US Headlines
Fatal avalanche, civil rights leader dead
‘Civil Rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson dead at 84
Rev. Jesse Jackson, a strong leader of the Civil Rights Movement, died Tuesday at the age of 84. The two-time presidential candidate was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr., according to The Associated Press.
Jackson was a strong supporter of voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care both in the U.S. and internationally. He was suffering from health challenges in his final years, enduring progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder that affected his speech and mobility.
The civil rights leader continued fighting for justice after the movement, even appearing at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 2024. He protested against racial injustice during the Black Lives Matter movement and backed a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, the AP reported.
Organizations request protection of voter data from the FBI
Personal voter information was seized by the FBI from an elections warehouse outside Atlanta. A coalition of organizations, including the NAACP, filed a motion Sunday stating the government’s seizure of ballots and election documents breaches residents’ right to privacy, according to the AP.
The filed motion requests the judge put reasonable limits on the usage of the information seized, prohibiting its use for voter roll maintenance, election administration or immigration enforcement.
According to the AP, Fulton County has been
continued, pg. 2
Ax Ohio Tax pushes amendment to abolish property tax
FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER
The Committee to Abolish Property Taxes, or Ax Ohio Tax, is a grassroots organization campaigning for a state constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to remove the property tax in Ohio completely.
Leonard Gilbert, a committee member and a resident of Mentor in Lake County, said the movement began about 10 years ago when he published an editorial on the topic in the News-Herald. Since then, Gilbert has been working with a colleague, Brian Massey, founder of the Committee to Abolish Ohio’s Property Taxes.
Sneakthief returns to Athens, debut LP in the works
AARON DICK FOR THE POST
Sneakthief, an Athens-bred and Columbus-based band, will perform at The Union, located at 18 W. Union St., Wednesday as part of the Locals Only showcase series.
Doors open at 8 p.m., with music starting at 8:30 p.m. The entry fee is $5, and attendees must be 18 or older.
Ohio’s upset over Notre Dame highlights Space U Classic
CHARLIE FADEL SPORTS EDITOR
Ohio (9-5 overall) saw its red-hot start cool in Orlando at the Space U Classic, hosted by the University of Central Florida, finishing 2-3 across five games.
The Bobcats fell twice to Penn State but rebounded with a steady win over Charleston Southern and capped the weekend with a statement upset against Notre Dame, showcasing both their resilience and offensive potential despite the uneven stretch.
Ohio finished 2-3, losing twice to the hosts and losing in six innings to Penn State, but a win over Charleston Southern and a huge upset against Notre Dame were highlights of the weekend.
THURSDAY
The Bobcats started the weekend with just one game on Thursday night against the host team in UCF. Ohio’s ace pitcher Skipp Miller went the distance in this one, allowing just 4 runs in a game that saw the offense stifled, as the final score ended 4-1.
Ohio went 1-2-3 to start the game, and UCF answered with an RBI double from Sierra Humphreys to get on the board first. Humphreys would hit in the Knights’ second run of the game in the third inning with another RBI double.
Sneakthief plans to bring material from its debut record back to where it all began: Athens. The band formed in 2018 but welcomed new members over the years. Wednesday’s show marks a homecoming of sorts for the band, which got its start playing Athens venues before relocating to Columbus.
continued, pg. 7
For the Record | Epstein was a eugenicist of America’s making
NYLA GILBERT ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
We should be angrier about the content within Jeffrey Epstein’s files. There should be more anger about applications in Immigration and Customs Enforcement camps, the foster care system and stigmatizing kids who age out of the system.
We should be angrier about the wealthy stealing the autonomy of babies and children before they are even old enough to know what autonomy means.
This country has a history of cruelty at the hands of the animalistic menagerie of the
top 1%; however, the elite don’t have the right to monopolize our freedoms.
“Hitler credited America with helping formulate his ideas on eugenics, and he admitted he’d studied the laws of US states to familiarize himself with selective reproduction and other eugenics issues,” author James Morcan said in his book “Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories.”
In the past three months, more than 3 million documents regarding Epstein were released by the Department of Justice, with
millions more being held due to their grotesque nature.
However, there is a revelation, and an almost “uncanny valley” inhumane behavioral aspect of the files revealed by reading with a historical lens.
Epstein discussed eugenics, genetic engineering, cloning and his own personal “baby farm” in detailed discussions akin to the tactics and guide of enslavers.
plans to make the 7000-acre Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, a facility where he “ would ‘seed’ children with his own DNA.”
On top of this, the Telegraph found Epstein had engaged in various email exchanges about the generic inferiority of African Americans.
In one email exchange with German cognitive scientist Joscha Bach, Epstein implies wanting to genetically engineer African Americans to be “smarter.”
continued, pg. 5
had
In the article “Epstein’s sinister plot to seed the human race with his DNA,” the Telegraph details the recent “revelations” that
Epstein
Ohio outfielder Belle Hummel (22) bats against Miami at the Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 18, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
Photos by Maddie Culbs Photography | Provided by Sneak Thief
New Underground Railroad sites recognized in Central Appalachia / pg. 4
Megan Moroney’s new album ‘Cloud 9’ ascends / pg. 8
on Trump’s radar, as he alleges the Democratic stronghold saw widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
The move comes after the Justice Department sued multiple states and Washington to obtain voter information.
18 Wed _______________________
California avalanche leaves eight dead, one missing
According to the AP, an avalanche near California’s Lake Tahoe occurred Tuesday morning. The disaster is the deadliest in almost half a century, authorities said.
Authorities on the scene found the dead bodies of eight backcountry skiers and are still searching for one more. The individuals were conducting a three-day adventure in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada. Six of those individuals were rescued within six hours, and three of the four tour guides with them are presumed dead.
It has been reported that around 3 to 6 feet of snow fell since Sunday, accompanied by harsh subfreezing temperatures and gale force winds, the AP reported.
19 Thur ________________________
Governors meet in Washington for annual gathering
Governors from states across the U.S. gathered in Washington on Friday for the National Governors Association annual meeting, the AP reported. The group, however, pulled out of an annual tradition in which the governors attend the White House to discuss state interests with the President.
The National Governors Association backed out of the meeting after President Donald Trump uninvited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, according to the AP.
The rest of the governors still met with Trump at the White House, but the event was not facilitated by the National Governors Association.
20 Fri _________________________
Federal judge writes decision bashing Trump’s immigration policy
California U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes wrote a scathing ruling on the Trump administration’s immigration policy, accusing them of terrorizing immigrants and recklessly violating the law, the AP reported.
Sykes also claimed the administration violated a decision she made in December, ruling it was illegal to deny detained immigrants a chance for release. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a comment on the matter, saying the Supreme Court has overruled lower courts repeatedly on mandatory detention.
Under previous administrations, those arrested with no criminal record could have a bond hearing while their case went through immigration court. However, the Trump administration has not followed that precedent, according to the AP.
22 Sun _________________________
Women adopted from Iran threatened with deportation
A woman unnamed by the AP was adopted by a U.S. war veteran in the 1970s from an Iranian orphanage. The woman was raised a Christian in the U.S., but is now being threatened with deportation by the Trump administration.
The woman received a Department of Homeland Security letter early February instructing her to appear before an immigration judge in California for removal proceedings. According to the AP, the letter states the reasoning for possible deportation is that she overstayed her visa as a 4-year-old in March 1974.
The woman is one of many adopted children from foreign countries who do not have citizenship due to their adopted parents’ not taking the steps to naturalize them. She has spent years trying to rectify her legal status and has no criminal record.
@FINNSMITH06 FS227223@OHIO.EDU
Blotter: Cat burglary, stolen bikes, money theft
KAITLIN HOGG NEWS STAFF WRITER
13 Fri ________________________
Fairgrounds theft
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported a theft that occurred at the Athens County Fairgrounds.
Trespassing
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Hilltop Lane in Glouster following a trespassing complaint.
Deputies on the scene spoke with the man and determined he would be served with a protection order.
Stolen car
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the intersection of Hooper Ridge Road and state Route 329 regarding an abandoned vehicle.
Deputies determined the car was stolen and contacted the owners to retrieve it. The car was picked up by the owners, and patrol was resumed.
14 Sat ________________________
Altered mental state
Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Cross Street in The Plains after receiving an altered mental state call.
A man told deputies he was an alien from another planet, and he had a tattoo on a personal area he needed to show in order to save his people. The man was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Give me my bike back!
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Third Street in The Plains after receiving a report of a stolen bicycle. On the scene, a report was taken. At the time the media release was posted, deputies were actively looking for the bike.
Really, that’s why you’re calling the sheriff’s office?
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office took a report from a caller who said someone hung up the phone on them, and they wanted the incident documented.
15 Sun ________________________ Arrested
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Frost Hill Road in Coolville after receiving suspicious activity reports.
According to callers, a woman was approaching homes and “speaking in riddles.” Deputies on the scene were able to locate the woman, who they learned was Nia Robinson, who had an active warrant out for her arrest. Robinson was put in police custody and taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
Hitchhiker Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Armitage Road in Athens after receiving a report of a suspicious individual.
The caller told deputies a strange man was knocking on his door. On the scene, deputies spoke with the individual, who said he knocked on the door in the hopes the caller would give him a ride.
16 Mon ________________________ Warrants of the week
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has warrants of arrest out for Brian Bobo and Brandon Losey.
Bobo is wanted for receiving stolen property and forgery. Losey is wanted for theft, obstructing official business, possession of criminal tools and receiving stolen property.
Anyone with information on either
man is to contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately.
Cat burglar Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to West Second Street in The Plains regarding a neighborly dispute.
Once on the scene, deputies spoke with the caller, who said her neighbor stole her cat. Deputies were able to make contact with the neighbor and retrieve the cat.
17 Tue ________________________
Just a vape
Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Ervin Road after receiving a report of potential drugs and/or drug paraphernalia located. On the scene, it was determined to be a vape.
Helping out Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to assist EMS in transporting an uncooperative patient to the hospital.
Bones on the road
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to Diamond Brick Road in Nelsonville after receiving a report of bones on the street. It was determined the bones were not human.
18 Wed ________________________
Property returned Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies were made aware of a lost debit card near The Plains.
Deputies contacted the card’s owner and returned it to him.
Money theft Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Ohio Avenue in The Plains regarding a theft report.
Deputies on the scene spoke with the caller, who stated a significant amount of money was removed from her bank account.
Four-wheeling (on the street)
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Dickson Road in Albany regarding a noise complaint.
Deputies spoke with the individuals who were four-wheeling on their own property and advised them to stay on their property and off the roads.
19 Thur ________________________
House party … or not?
Deputies with the Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to New Marshfield Road after receiving a call about an alleged house party keeping the complainant awake. The area was patrolled, but deputies did not locate such a party.
It’s not suspicious, it’s just car troubles
Athens County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Elm Rock Road in Nelsonville after receiving a suspicious vehicle report.
Deputies on patrol located the vehicle and spoke with the owner. She was having complications with the car, but was able to get it back on the road.
Better fighting with words than with hands
Deputies of the Athens County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to McDougal Road in Millfield regarding a complaint of a dispute.
Deputies on the scene made contact with all involved parties, who stated the disagreement was verbal in nature. The parties also agreed to separate.
BEN PENNINGTON | FOR THE POST
CONNOR ELGOFF| FOR THE POST
“Phase one was just to get it approved by the Secretary of State,” Gilbert said. “And then phase two, just to make sure there’s one amendment, and what is happening right now, this little grassroots effort that we have is now turned into a full-fledged movement.”
However, many opponents raised concerns about the potential ramifications of removing property taxes. The Tax Foundation, an international research think tank based in Washington, studies tax policy on both the national and state levels, according to its website.
Nicole Fox, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, discussed what property taxes fund, and why people tend to dislike them more than others.
“Property taxes work to function local units of government,” Fox said. “So, municipalities, counties, schools and basically, they work to fund the services that they provide. And property taxes are probably one of the most hated taxes, and that’s most likely because they’re very transparent. We get a property tax bill every year, and we see the taxes that we’re paying.”
In 2023, the property tax rate in the state was 1.31%, placing Ohio as the eighth highest in property taxes, according to the Tax Foundation.
According to the Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio residents paid a total of $16.7 billion in property taxes in 2024.
Republican Rep. Kevin Ritter, representative from District 94, covering parts of Washington, Meigs and Athens Counties, attributed the rise in property tax values partly to COVID-19 era inflation. He said that caused homeowners to pay the inflation rate taxes on their homes even if they initially bought the house at a lower cost.
Ritter also discussed immigration as a cause, and said the increased number of immigrants let into the U.S. has caused more competition for the
housing market, thus raising prices. He also discussed his third reasoning.
“There is a trend going on in our country where we’ve got investment groups like BlackRock that are buying up single-family homes, tens of thousands of single-family homes, and turning them into investment properties,” Ritter said. “Well, what that does is it removes them from the market, again, causing a shortage and
driving prices up.”
Fox discussed what would happen to communities across Ohio if property taxes were completely removed.
“When you get rid of one funding source for local services, the money has to come from somewhere … We have to fund schools somehow, and again, roads and public safety,” Fox said. “And so if the property tax is eliminated,
then the two main other sources of revenue for the state of Ohio are sales tax and income tax.”
Public officials have agreed with this sentiment, warning that if Ohioans abolish property taxes, there will be severe repercussions. Gov. Mike DeWine, among others, expressed if property taxes are removed, sales tax could go up to about 17%-20%.
Gilbert responded to those claims, offering a different solution.
“My contention is government size needs to be reduced, the spending needs to be reduced, and then the taxes will follow accordingly,” Gilbert said. “So now these ridiculous numbers, you’re throwing out 20% sales tax and all this other stuff. That’s ridiculous, because how can you say that when you haven’t even sat down to look at a budget realistically to say to myself, ‘What can I do to improve on the situation that I have so that I can reduce the government cost?’”
Ritter expressed concern about removing property taxes overnight and advised a more incremental approach to decreasing costs. He said the government would need to replace about $24 billion in revenue.
“Property taxes stay local, so they’re one of the only taxes that does not go to Columbus and get spent by us in Columbus; they’re spent by the locals,” Ritter said. “So if that citizen initiative were to pass, it would defund local services … It’s the police, it’s the elderly services, it’s your welfaretype programs. Everything that runs through job and family services, all of those local services get defunded overnight.”
Gilbert could not comment on the number of signatures collected, but said that the efforts are well-organized and energized.
FirstEnergy officials charged in Ohio bribery scandal
FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER
A criminal trial is currently underway in the FirstEnergy bribery scandal.
The trial alleges Chuck Jones, former CEO of FirstEnergy, and Michael Dowling, former senior vice president of FirstEnergy, played a role in a $4.3 million bribe given to Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, for his future help.
Dowling and Jones are pleading not guilty to a combined 27 criminal charges, including theft, bribery, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records and money laundering, according to the Associated Press.
FirstEnergy is a coal, hydroelectric and solar energy company based in Akron. The company mainly serves the northern region of Ohio, as well as parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, according to their website.
Jones and Dowling’s trial began in early February in Summit County and is one part of the broader bribery scheme that totals over $60 million.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Larry Householder, former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, also received payments for his work in pushing HB 6 to become law, as reported by the AP. Controversy surrounding the issue began in July 2020, when Householder was arrested for his connection to that crime, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The bribes centered on House Bill 6, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in July 2019, which established the nuclear generation fund. The fund was intended to collect $150 million annually for seven years. That money was to be generated from energy customers and used to support two FirstEnergy nuclear plants.
Sen. Kent Smith serves Ohio’s 21st Senate District and has continually been vocal about the bribery scandal. Smith said FirstEnergy had been struggling financially before the bailout provided in HB 6.
He described the three-step plan they used to ensure the legislation passed and issued the bailout they desired.
“The three-fold scheme was, number one, take over the legislature to pass legislation to bail out their new plans, which is House Bill 6 … number two, take over the PUCO, the utility watchdog agency,” Smith said. “And number three, have a friend in the governor’s office to sign the bailout legislation and appoint a friend of
FirstEnergy to run the PUCO.”
Patrick Williams, the growth and development reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal, has been in the courtroom covering the trial.
Williams discussed the allegations the prosecution is presenting in court.
“The prosecution was saying that the defendants paid a roughly $4.3 million bribe to the former PUCO chair by the name of Sam Randazzo … before he took the position as PUCO chair,” Williams said.
Smith said FirstEnergy wanted to control the PUCO chair so they could waive the audits the commission is supposed to conduct on utility companies.
“They’re supposed to stand for a full audit every couple of years that the PUCO will conduct,” Smith said.
“The PUCO needs to be energy policy experts who can go through utilities’ books and make the proper determination, ‘Are customers being ripped off, or are they being treated fairly?’”
FirstEnergy has not stood for a full audit since 2007, and Randazzo waived off a potential audit in November 2019, Smith said.
Williams said the defense is arguing the money given to Randazzo was supposed to go to a client of his, the trade group Industrial Energy UsersOhio.
Smith said the transaction is known to be a bribe because neither Randazzo nor FirstEnergy disclosed the payment.
Both Jones and Dowling were terminated from FirstEnergy in October 2020 due to violations of company policies and code of conduct, according to the AP.
Those two individuals are not the first to face legal trouble for the scheme.
Both Householder and Randazzo were charged for their ties to the bribery scandal. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2023 after being found guilty of leading the racketeering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
While Randazzo was indicted on 11 counts in June 2023, he committed suicide in April 2024 before trials began, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Williams described the atmosphere in the courtroom during Jones and Dowling’s ongoing trial, stating it has been mostly calm, and for the most part, everyone has remained cordial.
“There have been some arguments between attorneys on past motions and things, usually outside of the presence of the jury,” Williams said. “This is a very technical case, so the jury has not been able to hear certain testimony regarding other larger House Bill 6 things and other kinds of tangentially related topics … but I would say for
the most part, it’s been a pretty calm atmosphere.”
Smith raised questions about DeWine and his administration’s potential connections to the bribe. He discussed a public records request his office filed to obtain a copy of Jones’s speech given at a fundraiser he hosted for DeWine on August 14, 2018. In the speech, Jones announces his support for DeWine and his then-running mate, Jon Husted.
“Their vision, experience and strong leadership will be great for our state, our communities, our company and our shareholders,” the report states.
“Jon has always been very accessible and great to work with, and I can say without question, he is a good friend of FirstEnergy.”
DeWine continues to deny claims that he had knowledge of or was involved in the bribery scheme, according to the Statehouse News Bureau.
“I’m trying to count the years,” DeWine said in a press conference. “45 years in public office, 45 years without a personal scandal.”
The trial is expected to take eight to ten weeks, indicating it will most likely run until March 2026. FirstEnergy declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The outside of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 22, 2025. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)
Courtesy of axohtax.com
New Underground Railroad sites recognized in Central Appalachia
FIONA PETTICREW
HUMAN INTEREST STAFF WRITER
Many people grew up learning the important history of the Underground Railroad, reading first-hand accounts about the treacherous journeys people faced, and visiting museums to observe artifacts and exhibits. However, some people don’t know how rich the history is here in Athens County and across Central Appalachia.
The National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program promotes and honors the people who fought for freedom since 1998. Through this program, more than 800 sites in 40 states have been recognized as stations and sites on the Underground Railroad.
New listings were added to the NPS site map last month, including the Union Baptist Church of Blackfork in Lawrence County, the Joe Logan and West Union Underground Railroad Network in Adams County and Payne’s Corner in Gallia County.
Two enslaved brothers, Pleasant and Dave, escaped from Greenup County, Kentucky, in the fall of 1845, after hearing they were to be sold downriver. They crossed the Ohio River and traveled to Payne’s Corner Store and Post Office, owned by George and Harriet Payne, according to the listing description for the Payne’s Corner site.
Harriet Payne sheltered the men while she notified a conductor, a person who assisted enslaved individuals to escape, who helped Pleasant and Dave travel safely to Lee Township in Athens County. The Ohio River was an essential pathway to freedom for many during this time, and in Ohio, there were 10 commonly used “exit ports,” or the final, safe location where enslaved people could reach freedom, according to Touring Ohio.
Robin Muhammad, department chair and associate professor of history in the African American Studies Department at Ohio University, said the Ohio River attracted a myriad of people, including farmers and those looking to escape slavery.
“It was really about a sense of place that the Ohio River served as a major economic thoroughfare, transporting goods and people,” Muhammad said. “That made it well known to people of African descent and others who were looking to travel, either for purposes of escape or to assist those for purposes of escape.”
The Network to Freedom listings were made possible by dedicated research done by a team of historians and researchers with Lawrence Economic Development Corporation and Shawnee State University.
The Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tour was awarded a $1.5 million grant
though the Appalachian Regional Commission, according to Cicero Fain, the assistant provost of access and opportunity at Marshall University, and assistant director for research and outreach freedom heritage initiatives.
“I was brought in because I’m at Marshall and I’m a historian who was recognized as an authority within Black Appalachia and the tri-state region,” Fain said. “So they brought me, they solicited me, and I was excited to join on board.”
Fain said the team worked together to research and organize 27 sites for the NPS Network to Freedom program. He said this was a ninecounty, three-state initiative, and hopes to “elevate the rich history” of the Appalachian region with it’s contribution.
Even though Fain grew up in the area and was taught about the Underground Railroad in school, he was unaware of some things about his local history and culture.
Muhammad also spoke to this issue and said many people do not know enough about their local history, even with the resources and information available.
“I often assign for students to consider historic sites on campus and in Athens where you can go and visit,” Muhammad said. “There’s one outside of Baker Center. There’s a set of plaques on the Templeton Blackburn wall in the portico. There’s one down by the Athens County fairgrounds.”
Fain spoke about a site in West Virginia the team researched, which has not yet been published by the NPS. Fain said Joshua, Moses and Joe escaped Green Bottom plantation, which would later become the Jenkins plantation, the largest in West Virginia, with 4,400 acres. The men escaped through the Ohio River and made their way to Lawrence County.
“These are just examples of the remarkable ingenuity and courage of these folks,” Fain said. “The Underground Railroad was an
Editorial
interracial collaboration. Both Black and white risked their livelihoods, their reputations.”
Along with visiting nearby historical markers and sites recognized by NPS, Ohio residents can visit the many museums in the state dedicated to the Underground Railroad and African American history.
The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce is home to one of the largest collections of African American manuscripts and artifacts in the country, with over 10,000 history pieces.
Kevin Lydy, education specialist at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, told the story of Joseph Dozier, who is detailed in manumission papers from the museum’s national archives.
“The interesting thing about those freedom papers is that they’re fake, and so it kind of helps the students understand an often overlooked component of the Underground Railroad,” Lydy said. “Those papers were created by three African American men in Washington, D.C., that had kind of a ring or an outfit where they were cranking out these counterfeit papers.”
Lydy said anyone can schedule an appointment to visit the museum and learn more about African American history with its archives and collections. He said understanding this history is important for everyone.
“That may not be the history that your ancestors necessarily went through, but understanding that experience helps you relate to people on a completely different level,” Lydy said. “Having that knowledge and that understanding, it kind of fosters a sense of empathy. It helps people just kind of see each other as human.”
@FIONAPETTICREW2 FP074825@OHIO.EDU
Zuckerberg isn’t oblivious to social media addiction
This column contains mentions of mental health issues and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a jury in a landmark social media and personal injury trial on Feb. 18. During the trial, he was questioned about whether his company intentionally designed Instagram to be addictive for younger users.
At the center of the case is a 20-year-old woman known by initials KGM, who says her addiction to social media led to excessive use, exacerbating depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
YouTube is also accused, alongside Meta, of intentionally designing addictive features that hook children, KGM being one of them. She is among 1,600 plaintiffs, consisting of school districts and families involved in the lawsuit.
Yet, the attitudes of those accused show a purposeful tongue-in-cheek approach to the case. Little to no ownership has been taken during the trial.
Bobby Allyn, business and technology reporter for NPR, said Zuckerberg was “getting kind of testy,” responding to lawyers with phrases like, “I think you’re mischaracterizing me,” or “I think you’re taking this document out of context,” during the trial, according to PBS News.
The executive of a major media conglomerate, appearing dismissive while testifying about the dangerous effects of social media, is weak and shows a lack of concern for youth. This landmark case isn’t only in defense of children in the U.S.; it’s for children across the globe who have fallen victim to the risks of online platforms.
KGM’s counsel, Mark Lanier, a Texas trial lawyer and pastor, picked apart claims the CEO made in January 2024 during congressional testimony regarding online child safety.
A 2018 internal Meta document stated, “If we wanna win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens.” Lanier said this line undercutted Meta’s own policies. This very document proves the model to attract children to its platforms has been ever-present since 2012, when Zuckerberg acquired Instagram.
In the courtroom, Lanier introduced internal documents from 2015 that estimated there were 4 million Instagram users under the age of 13. This included “30% of 10 to 12 year olds in the U.S.,” according to Wired. Parents from all over the country traveled to attend the trial, saying their children had been hurt or died because of social media. They described a company that “preyed on and exploited their children in the name of profits,” according to CNN.
School districts have also moved to go to trial later this year against social media companies. They reason that social media companies have contributed to the youth mental health crisis; therefore, schools must address the issue by investing in counseling and other resources.
Giant social media companies like Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat have sought to have this case dismissed.
It should be no surprise that tech companies are finally being held accountable for the immeasurable harm they’ve done to children, some who are now adults, for features on their platform meant to hook users.
Zuckerberg didn’t provide answers or solutions for families who are grieving the loss of their children. Instead, he spoke to deny documents and physical proof of initiatives to attract younger and younger demographics to his platforms.
A horrid display of conglomerate media companies needs to save face instead of truly servicing their users.
Cabins used as part of the Underground Railroad stand along Farmview Road in Gallipolis, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2026.
(Megan VanVlack | Director of Photography)
Letter from the Editor | People don’t hate AI enough
JACKSON MCCOY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
On Feb. 16, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s editor, Chris Quinn, claimed in a letter that journalism’s future was not determined by the young talent across the world in journalism schools. Instead, Quinn said these journalism schools were teaching students to be afraid of the emerging technology of generative artificial intelligence, while in the same breath claiming generative AI is replacing the way reporters at the Plain Dealer do what they were taught to do. Quinn’s letter is full of contradictions. He says the Plain Dealer typically doesn’t hire new reporters straight out of college because of the “heavy training” required, despite the fact that the same young journalists often receive that heavy training at the journalism schools he derides.
He also claims AI is saving journalists in his newsroom time by giving them more time to ask questions and pursue stories instead of writing them without acknowledging the ethical implications of feeding someone’s words into an outside source. Generative AI models take the words users put into it and save it forever; if journalists don’t ask their sources for permission to upload their words to an AI model, they are committing a serious ethical wrong.
There are certainly things to complain about with the state of higher education, especially in Ohio. There are also
certainly things to complain about in regards to journalism education in regards to AI — there’s a lack of cohesive thought on the matter of AI in newsrooms as the technology continues to change and people learn more about it. However, it is bold to assume that young journalists are being taught to be afraid of generative AI. In fact, it is condescending and disrespectful to the intelligence of the students he claims are afraid of this technology to gesture toward journalism schools as the reason for this disdain and not the myriad of highly-visible issues with generative AI.
Generative AI is easily ideologically swayed, racist and environmentally devastating. These are welldocumented facts across research institutions and media outlets. It regurgitates other people’s words to create unoriginal, formulaic and weak writing.
To embrace generative AI is to embrace these faults; to not acknowledge these faults is to enshrine them in workplace practices. The Plain Dealer’s use of AI to find and write stories will inevitably reflect the biases exhibited by AI models in its reporting, something that just can’t happen.
The emerging technologies out of Silicon Valley are, for a timely reference given the Lenten season, the tantalizing Satan to the media industry’s desert-bound Jesus, except most media executives are far
from Jesus in moral attitude. I can’t fault these leaders of our industry for not being able to live up to the example set by the most important religious figure in history, but I can fault them for being irresponsible. There are obvious problems with generative AI that aren’t being considered despite their appearance across AI platforms.
At The Post, we have an extremely strict no generative AI policy. At most, our reporters can use it to brainstorm questions, but that’s it and it’s highly discouraged. However, that does not mean the students in our newsroom do not learn how generative AI works or how to report on it. One of the first standards meetings led by our community standards editor was about reporting on generative AI and how it operates.
To be transparent, I hate generative AI. The idea of offloading my critical thinking skills to a third party makes me sick; the amount of water a data center needs to operate makes me sicker. I stay up at night thinking about the fact that I will see water wars in my lifetime due to the planet’s severe water crisis, conflicts that will be spurred on by the over-investment in propping up the AI industry.
In Southeast Ohio and North Central Appalachia, where my family is from and I now call home, data centers represent another highly damaging, extractive industry in line with the boom-and-bust cycle of
previously dominant industries such as coal and fracking.
No professors were lecturing about the dangers of using AI in class while I was listening, eagerly lapping up their propaganda and thus applying it to my daily work, however. In fact, it’s quite the opposite at the Scripps College of Communication — many faculty members employ AI in several aspects of their work.
I got this hatred for generative AI while being force fed the notion that it was going to replace not only my future job but also all the things that make life worth living (the creation of art, human interaction, etc.) all while watching it to subpar work.
So, to be direct, Mr. Quinn, young journalists are not afraid of AI. Many of us hate it. We do not want it to be a part of our reporting. We do not want it to identify our next scoop, or pick an enterprise for us to follow. We want to do those things ourselves. I hope this column offered you some insights into why the young journalist in the anecdote at the start of your column declined a job with your paper.
Jackson McCoy is a junior studying journalism and environmental studies at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Jackson know by emailing him at jm049122@ohio.edu.
Soph’s Soapbox | Ticketmaster ruins ticket purchasing experience
SOPHIA ANNESS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
On Feb. 2, Noah Kahan announced his upcoming The Great Divide Tour, which features new songs off his new album “The Great Divide.” Immediately, I went to Kahan’s website to sign up for presale in hopes of seeing him live with two of my best friends. When I received the responsibility of purchasing the tickets for our group, I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.
Buying tickets on sites such as Ticketmaster feels like marching into battle. I knew many people wanted a ticket to Kahan’s concert, but I was confident I would be able to snag a couple of tickets. I was quickly proven very wrong. This is a consistent problem with many concerts lately. Tickets feel impossible to get, even if you have access to a special presale code.
A girl’s trip to Boston sounded exciting, so I went to buy tickets for the show at Fenway Park. This might have been my first mistake. I quickly realized tickets for this performance were in high demand, and it took me 40 minutes to even enter the website. By the time I did, tickets were completely sold out.
One TikTok user, @ julianaboldrin, posted her Ticketmaster presale experience on TikTok. Once she got loaded into the queue, the ticketing website placed 154,214 people ahead of her.
This doesn’t only happen with Kahan’s concerts, either. Harry Styles fans also experienced similar frustrations after his tickets went on presale.
After Styles announced his long-awaited return to music, people flocked to his Together, Together Tour presale sign-up.
The issue was the only shows Styles is playing in the U.S. are at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was here that Ticketmaster experienced its largest ticket sign-up in history.
According to Ticketmaster, 11.5 million people signed up for Styles’ Together, Together Tour presale, as reported by “Today.” This was the largest presale Ticketmaster ever had. Those looking to attend didn’t need a presale code to purchase tickets during the artist presale. Instead, anyone who signed up before the deadline was able to get in.
Presales are moving away from being selective. There was once a time when not everyone who signed up for presale was lucky enough to
receive a code, making buying tickets much easier for fans. Now, presale is met with stress and anxiety, as people hope to get a good spot in a virtual queue.
Not only are these tickets harder to get, but they are also increasingly more expensive. At times, it feels they are only accessible to fans willing to spend an outrageous amount of money to see their favorite artist live.
Bella Martin, a senior studying performance and communication studies, discussed her experience with some of these outrageous ticket prices.
“My mom really likes Zara Larson,” Martin said. “She was looking at tickets to go see her because she wants to do fun things. She wants to go see performers and live music. And it’s $300 for one ticket for a performer we’re not even that familiar with.”
Live music was once a place for people to come together. Now, it is only for the wealthy. Styles’ Together, Together Tour tickets ranged from $50 to $1,182.40, according to Ticketmaster. However, the cheaper seats were extremely limited and sold out quickly.
Martin also said ticket pricing is outrageous, preventing fans
Catalogued as a PDF file FTA00823256 in Data Set 9, Bach engages in a series of emails about genetically altering motor layer development “to make Blacks smarter,” also saying statistics show “Black kids in the U.S. have slower cognitive development.”
Nothing about this language is surprising. Epstein is a textbook eugenicist and human trafficker. His ambitions echoed many of the rich white enslavers of the antebellum period.
Detailed in the 2024 article, “The master whished to reproduce: slavery, forced intimacy, and enslavers’ interference in sexual relationships in the antebellum South, 1808–1861,” published in the American Nineteenth Century History journal, slave owners forced enslaved men and women to reproduce to grow their wealth.
Stigmatized by the “Jezebel” and “Brute” stereotypes, African American women and men of the antebellum period were made into archetypes of their own violation; those who freed themselves were often not believed when sharing their narratives of slavery’s cruelty. The survivors and victims of Epstein are going through the same ridicule. The idea of controlled genetic manipulation and “selective breeding” to create “super humans” is an idea that has been profoundly expressed by the 1%, with notable billionaires, like Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel, investing in gene therapy and genetic engineering. We are also seeing pushes for pseudoeugenicist thinking in the U.S. legislature.
from experiencing live music.
“I personally wish I could see more of my favorite performers live,” Martin said.
“But the reality is you have to have a big chunk of savings set aside for that. You have to plan way ahead … it can’t really be spontaneous.”
The issue with these ticket prices is despite the high prices, they still sell out. People spend an astronomical amount of money to see their favorite artist perform live, but some true fans who listen to an artist for years cannot afford high ticket prices. Even if they can, securing those tickets is often a gamble.
Ticketmaster is sucking the fun out of live music, and it’s damaging the concert scene as a whole. Where fans were once encouraged to come together, they now are forced to watch a grainy TikTok livestream to try to get the same high of seeing their favorite artist perform.
Sophia Anness is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Sophia about her column? Email/tweet them at sa425522@ohio.edu /@ AnnessSoph0415.
Enslaver Calvin Smith ran a breeding plantation with the specific purpose of creating biracial children due to them being sold at higher prices than their monoracial Black counterparts. These children were created and sold for “aesthetic” purposes.
While it’s believed Epstein’s desire to perfect the human race never came to fruition, there are documents in the files that may point to an opposite truth. In a decrypted journal of one of Epstein’s victims, it’s learned the underage victim went through multiple pregnancies, along with listing at least 25 assailants involved in her abuse.
Epstein became a representation of the systematic abuse of child sex trafficking, also named the modern slave trade, which involves an estimated 50 million victims. He was also not the first to be capable of such heinous crimes. Historically, Epstein is considered a drop in a bucket of human traffickers in America’s heritage, with names like Isaac Franklin and John Armfield also coming to mind. Our lives are ours, our power is ours. Our children are ours to protect, not theirs to exploit.
Fiber Arts Club takes on semester-long quilting project
What started as a meeting with five people expanded to more than 40 members, all brought together through one medium: fiber arts.
The Fiber Arts Club at Ohio University, established in spring 2025, focuses on various fiber skills and crafts, including clothing customization, felting and quilting.
One of the main goals of the club is to make art accessible to everyone.
Kate Hampel, area head for sculpture in the School of Art + Design, is faculty advisor for the club and helped inspire students to connect with the fiber arts.
“They are really trying to make it accessible and remove any sort of barrier that might exist,” Hampel said. “Sometimes when people are outside of a discipline, they might not join a club within that discipline, right? They have done a really great job of sort of making it about crafts and techniques without excluding anyone who’s not an artist, or who doesn’t have that background.”
The focus on accessibility shaped not only the club’s identity, but the current semester project the club adopted. The Fiber Arts Club recently began a new semester-long, collaborative quiltmaking project. Created alongside a local quilter and professor, the project aims to capture the club’s identity.
This creative process includes machine sewing, piecing fabric and sewing the quilt on long-arm machinery. Each member gets the opportunity to create blocks of the quilt, resulting in a patchwork that reflects the range of skill levels in the club.
Kat Child, vice president of the Fiber Arts Club and junior studying art therapy, outlines how the community quilting project began and how the group is bringing it to life.
“There’s a lot of elements of fiber that go into quilting, and a huge community aspect,” Child said. “We decided that we would want to make a community quilt, so we reached out to a retired teacher named Cheryl.”
Child said Cheryl Howe, retired professor from OU, helped the Fiber Arts Club get off the ground. Howe owns a quilting business in Albany and works with a studio in Nelsonville.
Along with the donation, Howe helped the club organize a trip to Nelsonville to stitch the final quilting blocks together with a long-arm machine to finish the quilt. She introduced the fundamentals of piecing and quilting to the club and provides ongoing support as the club works on the quilting project.
Throughout the project, members not only get a creative outlet and connections through the arts but
also the opportunity to establish community through the art medium.
“A lot of it is a shared goal and shared process,” Child said. “If you’re working on something with a group of people, you learn a lot about each other and what you’re working on. It’s been great to see people make connections.”
Child said the Fiber Arts Club is an outlet to build community through the creative medium. They said the club welcomes all skill and knowledge levels, providing a platform where members can get to know each other.
No matter the major, the Fiber Arts Club welcomes all fields of study. Julia Capasso, a freshman studying chemical engineering, became involved with the club last fall semester. The quilting project gave them a creative outlet outside their major.
Capasso said they are excited to see the end result of the quilting project.
“I’m excited to see everyone’s blocks all together, because everyone has a different style and different colors that they’re picking,” Capasso said. “It will be exciting to see everything all together when we lay it out.”
The joining of the final blocks not only marks the completion of the full quilt but also highlights how the club’s community has strengthened throughout this semester-long project.
“(Working with other members) has been really great,” Capasso said. “I love working together with people. It’s a very welcoming environment, and we’re all learning new skills.”
Turning Point OU Chapter holds first meeting after social media threats
On Feb. 11, the Ohio University Turning Point Chapter held its first off-campus meeting to discuss the chapter and address several questions. According to Turning Point USA’s website, there are over 3,500 campuses represented and over 2,000 student groups.
On Feb. 2, the Turning Point OU Chapter tabled in front of Baker University Center to recruit and inform Bobcats of its mission. On the platform YikYak, an anonymous messaging app for one’s region or college, students expressed their disapproval of the chapter, and some threatened the group with violent remarks.
The Ohio University Police Department released a statement via Facebook on Feb. 3 regarding the situation, and said it took a report the
day prior and were actively working on investigating the case.
To start the meeting, the president, Mia Grossholz, a junior studying general studies, said the chapter is currently not recognized by OU as an organization. Grossholz said they are currently working toward holding meetings on campus.
“We’re trying to spread conservative values, but not trying to tell you who to vote for,” Grossholz said. “We’re nonpartisan, and that means we’re (not going to) side with one candidate.”
Vice President Sydney Ryan, a sophomore studying political science pre-law, Secretary Avery Barker, a junior studying communications, Treasurer Ben Smith, a senior studying finance and Communications Director Reagan Daley, a junior studying political science pre-law, were the other executives members present.
At the first meeting, 11 attendees were
Ohio has big choices ahead
“Had I Met General von Manstein During the War, I Would have Shot Him on Sight” The Lord de l’Isle and Dudley became very unpopular after World War II because he organized a legal defense fund for Nazi German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein; however, he explained his action well: “Had I met General von Manstein during the war, I would have shot him on sight. I am not concerned with
wanted General von
have a fair trial lest Britain’s reputation for justice be sullied.
NOTE: Do leftists want the worst of the worst people illegally in this country deported? Of course. But arrest those people legally, and give everyone — the guilty, the innocent, the maybe innocent, and the guilty as hell — due process, as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment: No person shall be held to answer for a
or indictment of a
or otherwise
present, including the executives, who declined any comments or interviews with The Post.
The group discussed three questions related to their mission, and first asked the room whether they believed controversial speakers should be allowed on campus. Ryan said she thinks it is important to hear both sides of an argument to better understand where each person is coming from or to strengthen a point.
During the meeting, Daley said many people believe college students have the resources to be more intelligent and well-informed on political and social issues, so it makes sense to “pressure” students and debate their beliefs.
Barker said she thinks it is important to have controversial conversations in order to understand the other side, although there is a “fine line” between how two individuals might see a topic as controversial.
“Like some of the comments that we were experiencing last week, that’s unnecessary,” Barker said at the meeting. “I think that controversial topics and speakers are very important to have, and so there’s a line directly across like that.”
The executives also asked the room if they felt students were selfcensoring in terms of their political and conservative values. Grossholz said she thinks she must self-censor at work in order to keep the peace in her workplace.
Ryan said people often categorize others based on a statement or a single political opinion. She said people often assume things based on a portion of information, but they are unaware of where one stands on a particular issue from one opinion.
Ryan spoke about her own work experience, and said she works with “a lot of liberals,” and expressed her frustration with not being able to respectfully share her own opinion without being attacked.
“I sat there and thought, ‘Why are they able to voice their opinion and what they think, but I have to sit here and be quiet?’” Ryan said at the meeting. “So then I voiced my opinion … I got called a fascist and a Nazi, and it wasn’t anything to do about the president. It didn’t have anything to
do with the current administration, nothing, and it’s like categorizing off of one simple belief.”
Daley said she thinks it is interesting how Turning Point did not have a “bad label” before conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025. Since the event, Daley said people are too focused on negative online opinions about Turning Point.
The final topic the group discussed was whether professors should reveal their political biases to their students.
Ryan said many sources are available to students for learning about specific topics, and if professors want to express their opinions, they should feel free to do so.
“The professor should make a point to say ‘although I believe this, I am still open to hearing what everyone has to say,’” Ryan said.
Barker said her father taught American history for 11 years and kept his political beliefs hidden. Barker said a professional’s job is to “guide” political debate and conversation in class.
The group also discussed Immigration and Customs Enforcement and media bias, talking about the importance of looking at multiple sources, as well as the full story. To wrap up the meeting, the executives expressed the importance of unity and getting along with those with different views.
Daley said all of her hometown friends hold liberal views, and it’s “insane” how some people lose friends over their beliefs. Ryan said many things are “not as deep” as they seem, and people should find peace in a disagreement rather than fightin, to live civilly.
Gunnar Isphording, a freshman at Athens High School, was present at the OU Turning Point meeting Feb. 11. Isphording said he heard of the meeting from a friend and wanted to connect with others of similar opinion.
Isphording said it was nice to attend the meeting as he has been wanting a community like this.
“I think it’s just important to hear people’s opinions,” Isphording said.
“Obviously, in Athens, it’s a bit harder to find people similar to the way that I think, and it’s nice to group up with those people and be around those people because they’re your people.”
Wrestling loses to Buffalo 22-16 on Senior Night
LONDON DEMARCO FOR THE POST
On Senior and Military Appreciation Night, Ohio (4-7, 1-6 Mid-American Conference) had a chance at breaking a losing streak against conference rival, the Buffalo Bulls (4-11, 3-5 MAC).
Buffalo spoiled the Bobcats’ senior night, handing them their sixth straight dual meet without reaching 20 team points. There were spurts of excellence from Ohio’s wrestlers, but there wasn’t enough firepower to get over the hump.
Despite the loss, Ohio’s Head Coach Joel Greenlee understood the impact of playing in The Convo in front of dozens of fans.
“It was Senior Night,” Greenlee said. “We had seven guys come out for this evening, and I think it was special for them and their families.”
Not all of the senior Bobcats were able to earn a win on the mat; however, they all wrestled as hard as they could. Brayden Teunissen, despite being a freshman, was one to assert his dominance early in the contest.
Teunissen went to battle with Buffalo’s freshman Zachary Belverio, and it was the former to take away a hard-fought 6-2 decision win. Following Teunissen in the 133 lb. weight class was junior Ryan Meek, and he had a difficult time trying to score against junior Max Elton. Elton wasted no time getting points on the board for the Bulls. He recorded an early takedown in the first period, an escape point in the second and third period for a 5-2 decision victory.
Sophomore Prestyn Parks got a varsity start for Ohio in the 141 lb. weight class, and he showed promise toward the beginning of his matchup against freshman Tyler Roark. Parks recorded a takedown, but Roark was able to record a pin with 1:19 left remaining in the first. Teamwise, Ohio had only tallied three points to Buffalo’s nine, and the latter kept getting warmer every match.
Redshirt junior Paul Woo was the first Bobcat senior to perform on the evening, and he had a rather thrilling duel with redshirt sophomore Sam Ewing.
Woo and Ewing went back and forth recording takedowns and escape points, but Ewing eventually pulled away with an 8-6 decision win.
Redshirt junior Derek Raike lit up the crowd with a superb 7-3 decision over redshirt senior Kaleb Burgess in the 157 lb. weight class. There was a moment in the second period where Burgess could’ve taken the win, but Raike managed time expertly and knew when to attack.
Redshirt junior Jack Lledo did not have the same success as his teammate before him when going toe-to-toe with the Bulls’ redshirt junior Kelin Laffey. Laffey had Lledo in a trap the entire match and then won with ease in a 9-3 decision.
One of Ohio’s very best, Garrett Thompson, had the worst performance of the evening, as the ranked redshirt senior fell to redshirt sophomore Rafael
Knapp by a 4-2 decision. For the record, Knapp is an unranked wrestler.
“I will say he didn’t wrestle his best tonight,” Greenlee said. “He looked a little slow, but I think it might have been a great eye-opener.”
Despite that upset in favor of Buffalo, Thompson’s teammate, redshirt senior Sal Perrine, was the standout of the dual meet. He won by recording a 19-4 technical fall and lifted his team’s deficit from being down 12 to only down nine.
“He (Perrine) goes out there like an animal every time,” Greenlee said. “He was all over the guy tonight, and that’s the way he wrestles.”
for the opposing team. Ohio will travel to Buffalo to compete in the MAC Tournament beginning March 6 and ending March 7.
@JHANNAHSMEDIA JH825821@OHIO.EDU
Ohio wins against Northern Illinois, punches ticket to MAC Tournament
OWEN LIPSTREU
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Ohio (15-13 overall, 9-6 Mid-American Conference) controlled the game for all 40 minutes against a feisty Northern Illinois (9-17 overall, 4-10 MAC) squad but hung on late behind strong efforts from its front court to defeat the Huskies 74-66 and clinch a berth to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament.
Ohio went on the road to DeKalb for the final time as conference opponents with Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon. Both teams came in coming off wins with MAC Tournament implications on the line for the rest of the season, as this one would be a key piece for both programs.
Ohio missed its first couple shots from the field, but was the first team on the board after a pair of free throws from senior guard Jackson Paveletzke. The Huskies answered with a layup, but the first few minutes were riddled with misses on both sides, with the score being 3-2 at the 16:50 mark of the firsthalf.
Northern Illinois grabbed a 4-3 lead, but Ohio worked down low through a give-and-go by redshirt junior forward Javan Simmons and Paveletzke for an and-1 as the Bobcats went right back on top.
The Huskies started attacking with pace and converted at both levels, while also slowing down the Ohio offense, which was shooting just 25% in the opening six minutes and had not made a 3-point basket. That was until freshman guard Jesse Burris hit one out of the first media timeout on a pass from Paveletzke.
The Bobcats kept rolling with a transition bucket from Paveletzke and a pair of turnovers from Northern Illinois to go up 13-9. Simmons started rolling offensively, getting to the line and his familiar spot on the left block to hit a layup. After a 3-pointer by the Huskies, Simmons rolled to the basket for a slam dunk, putting Ohio ahead 18-12.
The pace picked up again, and so did
the shot-making as the offenses went back and forth. As the game went into another media timeout, and with just under seven minutes to go, both teams looked for some momentum heading into the half.
Ohio was the benefactor early after a miss by Northern Illinois. Paveletzke outlet passed the ball to senior guard Dior Conners, who scored through contact for an and-1. A couple possessions later, the Bobcats were moving the ball well, and Conners found senior forward Aidan Hadaway for a 3-pointer and a 30-17 advantage.
The Huskies stopped the Ohio run with a free throw and a bucket, but the Bobcats immediately answered with another 3-pointer, this time from senior guard Ajay Sheldon. The final couple of minutes were slow for both sides, so
Softball / continued from pg. 1
Ohio would get a runner on third in the fourth, but it was unable to bring the run home. UCF answered with a solo homer to make it 3-0.
The Bobcats would get on the board in the sixth inning with a sac fly, but with an extra insurance run by the Knights and the Bobcats again being unable to drive runs home, UCF took the first game of the weekend.
FRIDAY
Friday seemed to start the same way for Ohio, as Notre Dame got out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning with the Ohio bats having trouble with runners in scoring position.
After Ohio went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, Ally Meyers would shut down the Knights’ offense. In the top of the fifth, a Brenna Farmer double would score Rylee McDonald, and a Colleen Bare single would bring home Belle Hummel to cut the Fighting Irish lead to 1.
Meyers allowed another run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Ohio offense would answer right back with another 2 runs.
Shelby Westler would score on a wild pitch, which allowed runners to advance to second and third. With the scoring opportunity, Jordyn Wycuf was hit by a pitch, and a walk from Hummel would drive in another run.
Some tough defense from both sides would result in the seven innings ending tied at 4, and Bare was able to come through in the eighth, scoring Allie Cervol from an RBI single.
The Fighting Irish would go 1-2-3 against Skipp Miller in the bottom of the eighth.
The magic of Friday ran out later in the day as Ohio fell to UCF again, this time by
the Bobcats turned to Simmons again for another physical layup and a jumper on an assist from Paveletzke to give Simmons 14 first-half points, and Ohio a 37-25 lead heading into the break.
Northern Illinois got the second-half scoring going with a layup, a pair of free throws, and a second-chance bucket to quickly cut the Bobcats’ lead in half at 37-31. Ohio needed to rally quickly, but the Huskies were not done there, hitting the offensive boards and working in the paint to cut the lead to 4.
Paveletzke finally got the Bobcats on the board in the second-half with a 3-pointer, and that sparked another triple, this one from Sheldon to put Ohio back up by double digits. For the next 1:30, the game went scoreless until Ohio took advantage of a Northern Illinois turnover when Sheldon found himself
a score of 9-1 in a shortened six innings.
open in the left corner for another 3-pointer.
Northern Illinois continued to fight and cut the lead to 7 on another easy bucket down. Ohio needed to regroup on both ends to close this one out, and offensively went back to Simmons for a layup.
The Huskies were pesky the entire second-half, and after a 3-pointer from Dylan Ducommun and a layup from Taj Walters cut the lead to 4 as Northern Illinois continued to pull closer to the Ohio lead, which was now just 53-49. Ohio needed a bucket and went right back to Simmons for another tough bucket down low, in which he converted another and-1. The next couple of possessions for Ohio were stellar, with great ball movement and a layup from Hadaway, and then a steal and breakaway dunk from freshman guard JJ Kelly, retaking a double-digit lead, at 60-49.
The Huskies responded out of the media timeout with a 7-2 run that included another 3-pointer from Ducommun. They kept chipping away with another 3-pointer a couple of minutes later, this time from Makhai Valentine as the Bobcats lead was just 63-59.
The Ohio front court went to work over the next handful of possessions, with a layup from Hadaway and another and-1 from Simmons. The clock began to tick down, and the Huskies could not get a shot to fall, while Ohio went to Paveletzke to close the door on this one. He made a jumper, and then after a steal, the Bobcats passed it around to Kelly for another dunk and a 73-61 edge.
Paveletzke stepped to the line and iced away the game for Ohio, as it secured a berth to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament with a 74-66 win. The Bobcats were led by Simmons with 23 points and seven rebounds, his best game as a Bobcat. Hadaway followed with a double-double, having 13 points and 11 boards, and Paveletzke had 14 points, four rebounds and six assists of his own.
The Bobcats threw three different pitchers out against UCF, as Keegan Moore, Mikie Lieving and Ally Meyers all took the bump during the blowout.
Shelby Westler would drive in Ohio’s only run with a big RBI double, as the Bobcats would finish the game with just 3 total hits.
SATURDAY
Ohio got a break from the gauntlet of teams it had to play on Thursday and Friday, as it took on Charleston Southern in the first game of Saturday. Miller finished her great weekend for Ohio with a gem, throwing seven innings of 1-run ball while allowing just 3 hits and striking out seven players.
The Bobcat bats got started early as well, as Izzie Wilson singled through the first and second base gap, bringing home Colleen Bare and Belle Hummel. The Buccaneers would score right back with an RBI single from Maddie Lee that scored their only run of the day.
Bare would triple in the top of the second inning, bringing home Hummel once more. From there, Miller was nearly flawless, allowing just a couple of hits before she was able to finish the day with a 4-1 win after a sac fly from Wilson scored Bare.
A strong weekend overall would end on a sour note, as Penn State scored 9 runs in the sixth inning to put an exclamation point on a 16-1 win.
The Nittany Lion jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning before Brenna Farmer’s single in the third inning would score Ohio’s only run of the game. Ohio’s Ally Meyers would put up a scoreless frame in the fourth before giving up 3 runs in the
Keegan Moore would take the mound for the sixth and allow 9 runs off small-ball from Penn State, who scored those 9 runs off a combination of errors, singles and walks.
In the 197 lb. weight class, redshirt senior Zayne Lehman got the Bobcats even closer to overcoming the Bulls with a technical fall of his own against redshirt sophomore Connor Jacobs. With Buffalo only leading by two points, it came down to the final match to see who would ultimately win. Sophomore Wyatt Schmitt was overwhelmed by his opponent and lost in a 9-0 major decision
fifth.
Redshirt Junior, Derek Raike during the Bobcats wrestling match against Buffalo, Feb. 21, 2026. The Bobcats fall to Buffalo 22-16, in The Convo. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
Guard Jackson Paveletzke (13) shoots the ball during the Bobcats game against Ball State, Feb. 17, 2025. (MASON MARTINA | FOR THE POST)
“It is a return home,” Julian Runyon, Sneakthief drummer, said.
The band is wrapping up production on its new untitled record after a year of recording sessions in New Jersey with producer Erik Kase Romero. Romero has more than 15 years of record-making experience and three years as an audio and production professor, according to his website.
Daniel Palmer, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, said Sneakthief received a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council in 2024, which made working with Romero financially viable.
“Honestly, it made that first trip possible,” Palmer said. “Without that grant for that first one, that kind of took the onus off of us to have it all figured out, and we got to experiment and see if it was the right thing.”
GCAC provides grants, workshops, networking events and services to artists and arts organizations, according to its website. Palmer said the council’s approach allows artists to focus on creating work rather than worrying about upfront costs.
Sneakthief started recording in November 2024, traveling to New Jersey for weekend sessions every few months.
Palmer said the band connected with Romero after he posted about available
recording time on Instagram. According to Sound Better, Romero worked with The Front Bottoms, Lorde and The Gaslight Anthem.
“He’s done some of my favorite records and he’s a part of some bands that I really look up to,” Palmer said.
Sneakthief’s new album showcases a shift from the band’s previous releases. Palmer said Sneakthief is moving away from the punk sound of its 2019 selftitled EP and 2021 record, “Postcards.”
“I play electric guitar now, which is new,” Palmer said. “(We) used to be kind of full punky. It’s a lot more grown-up.”
Palmer described the band’s new sound as “singer-songwriter rock, but not singer-songwriter and add some punk in there,” citing Slaughter Beach, Dog, an indie rock band, as an influence.
The album explores themes of grief and self-discovery in the aftermath of 2020. Palmer said the album reflects his attempt to figure out “where I exist and how I exist” and should be released sometime this year.
“It’s mostly a reflection on rediscovering empathy and processing,”
Palmer said.
Palmer, who studied music production and audio engineering at Ohio University, said he did not grow up in a
Megan Moroney’s new album ‘Cloud 9’ ascends
Megan Moroney released “Cloud 9,” her third studio album Friday. Two years since her last full album, she has given fans four singles from “Cloud 9,” a live tour recording, a Christmas EP and two other stand-alone singles.
MARIA SAUNDERS FOR THE POST to keep the mellowness of the previous two tracks; however, changing to a loud, almost aggressive, dance beat at the chorus. Moroney reminisces fondly of a previous relationship, wondering if she made a mistake ending things. She comes to terms with how bad the relationship was, while, as the title suggests, having a change of heart and looking back at the positive memories.
The title track, “Cloud 9,” opens the album with a dreamy sound. Moroney sings about how happy she is in her relationship and how nothing can bring her down from her high. “It’s a long, long way, way down/Down to cloud nine,” she says.
“6 Months Later” was the first single from the album, released in June 2025. The catchy tune hooked listeners almost a year before the album’s release. With a dance-music beat, Moroney sings about an ex trying to reconnect after she’s successfully moved on and almost laughs at their attempts.
Keeping the same moment of the previous song, “Stupid” tries to make excuses for a man who ignores Moroney. Moroney sings about how he would be stupid enough to mess things up with someone like her, making excuses for his inadequacies because she likes him.
Following the track with “Beautiful Things,” the single mellows the vibe and sings as a comfort to the girl from “Stupid.” Moroney removes the confident demeanor from “Stupid” to reveal a more vulnerable side of the doubt that comes with a romantic interest, or disinterest. The song addresses the harshness of the world, comparing mean friends and lovers to nature and natural disasters.
Track eight, “I Only Miss You,” includes the first of two features on the album with Ed Sheeran, who spoke about wanting to transition to country music on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. Sheeran starts the track with a soft and smooth narrative, followed by Moroney, as their voices blend beautifully to convey the emotion tied to missing someone you thought you were over.
“Wedding Dress” follows the same soft sound and theme of missing someone, this time, worrying that the feeling may never stop, even when meeting someone new.
The chorus’s line, “So let me miss him now/But God, don’t let me miss him in a wedding dress,” shares her fear of being stuck on him.
At its start, “Change of Heart” seems
Continuing from “Change of Heart,” “Bells & Whistles” shows Moroney, joined by Grammy award-winning country singer Kacey Musgraves, harmonizing about the new girl in an ex’s life. The song includes how the new girl is simple without the “bells and whistles” and implies she lets him get away with his wrong behaviors. It also features a unique 10-second whistling interlude before the final chorus.
“Wish I Didn’t” opens with a quicker tempo and more upbeat feeling than its previous track. Another single from the album, Moroney warns her new partner not to make her regret falling for him, despite the bad she has heard about him. Hoping he makes good decisions, because otherwise, she’ll make him regret losing her.
“Who Hurt You?” follows with a less upbeat sound, as Moroney sings, “I guess I should’ve known/I’d be out here all alone.” Moroney sings on the track about how she’s not the first girl to experience heartbreak.
The last track, “Waiting On the Rain,” sharply contrasts the energy of the first track. It’s simple guitar and sweeping instrumentals, starting with thunder sounds. While at the beginning of the album, Moroney is happy, in love with nothing bringing her down, now she is waiting for something to go wrong to end the relationship. She sings, “Waitin’ on the rain, waitin’ on the flood/Waitin’ for the good to go bad, like it always does.”
Over the course of almost an hour, Moroney takes listeners from the euphoria of a relationship going perfectly, through moving on and finding confidence, then missing them again and again. With two beautiful features and her familiar country-pop sound, Moroney delivers yet another album to keep on repeat. From the “Cloud 9” feeling on Track one to the rainy skies on Track 15, there’s something to dance, cry, scream and smile to.
Rating: 4/5
musical household and discovered music in college. He got his first guitar in late high school and picked up ukulele in college before returning to guitar.
The band’s current lineup includes Palmer, Runyon and new members Nick Rioch and Danny Darvish on bass and electric guitar. Runyon, 27, started drumming for Sneakthief in the summer of 2023 and also provides backing vocals.
“Working with Erik was kind of a dream,” Runyon said. “He pulled a lot out of us.”
Runyon said although he started playing with Sneakthief in 2023, he attended the band’s first show at a house venue in Athens years ago, making Wednesday’s performance meaningful.
Runyon said he explored the town’s music scene when he was a student, before joining Sneakthief.
“The Union was the first venue that I played at in Athens when I was starting out in the music scene in college, and it remains my favorite place in the state to play or see a live show,” Runyon said.
Since moving to Clintonville, a town in Columbus, in March, Palmer said the band plays regularly at local venues including Ace of Cups, Rumba Café, Dirty Dungarees and The SpaceBar.
“They’ve been really kind to us,” Palmer said.
Sneakthief played its first show in
Pittsburgh at the end of January. Palmer said the band plans to shoot a music video in April and release singles and samples in the summer ahead of the full album.
The band is running independently so far, but is in talks with labels about potential support for the new album.
“It’s kind of neat to be able to say we’ve done this ourselves 100%,” Palmer said.
The Union’s Locals Only showcase series features five bands at each production. Myke Linscott, show and event organizer for The Union, said the series provides more opportunities for local and emerging acts.
“I think that we have a responsibility to the community to provide a wide array of different acts and also to kind of act as an on-ramp for newer acts,” Linscott said.
Wednesday’s lineup also includes Hourglass, Evil Eye, Airbag and Brick Soul Band. Linscott said The Union is booked through May and wanted to use Wednesdays to give more bands stage time.
“It’s five bucks … and it’s a pretty good sampler of Athens music,” Linscott said. “This is an opportunity to experience a very unique Athens thing.”
AD937421@OHIO.EDU
Baby Keem Doubles Down on ‘Ca$ino’
MICHAEL DORWALDT STAFF VIDEOGRAPHER
Las Vegas rapper Baby Keem has returned from his five year hiatus with “Ca$ino.” The tracklist of 11 features artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Momo Boyd, Too $hort and Che Ecru.
“No Security,” the first track on the album, opens up a new vulnerable era for Keem. The track starts with subtle piano keys and low background vocals. Themes of grief are set for the album, with Keem acknowledging the emotional risks he takes without feeling protected.
Keem is inviting the listener into his new world of authenticity. It reflects his confidence, while coinciding with the feeling of vulnerability. These set themes play into the project’s title, “Ca$ino,” creating an image of Keem as a gambler with nothing to lose.
The title track brings the listener back to Keem’s “Family Ties” era. The highenergy and video-game synths create a futuristic, playful undertone that provides a bed for Keem’s recognizable flows and raps to shine.
The beat switch in the song provides a time for Keem to take the listener from the “real” Las Vegas residents experience to the commercialized version of what people perceive Las Vegas to be.
“Birds & the Bees,” switches gears into a more melodic, romantic mood. The beat is smooth and catchy, and the lyrics play on riddles about love and attraction.
The title also pays homage to the late Marvin Gaye’s “If This World Were Mine” from Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s joint 1967 album “United.” This is also the original sample for Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther.”
“Good Flirts” is the fourth track on Keem’s album, featuring frequent collaborator and cousin Kendrick Lamar as well as Momo Boyd.
This collaboration brings a playful, flirtatious energy. Momo Boyd’s vocals give the hook a smooth feel, and Kendrick adds humorous, introspective bars about love and relationships. It’s one of the more radio-friendly, upbeat tracks on the album.
The song “House Money” was first revealed in episode one of the “Ca$ino Documentary” series on Keem’s YouTube
channel. The song features Kendrick Lamar giving a gritty hook and clean chorus, and some sly ad-libs from Florida native rapper Denzel Curry, even though both artists are uncredited.
This is a standout moment in the album where the tone shifts to self-belief.
“House money” in gambling refers to playing with winnings you’ve already earned, and here it symbolizes Keem betting on himself and his work ethic. Paired with tightly packed tap drums, snare hits and layered synths back the high-energy vocals.
One of the most raw tracks on the project is “I am not a Lyricist.” Over piano-driven production, Keem reflects on his upbringing and the influences that shaped his artistic identity.
Keem is defying labels that were placed on him while showing his technical and emotional depth. He uses his voice like a storyteller on this track, pacing his bars thoughtfully and letting pauses and phrasing emphasize the emotional weight of the song.
True to its title, “Circus Circus Free$tyle” is chaotic in flow and energy, like stepping into a noisy and unpredictable casino floor. Featuring heavy bass in the first part of the song, he then touches on the main theme of the album in the latter part.
Although sonically a less polished and more raw freestyle, the track captures Keem’s experimental energy and wild creativity while homing in on the theme of living on the edge like a high roller.
The album closes on a vulnerable, but powerful emotional note. Track 11, “No Blame,” was the most theatrical arrangement with more narrative weight than any other song on the project.
With “Ca$ino,” Baby Keem sharpens both his pen and his presence. The production and his vocal performances are dynamic, with the themes cutting deeper than surface-level scars. With a tracklist of 11, the message was clear. It was never luck but always strategy.
Rating: 4.5/5
Oh Well
Men should watch rom-coms with their girlfriends
CASSIDY MCCLURG FOR THE POST
You may have seen videos on social media of women teasing their partners for “not being interested” in their shows, just for them to end up on the couch, immersed in the plot. These shows are usually filled with romance and drama, yet often face the brunt of criticism, specifically from men. Straight men should watch these shows with their girlfriends, as it’s a great bonding experience while sharing an interest in a possible guilty pleasure.
A soap opera is a “drama series characterized by interpersonal situations and melodramatic or sentimental treatment,” according to Merriam-Webster. These shows can also be chick flicks or rom-coms that are typically seen as feminine. Men stereotypically hate these, as they can highlight internalized sexism where men can feel like expressing emotions and romance is a weakness. In other words, social norms are the reason for men hating rom-coms.
The boom of rom-coms in the 2000s was due to third-wave feminism, with girl power entering mainstream and allowing women to be witty, punk or girly, creating that classic Y2K look. Women were able to be the heroines, choosing to be successful or finding love or both. Movies like “John Tucker Must Die” (2006) brought power to women and destroyed the ego of a womanizer. They didn’t need the man, but got him or ignored him.
People tuned in female-led shows and movies for a while, but like all trends, it died. Now people worry about the death of the rom-com genre. Audiences, especially women, are nostalgic for this era of romcoms.
Women are in the living room watching these movies and shows for nostalgia or to dream of love. Men criticize it, but peek over their girlfriend’s shoulders while they watch. Instead of standing there, they should sit down and watch.
“Bridgerton” is one of many romance shows that people indulge in, with over 300 million hours already watched for the newest season. The Netflix series follows the love lives of eight siblings. Set in a fantasy world of regency era England,
each season is a new couple and each one is filled with drama, lust and beautiful dresses.
Speaking of “Bridgerton,” I am currently watching it with my boyfriend. I was surprised when he became invested almost immediately.
Like all shows you watch with your partner, you bond over the story by cheering for your favorite characters or through sharing theories. Adding personal interpretations can create a deeper conversation. Shows about love and relationships can spark much needed conversations about life outlooks that may have been overlooked.
Watching a TV show with a partner can become a routine. Coming home and bonding over a show is perfect to merge some thoughts and feelings that might not have revealed themselves otherwise. A show can activate certain untapped emotions.
“We still know we just saw the same thing,” Ben Hoogland, a licensed marriage therapist, told CBS. “And to then talk about it or share that with your partner is on some level a form of emotional intimacy.”
Women love emotional maturity in men. Understanding the importance of connection can be a signal for that. If your partner doesn’t want to engage in watching your favorite cheesy show, it’s up to you if you stand for that.
After all, men who hate rom-coms often lack emotional maturity, and having no interest in fictional romance might as well lead to a boring romantic relationship.
Connecting with your partner is important and bonding over a soap opera, rom-com or chick flick might be the best way to engage in topics of everyday love and relationships. It might inspire a date night or watching it might be the date itself. It might even spice up your relationship with romantic ideas. Oh well, the soap opera I’m watching is revealing a lot about my partner.
Cassidy McClurg is a freshman student studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassidy about their column? Email cm303824@ohio.
edu
Weekender
Stephen King screening, internship opportunities and jazz at The Union
CAITLYN
VANCE FOR THE POST
Tuesday, Feb. 24
The Athena Cinema, located on 20 S. Court St., is screening “Stand by Me” at 7 p.m. as part of their Enter the Kingdom Stephen King adaptations series. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film was released in 1986 and is recognized for being a departure from King’s other works. Tickets are available online.
Admission: $8
Wednesday, Feb. 25
OU Career Services is hosting its biannual Career and Internship Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Baker University Center Ballroom, located at 1 Park Place. Bobcats can connect with alumni and recruiters. Business professional attire is expected.
Admission: Free
Ohio women’s basketball faces Bowling Green State University at 7 p.m. in The Convo. Tickets are available online.
Admission: $7-34
Thursday, Feb. 26
Variant Magazine is hosting Jazz Room, a semi-formal jazz event, at The Union Bar, 18 W. Union St. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m.
Admission: $10 for under 21, $7 for 21+
Friday, Feb. 27
Ohio baseball faces the University of Dayton at 3 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium, 140 S. Shafer St. The game’s stats will be streamed live on Stat Broadcast.
The Athena closes its Heroes in Color series with “The Last Dragon” at 7 p.m. The screening features a specialty cocktail and pre-show trivia with prizes. Tickets are required and available online.
Admission: Free
Tantrum Theater is opening its production of “Hair” at 8 p.m. Shows will run until March 7 and will be performed at Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater Stage in Kantner Hall, 7 S. College St. Tickets and other showtimes are available online.
Admission: $10-27
Saturday, Feb. 28
Ohio baseball faces Dayton at 1 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium. The final two games are hosted by Dayton.
Admission: Free
Sunday, Mar. 1
The Templeton Blackburn Memorial Auditorium, located at 47 E. Union St. is hosting Mountain Stage, a live musical radio show. The show is hosted by Kathy Mattea. Tickets can be purchased online.
Admission: $29-40
AUSTIN YAU FOR THE POST
TUESDAY, FEB. 24
Ohio University’s Concert and Symphonic Bands are having a concert at 8 p.m. at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, 47 E. Union St.
Admission: Free
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25
Rhapsody Restaurant, 18 Public Square, Nelsonville, is hosting its weekly jazz night from 6-8 p.m. This week, Kay Carter and the Bernie Nau Quartet are performing.
The Athena Cinema is showing “2026 OscarNominated Short Films,” a feature length collection of the shorts that will be celebrated at this year’s Academy Awards. The film includes an introduction by Taika Waititi and begins at 9:30 p.m.
Admission: $7-8
Locals Only Night at the Union will feature Sneakthief, Hourglass, Evil Eye, Airbag and Brick Soul Band. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Admission: $5
THURSDAY, FEB. 26
Ohio University’s Office of Health Promotion is collaborating with the Athena Cinema for a screening of “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
The screening starts at 6:30 p.m. with a discussion afterwards
Admission: Free, but tickets needed
The romance continues as Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 drops at 12 a.m. PT, diving deeper into Benedict and Sophie’s love story. It is available to stream on Netflix.
FRIDAY, FEB. 27
Bruno Mars is releasing “The Romantic,” his first album in over 10 years. The lead single,“I Just Might,” already came out. “Rent in Concert” comes to Ohio University. It will be held at MemAud starting at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $40, $20 student tickets with code “RENTSTU”
The seventh installment of the “Scream” series will be available to watch in theaters.
“Scream 7” wraps up the storyline for the Carpenter Sisters and will see the return of many actors from throughout the franchise’s history.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28
Chaddock and Morrow College of Fine Arts presents the second night of “Opera Theater: Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas & Heggie’s At The Statue of Venus,” at 8 p.m. at Glidden Hall, 3 Health Center Drive.
Admission: Free
SUNDAY, MAR. 1
Mountain Stage, a live music show distributed by NPR, is being hosted at MemAud.
Host Kathy Mattea is joined by performers The Steel Wheels, Sam Weber, Peter Holsapple, Lily Talmers and The Rylee Bapst Band.
The show starts at 7 p.m.
Admission: $35 for first 10 rows, $25 for remainder.
Up and Up Festival: Athens hosts raves and other events throughout the school year. The group is growing and hopes to bring major headliners to Athens.
the QR code to see the full video.
The Athena Cinema, Jan. 20th, 2026, in Athens. (ALLIE STEVENS | FOR THE POST)
CLARA LEDER ASST. OPINION EDITOR
Oh, boy, astrology fans. This week is the first Mercury Retrograde of 2026, and it’s sure to wreak havoc on all of the zodiacs’ lives. Mercury Retrograde begins Feb. 26 and lasts until March 20. If you surround yourself with astrologers or star lovers, you may have heard them blame misfortunes in their lives on Mercury Retrograde. The planet Mercury is said to rule over communication, and with its retrograde comes a slew of chaotic energy that is sure to cause messy moments and unfortunate events. But what really happens when Mercury goes into retrograde?
According to ELLE magazine, “retrograde motion is when a planet appears (when observed from earth) to reverse in direction.” This reversal comes with negative connotations that explain why things go wrong during that time period.
Given the chaos that will occur from now until March 20, avoid making any major life decisions and if you find yourself extra unlucky, know it’s not you. It’s Mercury.
Aries (March 21–April 19):
Aries, during this retrograde period, two words guide you: walk away. Walk away from the job you hate, the friend who bothers you or the relationship that just isn’t working. Be sure to consider decisions carefully, avoid being hasty and trust in your intuition. Wait to walk away until you are sure, then congratulate yourself for
HOROSCOPE
taking the initiative to make a change.
Taurus (April 20–May 20)
Taurus, this week brings an intense social energy. This is a great time to get together with friends and reconnect. You might typically feel miscommunications aren’t worth getting upset over. This week, push yourself to set boundaries and correct wrongdoings early on. You deserve to be treated how you treat others.
Gemini (May 21–June 20)
This is a motivated week for you, Gemini. You might feel inclined to set big goals for the future or pursue extra work in your professional life. Channel this energy into visualizing what you want, then pick two small goals to achieve this week. Although you might feel this push to make a change, remember genuine success takes time. Don’t rush.
Cancer (June 21–July 22)
This is a creative week, Cancer. Now is a good time to travel or explore. Head out of Athens for the weekend, or try a new place if you can’t get out of town. Routine grounds you, but this week the cosmos are asking you to shake up your day-to-day life and remind yourself of your own inner creativity. For singles, this is a fantastic week for dating and finding a new beau to bring into spring.
Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)
Leo, you are usually a great judge of social situations and people. This week, however, it will be harder for you to read
CROSSWORD
the room. Be careful with whom you confide; there are people in your circle who you can’t completely trust. Instead, don’t judge this week. Pay attention to the actions of those around you; they speak a thousand words.
Virgo (Aug. 23–Sep. 22)
Let go of the impossible standards you set for yourself, Virgo. This retrograde season is a great time for you to recharge. Relax this week, prioritize rest and remember to lead with love in your daily life. Reject the expectations you have for yourself and others. Instead, just be.
Libra (Sep. 23–Oct. 22)
This week brings extra chaotic energy for you, Libra. You might find yourself getting into more arguments with your partner or angrier at your friends. It’s OK, Libra. Remember it’s not your job to fix everything. Noticing where you are and being in the present moment serves you best this week.
Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)
Scorpio, there is a of confusion in your soul regarding relationships. You might feel torn between two, or wish you told that special someone your feelings. It’s time to be open and honest with what you want; the universe rewards your spontaneity. Don’t overthink it.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)
Your curiosity is your superpower, Sagittarius. This, however, can make it difficult to devote yourself fully to one thing. During the retrograde
season, it’s important to give everything your all. Dedicate yourself fully to your work endeavors and remember miscommunications are a part of life, not a roadblock to your goals.
Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)
Your head is going to spin with ideas this week, Capricorn. Remember to take note of your thoughts, and remember you don’t have to do it all in one day. Instead, focus on taking it one step at a time. Don’t let your big dreams cause decision fatigue.
Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)
This week, Aquarius, focus on yourself. You don’t need to prove your worth to others. Instead, you need to prove it to yourself. Remember that outside noise doesn’t determine your success; rather, your belief in your own abilities is what will guide you. If you can focus on this, financial abundance will surely find its way to you this week.
Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)
You are especially magnetic this week, Pisces. The retrograde brings an extra spark to your energy. Although there is lots of confusion floating around, remember to stay grounded in your own capacity for success. Relax a bit, have some fun and let your inner light guide your way.
SUDOKU
ABBY DOENCH ASST. DESIGN DIRECTOR
Actor Eric Dane dead at 53 after difficult ALS battle
CLARA LEDER
OPINION EDITOR
Eric Dane, best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” died Feb. 19 after a hard-fought battle with ALS at 53 years old.
Before his breakout role as Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2006, he appeared in popular shows such as “Saved by the Bell,” “The Wonder Years,” “Charmed” and “Roseanne.”
Dane passed away on the 20th anniversary of his first appearance as Sloan, lovingly nicknamed “McSteamy.” Originally booked for only one episode of season two, Dane quickly stole fans’ hearts and was brought on as a regular. Dane’s performance as “McSteamy” was more than just eye candy; he brought charisma, depth and quick wit to the character, making him one of the most beloved characters in the show’s history. He remained on the show until season eight, when his character died in a tragic plane accident.
On April 10, 2025, Dane bravely shared his ALS diagnosis in a PEOPLE exclusive. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that slowly causes the brain to lose connection with the muscles in the body.
According to the ALS Association, “a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe.” ALS currently has no cure, and due to its fast progression, life expectancy is just two to five years after diagnosis. The cause of ALS also remains widely unknown.
At the time of his diagnosis, Dane was about to start filming season 3 of
Dane
PHOTOGRAPH BY EDDY CHEN/HBO. COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.
“Euphoria,” where he played Cal Jacobs. Despite the physical effects of the disease, he remained optimistic. He continued appearing at public events and doing interviews, and completed his filming for season 3 as Jacobs.
In Dec. 2025, Dane made his final public appearance on a Giving Tuesday panel. He mainly discussed his role on the show “Brilliant Minds,” where he played a firefighter and 9/11 survivor who was struggling to tell his wife about his ALS diagnosis. Dane defined the role as “cathartic.”
In the panel, Dane stated it was “imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fast-progressing disease that causes gradual deterioration and death of motor neurons. While initial symptoms vary among patients, they can begin with muscle weakness in the hands, arms, legs or feet. As the disease progresses, it can lead to complications with breathing, speaking, eating and even cause dementia in some patients, according to Mayo Clinic.
Dane’s ability to not only navigate ALS but also speak publicly about it is a true show of his resilience and bravery. He became a passionate public advocate for ALS awareness and undoubtedly gave hope to people globally who have been affected by it in their own personal lives. In September 2025, Dane received the Advocate of the
Year award from the ALS Network. He continued to remain wildly optimistic during his final months.
“I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day, I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets and spent the next two weeks crying,” Dane said during the Giving Tuesday panel in December. “And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn’t built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me.” Dane is survived by his two daughters, Georgia and Billie.
The day after his death, Netflix released the pre-recorded special, “Famous Last Words: Eric Dane.” In the interview, Dane left heartfelt messages and life advice to his daughters.
“Live now, right now, in the present,” Dane said. “It’s hard, but I learned to do that. For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. No more. Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present, but I don’t want to be anywhere else. The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment.”
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic figure skating recap
Two weeks of ferocious competition in Olympic figure skating concluded on Thursday in Milano Cortina. Team USA went into the Olympics as gold medal contenders in four of the five events.
Figure skating opened with the team event, a battle between the ten best countries in figure skating. The battle for gold was truly only between two nations, the United States and Japan, while Italy, Georgia and Canada fought for bronze.
Following the qualification rounds, the U.S. held the lead with victories in the rhythm dance by Madison Chock and Evan Bates, a fifth-place finish in the pairs short program from Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, and a secondplace finish in the women’s short program from Alysa Liu. A shocking upset came in the men’s short program when Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama bested America’s Ilia Malinin with a massive 108.67 points.
Heading into the pairs free skate, the U.S. held a five-point lead. The Japanese duo of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara were all but guaranteed to win in the pairs skate, so the Americans Kam and O’Shea had to find an extra point to keep the cushion before the women’s free skate.
Two perfect programs from Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova would put Amber Glenn in third place in the women’s free skate and tie the U.S. and Japan at 59 points heading into the men’s free skate.
Malinin would give Japan’s Shun Sato a chance when he fell out of his quadruple lutz, which controversially received no deduction. Sato would follow it up with his best free skate ever, but finished six points short of Malinin, despite his perfect skate.
Team USA took the first gold in figure skating in Milan, Japan fell one point short to take silver and the home country of Italy took the bronze.
The first individual event was the ice dance. The married American duo Chock and Bates were the overwhelming favorites, having only lost in four events following their fourth-place finish in the 2022 Olympics.
Their closest competitors were the French team, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who shocked many with how good they were despite being a year-old team. They delivered a stunning personal best rhythm dance to Madonna’s “Vogue,” scoring a massive 90.18 points.
Chock and Bates put on a show of their own. Their Lenny Kravitz medley accompanied their gorgeous dance at the highest technical levels. However, a review by the judges on their pattern step downgraded the skill from level four to level three.
The Americans bounced back in the free dance with a program that Chock considered their best. It looked pretty
good for Team USA after the French performance, with visible mistakes by Cizeron on their synchronized twizzles and the serpentine step sequence. They were still given a personal best score to take gold by over a point.
Controversy loomed quickly when the results showed that the French judge graded the French team eight points higher than the Americans. The shocked French duo took gold, Chock and Bates took their first Olympic medal with a bittersweet silver, and an emphatic Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier from Canada snagged bronze.
The men’s skate seemed pretty set in stone for Team USA as well. Malinin had not lost a competition since November 2023, but it was Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov who stunned the world with his triple axel-quadruple salchow combination.
From fifth place after the short program, Shaidorov put down a personal best free skate to shoot him into the lead. All the contenders ahead of him struggled on their skate, and his lead held up to Malinin’s skate.
Malinin needed a score that was over 50 points less than his personal best, but he was unable to get close as he bailed on his quadruple axel and fell twice. He fell off the podium down to 8th place, with Japan’s Kagiyama and Sato taking silver and bronze.
In the pairs skate, the Japanese duo Miura and Kihara struggled on their lift in the short program, and it looked like they were going to lose. The Japanese team needed to make up a seven-point deficit against the German team in the free skate.
The duo made it up and then some, with a world record free skate score of 158.13. They gave Japan its first ever Olympic gold in the pairs event. Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava gave Georgia its first-ever winter Olympic medal and Germany’s Fabienne Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin took bronze.
The competition in the women’s skate was strictly a fight between the U.S. and Japan. The gold medal hopeful for the U.S. was Amber Glenn, who bailed out of her triple loop in the short program and scored zero points for the invalid element, landing in 13th by the end of the short.
After the short, it was Japan’s Ami Nakai with the lead as one of two women to land a triple axel. Japan’s Sakamoto and the U.S.’s Liu rounded out the rest of the top three.
Team USA their second figure skating gold of the Olympics. Japan rounded out the podium with Sakamoto taking silver and Nakai taking bronze. Team USA fell short of expectations in
Despite being out of medal contention, Glenn had a redemption in the free skate. She had a nearly clean program and flew all the way up to 5th place by the end.
That meant it was Liu who had to be the one to bring home the United States’ first Olympic medal in women’s skating since 2006. Liu showed the world that she wasn’t walking away with just any medal, but gold.
Liu put down a personal best total score, soaring into first place and giving
LUKE REAM | FOR THE POST
Milan, but still walked away with two gold medals and a silver.
ALAINA DACKERMANN | DIRECTOR OF DESIGN
Eric
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