April 18, 2024

AHRC Recycling Center faces financial strain

Athens-Hocking Recycling Center Inc., or AHRC, faces financial difficulties following the loss of its service contract with the City of Athens.

Since establishing Ohio’s first curbside recycling program in 1984, AHRC has served Athens for over 40 years. However, Rumpke Waste and Recycling took over Athen’s solid waste management operations in November, replacing AHRC due to a lower bid.

The Ohio Revised Code mandates that a city can enter a contract without accepting bids from other service providers and select the lowest bid if the service is deemed a real and present emergency to the city.

According to a previous Post report, Rumpke estimated annual costs for residential and franchise services to be around $2 million, while AHRC’s projected costs were approximately $2.3 million. Selecting Rumpke saves the city about $270,000 annually, a 12% difference.

In response to its financial issues, AHRC has downsized its operations and is seeking grants. Despite these efforts, AHRC continues to face a monthly shortfall and is exploring more traditional fundraising options for nonprofits to engage in, Crissa Cummings, executive director of AHRC, said.

She said securing approximately $200,000 could sustain AHRC until January 2025.

To sustain operations, AHRC asked Athens to join the Southeast Ohio Area Resources Council of Governments, or COG, and contract with AHRC.

According to an AHRC press release from March 29, COG can contract for services with Athens for the same price Rumpke is charging and break even on expenses and income.

Partner cities, villages and solid waste districts would run a COG for waste services. The COG would take over the recycling center’s operations to offer regional recycling, compost and waste collection, disposal and processing. The transition to the COG entails transferring AHRC’s assets and operations.

“(COG) allows it to be a partnership where all of the voices of the different cities and governments in the region can help determine what services are offered and hopefully continue to expand services,” Cummings said.

The Athens Hocking Solid Waste District, or SWD, and Amesville already voted to form a COG, while Nelsonville, Logan and Athens are still considering joining.

Andrew Stone, service-safety director, said at the city council meeting on April 8, that the city cannot take immediate action on the possible dissolution of Rumpke’s contract and form a COG. He said the Council takes seven weeks to act upon anything.

City Council President Sam Crowl said according to Law Director Lisa Eliason, waste contract matters fall within the responsibilities of the city administration, not within the City Council.

Crowl emphasized the importance of sustainability in waste management. He said he believes AHRC’s bid, though costlier, better aligns with Athens’ sustainability goals and community partnerships.

“We try constantly to keep prices of everything in the city down,” Crowl said. “However, in this case, when it comes to sustainability and when it comes to the amount of our waste that we put into landfills where we have a lot of environmental problems happening … I believe that all of the focus on our waste stream should be on doing the very best to miti-

gate those environmental dangers.”

Crowl acknowledged Rumpke’s excellent service to Athens but noted Rumpke’s sustainability efforts in Athens differ from what the city stands for.

Despite some Athens residents’ concerns about Rumpke’s sustainability initiatives, Rumpke does use the natural gas from Rumpke’s Sanitary Landfill to power more than 25,000 homes in the Cincinnati region.

“I just believe that if we work together with local government and other community partners, we can have a better focus on being more sustainable with our waste management,” Crowl said. “That’s what we’re all about in Southeast Ohio, being sustainable and doing things ourselves and working with our partners to find the best ways forward.”

Nancy Pierce, a member of Athens ReThink Plastics, mentioned concerns about Rumpke’s chemical recycling processes. Pierce said burning plastics releases toxins into the air and the environment.

According to Environmental Health News, chemical recycling is a process that uses high heat and chemicals to break down used plastic goods into their original elements. Chemical recycling can complement traditional recycling by managing mixed and harder-to-recycle plastics.

According to a life cycle assessment study by Plastic Energy, although chemical recycling has a lower climate impact than waste-to-energy incineration, it generates nearly four times as many greenhouse gas emissions as landfilling plastic.

AHRC recycled 2,345,200 pounds of recyclable materials in 2023. According to the AHRC press release, the loss of curbside recycling will significantly increase the number of recyclable materials in the region that end up in landfills.

Crowl advocated for collaboration with COG to prioritize sustainable waste management practices.

“It does allow us to partner with other entities in our region to manage our waste for ourselves and to have programs that focus on diversion and have programs that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to have that be the central focus of our solid waste management,” Crowl said.

In last week’s Council meeting, Crowl acknowledged a significant number of people – over 40 emails and calls – urging Council members to join the resource management COG.

Loraine McCosker, a steering committee member of Save Ohio Parks, echoed the sentiment of Athens residents, emphasizing the urgent need for the city to join the COG and contract with AHRC to prevent its collapse.

“(Joining COG) would be the best way to address the solid waste needs of our region,” McCosker wrote in an email. “(Joining) should be done as soon as possible to avoid the economic collapse of Athens Hocking Recycling Center. This needs to happen.”

A Rumpke dumpster in an alley off Court Street in Athens, Jan. 30. 2024. (KATIE MILLARD | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF)

Vehicle shot by BB gun, livestock roaming road

MAGGIE AMACHER

FOR THE POST

“YOU’LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT”

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of criminal damage on Nelsonville Avenue in Stewart.

The caller’s vehicle was shot by a BB gun. Deputies were unable to determine any suspects.

LOOK HOW THEY MASSACRED MY DOOR

OUPD responded to Perkins Hall for damage to a bathroom stall door.

A report was taken.

GUYS(VILLE) TRIP

A report of two individuals under the influence and leaving in a vehicle from the Guysville Marathon was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.

No further action was taken.

HOW ‘BOUT THAT?

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office was called to state Route 682 for an intoxicated male.

They identified the individual and found that there was an active warrant for his arrest. He was arrested on his warrant.

THIS ISN’T CROSSY ROAD

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to livestock roaming along Wemer Road in Millfield.

Knowing the owner, deputies contacted them by phone.

“PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES” MOMENT

The Athens County Sheriff's Office aided a stranded motorist on U.S. 33 near Hawks Nest Road who had run out of fuel. They transported the motorist to a gas station and helped the driver return to the road.

ARE YOU OK?

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a combative male at Hickory Creek Nursing Home.

The male was transported to the hospital by ACEMS for a mental health evaluation.

WHAT THE DOG DOIN’?

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a dog complaint in Albany, but no dogs were found.

SPARE!

The Athens County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a vehicle nearly hitting a pedestrian while she was walking on Valley Street in Trimble.

The complainant wished for units to contact the male and advise him to stay away.

FALSE ALARM PT. 1

OUPD responded to the Research and Technology Center for a discharged fire extinguisher that activated the fire alarm.

FALSE ALARM PT. 2

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a theft report on Bean Hollow Road in Athens.

It was discovered that theft had not occurred.

LET HIM COOK

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a trespassing complaint on Gun Club Road in Athens.

Police were notified the subject was a survey worker surveying the newly built building on the property.

LET HIM COOK PT. 2

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to state Route 550 in Athens about a male walking in the woods with a shovel.

It was determined the individual was digging ramps.

STALKS BELONG IN A FIELD

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies addressed a stalking complaint on Upper River Road in Athens.

It was determined that threats were made, and the suspect was arrested.

WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Long Run Road in Athens about a verbal dispute.

Deputies were told they were disputing over their children. Both parties refused to leave the residence but agreed to separate inside the home.

RUNAWAY BABY

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to The Plains for a report of a runaway juvenile who was located safely.

RUNAWAY BABY PT. 2

The Athens County Sheriff's Office was on patrol on U.S. 33 near state Route 78 in Nelsonville when they found a juvenile riding a bicycle down the highway.

The juvenile left her residence to go to a friend's house. Nelsonville Police Department took possession of the juvenile.

SCHLUMPED

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies located a suspicious vehicle occupied by a sleeping male while patrolling Chauncey. They contacted the occupant, who was found to be OK.

NEED A RIDE?

The Athens County Sheriff's Office was on patrol on state Route 682 near Wildwood Lane in Athens when they observed a male walking.

Due to the weather conditions, the male was transported to his home in Chauncey.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Stewart area for a third-party dispute report.

Deputies were met with a vicious canine, resulting in a near bite. The canine matter is being referred to the Athens County Dog Shelter, and the parties involved in the dispute were urged to separate.

WOMP, WOMP

Athens County Sheriff’s deputies responded to The Plains for a male passed out in the driver's seat of his vehicle.

Deputies located possible narcotics and paraphernalia. The possible narcotics were sent to BCI for testing, and pending the results, charges will be submitted.

@MAGGIE.AMACHER

MA657122@OHIO.EDU

SENIOR WEEK 2024

APRIL 22 - 26

Grad Cap Decorating

April 22, 6-8 PM

Baker Theatre Lounge

Free Grad Caps for the first 50 Seniors!

Senior Grad Party Hosted by OUAA

April 23, 11-2 PM

Konneker Alumni Center

Senior Mix & Mingle

April 23, 2-5 PM

Latitude 39 | Free Food

hOUme is Where You Make It

An End-of-the-Year Celebration with Dr. Pueschel

April 24, 6 PM

Baker Ballroom | Free Food

President’s Ice Cream Social

April 25, 2-4 PM

College Green | Free Food

Last Day of School Photos

April 26, 11-2 PM

Alumni Gateway

Vacant to Vacancy: Lostro building to become a boutique hotel, honoring local history

EMILY STOKES FOR THE POST

A boutique hotel inspired by the South Court Street building’s history brings new life to one of the largest empty commercial spaces in Athens that has been in disrepair since 2019.

A BOUTIQUE HOTEL

The Lostro building on the corner of South Court and West Union streets has been the site of many Athens staples since the early 20th century. After being untouched since 2019, the Athens Masonic Temple Company sold the building to Indus Hotels, a Columbus-based development company.

Under the name “Lostro Ventures, LLC,” Indus Hotels bought the building for $1.55 million in October 2023, according to an Athens County real estate transfer record documented by the Southeast Ohio History Center.

In a document highlighting investments from the Ohio Department of Development’s Transformational Mixed-Use Development Program, the company plans to create an upscale boutique hotel.

The project will create 22 extended-stay rooms on the top two floors of the four-story building. Two casual-style restaurants on the ground floor and a retail store in the basement are projected to create approximately 75 jobs on-site and around 67 jobs during the construction phase.

The project will cost a little less than $11 million with $1 million in tax credits through state funding designated under the state program. Previously, the company also utilized state funding under the Brownfield Remediation Program to clean the building before construction. The Brownfield Program grants funding to clean hazardous materials from commercial properties.

Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said the relationship between Kozar with Indus Hotels and Athens has been collaborative and positive so far.

“The minute he sat there and talked about the hotel, it was like, it’d be brilliant,” Patterson said.

Indus Hotels did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Patterson said with the location and other local hotel businesses, the demand will be high and Kozar may have chosen the location knowing the space will be occupied often. The structure will be extended-stay residences which may differ from the typical overnight experience.

“It’ll have retail, the restaurants on the first floor, but it won’t necessarily have a front desk or a concierge,” Patterson said.

“It’ll be more like a short-term rental platform.”

HISTORIC

PRESERVATION AND INSPIRATION

The Lostro building also falls in a historical preservation district, Athens Director of Code Enforcement David Riggs said. Before any work was done on the building, Indus Hotels was required to go to the Historical Preservation Board to meet preservation requirements, Riggs said.

“For instance, windows and stuff were all reviewed and approved by the Historical Preservation Board,” Riggs said.

City Council Historical Preservation Commission Member Richard Vedder said there were many considerations the commission looked at regarding the preservation of The Lostro building.

Vedder said the commission’s primary concern was the exterior of the building and whether proposed modifications would violate historical tradition or architecture.

“It’s not dramatically changing, there are a few windows that had to be redone,” Vedder said. “They were very careful to follow recommended procedures.”

Vedder said the commission generally doesn’t like vinyl windows in old buildings or other modern-looking materials. He said Indus Hotels was cooperative with this request

and has followed procedure.

The Athens Masonic Temple Company owned the building for years, only selling it late last year.

“They owned it almost an entire period but they rented it out for as long as I can remember for decades, mainly as a bookstore,” Vedder said.

Indus Hotels’ “Lostro” theme for the boutique hotel stems from the Lostro Automotive Company. The company built the structure in 1914 after businessman John R. Lostro had great success in the coal industry, moving into the automobile industry shortly after.

The building was a large project for the region, slated to make Athens the center of the automobile business in Southeast Ohio. In the 1910s, the building had a car showroom on the first floor and a repair shop on the second floor. Fulwilders was also in the basement and served as a leading restaurant.

The Athens Masons started meeting on the third floor in 1922 before owning the building. Throughout the century, the building housed various other restaurants and businesses.

The Varsity Inn came around 1923, another restaurant that commonly hosted Greek life events for Ohio University. Quick’s Drug Store and Logan’s Bookstore also served the needs of students, eventually turning into

Follett’s Bookstore, which closed in 2019.

“Kids went down in the basement to buy their books for classes, textbooks,” Vedder said. “(It also sold) sweaters, sweatshirts, school paraphernalia, things they sell at college bookstores a lot today.”

The building is one of the largest local commercial buildings that stands empty, Vedder said. Although the prospect of a new business is positive for the demand of local hotels, Vedder questioned how it may impact the rival hotels in the area.

“The amount of money involved must be tremendous,” Vedder said. “For 22 hotel rooms, I’m starting to guess they will be a very high price.”

Vedder said locally, the closest resemblance to a hotel of this nature is the Athens Central Hotel at 88 E. State St.

“Those rooms are high priced, they’re very nice and I think this is going to be on that same model: boutique hotel,” Vedder said. “Expensive, right at the center of things, you can’t get more center in Athens.”

Vedder said the demand for this new boutique-style accommodation will probably come into play most with guests coming to Athens for events like football games or graduations.

“This is the trend in the hotel business, small, intimate, specialized hotels rather than big monstrous places,” Vedder said. “In effect, in the minor sense, this place is going in competition with the OU Inn.”

PARKING AND CONSTRUCTION

Patterson said the city has talked with Kozar about collaborating on a parking solution because city regulations require a certain number of parking spaces depending on how many guests are staying in the building.

The city offered Kozar discounted rate parking vouchers for guests staying at The Lostro. Kozar also proposed a valet system to park the guest’s cars in the nearby city parking garage on East Washington Street. Patterson said Kozar did not think the vouchers were necessary, so guests would likely park in the parking garage.

The location of the building will also make construction a strategic task, with the surrounding street parking to be blocked off at times.

It is still being determined how construction staging will take place on Court Street, but on West Union, Patterson said it might make the most sense to block off where the curb bumps out.

“Just take the parking offline and allow for trucks to come in and bring in the materials they need,” Patterson said.

Aside from parking and construction, The

The Lostro building at sunset, 2024. (EMILY STOKES | FOR THE POST)

The Lostro building during its automotive era, the early 1900s. Photo from the Southeast Ohio History Center.

Lostro has run into development issues with an underground unused concrete vault. Located underneath the sidewalk outside The Lostro building, the vault was primarily used during the days of The Lostro Automobile Company to move cars from the showroom to other levels of the building and is similar to an elevator.

Riggs said the utility vault is starting to fail structurally. The plan is to remove the sidewalk and fill in the vault during the summer while most students are gone to minimize disruption.

“They had a tunnel outside of the building underneath the sidewalk to provide utility access into the building,” Riggs said. “They would get materials down to the lower level through an elevator system, but it hasn’t been used in years.”

In addition to other areas of collaboration and grant funding from the state, Riggs said the city also plans to waive some capacity fees for the project.

“If you go in as a new business, that increases the demand on our water and sewer services,” Riggs said. “So we have capacity fees for those to account for that.”

TAXES

The Ohio Department of Development deputy chief of media relations, Mason Waldvogel, said tax credits are given to projects that influence economic and social well-being and produce long-term change for the site and local area.

In an application submitted to the De-

partment of Development, Indus Hotels said it has a goal to redevelop the building into uses that are compatible with the Athens uptown market.

“Given the strong University presence and the demographics for the uptown Athens area, we feel we can deliver a project the community will benefit for years to come,” the application said.

The Athens County Economic Development Council executive director, Mollie Fitzgerald, said the company approached the City of Athens around two years ago regarding the project, starting with the Brownfield cleanup.

“I will say they’ve done a great job of utilizing all sorts of programs and any funding that’s available to them,” Fitzgerald said.

From an economic development standpoint, Fitzgerald said they are excited Indus Hotels and company Vice President David Kozar has taken on The Lostro project, which as a historical building can be expensive to redevelop.

“We’re just really glad that they took a stab at it and have been putting together the capital stack and all the pieces to make it a reality,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not been an easy process by any means.”

Fitzgerald said the Economic Development Council and Athens Port Authority have been assisting in any way they can to see the project to the finish line and use the project to benefit the city through taxes.

“Through this project, we can further help expand our tax base by increasing the

property taxes that the property will generate and of course the sales and income tax from the businesses that will be going in there,” Fitzgerald said.

Construction is set to begin over the summer, marking a fresh start for the promi-

nent Athens building that has housed generations of tradition and history.

The Lostro Building (1900-2024)

2023: Indus Development LLC. buys building for $1.55 million

2019: Follett’s University Bookstore closes

1984: Logan’s is sold to Follett’s Corporation

1952: Logan’s University Book Store opens, sharing space with Quick’s Drug Store for a time

1923: The Varsity Inn restaurant opens around this time.

1914: Lostro Automotive Company and Fulwilders restaurant operate in the building

Pre-1900: The Osseter family barn and meat market occupies the corner

1930: Quick’s Drug Store opens in the Lostro Building

1922: The Masons started meeting on the third floor of the building, later owning it

1900s: During “The Village Years” in Athens, the corner was empty

Source: Southeast Ohio History Center (EMILY STOKES | FOR THE POST)

CAMPUS EVENTS April 18th - May 4th

Social Engagement & Student Org Events

Thursday, April 18

Airbrush Event

3:00 - 7:30 pm

Living Learning Center

Design Exhibition

Interior Architecture Design

Grp

5:00 -10:00 pm

Upper/Lower Studio

SCAN for More Events

Thursday, April 18

Stephn M Perry; Industry Trends in Life Scienc 6:00 -7:00 pm

ARC 159

Friday, April 19

Friday’s LIVE Season 52 E06 hosted by Fridays Live Seniors 8:00 pm

Studio C (RTV 515)

Saturday, April 20

AVW Spring Premier 7:00 pm

Athena Cinema - Uptown Free Admission

April Observing Nights

8:30-10:00pm

Ohio University Observatory

174 Water Tower Drive

*Weather Permitting

Sunday, April 21

Modern Leadership

Choose your own Adventure 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Baker 240/242 Free Food

Tuesday, April 23

Senior Mix & Mingle 2:00-5:00 pm

Latitude 39

Wednesday, April 24

SENIOR End of Year Celebration 5:30-7:30 pm

Baker Ballroom

Light Refreshments Provided

Thursday, April 25

Kaiwa Time

Practice speaking Japanese with learners and native speakers 7:00 -8:00 pm

Gordy 209

President’s Ice Cream Social

THURSDAY APRIL 25 1:30 - 4:00 pm College Green

SOCIAL

* To have your event included on this calendar make sure it is registered on Bobcat Connect!

Students call for improvements to campus accessibility

Throughout the academic year, students have noticed the need for improvements to campus accessibility. Whether it is the absence of elevators in residence halls or the small number of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant rooms, students would like to see changes made to Ohio University’s campus.

OU offers accessibility services to students with physical and mental disabilities.

“The mission of Accessibility Services is to ensure equal opportunity and access for members of the Ohio University community,” according to the Accessibility Services page. “Central to this mission is the development of an academic environment that is accessible to all people without the need for adaptation. While working toward the goal of full inclusion, accommodations must still be provided on an individual basis.”

Alyssa Dumbra, a senior studying environmental biology, started utilizing Accessibility Services when she moved on campus. Her disability made it difficult to climb Jefferson Hill and Morton Hill.

“I thought SAS (Student Accessibility Services) was really helpful for me when they got

the accommodations for a service called Cat Cab,” said Dumbra. “They transport students with permanent and temporary physical disabilities.”

The Cat Cab is just one service that Dumbra has found useful. However, Dumbra has also faced challenges with ADA housing on campus. She was at first able to live on the first floor of her building to meet her accommodations but then was told she had to move the next year to an ADA room.

“They basically said, ‘Hey, if you are living here again, you have to live in an ADA single,’” said Dumbra. “One thing about ADA singles is they are usually on the second, third or fourth floors for most buildings.”

Crystal Hill, the assistant dean of accessibility and ADA/504 Coordinator, said students can request first-floor rooms as needed.

“As we discuss the accommodation approvals with housing, we will go toward your barrier-related accommodation needs,” said Hill. “That may leave out preference. There might be a preferred residence hall or preferred roommate that I cannot consider.”

Lauren Staigers, a sophomore studying sociology criminology, Spanish and women’s gender and sexuality studies, wants to see students give more input on what they would

like to see from the university.

“All of that relies upon administrators,” said Staigers. “I know administrators are really busy, but they should take the time out of the day to get to know the individuals.”

Staigers has also noticed issues with the elevators being down frequently in certain residence halls. These elevators are crucial for some students with disabilities to be able to get where they need to go.

Rees Morris, a sophomore studying political science pre-law, offers a solution to this issue.

Morris is currently serving as the Senator of Accessibility and Accommodation in Student Senate, a seat he created himself to act as a voice for students with disabilities who do not have a lot of representation. He plans to discuss ways to make the campus more accessible with university administrators.

Morris and Megan Handle, the president of Student Senate, had the idea to come up with a system similar to the IT email notifications students get. They want there to be accessibility notifications where students can be informed of when an elevator or escalator is down on campus and when it will be fixed.

“I lived in Boyd my first year, and (the elevators) were out all the time,” Morris said. “I actually had a meeting with the head of ac-

cessibility services here, and she was talking about how that's one of the issues that they are dealing with right now.”

Morris also said he has plans to meet with Housing and Residence Life about allowing service dogs training through the Four Paws program to stay in the rooms with their caretakers.

“Other universities allow it,” said Morris. “(Four Paws) brought this issue to light at one of our general body meetings where they presented to us. Then, I got some of their contact information, and I have been working on that.”

Accessibility Services has a few ongoing projects to improve accessibility on campus. These projects include improvements to residence halls, new residence halls and updates to academic buildings. Accessibility considerations are already implemented into these projects.

“There are these standards called the 2010 Standards of Accessible Design,” said Hill. “People with knowledge of that are at the table or at least can reference those things. As these newer projects are complete, there is no retrofitting to ‘Hey, now let's make this accessible.’ It’s already ingrained in that.”

SOPHIA ANNESS FOR THE POST

Walter hall by Hocking River on the south side of campus Feb. 26, 2024. 9:09 (JUSTIN DELGADO | FOR THE POST)

Athens Beautification Month fosters community engagement

ABREANNA BLOSE CULTURE STAFF WRITER

With April comes Athens Beautification Month: 30 days of volunteer opportunities aimed at embracing, celebrating and protecting the place Bobcats call home.

Athens Beautification Month is a collaboration between the City of Athens, Ohio University’s Center for Community Engagement, the Office of Sustainability and community partners.

Courtney Lefebvre, the associate director of the Center for Community Engagement, said Athens Beautification Month allows volunteers to focus on environmentalism and sustainability within the community.

“Athens is all of our home and demonstrating that we all really care about it and are committed to making it the best place that it can be … I think that’s really key,” Lefebvre said.

Athens Beautification Month is an opportunity for connection across campus and the community through crucial service work.

“I think Athens Beautification events provide an opportunity for students to get a sense of what the community priorities are in a region that's driven by what the organizations are already doing, and building on the asset that we have locally,” Lefebvre said. Community partners create volunteer opportunities that are open to anyone within the Athens community. Events include a garden work party hosted by Community Food Initiatives, an Adopt-A-Highway litter cleanup hosted by the Athens Lions Club, a trail celebration hosted by the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia and a play space spring cleanup hosted by the Athens Herb Guild.

Tenderfoot Learning Lab is an organization dedicated to educating people on how to live sustainably. Saturday, April 27, Tenderfoot will host a volunteer day and lunch as a part of Athens Beautification Month events.

Lindsey Rudibaugh, executive director and co-founder of Tenderfoot, said volunteers will build, plant and weed gardens while participating in other sustainably-focused events.

A locally sourced lunch will be prepared for volunteers at noon, then they will begin working on various projects at 1 p.m.

“Volunteers aren't here for very long so we use that meal to demonstrate our mission and how food can be more sustainable,” Rudibaugh said.

Rudibaugh believes that one of the most satisfying aspects of volunteer work is creating a visible difference. She said volunteers

who join Tenderfoot Learning Lab are sure to make a visible, lasting difference.

The United Campus Ministry Center, or UCM, is an organization dedicated to spiritual growth and social justice. In honor of Athens Beautification Month, UCM hosted an emergency volunteer flood clean-up in Marietta on Saturday, April 13 and is set to host a home improvement day on Saturday, April 20.

Mickey Hart, the executive director of the UCM Center, said the home improvement day will focus on improving the UCM Center building at 18 N. College St.

“Our plan is to really redo our front yard to create just a better curb appeal overall, but also to make the building more inviting,” Hart said.

As a small nonprofit, Hart said the organization does not have the means to dedicate large amounts of time to improving the appearance of the location. Athens Beautification Month gives the UCM Center an opportunity to gain a helping hand with the process.

The Sierra Student Coalition is an organization that seeks to explore, enjoy and protect the planet. As part of Athens Beautification Month, the coalition hosted a litter cleanup on Saturday, April 13.

Catherine Galla, a junior studying environmental studies and a co-president of the Sierra Coalition, said the event was in partnership with EarthDay.org. The event took place from 9-11 a.m., and 10 other universities across the country participated in a litter pickup the same day at the same time.

“We're taking part of a bigger scale of collective action, which is really unique,” Galla said. “I've never done something like that before.”

The litter collected by volunteers on Saturday will be used to create an art piece. The Sierra Student Coalition will display its work at the Earth Day Parade and the Earth Day Celebration on Monday, April 22.

Volunteers can join the remaining Athens Beautification Month volunteer efforts by going to the event GivePulse page to learn more.

“There's so many different ways to get involved,” Rudibaugh said. “Having a strong community takes all of us and so I just love this way to get engaged (and) make everyone's involvement really visible.”

@ABBYBLOSEE

AB532721@OHIO.EDU

A view of Richland Avenue leading up to the city of Athens, April 15, 2024. (MEGAN VANVLACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Influencer Becca Moore reflects on time at OU

ALYSSA CRUZ CULTURE EDITOR

Becca Moore has over 1.3 million followers on TikTok and over 308,000 followers on Instagram. Known for her videos that are a mix of comedy and lifestyle, Moore’s content mainly focuses on her experiences as a girl in the dating scene. Her dry sense of humor and nonchalant delivery have made her following grow rather quickly in the last couple of years.

Moore is not afraid to make fun of herself, with her posting multiple videos breaking down questionable outfits she has worn in the past. Her most viral video has over 13 million views, and it is about things she has deemed men should not be allowed to have.

Although more than 2,000 miles separate her and Athens, Moore remains a proud Ohio University alum.

Originally from Worthington, Ohio, Moore arrived at OU in 2016 and graduated in 2020. While Moore was on campus, she studied communications with a minor in political science and worked at Broneys Alumni Grill.

“It was literally the best four years of my entire life,” she said. “It was so fun. I still talk about it all the time, and I go back for every homecoming. I wish I could have lived there forever.”

Moore said she chose to attend OU partly out of defiance. Her government teacher in high school was joking and said everyone who goes to OU becomes obsessed with the school and also said everyone who is from Columbus goes there.

“I was like, ‘If everyone does it, then I kind of want to do it,’” she said, laughing. “He was selling it to me even though he was saying not to go.”

She chose her major on a similar whim.

“On a Buzzfeed article in high school, I saw they were basically saying what’s the easiest major, and it was communication,” she said. “So I was like ‘OK I want the easiest major,’ so I chose it because it was the easiest, but it ended up being so helpful in my job now.”

Moore started posting on social media right when the COVID-19 pandemic started. After an unpleasant encounter with a job recruiter regarding her social media footprint, she decided to post more regularly.

“I was about to take a 9-5 … but I didn’t want to do it honestly,” she said. “They basically found my Instagram, and they told me that I had to take everything down. I had

3,000 Instagram followers, and I was just posting like a college girl.”

Moore said they told her she had to make her account private and change her name on social media to “Rebecca.” She said she looked at LinkedIn to see the other new hires and found a lot of guys with similar social media accounts.

“I felt like it was a little bit misogynistic,” she said.

Moore ended up rejecting the job offer and started bartending in Columbus instead. With her extra time, she downloaded TikTok and began posting videos about her dating life as well as talking about common college experiences such as going to date parties and interacting with men in fraternities.

Moore said the response she received from her OU friends was encouraging and supportive.

“I remember feeling like everyone was excited that I was going viral,” she said.

After around a year of posting, Moore said she felt comfortable to leave her bartending job. Putting her communications degree to use, she began writing for Total Frat Move and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. After a year, she moved to Los Angeles at the end of 2022.

Moore said moving to LA was a big change, but she has since found her footing.

“Especially moving to LA, it was a shock in a good way,” she said. “I always thought, ‘I’m just a kid from Ohio, and I’m never going to be accepted in a place like LA.’”

Regarding her future plans, Moore is currently writing a book. The book will be a compilation of her dating stories, targeting younger women.

Moore said what she misses most about being in college is the tight-knit community that comes with going to school in a small town.

“Any time the weather was good, everyone would immediately go out and you can hop to different bars and you will know people in every single bar,” she said. “Life is not like that after college. If you want to, you have to manually see them, you can’t just run into them on the street.”

She said she is forever grateful for her time at OU as well as the people she met there.

“That’s the thing about OU – everyone actually loves it,” she said. “Athens is a different world.”

@ALYSSADANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU

OU’s rowing team blends friendship, athleticism

ABBY JENKINS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

Ohio University currently houses 33 club sports, the majority of which are student-run. Most of the sports listed find homes on courts or fields, but one team’s home is elsewhere: Dow Lake.

OU’s club rowing organization is a co-ed team of novice rowers. During the spring and fall, the team goes to Strouds Run State Park to practice and compete in regattas, or races. When they aren’t in season, the team is in Charles J. Ping Recreation Center, prepping for the next time it can grace water.

Members of the team, like Elise O’Donnell, a sophomore studying environmental biology, said joining the team was out of curiosity at the Involvement Fair at the beginning of her freshman year.

“I was with my roommate and also my best friend, Lilly, at the time who was also on the team,” O’Donnell said. “We just had happened to walk past the rowing one, and we were like, ‘This looks interesting.’ So we happened to just join it, and then that was that.” O’Donnell serves on the executive board of the club as the community service representative along with her best friend, Lil-

ly Newton, a sophomore studying middle childhood education and the rowing club’s vice president.

“I think it was easier to be part of the team if I had like someone there that I knew because I wasn't as nervous,” Newton said. “But then together we both actually enjoyed it and we went to all the practices together and competitions and now we're both on the exec board, and we run the team together with a couple other people.”

During the fall, the team competes in 5000-meter races, and in the spring, it competes in 2000-meter races and practices three to four times a week. The team has traveled to Columbus, Marietta and Parkersburg to compete against other universities, like Ohio State University. However, this spring, the team hasn’t been able to get out on the water because Strouds won’t allow the team to keep its boats there.

“We can't tow the boats back and forth every single time we need to practice,” O’Donnell said. “(It) has stopped us from practicing at some points because we don't have a place to store the boats. It's been having to make a contract with people and all these other

legal things that is a little bit more difficult for a club team to do since we don't have the university backing us.”

Jerry Pollock, the park manager at Strouds Run, said to his knowledge, the team was asked to remove its trailers for the winter, but he has no recollection of telling the team they can’t practice for the spring.

“I believe there has been a misunderstanding – OU was asked, ‘With the onset of winter, please remove your trailer and the three johnboats that are next to the water,’” Pollock said in an email. “They are permitted to operate as they have in the past – the request for removal was only for the off season.”

O’Donnell said the team gets around 3050 newcomers every semester and there is no experience needed to join the team. OU’s rowing club tends to keep expenses under $100 for the entire year. In addition to these things, O’Donnell and Newton said the team provides strong friendships and a great fullbody workout.

“It's just a very welcoming and fun team to join, and it's really nice, and I guess you get a really good workout,” Newton said. “In the fall when we start going up again, it’s going to be super fun. We're going to have a lot of socials, we're going to have study sessions … We're going to try and get on the water as much as possible.”

For the 2024-25 Fall Semester, the team has appointed Melissa Anderson, an assis-

tant professor of exercise physiology, as its coach. She said she’s excited to get started in the fall and has already started working with the team on its goals.

“I'm all about just helping them facilitate any goals that they have,” she said. “So if there are certain split times they want as far as their own personal performance goals go or if they have more collective team goals, to compete at a specific regatta or to place in a certain event, I really just want to drive my own coaching based on the needs and the wants of the team.”

Anderson has high hopes for joining the team alongside O’Donnell and Newton, and together, members of the team will look to make waves in the competition this fall.

“Rowing is a merit-based sport,” Anderson said. “It really means you get out what you put in so you could start this sport with any skill level and become really successful at it as long as willing to dedicate some time … So anyone can try it. Rowing is a sport for anyone.”

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Peyton Guice is exactly where she needs to be

LOGAN ADAMS FOR THE POST

Basketball is in Peyton Guice’s blood. Her father is a former professional basketball player who has turned the family name into legend in Guice’s hometown of Westerville, Ohio. It was only natural when Guice decided to pursue basketball at the college level, committing to play for Ohio University, just about an hour and a half away from her family.

“I’ve been playing since I can remember, since I was 2 or 3,” Guice said. “(Basketball) was just something we all bought into as a family and I just fell in love with the game from the beginning.”

Guice played sparingly in her first college season, playing just 9 minutes per game in 26 games played. She helped aid the Bobcats to a 19-11 record, earning the fourth seed in the Mid-American Conference tournament.

Ohio would make its way through the first round, besting Western Michigan by 9 points. Guice played less than a minute in the walk-off moments of the game, but despite the victory, it would be the last game Guice and the Bobcats played for quite some time.

The impact of COVID-19 on college athletics cannot be understated. For Guice, it derailed a chance to make the NCAA tournament as a freshman, as not long after the Bobcats’ first-round victory, the NCAA would suspend all remaining winter championships.

The Bobcats resumed play in November 2021, with Guice gradually ramping up her usage on the court. However, she suffered an injury during just her 12th game of the season, playing 4 minutes before she was sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Guice spent a shade over 13 months off the floor, not returning until March 2, 2022. She played just four games in the season, before being hit once again with a season-altering injury, one that sidelined her for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.

“I think what most people don’t realize about injuries, they’re unfortunate, but the main reason for injuries is they’re kind of like a test,” Guice said. “During that time, during COVID, as well as my injuries, each one of those instances was a time to test me and see where I was in terms of how I felt about basketball.”

During that time, Guice was changing not just as a basketball player but as a person. She changed her major, leaving the nursing track to follow education, and found a new appreciation for the game she had

always loved.

“Once I got injured, I learned a different appreciation for the game through a different lens,” Guice said. “As unfortunate as my injury was, without it I don’t think I would be the person I am today.”

Those changes in Guice’s life, and Guice herself, amalgamated on the court in her fifth and final year at Ohio. Guice’s path had changed, and so did her role. The team was younger than it had ever been during her tenure, and she was one of six seniors to walk on senior night.

Guice had become a leader in the locker room, partially by obligation but in large part due to a natural propensity for the role.

“One thing that I’ve always been proud of myself with was being that leader, even from when I first got here,” Guice said. “This year, I really took over that leadership role … I really just tried to help influence the younger ones to get on the right path.”

This leadership role, in which Guice acted as a guide for her younger peers, will follow her after basketball. Guice spent her time off the court in her final year student teaching and training some of the members of Athens High School’s girls’ basketball team.

Recently, Guice accepted a teaching role back in her hometown at Westerville Central High School, where she’s excited to return and start the next chapter of her journey.

“I just realized that my purpose is deeper than basketball,” Guice said. “I’ve been more so focused on a longer-lasting impact that I can make, more outside the court than on the court.”

Peyton Guice (11) during the Ohio Women's Basketball game against Eastern Michigan at The Convo, Jan. 10, 2024. (SKYLAR SEAVEY | FOR THE POST)

Ohio’s spring game represents sneak peek of 2024 season

BOBBY GORBETT SPORTS EDITOR

The first taste of Ohio’s 2024 season is quickly approaching in the form of its spring game. The spring game will mark a new chapter in the Tim Albin era.

Ohio lost many of its signature pieces from a two-year run that saw the team win a combined 20 games between 2022-23. In that time, Ohio was led primarily by Kurtis Rourke, Bryce Houston, Keye Thompson, Sam Wiglusz and Sieh Bangura. Ohio lost all five of these key contributors to either the transfer portal or graduation.

The departure of Ohio’s star talent opens the door for others to fill their shoes. Players like CJ Harris, Parker Navarro, Rickey Hunt and Shay Taylor will attempt to do so Saturday in the long-awaited spring game. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Spring game:

GAME INFORMATION:

Location: Frank Solich field at Peden Stadium (Athens, OH)

Date: Saturday, April 20

Time: 11 a.m.

What to watch for:

Quarterback Battle

Ohio’s quarterback battle will most likely be the talk of Ohio’s offseason and for good reason. Both Parker Navarro and CJ Harris are talented options looking to take over for Rourke as the team’s starting quarterback. Navarro and Harris will get their first chance to prove themselves in front of a wider audience than those attending practice.

RICKEY HUNT

Ohio merely got a taste of what Hunt was capable of during the 2023 season, when the talented at-the-time freshman running back burst onto the scene during Ohio’s 41-21 Myrtle Beach bowl win over Georgia Southern. Hunt made several highlight plays on his way to a five touchdown performance. Hunt will attempt to recreate the magic of his bowl game performance over the course of a 12-game season starting with Ohio’s spring game. WIDE

At least for the Spring game, Ohio will be very young at receiver. Having lost Wiglusz and Miles Cross to graduation and the transfer portal, Ohio’s pass catchers are very unproven. Rodney Harris and Chase Hendricks are both young options who had catches in Ohio’s bowl game. Ohio also lost tight ends Tyler Foster and Will Kacmerak to graduation and the transfer portal respectively as the team turns to younger options. Bryce Butler and Mason Williams both had touchdown receptions for the team in 2023.

LINEBACKER

Ohio’s entire defense is relatively un-

known following the departure of former defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky to Memphis. The linebacker position though will be of heightened focus following Houston and Thompson’s departures. Taylor had a strong bowl performance against Georgia Southern with a sack and six total tackles.

DEFENSIVE END

Vonnie Watkins was a staple of Ohio’s defense in the past two seasons with a combined 9.5 sacks since 2022. Bradley Weaver had an outstanding performance in the Myrtle Beach bowl with two sacks. Weaver ended the season with 13 tackles for loss and

six

@GORBETTBOBBY BG238320@OHIO.EDU

Ohio University safety John Motton (10) and linebacker Dylan Stevens (34) tackle a Central Michigan player at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2023. (JACK TATHAM | FOR THE POST)

sacks. Weaver will look to only improve his production in a larger role in 2024.

Faculty, student demographics spark campus discourse

KATIE MILLARD | EDITOR IN CHEIF

Just around one in five Ohio University faculty members is a person of color.

JACKSON MCCOY

DISHA HOQUE FOR THE POST

Edmond Y. Chang notices each time he crosses paths with another person of color on the Athens campus.

“As a queer person of color, everywhere I go I'm always super mindful of what my surroundings are like,” Chang, an associate professor of English, said. “Do I see people that look like me? Do I see people that are doing things that I think are aligned with the interests that I have?”

The answer to Chang's questions lies in the university's demographic statistics.

THE NUMBERS

According to OU’s website, OU employs 191 full-time faculty members of color on the Athens campus — a slight increase from previous academic years. During the 202223 academic year, that number was 178, and during the 2021-22 academic year, it was 184.

Conversely, there are currently 649 fulltime white faculty members on the Athens campus. That is an increase from the 602 white faculty members during the 2022-23 academic year.

For regional campuses, the discrepancy is greater. At the OU Chillicothe campus this year, there are 28 full-time white faculty members compared to three full-time faculty members of color. On the OU Eastern campus, there are 16 full-time white faculty members and two full-time faculty members of color. At the OU Lancaster campus, there are 26 full-time white faculty members and three full-time faculty members of color. OU

Southern’s campus has 23 full-time white faculty members and three full-time faculty members of color. Similarly, Zanesville’s regional campus has 25 full-time white faculty members and six faculty members of color.

According to OU’s Diversity Dashboard, there are currently 1,471 enrolled Black students, 1,182 Hispanic students, 534 Asian American students, 29 Alaskan Native/Native American students and 15 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students across all campuses. In comparison, there are approximately 21,400 white students enrolled.

Black students make up around 5.4% of the undergraduate population across all campuses while just 3.6% of full-time faculty are Black. Asian American students make up 2% of the student population compared to 10.2% of full-time faculty. Hispanic students make up 4.3% of the student population, barely surpassing full-time faculty with 4.1%. Alaska Natives, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders each make up less than 1% of both the student and faculty populations.

Just over 78% of students enrolled across all OU campuses in 2024 are white, and white university employees make up 76.7% of fulltime faculty on the Athens campus.

Those percentages are on par with neighboring universities including Kent State University and the University of Dayton, according to their respective websites. Additionally, OU provides the most up-to-date public data. However, the racial disparity among students and faculty is more drastic than other schools such as Cleveland State University and the University of Cincinnati.

FACULTY REACTIONS

Eddith Dashiell, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, said those numbers stem from a multitude of causes, beginning with the region in which the University is located.

Being a predominantly white university in a predominantly white area, OU’s appeal to students of color is becoming increasingly challenging to encourage, Dashiell said.

“We need more diverse faculty,” she said. “We need them. That is if we want to attract diverse students.”

Senior Director of Communications Dan Pittman said the university offers financial support for students living around Athens through programs like the Appalachian and Urban Scholars Program and the newly created President’s Opportunity Promise Award, OU President Lori Stewart Gonzalez’s new scholarship investment guided toward students in Athens and surrounding counties.

Dashiell, who also serves as co-chair of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Scholarship Committee, said scholarships have been a drawing factor for students from underrepresented groups in the past. However, 10 E.W. Scripps School of Journalism scholarships have been paused by the University, part of a total of $450,000 in scholarship gift agreements that have been paused due to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, according to a previous Post report.

Those journalism scholarships alone awarded students around $40,000 at the

2023 E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Awards Banquet.

At the March 4 Faculty Senate meeting, university President Lori Stewart Gonzalez said she did not want to pause scholarships, but that the process was necessary to comply with state and federal restrictions.

“For us, it's that sadness, I would say, over what we have to do to comply in this era that we're in where some of the bedrock values are challenged by political positions,” Gonzalez said in a previous Post report.

Dashiell said OU’s compliance with Yost’s interpretation could set a harmful precedent surrounding diversity in public institutions.

“To me, that is just a backward way of saying we are not interested in diversity,” Dashiell said. “There’s no way you can convince me that you are focused on diversity initiatives on one hand but taking away the diversity scholarships on another.”

Along with scholarships being an enticing factor for students of color, Chang said having faculty available from similar backgrounds could also draw student interest.

“I knew coming in I was a diversity hire,” Chang said. ”I was going to be a visible person on campus that students will, even if they don't engage with me, at least they see me. That's part of why I'm doing this, this is why I'm here, this is why I'm a professor, this is why I do this work.”

Janice Collins is an associate professor of broadcast journalism with a specialization in marginalized communities. She said faculty motivation is necessary to bring diverse faculty to a college campus.

“It's important for the entire community

to see proactive, positive leadership that is more of bringing people together in peace and transforming what we have now into something better,” she said. “Leadership is imperative to bring out the best in Ohio University.”

OU has previously created initiatives to attract more diversity among faculty members.

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Belonging (DEIAB) Faculty Affairs Council works to “cultivate a commitment to recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse faculty” and initiates projects to facilitate diversity and inclusion efforts within the university faculty.

There are five total diversity initiatives focused on supporting university employees listed on the Executive Vice President and Provost’s website: the Inclusive Pedagogy Academy, the Diverse Faculty Mentoring Program (DFMP), OU’s membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), the DEIAB Faculty Affairs Council and the Center for

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT.

Despite faculty DEI programs, Collins said students of color can still feel isolated going to a public university when diversity is lacking in the faculty or student body.

“(Students of color) can be a little uncomfortable, a little scared,” Collins said. “‘What does that mean for me? How am I going to be treated?’ I think that in a public university, administrators should go out of their way to make sure that everyone feels welcome.”

Collins emphasized the safety concerns that students of color may have. According to a previous Post report, a group of students filed a report to OUPD for racist aggravated menacing in December 2023.

“Because of some of the other racist incidents that have taken place at Ohio University, I'm not sure if they feel comfortable speaking out,” Collins said. “Students need to have a voice. Sometimes they need guidance, and I think that's where we come in as faculty to help guide them to make sure everything's OK and everything's fair.”

Pittman said OU is committed to creating an inclusive and safe space for people of color. He said the university gives OU students and employees expectations of respectful discussion through the Make Respect Visible initiative. The university also has a way for people to share concerns of discrimination or harassment through the Student Affairs office, he said.

“Together, we can connect individuals from a variety of backgrounds – from down the street and around the world – to a university community focused entirely on their success and deeply committed to delivering value, through both affordability and experiences that promise a return on the investment,” Pittman said in an email.

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

Outside of administrative initiatives, BIPOC, or Black, Indigenous and other People of Color, student support often comes through organizations and conversations with other students.

Joi Foy, a junior studying journalism, currently serves as the president of the Black Student Communication Caucus (BSCC) and Ebony Minds, a student organization that spreads awareness for Black women’s issues. She is also the membership chairman for Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority and the oldest Greek-letter organization established by Black collegiate women.

Foy said the Black student experience on campus heavily relies on the support from fellow students of color.

“The core of (the OU Black community) is that everybody is so tight-knit,” said Foy. “It’s a very close community and we have learned to really lean on each other.”

Foy said a lack of diversity on campus contributes to a lack of resources for multicultural organizations compared to other organizations.

“(Black students) only make up about 5% of the campus,” she said. “Therefore our alumni reach and who we can go to for these funds is very limited to us.”

Foy also said she frequently sees Black students holding multiple executive positions due to the limited number of Black students on campus.

“What you see within the Black community is a lot of burnout,” Foy said. “You see a lot of people getting overwhelmed and sometimes having these mental crises because these organizations are run by the same 5-10 people.”

Anna Scheurman, a freshman studying nursing, serves as co-director of diversity and inclusion for OU’s chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. She speaks highly of OU’s nursing school faculty but said more diverse professors could foster more ideas.

“(A diverse nursing faculty) would be a very good tool to have because (people of color) experience things in a different way,” said Scheurman. “It just brings a new insight.”

Pittman said there are still multiple ongoing investments ensuring that OU’s academic departments are inclusive to underrepresented groups. He emphasized the DFMP and the university’s partnership with the NCFDD as continual efforts to support and retain faculty members of color.

ONGOING SUPPRESSION

Despite university efforts, people of color in executive roles can still feel disregarded in DEI conversations. Dashiell said that has happened in her own experience as a leading faculty member at OU.

“I’ve listened to people talk about diversity here for 32 years, and the questions haven't changed,” Dashiell said. “There are times when they talk about diversity and I think they forget I'm even in the room.”

Faculty members of color who encounter challenges with DEI practices face a dilem-

ma of whether they should speak out, Chang said.

“The people who are the most impacted by the DEI concerns are also the people who are the ones that have to speak up the most,” Chang said. “(They) are also the ones that usually are impacted the most by whether or not they feel like they can actually speak freely.”

Dashiell said there is still uncertainty on the status of the paused diversity scholarships and that communication has been avoidant.

“I only can speak for the school of journalism,” Dashiell said. “I don't know what's going on across campus because even now if I ask a question of scholarships and financial aid they won't answer me directly. They'll send

the answer to the dean and have the dean explain to me what the status is.”

In the face of adversity, faculty members remain passionate about the need for representative faculty.

“I would like to see more faculty of color in my hallways,” Chang said. “I would like to see more diverse students in my classes, and I hope we get there.”

Ohio’s comeback attempt falls short against Dayton

Luke Borer (16)

LOGAN SHEETS FOR THE POST

Ohio (10-22 overall, 6-12 Mid-American Conference) traveled to Dayton, Ohio to face Dayton (24-13 overall, 6-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) in a mid-week matchup. This past weekend, Ohio snapped its nine-game losing streak against Eastern Michigan, winning the series two games to one.

Ohio looked to carry the momentum from the weekend into the game against an excellent Dayton team. Ohio started the game by scoring in the first inning after a double from freshman JR Nelson and a single from graduate student Bryce Smith that scored Nelson.

After the top of the first inning, the game would turn terrible for Ohio, with sophomore Landon Price taking the mound for the Bobcats in just his second start of the season. Price could not record an out in the first inning before being taken out of the game.

He saw seven batters, allowing three hits, three walks and hit one batter, allowing Dayton to score 6 runs in the first inning. Junior Hudson Boncal replaced Price in the first inning and recorded all three outs in the inning.

Boncal would go on to pitch one more inning, where Dayton scored 1 unearned run in the second inning after a missed throw to third base by the catcher on a stolen base attempt to make the score 7-1.

Boncal’s final stat line was 2.0 innings pitched, three hits, no walks, two strikeouts,

and no earned runs. Junior Adam Beery replaced Boncal in the third inning. Beery did an excellent job of keeping Dayton’s offense silent, not allowing any runs to score while he was in command on the mound for the three innings he pitched. Junior Patrick Straub replaced him in the sixth inning.

Beery’s final stat line was 3.0 innings pitched, two hits, one walk, two strikeouts and no runs.

Straub also did a great job at keeping Dayton’s offense silent while he was on the mound for one inning before being replaced by junior Luke Borer. Straub did not allow any runs while only giving up one hit.

No runs were scored between both teams until the seventh inning when bases were loaded from Nelson being hit by a pitch, fifth-year Alex Finney being walked and senior Gideon Antle hitting an infield single.

Smith was up to bat next and took full advantage of the runners on base, hitting a grand slam, making the score 7-5. Borer was replaced with senior Luke Olson in the eighth inning. Borer kept the pitching momentum going by not allowing any runs to score.

Olson also pitched great, not allowing a baserunner to keep Ohio in the game going into the ninth inning. Ohio was only able to get one runner on base in the ninth inning before Nelson hit into a double play, losing to Dayton 7-5. Price was credited with the loss.

pitches the ball at the game against Northern Kentucky University, April 9, 2024, at Bob Wren Stadium, in Athens. (MEGAN VANVLACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Rounding out the semester in photos

Ohio pitcher Ellie Greene (12) gets ready to pitch against Northern Illinois at Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 7, 2024. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

Ohio catcher Emma Hoffner (7) makes the catch against Northern Illinois at Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 7, 2024.(ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

Ohio catcher/infielder Emma Hoffner (7) steps up to bat against Northern Illinois at Ohio Softball Field in Athens, April 7, 2024. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

Ohio outfielder, Pauly Mancino (5), prepares to bat during a game against Western Michigan at Bob Wren Stadium, April 5, 2024, in Athens. (ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR)

Ohio left hand pitcher, Dillon Masters (13), throws a pitch during a game against Western Michigan at Bob Wren Stadium, April 5, 2024, in Athens. (ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR)

Keep the energy for women going pro

In March 2021, a viral TikTok surfaced during the NCAA March Madness tournament showing the vast difference between the men’s and women’s weight rooms and exercise equipment. The men’s teams had access to a full weight room while the women had a small table with a stack of yoga mats and a small set of dumbbells, which maxed out at 30 pounds.

This year, the women’s March Madness championship surpassed the men’s in views by about 4 million.

Although those things seem unrelated, the leaps and bounds female athletes, most

notably Caitlin Clark, have made recently is the breakthrough women’s sports have been waiting so patiently for. From not having access to proper training equipment to now surpassing the men’s tournament in popularity is an unforgettable experience. It has been a privilege to watch the talents of Clark and several other female athletes shine on TV and in Cleveland for the Final Four game.

I remember seeing the post about the differences in weight rooms during March Madness in 2021 and feeling rage and devastation. I remember hearing arguments about women’s sports not bringing in enough income, so it was the weight room they deserved. As a woman who has played sports her entire life, I felt sick.

But now we face a bigger problem as some of these athletes, like Angel Reese, exit the college scene and head into the WNBA. Comedian Bill Burr pointed out in a rather infuriating series of jokes how women have failed the WNBA.

“We (men) gave you a f-----g league, none of you showed up,” he said. “Where are all the feminists? That place should be packed with feminists … None of you went to the f------g games, you failed them, not me.”

His words are cruel and evoke a lot of an-

ger, but the unfortunate truth is he happens to be right. Women’s professional sports tend to be cast aside. Now, we have an opportunity to change things. The momentum from the past couple of years of women’s college basketball needs to continue throughout these athletes’ careers, college and professional.

Women’s sports have been criticized, much like in Burr’s bit, about the lack of entertainment and revenue to keep their league. This year has changed the game, and according to CNBC, women’s sports will bring in over $1 billion in revenue, which is a 300% increase from 2021. Despite this number, women’s teams from the Final Four will only make 27% of what the men’s Final Four teams will, according to Business Insider.

In that same realm, a previous column from The Post discussed a college volleyball game in Nebraska in August 2023, which broke records as the most-attended women’s sporting event ever. The first-ever Women’s Pro Hockey League began its first season in January 2023. The Women’s FIFA World Cup broke several records in July and August. The momentum and energy need to continue going forward.

A love letter to Athens: Goodbye

I finally understand Season 5, Episode 22 of “Grey's Anatomy,” and I wish I didn’t.

“Today is the day my life begins,” read the commencement speech of a recent college graduate. “Today I become accountable to the world, to the future, to the possibilities that life has to offer.”

As Alex Karev read that speech back to the young woman who wrote it before she went into surgery, I became obsessed with it and wondered what it will feel like to be “done” with education and start my own life. Since August, those words haven’t been far from my mind, and in just under three

weeks, I become a grown-up, too.

When I was getting ready to graduate high school, people said college would be the best but quickest four years of my life, and they were right. As graduation nears, my mind is constantly flooded with the best hits — my favorite memories with my best friends — and I can’t help but wonder where the time went.

It feels like just last semester I was on a Zoom call meeting my soon-to-be best friend who had recently joined The Post’s news section as a publication design major. The party where I met some of my favorite people — several having since graduated, but many graduating with me in three weeks — feels like it happened this February, not three years ago.

In so many ways, I am not ready to leave Athens. I would give a lot up to have one more year living with my best friend who is now one of the closest things I have to a sister, to have another year of late nights at the CI and Stephens, to have one more family dinner at the apartment above Brenen’s.

The spontaneity that comes with college is what I will miss most — the ability to coordinate last-minute dinner plans with friends within an hour of eating or impulsive decisions to go out on a Tuesday or Wednesday night with my roommate.

More important than the spontaneity itself is the people I can be impulsive with. “Cookies,” as we’ve called our iMessage chat since freshman year, has been the most formative group of people in my life. From heartbreak to happiness, they have carried me through the last four years and taught me to live life with joy.

As an ex-female athlete with a passion for bringing attention to these momentous leaps and bounds, keep cheering, keep watching and keep talking about the talents of Clark and Reese and so many others who are dominating women’s sports right now.

We are not failing women. Show up and prove Burr wrong.

Abby Jenkins is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Abby know by tweeting her @ abbyjenks18 or emailing her at aj205621@ohio. edu.

As we can see, it’s already working. The WNBA just had its most-attended game and most-watched season in 21 years. With the WNBA draft underway, we need to keep up the anticipation and excitement for these athletes and give them the viewership and respect they deserve.

As I look toward graduation, I am immensely proud of myself. Not just in terms of my academic, extracurricular and professional success, but in my sense of self. While it may sound corny, I know exactly who I am. I’ve grown from a bubbly but anxious girl into someone who goes after what they want and lives life to actually live instead of worry.

I’m not ready to leave my friends, forced to watch their success through my phone screen rather than directly in front of me, but I am ready for my life to begin. So, while I wish I didn't understand that speech from Season 5, Episode 22 of Grey’s Anatomy just yet, I am ready to be accountable to the possibilities of the world, my future and life.

I’ve spent 16 years preparing for the real world, and I can’t wait to start living in it. Athens, I will never be able to shake you. Thanks for the best four years of my life.

Molly Wilson is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Molly by tweeting her at @mollywmarie.

Abby Jenkins

Molly Wilson

The last review

To look back on my college career and try to summarize it is not a simple task. I know it’s a cardinal rule to avoid cliches, but the best way I can wrap it up is this: the past four years have truly changed my life.

High school went by fast, but boy did it have moments that dragged on. There are good memories I can fondly look back on and people I still hold dear to my heart, but you would have to pay me an unfathomable amount of money to do it all again.

I’d do these past four years over again in a heartbeat.

The idea of college got me through every day of high school. By the time I was looking at universities, I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown and find the joy of Athens my Ohio University alumni parents had told me about for my entire life. There was a part of me that worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but there was a stronger part that knew it would be everything I wanted. OU proved the latter right.

I left high school in tears of relief. As I sit at my desk in The Post’s newsroom writing this, tears welling in my eyes, all I can think is “no other sadness in the world would do.” I found a home here in every sense of the word, and I can’t emphasize enough how lucky I feel for that. You know you’ve found something truly wonderful when it makes saying goodbye so incredibly difficult.

At this moment, I am grateful for the sadness. I am grateful for the tears. I am grateful to have a place I will miss so dearly. I am grateful to have found a feeling of comfort with each of my dear, sweet friends.

I have found all of these people because of The Post and that is not something I take lightly. In an incredibly blurred sequence of events, we all met online via Slack messages and Zoom meetings in the fall of 2020 from our homes’ bedrooms.

Suddenly we lived down the hall or just a floor apart from one another, spending so

much time together we didn’t know how to go to the dining hall on our own. Those same principles still applied as our dorms became apartments and our meal plans became grocery store runs.

In four years, there have been pockets of time where we watched our older friends move on to the next chapter of their lives, graduations marking the end of each era in which our friendships’ stomping ground was Athens. For me, that meant rewatches of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” latenight walks around Athens in the summer, accidental sleepovers and a variety of parties with every theme under the sun thrown by whoever was willing to offer up their house.

Everyone in our mass group of “Posties” is all grown up, but the catch is that now it's our turn. The 20-somethings who didn’t get a high school graduation finally get their time to shine. Now, we are not just the ones saying goodbye, but doing the leaving ourselves.

In our leaving, we leave behind our “want to go get a snack?” texts, working in the newsroom until 1:30 a.m., rants about group projects, cramming into our dorm rooms just so we can sit and talk, endless nights on Court Street and everything in between.

Counting down to graduation not only means figuring out how to pack up all of our stuff, but also the inevitability of going from seeing each other every single day to scheduling FaceTimes into our calendars. Maybe we have slight attachment issues, but despite everything we have gone through, we want to remain as we are. To me, that means we did something right.

Athens will always remember us, and it will hold onto our memories until the day we are together on the bricks again. So for now, the CI pool tables will wait for us to put another quarter down. The Union will wait for us to come to another show. Mill Street will make sure there’s a porch for us to sit on.

To Athens, thank you for being exactly what I needed as a fresh 18-year-old. To The Post, thank you for handing me the most spectacular group of people I have ever met and who I will cherish for the rest of my life. To everyone OU gave me, thank you for meeting me exactly where I was at whatever point the universe crossed our paths.

Long live all the magic we made.

Tate Raub is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Tate know by tweeting her @tatertot1310.

Tate Raub

House Bill 349 threatens public health

Reps. Don Jones of Freeport and Tim Barhorst of Fort Laramie have introduced House Bill 349, a plan in the Ohio House of Representatives that would use $20 million in state funds to create a loan program that would charge no interest for five years to governments that purchase easements for natural gas pipelines.

In introducing this bill, Jones said he did not consider the environmental ramifications that this bill could have in Ohio and that he does not believe he should, describing a pivot away from fossil fuels as “drinking the Kool-Aid.”

Jones argues that he is attempting to preserve the viability of vulnerable jobs within the fossil fuel industry, specifically in coal, which have long created livelihoods for those in Appalachia. Essentially, Jones believes he is doing everyone a favor.

What Jones forgets in evoking the Appalachian economy’s reliance on coal to garner support for his bill is the immense harm that the coal industry has done to those who work in the industry and the areas where mining has occurred.

As mines close throughout Appalachia, it is important beyond all else that Appalachians who have relied for so long on mining as a source of income are not left behind. The Appalachian region has a long history of coal mining and one that many Appalachians are rightfully proud of. However, this strong familiarity with mining also means a familiarity with the less productive aspects of coal mining, such as black lung disease.

Various pieces of legislation have been introduced and passed over the years concerning miners who have been afflicted with black lung disease, which develops as a result of inhaling coal dust and severely impairs lung function. One in every five miners will develop black lung disease, which will take 12 years off of one in every five miners’ life expectancy.

Perhaps phasing out jobs in coal in exchange for those less damaging to both the environment and the people would not be the worst thing in the world. Perhaps Jones has forgotten that “drinking the Kool-Aid” on this issue is not only for the sake of the environment, which conservative sects have

widely voiced their disdain for, but also for the people he represents and their well being outside of the context of the economy.

Fracking for natural gas also has serious implications for the health of those who live near the drilling. Although the mere belief in climate change sometimes seems shaky at best for many Ohio politicians, the direct human impacts that fracking has on public health is less deniable and a stickier issue to get out of as it directly affects constituents.

Fracking has been linked to preterm births, high-risk pregnancies, asthma, migraines, fatigue, nasal and sinus symptoms, and skin disorders, according to a decade-long study published in 2019. The evidence found in this study suggests that women who live closer to fracking are more likely to give birth to babies with lower-than-average birth weights, of having a high-risk pregnancy or a baby with a low infant health index. There is also a greater risk of congenital heart defects and higher odds of respiratory symptoms.

None of this is to mention the environmental impacts, such as water and air pollu-

tion and soil contamination, prime examples of how environmental issues are also public health issues.

It is commendable that Jones and Barhorst are concerned for jobs in Ohio and want to preserve the livelihoods of those working in various sects of the natural gas industry. However, they are going about it in a way that does not consider the aspects of public health and the long term well being of their constituency.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Katie Millard, Managing Editor Emma Erion and Equity Director Alesha Davis. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.

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The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2024. (JACK TATHAM | FOR THE POST)

Spring date ideas to enjoy the warm weather

CLARA LEDER FOR THE POST

With the sun shining brighter and the semester winding down, it’s the perfect excuse to grab your significant other and plan a fun spring date in Athens. Whether going out with a partner, a friend or even treating yourself, this list has an option for everyone’s budget and interests.

ATHENS FARMERS MARKET

Going to the Athens Farmers Market is a great way to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and experience the heart of Athens. The market is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday year-round and on Wednesdays starting April 17.

Located under the solar panels at the Athens Community Center on 701 E. State St., the market is a great place to adventure for a fun date. Athens County is filled with pride in local businesses, and the market is the best place to experience fresh produce and goods grown by Athens locals.

There are plenty of great hammocking sites on campus, like Paw Print Park or Emeriti Park. Ohio University’s nature-filled campus makes for many perfect hammock spots to discover.

The beauty of a hammock date is you fill your time with activities that work best for you. You can bring books, board games or even have a picnic.

Ultimately, the date you plan is up to you. As the semester winds down and the cherry blossoms bloom, spice up your date nights and try something new in Athens. Athens County has many hidden gems and attractions to find.

The market has everything frometables to meats, cheeses, candies, bread and coffee.

ations, like pottery and jewelry created by Athens artists, are also sold at the market. Afterward, you can cook lunch with your date, style a unique outfit or decorate your home using some of the items you find there.

If you want to spice up a typical date -

The Dairy Barn Arts Center, located at the bottom of The Ridges on 8000 Dairy Lane, is -

es you can take to learn about art mediums, delve into something new or perfect your craft. They offer everything from free art classes to some that cost $150 a class. The center also has art exhibitions that can be viewed from noon to 5 p.m.

Another great option to explore your creative side is Beads & Things, located at 8 N. Schafer St. This arts and crafts store is every jewelry lover’s dream and an excellent crafty date night destination.

Beads & Things is filled with over 400 handpicked beads from all over the world. After picking out your beads at the store, the owners will sit with you and show you how to create your masterpiece. You can also take your items home and spend some time brainstorming your creation.

SHADE WINERY

Shade Winery is the perfect place to enjoy the spring weather and indulge in delicious wine. It is a beautiful place for a relaxing spring date night and is located off-campus at 401 Gilkey Ridge Road.

The winery boasts 16 sweet, red and white wine selections available by bottle, glass or taste test. With a food menu including salmon, salads, flatbreads and burgers, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Shade.

If you’re looking for a good date night idea, Shade is per fect. However, if you want to try it out, reserve a table before hand on its website because it’s popular.

HIKING

If you need a break from classes and schoolwork on a nice day, a great date idea is to hike while enjoying some of Athens’ beautiful scenery.

If you are looking for an option close to campus, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is known for its beautiful views of the cherry blossom trees in the spring. It’s an excellent option for a day date.

If you need a quick getaway, Strouds Run State Park is about 15 minutes off-campus. It is full of hiking trails and even a lake to swim in, making it the perfect date destination for a gorgeous spring day. You can also pack a picnic to enjoy at Strouds.

HAMMOCKING

On a beautiful spring day, many OU stu-

dents spend the day outside hammocking. The activity is a great way to celebrate the season and makes for a comfortable date option.

All you need to know for Record Store Day

ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR

ELIZABETH

TALAGA

FOR THE POST

Record Store Day, or RSD, on April 20 will highlight the release of exclusive records from many top artists. The day is also designed to celebrate independent record stores and music.

The first RSD occurred April 18, 2008, and was started by Michael Kurtz, Eric Leven, Amy Dorfman, Carrie Colliton, Brian Poehner and Don Van Cleave. Throughout its history, RSD has brought together musicians, record stores and fans. The day commemorates the love of music through new records, performances and signings.

Exclusive RSD releases and events hope to bring more people to independent record stores. Several cities such as New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles have declared RSD an official holiday. The

day occurs twice a year, once in April and again on Black Friday.

One of the most notable artists and RSD pairings occurred in 2008 when Metallica released its records for the first RSD. It kick-started the RSD phenomenon and the holiday has continued growing. Last year, 1.46 million records sold during RSD and the following week in the U.S. Each year, RSD has an RSD Ambassador, with this year’s ambassador being Paramore.

NOTABLE RELEASES IN 2024

Many artists release exclusive records and CDs every year to celebrate the holiday. This year’s RSD will feature releases from The Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie, Paramore and Queen.

RSD also can showcase when artists work together and release special collaborations for the occasion. For example,

this year, Noah Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo are releasing an RSD record with covers of Rodrigo’s “lacy” and Kahan’s “Stick Season.”

Often, RSD releases become the most sought-after records an artist can release, especially because only a limited number of records are made for release.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL RSD

Independent record stores across the country and around the world will be bracing for long lines and eager fans this Saturday. Getting an exclusive record may seem impossible, but planning may help.

When planning for RSD, things to consider are the top records one is looking for, which record stores to visit and what time to shop. For the more popular and sought-after records, arriving at the record store and getting in line early may be

the key to success.

In addition, stores in major cities will see longer lines than those in smaller areas. RSD is a great opportunity to visit smaller record stores and it would allow shoppers to find records more easily.

The Republic of Athens Records is a participating store in Athens. It is located at 30 E. State St. and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

THE BOTTOM LINE

RSD benefits record stores, artists and fans. It allows fans to obtain exclusive records from their favorite artists and encourages them to visit and support their local record stores. For artists, RSD gives them an excuse to create a fun, creative release.

Tips on detecting AI-generated content

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been slowly implemented into the media landscape — from finding things on the internet and creating pictures to writing scripts, making recipes and helping students with homework.

While these utilizations are helpful, AI can create many gray areas in creative work. It is sometimes hard to differentiate between AI-generated material and original work, especially in creative fields.

So, here are some tips on how to spot the differences.

One way to tell if literature is man-made is if it has an authentic voice. AI-generated pieces are often robotic and lack emotion or personality. In turn, content written by humans might be full of passion, with their authentic opinions or identities shining through.

A computer does not have the same emotional capacity as humans, so it is im-

portant to pay attention to the syntax and structure of written content. Chatbots, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, have instances of lacking a personal touch in the written content they produce. It often utilizes mixed tones or complex syntax. Although many use the service for work in schools or jobs, recognizing overly complex sentence structures as AI-generated can make readers less gullible.

Another way to spot the work of AI is to check the sourcing used to support arguments. AI services are not always programmed to have the latest information, considering the time or method in how these programs were created.

Also, AI services are programmed to use knowledge freely from the internet. Since there is a lot of outdated and incorrect information online, readers should be cautious of the credibility of AI-generated content.

Repetitive language is another indicator of AI-generated content due to the keywords or sources the computer found its evidence from. The programs may repeat words from the prompt or lack training. The computer

may not always have the perfect context for a question, so it could be unable to answer with more direct language without more adequate prompts.

In addition to AI-generated pieces of literature, AI has started generating images. While some AI-generated images seem perfect at first glance, it can quickly be determined that they aren’t.

Some people in AI-generated images do not have the correct number of limbs, fingers, teeth and other body parts. Other AI images are very pixelated. If one questions the validity of an image, one should zoom in on the pixels to see if it travels. If the people or objects in the image start getting obscured or distorted, then the picture is likely AI-generated.

One should also pay attention to human hair and features in suspected AI-generated images. Some AI-generated images have figures with poor hair quality and texture inconsistencies. Their hair may loop around them like clothing or be blurrier than one

would expect. The person’s features might also seem too perfect.

Recently, a photo of Kate Middleton was found to be digitally altered. With the emergence of AI, people are less likely to believe pictures like these.

Although there are many tips for identifying AI-generated art and literature, it can still be difficult to find them. AI detectors are created for this purpose, but the services are not always accurate when detecting AI. Instead, AI detectors are more likely to “catch” non-native speakers than an AI. Educators are also advised to not use AI detectors on students’ work because there is a high chance it could be wrong.

As AI gets better, so will AI detection. AI is a vast, new area, which is why it is important people learn how to correctly navigate it.

LEANNE ABEL FOR THE POST

10 underrated animated films to add to your watch watchlist

ALESHA DAVIS EQUITY DIRECTOR

Animation has gone undervalued by many while having a dedicated base of admirers. Here are 10 underrated animated movies to add to your watch list:

SECRET OF THE KELLS

The first of Cartoon Saloon’s masterworks of feature-length films, “The Secret of Kells,” is a 2009 animated fantasy drama film about the making of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the ninth century. Despite its love from critics, many people have never heard of this movie. Cartoon Saloon’s stylistic animation is beautiful and is paired with haunting yet majestic music and sound design; this heart-wrenching story is sure to change your life.

REVOLTING RHYMES

“Revolting Rhymes” (2016) is a two-part British computer-animated fantasy comedy-drama television film written and directed by Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer. “Revolting Rhymes” retells six classic fairy tales, intertwining Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs and Snow White in a distinct and surprising way. A dark, fresh look at these classic fairy tales told through a unique animation style, this film will have you on the edge of your seat.

ERNEST AND CELESTINE

“Ernest & Celestine” is a 2012 animated comedy-drama film directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner.

The film received widespread acclaim and became the first animated film to win the Magritte Award for Best Film, yet the film is not well known among general moviegoers despite its many adoring fans.

This touching story of the unlikely friendship and found family between two misfits, a mouse and a bear, is a beautiful, heartfelt story with amazing watercolor visuals to boot.

Mune: Guardian of the Moon

“Mune: Guardian of the Moon” (2014) is a French animated fantasy film directed by Benoît Philippon and Alexandre Heboyan and written by Jérôme Fansten and Benoît Philippon. Theatrically released in France on Oct. 14, 2015, it received various nominations and eventually won the Young People’s Jury Award at the TIFF Kids International Film Festival and the Best Film Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards.

The criminally under-watched movie tells the story of the Moon’s newly elected guardian, Mune, who must recover the stolen sun. The unique character designs, mix of animation styles, imaginative story and universe design make this film a worthwhile watch.

SONG OF THE SEA

“Song of the Sea” is another Cartoon Saloon movie, but it still deserves a spot on this list. “Song of the Sea” is a 2014 animated fantasy film directed and co-produced by Tomm Moore and written by Will Collins from Moore’s story. The film follows the story of a 10-year-old Irish boy named Ben who discovers his mute sister, Saoirse, is a selkie. Saoirse has to free faerie creatures from the Celtic goddess Macha in an extremely touching story as beautiful as the rest of Cartoon Saloon’s works. “Song of the Sea” also deserves a watch.

DOUKYUSEI -CLASSMATES-

This film will be a familiar title for those in the anime community. “Classmates,” also known as “Doukyusei,” is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Asumiko Nakamura. The series follows the relationship between students Rihito Sajō and Hikaru Kusakabe, who meet while attending an all-boys high school.

“Classmates’” anime film adaption of the first volume of the series, features beautiful animation paired with a passionate love story makes “Doukyusei” a worthwhile watch even for the average American audience.

THE SEA BEAST

“The Sea Beast” is the most recent of the movies on this list, but very few are discussing this film. A 2022 animated adventure film directed by Chris Williams, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nell Benjamin, “The Sea Beast” tells the story of a sea monster hunter and a young orphan girl who joins his crew on their search for an elusive sea-monster known as the Red Bluster. The animation in this film is crisp with a variety of diverse and unique character designs; these endearing characters will enthrall you in their story in no time.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

LAIKA is another animation studio that has gone largely ignored by the general public while having a dedicated fanbase due to its spectacular movies. “Kubo and the Two Strings” is one of its best works, but is lesser known.

The film is directed by Travis Knight with a screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler, “Kubo and the Two Strings” revolves around Kubo, a young boy who wields a magical shamisen (a Japanese stringed instrument) and whose left eye was stolen during infancy.

The stop motion in this film is phenomenal, and the music is masterful. This film is a must-watch for movie-goers everywhere.

SINBAD AND THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS

“Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas” (also known as simply “Sinbad”) is a 2003 American animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. Directed by Tim Johnson and Patrick Gilmore and written by John Logan, the film tells the story of Sinbad, a pirate who travels the sea with his dog and his loyal crew, alongside Marina, the fiancée of his childhood friend Prince Proteus, to recover the stolen Book of Peace from Eris to save Proteus from approving Sinbad’s death sentence. The animation in this film is spectacular, and although it’s a childhood classic for many it is underappreciated.

9

“9” is a 2009 animated science fiction film directed by Shane Acker, written by Pamela Pettler and produced by Jim Lemley, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and Dana Ginsburg. Set in an alternate version of the 1940s, the film follows a rag doll labeled “9” who awakens shortly after the end of mankind following the uprising of machines. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but the incredibly unique characters and storyline make this movie a worthwhile watch for any film fan.