome.
Admission: Free
The Center for Student Engagement & Leadership is hosting a Snow & Sip in the Baker theater lounge on the second floor from 6-8 p.m. Students are encouraged to take a break from studying and make a snow globe while sipping hot chocolate.
Admission: Free
The Campus Orchestra is performing in Glidden Recital Hall at 8 p.m.
Admission: Free
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3
The Office of Sustainability is hosting a Sustainable Gift Giving Workshop. From 5-6:30 p.m. in the Baker Atrium, there will be resources to make environmentallyconscious gifts for the holidays.
Admission: Free
The Center for Student Engagement and Leadership is hosting an ornament
painting night from 6-8 p.m. in the Baker theater lounge. Students are encouraged to make a new tree decoration and hang out with dogs from 4 Paws for Ability.
Admission: Free
THURSDAY, DEC. 4
The CSEL is celebrating National Cookie Day with sweet treats on the third floor of Baker from 3-5 p.m.
Admission: Free
At 8 p.m., Templeton-Blackburn Alumni
Memorial Auditorium is showcasing Band-O-Rama. The concert features the University Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony and the Marching 110.
Admission: Free
FRIDAY, DEC. 5
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. all students are invited to Pancakes and Penguins on Baker third floor. There are no real penguins at the event, but there are free pancakes.
Admission: Free
Students in need of a study break are invited to Painting with Bob Ross in the
Baker third floor atrium. All supplies are provided for the winter themed painting from 1-3 p.m.
Admission: Free
ABC Players presents “A Christmas Story” at Stuart’s Opera House, on 52 Public Square, Nelsonville. The show runs Dec. 5 through Dec. 7. Friday’s show begins at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $11 or $15
SATURDAY, DEC. 6
The Athens County Children Services, the College of Business and the Multicultural Student Business Caucus is hosting a Reindeer Games Family Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Baker ballroom. All residents and students are welcome to make reindeer-themed arts & crafts and participate in holiday games and activities. The event is sponsored by Hocking Valley Bank.
Admission: Free Bella Voce, the Singing Men of Ohio and Festival Choirs are performing at 2:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church on 2 S. College St.
Admission: Free
The Cannabis Museum, on 16050 Canaanville Rd., is hosting a Wild West Style Swing Dance night. At 6:30 p.m., there is an intro to swing dancing, with the music and dance starting at 7 p.m.
Admission: $10
SUNDAY, DEC. 7
Residents, locals and students are invited to the open studio card making at the Kennedy Museum of Art from 2-4 p.m. Attendees can craft a handmade greeting card.
Admission: Free, registration required
In the News
CHARLIE FADEL
On Monday afternoon, Ohio defensive coordinator John Hauser was named interim head coach. The bombshell news comes just days after Ohio’s regular season ended with a win on the road against Buffalo. The Bobcats were eliminated from MidAmerican Conference title contention the same day after wins from Miami (OH) and Toledo.
The promotion of Hauser means that current head coach Brian Smith will be away from the team for the bowl game, which will be announced on Dec. 7.
In a release from Ohio, it states that Smith will “be on leave for an undetermined period of time beginning December 1.”
It is unclear if Smith will be taking a different job or if he is on leave for something else.
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JACKSON MCCOY | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF