Jan. 17, 2024

Reactions to Athens’ plastic bag ban...pg 6 Hockey takes on Toledo... pg 11 JANUARY 18, 2024

A review of the new “Mean Girls” movie... pg 20

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s c i t s a l p e Th T U O a re

2024-25 FAFSA is officially open ALISON PATTON FOR THE POST Students planning to attend college and current college students usually apply for federal student aid, which typically opens Oct. 1, but due to changes and updates to the application process, the form opened nearly three months later.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, soft-launched an updated application Dec. 31, according to a previous Post report.

The form has been available 24 hours a day since Jan. 8, according to a Department of Education press release.

Ohio University’s Vice President for Enrollment Candace Boeninger said the financial aid process was simplified to cut down on questions, and it should take applicants about an hour to complete.

Application time varies by individual, and while some may see as little as 18 questions, others might see the full 46 — previously being 108 questions — Boeninger said.

The university suggests students fill out the form by Feb. 15 — the first-priority deadline — to be considered for the FAFSA-related awards due to its limited funding, according to a university press release.

One change to the form is the connection with the IRS; previously, it was optional, Boeninger said, but now it’s required. Students have to consent to an IRS data transfer to be eligible to receive financial aid, which transfers the data directly into the application, she said.

Another change is the change from Expected Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index, or SAI. The SAI is a scale rather than a dollar amount, to more accurately reflect the way information is used by institutions for FAFSA, she said.

“Despite the soft launch challenges, some families have already noticed and appreciated important differences,” Boeninger wrote in an email. “The FAFSA user experience has been significantly simplified and streamlined.”

However, some students have mixed experiences — some had longer application times during or around the soft-launch, while others have seen the expected application time.

For applicant Allison Seiter, a freshman studying marketing, the application took about 1.5-2 hours; however, compared to last year, it actually took less time to fill out.

“I feel like we kind of already knew what we needed and (what) to have with us when we filled it out,” Seiter said.

While Seiter didn’t have many issues accessing FAFSA, that wasn’t the case for other students.

2 / JANUARY 18, 2024

Chubb Hall on Ohio University’s College Green, Athens, Aug. 31, 2023. (BECKETT STARK | FOR THE POST)

Olivia Bellamy, a freshman studying marketing and entrepreneurship, tried filling out the application the day after the form was available to students, but she couldn’t access it. She eventually got her FAFSA to work around a week and a half of it being made available.

“We would check it every couple days, and then when we looked at it one day, it let us log on,” Bellamy said.

Once she could access the form, she and her mom filled their portions out and sent it to her dad, who also had trouble accessing it until Tuesday.

Bellamy said she took about 5-7 minutes to fill out her portion, but it took her mom 20 minutes because of the financials.

“I thought it was pretty easy,” Bellamy said. “It didn’t take me that long to fill it out for my portion. My mom did fill out all the financials, and that took longer, but it really wasn’t that big of a hassle.”

Hayley Mitchell, a freshman studying journalism, got the application done all in one sitting with help from her dad. She said her part took about 10-15 minutes, and her dad’s section took about 30-45 minutes.

The pair didn’t have any trouble with the website while filling out the form.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, it's going to take two hours to fill out FAFSA,’ but my dad is also very organized,” Mitchell said. “It doesn't surprise me that he just had everything that he needed at the touch of his fingertips, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's why he filled it out so quickly.”

Boeninger said universities won’t have access to student’s FAFSA information until the end of January.

“Given the scope and scale of changes, it’s important that we proceed carefully in these steps, which are expected to take several weeks and are, of course, subject to any changes in the timeline by the Department

of Education or by Oracle, the provider of our student information system,” Boeninger wrote in an email.

The university expects to have current students’ aid packages available by April, a few weeks later than usual, she said. Prospective students should receive aid packages sometime in March; non-merit-based scholarships that don’t rely on FAFSA were given at the typical time, Dec.1.

The university also announced to students via CatMail that it’s hosting a FAFSA information session at 3 p.m. Jan. 25 in Schoonover Center, room 145.

@ALIPATTON13 AP208619@OHIO.EDU

COVER BY LAUREN ADAMS

OU integrating Canvas this semester SUZANNE PIPER FOR THE POST After 20 years of Blackboard, select Ohio University classrooms welcome a new learning management system, or LMS, Canvas.

Phase 1 of integrating Canvas began during the 2024 Spring Semester, including 90 courses and 55 faculty members implementing the new application fully.

“Students will be able to go to GoOHIO, the app, and click on the Canvas link, so if that opens up for them, they are part of the Phase 1 group,” Senior Director for Teaching and Learning Technologies Eszti Major-Rohrer said. “We have been also communicating with them, so everyone who is in Phase 1 should have gotten messages from both the faculty and us.”

Students have to take a Canvas course to learn the ins and outs and will have support from Canvas itself. Phase 1 expands to regional campuses and online courses, Rohrer said.

“We asked each of the colleges to nominate at least one, maybe two faculty members who will be willing to teach in Canvas in the spring,” she said. “This way, we can have student and faculty feedback about both the preparation and the actual teaching experience and learning experience.”

Ultimately, the motivation for a new learning management system came from a surplus of issues had by students and staff over 20-plus years.

“Over this time, we have had so much feedback from faculty and students about concerns and issues (with Blackboard),” Rohrer said. “‘Why are they not looking at something (different)?’”

She said Canvas was the clear answer after evaluating different systems.

“When you test a system like that, it's of

course not your course, it's not your brand yet, but as they were logging in, they just found it easier to use,” Rohrer said.

Canvas has more to offer compared to Blackboard, like a course calendar to show assignment due dates and teacher evaluations for the end of the semester.

“It's a much more flexible system in terms of that it really allows all of those different (teaching) approaches to be sort of built into the LMS in a more effective way,” Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Sarah Poggione said.

Rohrer and Poggione both agreed that Canvas is more “intuitive” than Blackboard.

“Some people have talked about it being a little bit more intuitive, more like you would think about a website might be used and how you would find things as opposed to this, go into this folder and then go into this folder and then go down into some folders,” Poggione said.

Rohrer said students enrolled in online courses may face more challenges navigating Canvas since those courses heavily rely on learning management systems.

Although the change may be extensive and will take a few weeks to get used to, the academic benefit will outweigh any growing pains during the transition period, Krystal Geyer, associate director for the Center of Entrepreneurship, said.

“I love it so much, I'm a little bit of an (enthusiast) when it comes to Canvas,” Geyer said. “I have been working from both an instructor and a student standpoint in Canvas for about 10 years, and I deeply prefer it to Blackboard.”

Geyer is teaching a Phase 1 course, Introduction to Entrepreneurship, and said she is curious to see how grades will change with Canvas at the end of the semester.

“It is very, very intuitive,“ Geyer said. "It's

Photo illustration of a computer open to Canvas, Jan. 15, 2024. (ALAINA DACKERMANN | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

brighter. It's more colorful; instructors have a lot more personalization capability, I think, in Canvas than Blackboard. Canvas has a really great feature that you can input potential grades, so if you see you have assignments coming up, and you want to factor out like what do I need to get an A, you can do that.”

Rohrer said in a previous Post article, that all courses will implement Canvas by the fall 2026.

@_SUZIEPIPER SP249021@OHIO.EDU

CAMPUS EVENTS Welcome Back to Campus Bobcats!

Social Engagement & Student Org Events

SCAN

Saturday, January 20

Sunday, January 21

String-a-Palooza Gala Concert 7:00-8:00 pm Glidden Hall

Sorority & Fraternity Life Delta Sigma Theta Formal Rush ONLINE EVENT 4:00 - 6:00PM

for more events

Friday, January 19 BOBCAT HOCKEY Morgan’s Message Mental Health Awareness Game Bird Arena 7:00 PM

Guest Recital Alex Wier - Percussion 8:00 - 9:00pm Glidden Recital Hall

SIBS WEEKEND

2024 events

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

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

Athens sister city collaboration heightens PAIGE FISHER NEWS STAFF WRITER The relationship between Athens and its sister city in Ukraine, Ostroh, continues to grow as both cities collaborate on ideas and programs.

The partnership began in June when both cities met over a video conference to sign an agreement to legally mark Ostroh and Athens as sister cities, according to a previous Post report.

The agreement entailed how the two cities planned on supporting each other and exchanging ideas, commerce and other information, Mayor Steve Patterson said.

A few similarities Patterson said he has noticed between the two cities include a forestry program and youth engagement throughout the city.

“I'm fascinated with their forestry conservation program (and) that they have, basically all grade levels that are involved in different ways,” Patterson said.

Sam Crowl, Athens city council president, was the third ward council member at the time the agreement to become sister cities was made official and said he believes the program will help each city learn about the other’s culture.

“Specifically, from a governmental standpoint, it's a way to learn about how our individual cities are run, and I'm really interested in how they do things,” Crowl said.

Crowl said he is hoping to be more involved with the program in his new position by showing support to Ostroh and Ukraine in general during the country’s ongoing war with Russia.

“There's been a number of local organizations which have been trying to get needed goods,” Crowl said. “Trying to get shipping containers of needed supplies, medical supplies, clothing and all sorts of things to physically, materially help them.”

One way Patterson plans on connecting further with Ostroh is through an eight-day visit to Ukraine sometime in February.

“I’m going over so that I can meet the government officials and better understand their commerce, better understand their educational system and better understand the university,” Patterson said.

Patterson will be traveling with Svitlana Ramer, senior communications manager for Ukraine projects at DAI Global, who originally paired Athens and Ostroh within the sister cities program.

"I am actually accompanying Mayor Patterson on the trip to provide logistical support, interpretation support, communication support as well as sort of local context interpretation support," Ramer said.

The trip will include meetings with Os4 / JANUARY 18, 2024

ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR

troh city administration that will revolve around projects and areas of interest within each city. Ramer said the trip will include a meeting at Ostroh Academy where Patterson will give a lecture on local politics.

"We definitely talked a lot about youth and collaboration between the universities but also youth in the communities," Ramer said. "Youth councils working together and sharing respective expertise and how they want things in their different cities and how they do programming."

Both cities also plan to collaborate on projects involving green space and tourism.

"We also identified farm tourism or green tourism as an area that's interesting to both communities and especially things like farmers markets and farm-to-table concepts," Ramer said.

While the mayor is away, Crowl will serve as acting mayor during council meetings.

Councilmember Jeff Risner will take over as acting council president because he is the longest-serving member.

"Nothing will change in terms of what the city needs to get done, and we just hope that the mayor has safe travels and returns and we all get to play the roles that we were elected to," Crowl said.

Upon Patterson's return, he said he plans on bringing some new ideas back to the city government as well as Ohio University.

"After I come back from the trip (I want to meet) with the Student Senate and to see if there's interest in having a subcommittee or a group start to help me cultivate a dialogue between the university students at the Ostroh Academy," Patterson said.

Crowl said he believes the trip will help bring both cities closer together and expects the program will help make the world a smaller place.

"I just feel like humanity needs more communication, more love, outreach and understanding," Crowl said. "Anytime you reach across cultural boundaries to sort of do that, you're helping yourself and you're helping those people who are doing that outreach with, so I just think it makes the world a smaller place."

@PAIGEMAFISHER PF585820@OHIO.EDU

Goats on the loose, illegal drugs found SUZANNE PIPER FOR THE POST Womp, Womp Athens County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team executed a search warrant on Montrose Avenue for trafficking illegal narcotics Thursday.

Investigators found cash, firearms and numerous illegal narcotics in bulk including mushrooms, ecstasy, and LSD. Deputies arrested the man for the trafficking and possession of drugs and further charges will be requested through the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office.

Stranger danger Athens County Deputies responded to a suspicious person report on Keirns Road in Millfield.

The deputies spoke with the “suspicious person” who said he was cutting up fallen trees for firewood.

You can run but you can’t hide Athens County Deputies responded to a tip about a female with several warrants in The Plains.

The female was arrested and transported to O’Bleness for medical clearance. She was then taken to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.

Thank you, deputies Athens County Deputies assisted the Nelsonville Police Department with a male threatening suicide on state Route 78 in Butchel.

Deputies entered his home to assist with his injuries and was transported to the hospital.

Ouch Athens County Deputies responded to an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound on Spring Street.

The individual was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Get your own Athens County Deputies received a tip of the whereabouts of a stolen vehicle.

The vehicle was located and charges are pending.

That’s one way A domestic dispute was reported in Glouster to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.

While deputies were en route, the suspect took pills and was transported to O’Bleness by ambulance.

The suspect will be charged.

Sharing is not caring A possible stolen vehicle was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office on Gun Club Road in New Marshfield.

Deputies recovered a work truck that was found in the woods and returned to its owner.

This is jumping to conclusions Athens County Deputies responded to a male wanting to report his vehicle stolen on Harmony Road.

Deputies were informed his wife had taken the vehicle and no further action was taken.

You’re just going to leave it there?

Athens County Deputies responded to an abandoned vehicle on Mill Creek Road.

The vehicle was disabled and later towed off the roadway after deputies were unable to locate the owner.

You’ve got (no) mail A stolen mailbox was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office on Sand Ridge Road.

Deputies attempted to locate the suspect with no further updates.

Hello, it’s me A telecommunications harassment complaint was reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim had blocked the numbers that were calling them and the information was logged.

Keep your hands to yourself Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a dispute on Oak Street in The Plains.

The individuals had engaged in a physical fight and both parties received citations for disorderly conduct by fighting.

Goats on the loose!

Athens County Deputies were dispatched to Biddyville Road over a complaint of goats on the road.

Deputies were unable to locate the goats and they contacted the goat owners to let them know.

Verizon is your friend Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Connett Road in Nelsonville for two 911 hang-up calls.

The homeowner stated that her phone had been acting up and the calls were accidental.

Poor puppy A stray dog and possible neglect of other dogs were reported to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies transported the stray dog to the shelter and informed the case to the Athens County dog warden.

The dog warden found that the other dogs were in no immediate danger.

@_SUZIEPIPER SP249021@OHIO.EDU

Money, Money, Money Ohio University Police Department reported a theft at Nelson Commons.

The report was thievery of money from another student’s wallet.

Not cool man A report was taken by the Ohio University Police Department for the destruction of property at Sargent Hall.

A student was reported for damaging an exit sign in the building.

Maybe in a few years Ohio University Police Department issued a court summons to a student for underage offenses at Morton Hall.

The underage student consumed an intoxicating beverage and possessed a fake I.D. card.

An Ohio University Police Department patrol car sits in front of Baker Center in Athens, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2023. (JACK TATHAM | FOR THE POST)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

Hello Athens, We’re Rumpke Waste & Recycling and We Can’t Wait to Serve You!

Eco-friendly future: Celebrating benefits of Athens’ plastic bag ban ABREANNA BLOSE CULTURE STAFF WRITER

On January 2, 2024, Rumpke Waste & Recycling will start collecting trash, recycling and compost from homes in Athens. We’re thrilled to serve you and would like to introduce ourselves and let you know what you can expect from us.

More than 90 years ago the Rumpke Family began picking up trash for Ohio families.

Today, that tradition continues. Founded on the core values of teamwork, quality, perseverance, growth and responsibility, Rumpke is determined to bring the best service solutions to Athens.

Our local team of more than 50 people will service the area from our hauling offices in Nelsonville. If you want to be part of our team, Rumpke is hiring. If you’re interested, please apply at Rumpke.com. We offer paid training and free CDL certification.

While Rumpke may have gotten its start in Cincinnati, we are proud to be an active corporate citizen in both Athens and Hocking counties. We own and operate the AthensHocking Landfill. In fact, all trash collected in Athens will be disposed there. Meanwhile, Rumpke will continue to take recycling and compost to the Athens-Hocking Recycling for processing. We look forward to working toward helping meet the community’s sustainability goals.

We thank you for the opportunity to service your homes and businesses here in Athens, and we are beyond proud to do it!

Open the camera on your phone and scan this QR Code for information about your new Rumpke service. Watch your mailbox for more details in the coming weeks.

6 / JANUARY 18, 2024

With the new year came a new wave of sustainability in Athens. Residents and students can be spotted walking out of grocery stores and retail shops holding reusable tote bags or brown paper bags, but there are no single-use plastic bags in sight.

The city of Athens officially implemented a single-use plastic bag ban Jan. 1. An ordinance to reduce single-use plastic was introduced by councilmember Alan Swank and passed unanimously May 1, 2023.

The initiative to ban single-use plastic bags started with dedication and a community organization, Athens ReThink Plastics.

According to Melanie Moynan-Smith, a member of Athens ReThink Plastics, the group began in 2019 to educate the public about the health and environmental hazards of single-use plastics.

“Our lobbying efforts helped persuade Athens City Council to draft and eventually adopt the single-use plastic bag ban,” Moynan-Smith wrote in an email.

According to Moynan-Smith, leading up to the ban, Athens ReThink Plastics visited 90 local businesses, providing information and distributing stickers for business entryways that read, “Wait! Remember, Bring in Your Bags.” The organization has visited local food pantries, homeless shelters and free meal sites and has set up booths outside stores and events, giving out nearly 3,000 upcycled reusable bags.

“They did a really great job of telling the story and educating the public,” Swank said.

Celia Hawk, a sophomore studying environmental studies, said Athens ReThink Plastics and Athen’s plastic bag ban have been inspirational. Just last semester, Hawk helped to found the Ohio University chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a campaign of young people helping to combat the climate crisis.

“I’m really glad that they’ve been able to go so far with their efforts and I think it’s really inspiring, especially since I co-started the Sunrise Movement on campus,” Hawk said. “I hope to make as much progress as they’ve been able to make.”

Hawk hopes the Athens ban will set a precedent for other cities across the state and bring about further single-use plastic bans.

Plastic bags were not widely used in America until 1979, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Hawk is confident people can adapt to the ban, returning to a reality where single-use plastic bags are not the default.

With the plastic bag ban officially in effect, Swank said the process has been fulfilling. He noted benefits would include less strain on natural resources and less litter within the city of Athens.

“Probably the greatest reward is seeing more and more people every day, actually bring their own bags to the stores, and then carry their groceries home that way,” Swank said.

Despite enthusiasm from advocates and officials, there have been concerns raised by local business owners. Swank said to aid small businesses in the transition from plastic to plastic-free, the city has set up a $5,000 fund to assist with the transition.

Additionally, the state of Ohio has raised concerns about the constitutionality of the plastic bag ban.

The Ohio Attorney General's office filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Athens on Dec. 27, stating the single-use plastic bag ban, “violates the Ohio Constitution, infringes on the rights of its citizens, and causes irreparable harm” and “will be detrimental to the City’s stores and vendors.”

Until a resolution is met, the ban is still in effect. Athens ReThink Plastics and officials are celebrating the new policy while addressing concerns.

“We are taking a positive approach when dealing with public concerns, seeking to provide easily understandable explanations for why it’s good to eliminate single-use plastic bags,” Moyan-Smith wrote in an email. “We see this as a first step toward a healthier, sustainable world for future generations.”

@ABBYBLOSEE AB532721@OHIO.EDU

ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR

Transfer tales: embracing change at OU HANNAH CAMPBELL PROJECTS EDITOR A new semester at Ohio University brings new friends, classes and activities. While many students are returning to their old routines, transfer students are being introduced to a brand-new campus for the first time.

The number of transfer students at OU differs from year to year. According to transfer admission records, over 300 transfer students were admitted and enrolled in Fall 2022. From academic programs to social life aspects, students transfer schools for a variety of reasons.

Grace Duchon, a sophomore studying outdoor recreation and education, started her first week of classes at OU after transferring from the College of Wooster. She initially started there because of its swim team but didn’t like how small the population of the college was.

She began looking at other schools across the country and chose OU because of its outdoor recreation program and proximity to Hocking Hills. She said she knew other students before moving in, but would also need to adapt to a new campus.

“It’s always going to be a transition when you’re going from place to place,” Duchon said. “So, that was an adjustment.”

Similar to Duchon, sophomore Cydney Platt also transferred to OU in the fall of 2023 because of the campus size and academic programs. Initially starting at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Platt didn’t like how large the campus was. She decided to transfer to OU’s music therapy program after touring the campus.

“OU has that big city feeling on campus, but it is a very small town,” Platt said. “You can be walking down the street and see somebody you know. That just wasn’t something I was getting at my last school.”

Ben Emery, a junior studying business

economics, also enjoyed the social aspect of campus life after transferring from Columbus State Community College. He said he started at community college to save money, then transferred after two years.

“I wanted a full college experience,” Emery said. “I met a few friends at Columbus State but there isn’t much campus life.”

Emery initially wanted to attend Ohio State University but fell in love with OU’s campus while visiting to attend the CAAMP concert. Emery also had friends on campus before moving in and joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

After he was admitted into OU, Emery said the biggest struggle was transferring his class credits from Columbus State. He said there were some credits that didn’t transfer correctly because of the different program requirements.

Platt said the process of transferring credits from her previous college to OU was easy. However, she was required to live in a

dorm for the academic year because she did not live in campus housing for two years.

“It gives me the opportunity to have my own space, since I would have been living in an apartment had I completed that second year,” Platt said. “It’s a great way to make friends and have my own space without having to worry about finding housing in a place that I’m not familiar with.”

Platt’s advice to current and future transfer students is to be thoughtful about the process.

“Make sure that when you’re going to school, whether that’s at OU or somewhere, make sure that you feel comfortable on campus and that it’s really a place where you can see yourself,” Platt said. “Take a while to think about it.”

@HANNAHCMPBELL HC895819@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

OU alum has ‘got the magic in him’ ALYSSA CRUZ CULTURE EDITOR Magic and magic shows have been a common form of entertainment for centuries. Whether the goal of the show is to horrify, surprise or amuse, the overarching purpose is for the attendees to leave with a sense of awe.

This is the goal of magician Jake Lundgren. Lundgren is a recent graduate of Ohio University, receiving a degree in integrated social studies education in May 2022. Now, a teacher at Northeastern High School in Springfield, Lundgren spends his days teaching his students about checks and balances and civil liberties. When he’s not teaching or participating in the many school organizations he is a part of, chances are he is either preparing for or performing a magic show.

Lundgren said he began to get into magic when he was in eighth grade and has remained passionate about it ever since. Inspired by a local magician, he said practicing magic helped him in other aspects of his life.

“I really think magic has so many other areas that can carry into your life,” he said. “For example, I was really shy, and with magic being a performance art, it forces you to get out there and engage and perform. We all grow when we’re uncomfortable and magic was this area where I was like, ‘I’m really uncomfortable, but I have this hobby.’”

Originally from Pickerington, Lundgren said it was an asset being close to Columbus, a hub for magic. The city is hosting the annual Magifest next week, where performers from all over the world come to teach, lecture and entertain.

This year will be Lundgren’s tenth year attending the convention, working as the stage manager. He said he got involved with the event as a teenager when he was unable

8 / JANUARY 18, 2024

Jake Lundgren, an OU alum, performs for a sold-out show at P3 Magic Theater in Columbus. Photo provided.

to afford a ticket and reached out to the organizer to offer to work in exchange for the registration fee. Lundgren’s ambition was rewarded, with that original offer going strong for a decade.

“It has been such a rewarding experience and such a great way to make connections,” he said.

Another member of the robust magic scene, the P3 Magic Theater, holds a special spot in Lundgren’s career. He grew up attending the weekly shows put on by a wide range of magicians, many of them from other parts of the world.

In a full circle moment, Lundgren headlined two sold-out shows at the theater earlier this month.

“It really hit home,” he said.

Lundgren said his mission as a magician is to help perpetuate a positive association with magic shows and one that keeps viewers coming back.

“Most people see one, two, maybe three magic shows in their life,” he said. “So if you watch one bad magic show, you go, ‘Well, magic sucks.’ Whereas if you see a bad concert, you’re like, ‘Well, I don’t care for that artist.’ Because it’s such a small group, it’s so easy for us to get turned off by what magic and magicians can be. I think it’s our job to teach people how to appreciate magic.”

Regarding combining his two passions of teaching and magic, Lundgren said the two are not mutually exclusive. He said he is always using skills he has developed as a magician in the classroom.

“Teaching and magic go so hand in hand because teaching is a performance art,” he said.

He also said he likes to think of his class as a show be-

cause the best learning happens when the students are engaged.

“In order to create good information, there has to be a degree of entertainment happening,” he said. “I got into education because it’s as much fun as I make it. If we show up every day and the buy-in is ‘we’re going to have so much fun today,’ not only does it make it a better experience for me but for the kids too.”

As for his future career plans, Lundgren said he is hopeful to keep performing but does not have a desire to abandon his role as a teacher.

“I love magic, but I think, ‘if I have to purchase my food by doing shows, how much longer does this become this joyous thing?’” he said, laughing.

Lundgren, like many performers, said his main goal is to make sure the audience walks away with a fun memory.

“Magic is the only type of performance art where you need the audience,” he said. “You can play a beautiful symphony in your bedroom, you can paint the most beautiful masterpiece in a studio but magic can’t happen unless someone else is perceiving it.”

@ALYSSADANCCRUZ AC974320@OHIO.EDU

Athens citizens assist newcomers seeking refuge DISHA HOQUE FOR THE POST

A

thens County Sponsor Circle, also known as ACSC, helps refugees from around the world adjust to life in the U.S. through support in many different forms.

The organization initially started as a small act of good by a group of friends from Amesville, Ohio.

Founders George Wood and Marcia Burchby were inspired to start ACSC after the couple heard a story on NPR detailing the federal government’s decision to allow private individuals to sponsor refugees. Eager to help support the influx of newcomers to the U.S., Wood and Burchby felt called to action.

“We gathered up some of our best friends and said, ‘Hey, do you guys want to do this with us?’ And everybody we asked said, ‘Yes, count me in,’” said Burchby. “We really did not know what we were getting into at that time, it’s much bigger and more complex than we ever imagined.”

Burchby, Wood and other volunteers began their journey of helping newcomers by opening a chapter of the Sponsor Circle together in Athens County.

The Sponsor Circle Program is a national initiative allowing groups and individuals to form regional Sponsor Circles and support U.S. newcomers by offering guidance, temporary housing credits and eligible benefits. The program allows volunteers to run ACSC as a nonprofit organization.

Since first beginning to sponsor newcomers in April 2022, ACSC has been able to welcome and sponsor 27 individuals and families and plans to maintain that stride through the new year.

Supporting refugees comes in various forms and methods that could be potentially unexpected. From filling out paperwork to identify an individual or family seeking refuge to covering travel costs, sponsoring newcomers usually begins

Neighbors come and help translate, invite (sponsored newcomers) to parties, take them to the library, invite them over for Christmas Eve and support them financially. It’s a whole county-wide effort.”

- George Wood, ACSC co-founder

before they set foot on U.S. soil.

ACSC has sponsored newcomers from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Nicaragua since its opening. Sponsored families often follow very different paths once arriving in the U.S. ACSC has helped families settle in Athens, relocate elsewhere in the U.S. and return to their home countries.

Other citizens of Athens County have also aided in this effort to welcome newcomers to the region.

“All of Athens County has been supportive of these folks,” Wood said. “Neighbors come and help translate, invite (sponsored newcomers) to parties, take them to the library, invite

them over for Christmas Eve and support them financially.

It’s a whole county-wide effort.”

From driving newcomers to a dentist appointment to helping set up bank accounts and handling travel funds, medical expenses and school enrollment, ACSC volunteers work to accommodate and help relocated individuals settle and flourish in a new atmosphere.

Ryan Tevis, a board member of ACSC, mentioned that the aid provided to newcomers is often beyond physical support.

“The biggest thing is just reassuring people that are in need there are people out there that care about them and want to help them, whatever that help might constitute,” Tevis said. “It might be a permanent place to live and a new community for them to thrive, or just a place to rest for a few months.”

In December, recent newcomer Azalea Suarez held a “Taste of Nicaragua” dinner and hopes to open a restaurant similar to the one she had in Nicaragua. Azalea and her family have been living in Athens and learning English through the assistance of ACSC. Through the Sponsor Circle, Wood and other ACSC volunteers hope to help newcomers become independent and comfortable with their jobs and homes in the U.S. With opportunities to donate, volunteer or offer kindness and support, ACSC has multiple ways to assist newcomers in the Athens region on its website.

“Many issues seem far away from home, and you can feel helpless or hopeless,” said Wood. “We can’t change the entire refugee situation, but we can make life better for some people.”

@DISHAHOQUE05 DH390522@OHIO.EDU

Photos provided by Sponsor Circle

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Ohio embraces challenge of having new leaders to guide young roster MARC GOLDSTEIN FOR THE POST In college athletics, it is imperative for teams to have leadership in the locker room, on bus rides and at practices. These leaders act as secondary coaches who assist the team by advising and showing some younger athletes how to properly function as college athletes. In wrestling, Ohio has experienced a renaissance with two of its most successful wrestlers providing the lessons passed down to them to the next crop of wrestlers.

Zayne Lehman and Peyten Kellar both made the NCAA Championships last season.

The experience that each gained by being at the highest level of competition in the sport has helped them bestow wisdom on some of the younger wrestlers on the roster.

“They see one of us going to (NCAAs); it makes (the younger guys) want to train with us,” Kellar said. “I like to see that training with us makes them better.”

Lehman echoes the sentiment, saying that the work the older guys put in proves that the coaching staff's methods work and that putting in the hard work results in achieving goals.

While Kellar is a much more soft-spoken leader and allows his wrestling to do the talking, Lehman is very vocal with the team.

He is the first one that his teammates, both young and old, look to in times of need. One of the two team captains (Lehman shares the title with Sal Perrine) for Ohio, Lehman is entrusted as something of a player-coach at times.

One of the biggest things that Lehman thinks of when considering his leadership style is making sure he is putting his best effort forward.

“In high school, you can slip up some days … maybe have it swept under the rug,” Lehman said. “But in college, if you have a bad day, it is very noticeable. It’s out there; guys are going to notice it really easily. Those bad days rub off on other people and those are excuses for them to let them have a bad day themselves. So, I just try to avoid those types of days.”

One of the people who showed Lehman and Kellar the way was Alec Hagan. Though he has since graduated, Hagan was a rock for Ohio during his six seasons wearing the green and white. According to Lehman, Hagan was “one of the guys I looked up to tremendously and took me under his wing right away.”

Hagan is not the only source for some of the athletes looking for advice on how to best lead the team; Kellar says that he also 10 / JANUARY 18, 2024

Ohio University wrestler, Zayne Lehman, stands for a portrait in the Convo, Jan. 17, 2024. (MEGAN VANVLACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

talks to coaches Joel Greenlee and Cody Walters, as well as his teammates.

Although it can be tough to ask peers for advice, Lehman and Kellar both mention that admitting they don't know something is not a sign of weakness. In fact, Lehman says that in his early years, he looked up to his roommate to push him.

“My roommate, (Sal) Perrine, did a lot of the right things,” Lehman said. “He was a MAC finalist and he made it to the national tournament his freshman year. That rubbed off on me.”

Kellar is very blunt when he talks about what he wants to see from the team's younger members.

“I just want people to work hard and give it their all every day in practice,” Kellar said.

“That's all you can ask for.”

Lehman and Kellar are both experienced enough to understand that there are times in

the season when it becomes almost a chore to have to continue a grueling routine of lifting, eating, practicing and doing everything while being a full-time student.

“Some days, it’s not easy and it’s dragging,” Lehman said. “It can feel like it is never going to end, but it is something we are here for because we love it. I just want them to really enjoy it, but work as hard as possible because there’s always another guy working harder than you and coming for your back every second.”

Both Kellar and Lehman admit that while they are growing into their leadership roles, they must remember to focus on themselves.

Kellar has started his season off strong, rising to become the No. 13 wrestler in the country in the 157-pound class. However, he understands that his strong start still has room for improvement.

Similarly, Lehman thinks that he could

have done a bit better to start his season, but he refuses to use the fact that he is team captain for the first time as an excuse. Lehman, like many of his teammates, has been a regular in the national rankings, setting himself up for a return to the NCAA Championships.

The team has bigger aspirations than simply sending wrestlers to The Big Dance.

The Bobcats are looking to win their first Mid-American Conference title in 23 years and reestablish Ohio as a powerhouse in the conference and country.

“I feel like we’ve got a pretty good team,” Kellar said. “We have a lot of potential. We just have to keep working hard and we will have success in the end.”

@MBGOLDSTEIN1107 MG126321@OHIO.EDU

Ohio holds 3-win streak entering the weekend MAGGIE ALLWEIN FOR THE POST Following its win at Pitt and the clean sweep against Oswego, Ohio currently holds a three-game win streak that they don’t intend to break.

Ohio is sitting at 15-6-4 this season and keeping in mind its future competitor, its increase in the rankings may only continue.

This weekend, Ohio will take on Toledo.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming games: Series Information: Opponent: Toledo (6-12-1) Date and Time: Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m.

Location: Bird Ice Arena History: Ohio and Toledo have not gone head-to-head yet this season. However, last season the Bobcats took home both wins from their two-game series. The Bobcats won the two games by a combined score of 14-2.

Statistical Leaders: Total points: Riley Nadeau (24) Goals: Anthony Oviedo (13) Assists: Nadeau (14) Penalty minutes: Trevor Stokes 80 Player to Watch: Trevor Stokes, totaling 80 minutes of penalty time this season, is a player to be on the lookout for. Ohio’s leaders in penalty minutes are Spencer Schons and Luc Reeves, each totaling 52 this season so far and trailing almost 30 minutes behind Stokes. If the Bobcats intend to take the wins this series, they’ll have to keep a clear focus on skating, as opposed to being sidetracked by wasting penalty minutes on an aggressive player.

@MAGGIEALLWEIN24 MA417020@OHIO.EDU

Forward Jack Glen (24) tries to score against Kent State at Bird Arena in Athens, Ohio Dec. 8, 2023 (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

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MACADEMICS

SCRIPPS IN D.C. OU graduation and retention rates rank ALEX IMWALLE INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR

O

hio University stands in the top percentile of Mid-American Conference graduation and retention rates.

With an average graduation rate of 66.18% over the past four admission years on record, OU ranks third in the MAC. Additionally, the university ranks second in retention rate with an average of 80.77% from the previous four years on record.

Though it has the least amount of recent data from the included universities, only providing three of the previous five years in consideration, Miami University ranks first in both categories by a wide margin.

Out of the 12 colleges that fall under the MAC, 10 provide recently verified data on their respective graduation rates publicly online. Just nine provide statistics relating to retention rates from recent years.

Accepting Applications

SUMMER SEMESTER 2024 OPEN TO ALL UNDERGRADUATE SCRIPPS MAJORS & MINORS For Information Email  Hebah Abdalla Lehmann abdallah@ohio.edu

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thepostathens.com 12 / JANUARY 18, 2024

The following graduation statistics are determined by taking the percentage of students from each admission class (2013-2017) who graduated within a six-year span. Those are the most recent admission years possible to consider, as sixth-year students from the 2017 admission class graduated Spring Semester 2023.

The following retention statistics are determined by taking the percentage of students from each admission class (2018-2022) who returned the following fall. Those are the most recent admission years possible to consider, as the 2022 admission class retention rate could be first recorded Fall Semester 2023.

The graphs below pull published data from official university websites. Ball State University and Northern Illinois University (along with the retention rates from Buffalo University) are not included in the below graphs due to a lack of verifiable data within the relevant years.

S: BY THE NUMBERS

high among fellow Mid-American Conference universities

@ALEXIMWALLE AI687120@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

Ohio’s depth proves key in conference victory ROBERT KEEGAN III SPORTS EDITOR Ohio (8-9, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) entered its matchup with Central Michigan (8-9, 3-2 MAC) at an underwhelming 1-3 conference record to start MAC action. Not only that, but Ohio also entered the game with two of its most impactful starters, AJ Brown and Elmore James, sidelined due to injuries.

In their absence, Ohio found a way to come through with one of its most dominant victories this season by a margin of 73-61.

James, who was injured in Ohio’s game against Western Michigan over the weekend, was the team's top rebounder and also contributed 12.3 points per game so far this season. On the other hand, AJ Brown has already missed a handful of games for the Bobcats and has officially been ruled out for the season.

“Multiple guys have to replace (James); you’re not going to replace (his production) with one guy,” Ohio coach Jeff Boals said.

While Aidan Hadaway has already stepped into a starting role for the injured AJ Brown, the veteran Miles Brown found his way back into the starting lineup against Central Michigan in place of the injured James.

“This is my fifth year; I’ve been in just about every position that you can imagine,” Miles Brown said. “From being hurt on the sideline to coming off the bench to starting, I mean, this has been like a little rollercoaster, but I’m ready whenever my number is called.”

Miles Brown is a fifth-year senior for Ohio who has seen playing time all five years of his Ohio career. Miles Brown was a starter on opening night for the Bobcats before suffering an injury in the season's first game. The guard has seen considerable playing time since his return off the bench against Defiance, but it wasn’t until Tuesday night that he found himself back in the starting lineup.

Miles Brown delivered a big game for the Bobcats with 17 points, including 13 first-half points en route to a 12-point halftime lead for the team.

“I think this is the healthiest that he’s been all year,” Boals said. “He’s a fifth-year senior; he’s been in our program the longest.

We definitely needed his output tonight, and I thought he was really good on both ends.”

Coming out of halftime, while the offense kept pace, it was the defense that propelled the team to victory.

Central Michigan's 61 points are the fewest that Ohio has allowed in a MAC game this 14 / JANUARY 18, 2024

Miles Brown (2) during the Men's basketball game against Troy University, Nov. 8, 2023, in The Convo. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

season. That defensive effort would not have been the same without the likes of Hadaway, who has also been thrust into a new role this season.

“I got to give a lot to my teammates; they pass me the ball at the right times,” Hadaway said. “I’m not the craftiest player, but I get in the right spots and try to capitalize off of that.”

Eight players saw time for Ohio against Central Michigan, with 3 players coming in off the bench in relief of the 5 starters.

Ajay Sheldon has also stepped up as one of Ohio’s top scorers off the bench over the last couple of games, while players like Miles

Brown and Hadaway see time in the starting lineup.

Sheldon has shot 52% from the 3-point line so far this season and has averaged 7.6 points per game in conference play.

With AJ Brown out for the season and no announced timetable for the injured James, players like Miles Brown, Hadaway and

Sheldon will have to continue to step up for Ohio to succeed in the competitive MAC. “The eight guys who played, they’re going to be the eight guys playing moving forward,” Boals said. “I thought all three guys off the bench contributed in different ways, it might not be scoring but it might be a defensive stop or rebounding a 50/50 ball, and they play for each other. I thought it was a great game without Elmore (James) being in there.”

@ROBERTKEEGAN_ BK272121@OHIO.EDU

Ohio’s dominant first half leads to win over Central Michigan

Miles Brown (2) looks to pass the ball during the Men's basketball game against Troy University, Nov. 8, 2023, in The Convo. (ETHAN HERX | FOR THE POST)

BOBBY GORBETT SPORTS EDITOR Ohio (8-9, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) picked up a much-needed 73-61 home MAC win on Tuesday night over Central Michigan (8-9, 3-2 MAC) behind a season-high 17-point performance from Miles Brown and a gamehigh 19-point outing from Jaylin Hunter.

Although any win over an above .500 MAC opponent is impressive, to do so without AllMAC guards Elmore James and AJ Brown is one of Ohio's more impressive feats of the season.

With one of the team's best perimeter defenders, Miles Brown, in the starting lineup, the Bobcats were able to neutralize the Chippewas' offensive attack early and often.

Ohio allowed just 3 points through the first 5 minutes of the game.

Not long thereafter, Ohio's offense matched its defense's effectiveness. Brown scored 6 straight points early in the game to

give the team the lead, and senior guard Jaylin Hunter extended the lead with the first 3-point jumper for Ohio.

Brown made his fourth basket in the game's opening 10 minutes on a 3-point jumper, giving Ohio an early 18-9 lead.

Right after Brown extended the Bobcat lead to 9 points, Ajay Sheldon came up with potentially the most resounding block of his Ohio career when he lept up and emphatically swatted a potential Central Michigan layup out of bounds.

The Chippewas appeared to get back in the game with 5 straight points, but the Bobcats surmounted their longest-scoring run with 13 unanswered points.

The scoring run included 5 points from starter Aidan Hadaway, most notably a 3-point jumper converted off a turnover.

Ohio continued its hot start in the remaining minutes of the second half, but a Central Michigan buzzer-beating midrange jumper cut Ohio's lead to 40-28 at halftime.

Ohio's offense didn't slow down in the second half. Shereef Mitchell and Hunter combined for 5 points in the first 34 seconds of the second half to give Ohio a 17-point lead.

Although Ohio's shooting was a bit inconsistent as the second half progressed, the team's defensive effort never faded. While the Chippewas still shot a respectable 40% from the field, its proficiency on the glass was the key to the Bobcats' defensive success.

Hadaway knows the team hasn't been as good as it has wanted to be early in the season on the defensive glass, but Tuesday's performance showed improvement.

"Obviously, our defensive rebounding, that's been a weakness for us pretty much all season," Hadaway said. "This was a good start for us."

Central Michigan only had six offensive rebounds and, because of this, only managed three second-chance points.

Ohio's defensive presence loomed large in the game's final 10 minutes. Even as Ohio had started to cool off offensively, the team's defense never let Central Michigan get closer than 10 points within its lead.

After both teams went through several scoring droughts, Ohio broke through with back-to-back buckets to take a comfortable 14-point lead with 2 minutes to go.

Ohio finished the game with a 73-61 win.

Thanks to impressive individual efforts from Miles Brown and Hunter, Ohio was able to grab what is potentially its biggest win of the season so far, even without one of its leading scorers and leading rebounder Elmore James.

“This is a brotherhood," Miles Brown said.

"One person goes down; everybody steps up."

Hunter led all scorers with 19 points, while Miles Brown didn't trail far behind with 17 of his own. Although Gabe Wiznitzer and AJ Clayton combined for 11 points, their impact won't show up on the stat sheet. The two centers combined to hold Central Michigan center Markus Harding scoreless for only the second time all season.

As disappointing as some of Ohio's close losses have been, the team's goals are still in front of it just five games through conference play. According to Ohio Coach Jeff Boals, the key will be to stay as one as a team.

"I'm proud of our guys," Boals said. "I think we just continue to build, continue to stay positive, continue to stay together and go day by day."

@GORBETTBOBBY BG238320@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

What Trump winning the Iowa caucus could mean for the 2024 election

Claire Schiopota Donald Trump is taking the lead by winning in the Iowa caucuses, setting him up for a 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Unfortunately, the former president’s involvement with the Jan. 6 insurrection could hold him back from success.

Iowa is the first state to hold a presidential nominating contest in 2024, according to CBS News. The state sets a precedent for which political candidates could win their parties’ nomination for president. Iowa holds caucuses, rather than primaries; this means Iowa’s parties run the nomination process, rather than the state overall.

The Associated Press reports Trump took home the most votes, with Republican candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley following with much lower numbers. It seems that the former president is shaping up for a rematch against incumbent Joe Biden.

Some states are taking action to avoid this election deja vu. It all began with the Dec. 19 Colorado Supreme Court ruling declaring Trump ineligible for the presidency under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removing him from the state’s presidential primary ballot. According to the Associated Press, the ruling had been controversial as Democrat governors appointed the justices who made the decision.

It is still unclear what the result of this ruling will be, as The New York Times reports the U.S. Supreme Court plans to hear an appeal of the ruling with arguments scheduled for Feb. 8. It’s worth noting Trump’s name will still appear on Colorado’s primary ballots. It’s unclear how the appeal will result 16 / JANUARY 18, 2024

based on the current U.S. Supreme Court justices and their past rulings.

Once this decision was made, though, other states began to follow in Colorado’s footsteps. Maine is in the same place as Colorado — waiting for the Supreme Court decision — following a declaration from Maine’s secretary of state on Dec. 28, as reported by CBS News.

Challenges are pending at different court levels in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Many other states have tried to start movements, but these challenges were dismissed.

Ohio has not come into the conversation at all yet.

If Trump is to be removed from the ballot in some states, this could mean he would be unable to gain enough votes to win the presidency. In light of this, the Republican party may choose to go with another candidate, like Haley or DeSantis.

As the country waits to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court, Haley and DeSantis will continue to battle for runner-up in the New Hampshire primary, which follows the Iowa caucuses. Reuters reports the Jan. 23 primary could see different results from those in Iowa based on voter demographics.

Although the 2024 election is months away, the country will see results in primaries and caucuses that could determine the presidential candidates now. This unprecedented process could mean wildly different futures for the American people and will be worth a watch as Feb. 8 approaches.

Claire Schiopota is a senior studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want Claire to cover a certain topic or talk about her column? Email her at cs123719@ohio.edu or tweet her @CSchiopota.

Elyria Police dodging responsibility in misguided raid

Megan Diehl Sometimes you see a headline and cannot help but wonder, “How did that even happen?” This was my reaction to reading an Associated Press article about Elyria police raiding the wrong home and putting a 17-month-old in the ICU. Every time police make a “mistake” there is a chorus of how difficult their jobs are and that they deserve a little more sympathy and understanding. The problem is, if you are in a job where you carry a gun, use

flashbangs on civilians and can legally break into their homes, you do not get the luxury and privilege of making mistakes.

In this case, police broke into the home by using a flashbang to break a window where the toddler slept. The child’s mother — and only other person home during the raid — Courtney Price said her son, who was already on a ventilator, was hospitalized for burns and diagnosed with chemical pneumonitis because of the chemicals released by flashbangs.

Price and her son, Waylon, were at Price’s aunt’s rental home. Police were looking for stolen guns and a suspect who had not lived in the home for over a year. In the body cam footage, the police wait about 10 seconds between identifying themselves, knocking and busting the door down. Although it's still unclear who said it, someone can be heard saying, “It's the wrong house,” before they entered.

This happened when Uvalde, Texas, police chief Pete Arredondo failed to take any action to save the children bleeding out on the other side of the wall during the Robb Elementary School shooting.

This happened when Breonna Taylor’s apartment was wrongfully raided and she was shot and killed by police in her own

home.

Maybe if the police did something other than double down with the almost laughably tone-deaf “thin blue line” movement in response to the brazen murder of George Floyd at the knees of the police, I would be saying something different. But one thing has been made clear over the past few years in terms of police culture: in their minds, cops can do no wrong.

Even when it's painfully obvious that someone screwed up, they will stand with each other instead of those they have vowed to protect.

The Elyria Police Department, or EPD, released a statement denying the child sustained any visible injuries from the flashbang, insinuating the mother was lying, and said the address for the warrant was correct. However, there was no acknowledgment that although the address may have been correct, the detective work that led to said address was sapped in negligence.

In fact, they felt the need to explain that Price didn’t have a car seat for her child in the press release in what seemed to be an attempt to cast her in a bad light to distract from the actual major problem at hand.

Although there is still a lot of information to come, the fact of the matter is that the

EPD made a blatant mistake that could have ended much worse than it did. Its response is reflective of not only a problem within the culture of the EPD, but also of something much greater brewing in police departments across the country. The EPD needs to admit to botched, negligent detective work to regain the trust of its community.

Megan Diehl is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Megan? Email her at md396520@ohio.edu.

New Year's resolutions need to change

Quinn Elfers We are already 1/24 of the way through 2024 — isn’t that fun? Despite having been through only 18 days of the year, I bet most of you have already ditched your New Year’s resolutions. If you have not yet, don’t worry, you will. According to Forbes, only 6% of people stick with their resolutions through-

out the year, while 44% of people tend to give up their goals within the first two to three months.

I understand the idea of “New Year, New Me!” I just think many go about the process incorrectly. Most set vague goals that don’t necessarily have a set ending such as “I want to go to the gym more” or “I want to eat better,” which are goals that will more than likely end up failing due to not setting a habit that is easy to measure and track.

A much better resolution would be “I want to go to the gym five times a week” or “I want to eat a salad as one of my main meals” because those resolutions detail how to measure the objective which makes it much easier to stay motivated compared to those that don’t clearly state an objective.

My biggest resolution this year is to cut out fast food, which may not seem hard at first but with my eating habits, it feels daunting, to say the least. How am I supposed to go from devouring Wendy’s burgers on the daily to cutting out fast food as a whole? It may help that Wendy’s inflated the price of its Biggie Bag again, but that reso-

lution seems impossible due to my constant eating of it. That’s why I’m not cutting out fast food entirely.

My actual resolution is to only indulge in fast food once every two weeks. It sets a clear goal for me to achieve and it gets me looking forward to a little holiday I made for myself.

If you made a resolution that feels impossible to accomplish this year, alter it.

Make it to where you still get enjoyment out of the guilty pleasure you’re cutting out but at a much more frequent rate.

The same rules apply to going to the gym five times a week. If you can’t see yourself partaking in that endeavor, then go to the gym three times a week and replace the other two days with walking or biking — as long as you’re getting exercise.

One final solution I have that could help you achieve your resolution is to have more than one. I won’t judge you if you do, in fact, I’d encourage it. Why would anyone want to change themselves in just one way over the span of a year? Plus, completing parts of a few resolutions is a lot more manageable

than completing one resolution completely.

New Year’s resolutions have the potential to genuinely change lives by sparking great habits within people. It shouldn’t be used as a way to drastically upend one’s life in a day, like going from not working out at all to working out five days a week. It’s all about moderation and pacing yourself to feel excited about completing your resolution rather than treating it as a chore.

Quinn Elfers is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts about the column? Let Quinn know by emailing him at me989022@ohio. edu.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Fate of American democracy is in the hands of voters HUZOOR AKBAR COMMUNITY MEMBER Election season began with the Iowa caucuses on Monday, and with the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23, the fear that Donald Trump is a threat to American democracy and would act as a dictator if elected is getting louder and more frequent.

Indeed, Trump has fanned fears of a dictatorship by saying that he would be a dictator on day one. This presumably helps to motivate his hardcore voters. However, in a democracy, a majority of voters choose who will govern the country, and therefore the fate of the American democracy is in the hands of voters, not Donald Trump.

The task for President Joe Biden is to convince voters to reelect him. Inducing fear of a looming Trump dictatorship will not be enough for him to win a second term. He needs to convince voters by highlighting his achievements in the current term and laying out the plan of action for the next term.

Current polling data by John Zogby (Biden/Trump 39/51%) or by Emerson College (Biden/Trump 40/48%) do not appear to favor Biden’s reelection.

For a victory in November, Biden needs not only to siphon off some of the independent and Republican voters who might have voted for Trump in 2020 but also retain, expand and invigorate the coalition of Democratic voters that elected him in the first place.

Former President Barack Obama and South Carolina Congressional Representative Jim Clyburn, among others, are concerned about the diminished enthusiasm for Biden. Black voters' support for Biden has declined from 87% in 2020 to 63% and 20% of the young and Hispanic voters are planning to vote for someone other than Biden.

The Biden campaign, apparently, is counting on Trump being the GOP nominee and hoping that in the end, voters will go for Biden instead of a criminally indicted Trump, who is linked to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. However, any such gains may not be sufficient for a victory in November unless Biden is successful in convincing young, Black and Hispanic voters to come back to him.

One of the reasons young Democratic voters are unhappy

Editor-in-Chief | Katie Millard Managing Editor | Emma Erion Equity Director | Alesha Davis EDITORIAL News Editor | Madalyn Blair Asst. News Editor | Donovan Hunt Culture Editor | Alyssa Cruz Asst. Culture Editor | Abby Jenkins Sports Editor | Bobby Gorbett Sports Editor | Robert Keegan III Opinion Editor | Tate Raub Asst. Opinion Editor | Meg Diehl The Beat Editor | Grace Brezine Asst. The Beat Editor | Grace Koennecke Projects Editor | Hannah Campbell Investigative Editor | Alex Imwalle Copy Chief | Addie Hedges Slot Editors | Arielle Lyons, Ashley Pomplas, Aya Cathey, Tre Spencer ART Art Director | Abbie Kinney Asst. Art Director | Emma McAdams Director of Photography | Alaina Dackermann Photo Editor | Zoe Cranfill DIGITAL Director of Web Development | Tavier Leslie Audience Engagement Editor | Logan Jefferies Asst. Audience Engagement Editor | Jenna Skidmore Director of Multimedia | Cole Patterson Asst. Director of Multimedia | Kendall Timms BUSINESS Media Sales | Gia Sammons, Molly Wilson Director of Student Media | Andrea Lewis 18 / JANUARY 18, 2024

with Biden is his handling of the ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza. He has vetoed the UNSC resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. When young Black protestors chanted for a ceasefire in Gaza during his speech at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston on Jan. 8, he waited for protestors to be escorted out and then meekly said, “And I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce significantly and get out of Gaza.”

This response, without evidence of any meaningful outcome after three months of quietly talking, might have been good enough for the elderly crowd inside the church, but it surely was not very convincing for the young protesters.

Biden’s inability to win back his voters — particularly in competitive states like Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin — and earn 270 electoral delegates will be his and his campaign’s failure and not an achievement of Trump, or whoever the GOP nominee may be.

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5 albums to look forward to this year GRACE KOENNECKE ASSISTANT EDITOR OF THE BEAT With a new year in full swing, many music fans are eager to see what albums will come out in 2024. From artists whose fans have long awaited a new release to those who continue to dominate the scene with consistent album drops, 2024 already has an impressive lineup of albums coming within the next several months.

Here are five albums to look forward to this year: Declan McKenna - 'What Happened to the Beach?'

On Feb. 9, Declan McKenna will release his third album since 2020's "Zeroes," titled "What Happened to the Beach?" McKenna already dropped a few singles from the album late last year, including "Elevator Hum," "Nothing Works" and "Sympathy." The English singer-songwriter is gearing up for what might be his biggest release yet.

McKenna has shared that his new album will be centered around looking inward, moving away from his past sonic themes of political unrest and disillusion.

In an interview with NME, he said, "I've made a hella weird new album: it's got a lot of strangeness to it, but that hasn't come through me trying to be anything other than

myself. This music came from living in the moment and not worrying too much about some deeper meaning, or trying to make songs that live up to the all-time greats or something like that."

The singer will be touring Europe starting in March and playing multiple festivals this summer.

Ariana Grande - ‘eternal sunshine’ After recently releasing the lead single “yes, and?” for her upcoming album, Ariana Grande has finally returned as pop music’s princess again. Given the title of the new project, fans are already suspecting the album will pull inspiration from the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” especially due to the singer’s recent Instagram likes and posts.

The release is Grande’s first solo in three years since 2020’s “Positions,” but it marks a transition from her R&B-inspired sixth record to Madonna-esque club anthems about self-love and self-respect. “eternal sunshine” will be released March 8.

Faye Webster - 'Underdressed at the Symphony' With the announcement of her fifth studio album, "Underdressed at the Symphony," Atlanta native Faye Webster is finally back.

It's been three years since the singer re-

leased 2021's "I Know I'm Funny haha."

With a release date of March 1, the singer has already dropped a couple of singles for the album, most notably "Lego Ring (feat.

Lil Yachty)," on Jan.11. The new collaboration sparked chatter about Webster and the rapper, who have been friends since high school.

Webster said the album is not as serious and heavy as her previous ones, wanting to write more about her day-to-day life and interests. She recently revealed the 10-song tracklist for the album, which includes previously released singles "Lifetime" and "But Not Kiss."

Charli XCX - TBD Throughout 2023, Charli XCX has teasingly hinted at releasing another album following 2022's "CRASH." After a busy year promoting her single "Speed Drive" for the "Barbie" movie and working with Addison Rae on "2 die 4" and Sam Smith on "In The City," the singer has hinted that she will return with solo music this year.

Last April, the singer posted a photo of her working in the studio to Instagram. She also erringly dropped another photo last month, captioned "bye for now.," causing her followers to believe she was planning to announce a new album.

Following her December post, Charli XCX was interviewed at the 2023 Fashion Awards,

where she said, "I finished a record but it's not out. So, next year that will be out, and then I can say that's my highlight."

Lorde - TBD Everyone who listens to Lorde knows that when she releases new music, it takes over the world. With incredible predecessors like 2013's "Pure Heroine," 2017's "Melodrama" and 2021's "Solar Power," the New Zealand singer-songwriter seems to plan on making her return this year after fans have been begging for years.

Last month, the singer posted a photo on Instagram listening to her new album. She captioned the post, "Listening to myself," but also took to other social media platforms to inform fans when the album would be coming. Lorde said, "We're not CLOSE close you guys … i'm just getting so hype n needed to let u know. Start ur excitement on a low flame and bring it up to a gentle simmer ... we building stamina for this chapter."

Fans predict that Lorde will return to her pop-alternative sound from her earlier years, but only time will tell until the singer announces a release date and title for her new project.

@GRACE_KOE GK011320@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

‘Mean Girls’ is spunky, disjointed ALICIA SZCZESNIAK FOR THE POST “Mean Girls” was released 20 years ago and became an instant cult classic. In 2017, the musical adaptation officially took to the stage. Now, the movie musical has hit theaters and has been met with mixed reactions.

The mixed reactions are deserved though, as the film has some aspects that are good, bad, mediocre and questionable.

Spoilers ahead Cinematically, it’s very fun to watch, and overall it was a visually appealing piece.

The musical scenes are lively and animated, carrying the extravagance and energy of the original musical over to the film. Those include the dimly lit and movement-filled “Someone Gets Hurt” and the brightly colored and vibrant “Revenge Party” (aside from that oddly angled shot of Cady).

The usage of TikTok and videos as transitions between scenes was well executed. A modern movie rarely uses social media in an interesting way that doesn’t feel excessively clichéd, so it was an enjoyable aspect.

Speaking of modern updates, the film suffered in the costuming choices. In an attempt to make the film more appealing to Gen-Z viewers, the characters were dressed in contemporary styles, which left the film feeling disorganized. Some costumes suited characters much more than others.

For example, Janis’ style was updated very well. The heavily detailed and layered outfits matched her artsy and rebellious personality, and her styling made her feel and look like a real person you would see in an art studio.

Similarly, Damian’s costumes were updated well. His style in the original movie was somewhat plain and is noticeably more colorful in the modern update. This coincides well with his spunky personality and open queerness.

Others, however, were a little lackluster.

Cady started in the same outfit as the first movie, but by the end had not changed much of her style. She was still largely kept in muted colors and relatively plain outfits, which did not match her new stereotypical popular-girl style.

Similarly, Regina’s costuming was questionable at best. In the original movie, she wore a lot of pinks, skirts and other feminine colors and pieces. In the new movie, she wears a lot of black leather pants and dark colors. Regina’s style leaned much more into the cool-girl look. She still wore pink, but not in the style of a high school queen bee, which made her character feel somewhat disjointed.

The disjointedness is also apparent in

20 / JANUARY 18, 2024

ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR

the soundtrack. The soundtrack was taken from the Broadway adaptation but some changes were made. One of the most egregious changes was in “Stupid With Love,” which has received quite a bit of backlash across social media. Originally, the song was upbeat, bright and fittingly theatrical.

However, in the movie, it was toned down with quiet vocals. Angourie Rice did a fairly decent job with the song, but the change took much of the fun and character out of the song.

Alongside this, the song “Meet the Plastics” cut out Gretchen and Karen’s parts, leaving it all to be centered around Regina.

Although Regina is a major part of the film, Gretchen and Karen are also major supporting characters, and cutting them out sets the stage for them to be relegated to smaller parts.

However, not all of the song changes were bad. Some, like “Sexy,” were changed, but fit the movie better than the original version, especially when the song worked in tandem with an entertaining scene.

Furthermore, some of the songs were incredibly well performed. Reneé Rapp and Auli’i Cravalho were arguably the best examples of this. Rapp’s belted performance of “World Burn” was fantastic and one of the greatest performances in the movie. Similarly, Cravalho’s performance of “I’d Rather Be Me” was an outstanding one.

More consistently, the actors overall did a pretty good job when it came to the speaking parts. Unfortunately, a lot of the lines were cut out. In particular, Karen and Gretchen’s parts were cut down the most. That was disappointing, as Gretchen spilling Regina’s secrets due to Cady’s manipulation was a mas-

sive turning point in the original work. In the updated version, it was left to just a brief exchange, missing out on a vital moment that shapes the dynamic of the Plastics.

On the other hand, Karen’s stupidity was one of the most entertaining parts of the original film, and several of her one-liners were cut out, which was also disappointing.

Nevertheless, Bebe Wood and Avantika Vandanapu were very capable with the script they were given.

The 2024 version of “Mean Girls” tried to update the movie for a modern audience, but it fell short. While it was enjoyable overall, there were a few glaring issues. However, it was still a fun watch, as long as it was taken at face value.

@ALICIA_SZCZ AS589820@OHIO.EDU

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Introducing Letterboxd: the skyrocketing virtual movie journal KATIE MILLARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

L

etterboxd, the Goodreads of film, continues to grow as people flock to write one-sentence reviews of “Mean Girls” and “The Iron Claw.” The app combines social media and movies, allowing users to keep a diary of their film consumption and interact with other users.

Users can create lists and leave reviews of films they’ve seen, which in turn are seen by followers and other users.

This allows people to connect over films, which they can rate on a five-star system. Movies can also be added to a watch list to track films users would like to see or to themed lists grouping similar films.

The site claims it will always remain free for users, although some features – such as filtering by streaming service or personal statistic pages – are exclusive to paying members. Users can also “log” films and add them to their diaries, creating a history of movies watched.

Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan lays out the site’s roots in a Quora post linked to the popular site. The site debuted in October 2011 after years of Buchanan mulling over what he would like to see in a film-related network, settling on a journal aspect, creation and sharing of lists and the ability to share reviews with followers.

According to The New York Times, the site has over 10 million active users as of last September, a significant increase from its roughly 1.8 million in March 2020 and its initial audience of just Buchanan’s friends and family.

Buchanan founded the site alongside fellow New Zealander Karl von Randow, and the pair sold a majority stake to a public company called Tiny from Victoria, British Columbia. According to the Times, the deal valued Letterboxed at over $50 million.

The name stems from the term “letterboxing,” which refers to adding cinematic bars to make footage fit a commonly used ratio without altering the footage’s width or height. The pair chose the term due to their love for widescreen.

Ohio University had 430 Media Arts and Studies majors and 129 Visual Communications majors as of Fall Semester 2022. Although not all of those students focus on film or adjacent concepts, there is an undergraduate audience of film 22 / JANUARY 18, 2024

and media enthusiasts so strong they choose to pursue a college major in that subject. Letterboxd appeals not just to die-hard film fanatics, however.

Letterboxd’s charm stems from its diversion from typical film reviews, which often feel like being pretentious is a requirement of the genre. Letterboxd is far from scarf-toting film bros who desperately want to tell you their take on “Dead Poets Society.” Although there is space for traditional critiques, far more common are comical, one-sentence reviews that may provide more insight than a lengthy or scholarly review.

Only on Letterboxd would a review for “Shrek 2” read: “It took me 16 years to finally give this movie the five-star rating it unironically deserves. Every scene is great. Every joke lands. It’s emotionally moving. It’s incredibly exciting. It’s a f— miracle of a movie, I cannot stress that enough.”

Only on Letterboxd would that review saddle up next to this take on “Citizen Kane:” “i mean ... it wasn’t as good as shrek 2 (2004) but it was ok.”

The comic takes of Letterboxd users offer filmmakers new insight into what consumers want or like from a movie. For example, user Kylo’s perspective on the beloved and disturbing “Saltburn” reads, “I would say this is a rational reaction to Jacob Elordi’s presence.” While this could be considered a throwaway comment, it lets those who worked on the movie know that the audience enjoyed Jacob Elordi’s performance and his work as an actor.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” director Martin Scorsese joined Letterboxd on Oct. 26, 2023, with a release of 59 movies he recommends watching. Inevitably, fellow directors, producers and stars of Hollywood will notice popular Letterboxd reviews, even the ridiculous ones.

Letterboxd connects everyone from cinephiles to the occasional viewer and provides a space to share critiques, comments and silly feedback. Keep an eye on this platform; it’s films’ biggest non-box office hit.

@KATIE_MILLARD11 KM053019@OHIO.EDU

75th Primetime Emmys sets records, brings nostalgia

ABBIE KINNEY | ART DIRECTOR

TREY BARRETT FOR THE POST Commonly known as the "biggest night in television," the 75th Primetime Emmys premiered Monday, Jan. 15, after a four-month delay due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. The ceremony honors excellence in writing, directing, acting and producing in primetime television. Comedian Anthony Anderson took the stage as the year's host.

Along with the show's first all-Black production team at the mantle, the 75th ceremony saw a number of historic wins, suspected trends and heartwarming callbacks to some of television's most-defining shows. Let's take a look at some of the night's biggest moments: “The Bear,” “Beef” and “Succession” win big In one of the ceremony's least surprising moments, three of the year's most-talked-about shows went home with the most awards of the night.

FX's restaurant dramedy "The Bear," set in Chicago, and HBO's satirical Roy family drama "Succession" won the most awards of the evening with six wins apiece.

The first season of "The Bear" won one of the biggest awards of the night, Outstanding Comedy Series, and beat out Emmy favorites like "Ted Lasso," "Barry" and "Abbott Elementary." The trio of Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach all took home an Emmy for their roles in the series. Additionally, the show's creator, Christopher Storer, won two awards for his directing and writing work in the first season.

"Succession" swept most of the drama performance categories, earning huge wins for Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen in the show's final season. "Connor's Wedding," the show's shocking third episode of its fourth season, earned two awards for its excellent directing and writing. The show, overall, secured the win for Outstanding Drama Series.

In the realm of limited or anthology series, Netflix's "Beef" earned the second-most wins of the night with five Emmys.

It earned the coveted title of Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and co-leads Ali Wong and Steven Yeun earned Emmys for their captivating performances. Lee Sung Jin, the show's creator, also won two awards for his direction and writing on the series.

75th awards make history It was a night of many record-breaking and history-defining moments, most notably in the performance categories. The show was a night of diverse wins; five performers of color won their categories, which hasn't happened since the 1991 ceremony.

Quinta Brunson, who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for "Abbott Elementary," became the second African-American actress to win in the category after Isabel Sanford in 1981.

Ali Wong made Emmy history by becoming the first Asian woman to win a lead role, while Trevor Noah became the first African and Black winner in the Outstanding Talk Series category. An Outstanding Variety Special (Live) went to "Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium," securing John with his final win to achieve EGOT status.

Outside of these historic wins, "Better Call Saul" became the first show with the most nominations with zero Emmy wins after it lost every category at Monday's show. With 53 nominations and the show's final season in contention at the 75th ceremony, it was an unfortunate night for fans of the beloved "Breaking Bad" spinoff.

Nostalgia was all the rave Monday night The show paid homage to some of television's biggest shows throughout the years.

Actors from shows like "Martin," "Cheers," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ally McBeal," "The Sopranos" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" all reunited to present awards. Many of the cast members from "Martin" and "Always Sunny," poked fun at the lack of nominations their respective shows earned.

Host Anthony Anderson also honored historic shows throughout the night, opening the show with a throwback to "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and a musical number before hopping into a latex suit to reference the first season of "American Horror Story." Another cheeky reference came from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who parodied "Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update" before presenting Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

Many of the ceremony's presenters were also picked to honor television, including Christina Applegate, Arsenio Hall and Marla Gibbs.

Memorable speeches steal the show The evening was filled with many memorable speeches from performers commemorating their long-awaited wins.

Quinta Brunson gave an emotional speech after earning her second Emmy win, noting that the "Carol Burnett of it all" had moved her. Paul Water Hauser rapped his way through his speech, Jennifer Coolidge thanked the "gays" in her supporting Emmy win for "The White Lotus" and Kieran Culkin used his win to jokingly ask his wife for more children.

RuPaul utilized his win to address the growing topics surrounding drag queen story hours at libraries, asking viewers to "listen to a drag queen" and stating that "knowledge is power."

In the show's most memorable speech, Niecy Nash took the stage to thank her supporters for her long-awaited Emmy win for her work in "Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." In the speech, Nash went on to pay respects to Black women who are overpoliced before going on to thank herself, stating, "Go on girl with your bad self. You did that."

TB222023@OHIO.EDU

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