May 26, 2026

Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant to reopen in June

FIONA PETTICREW HUMAN INTEREST EDITOR

Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant opened in 2005, providing locals with 30 kinds of Jackie O’s drafts and meals made with locally sourced ingredients. On Nov. 4, 2025, at about 6:30 p.m., a kitchen fire broke out in Jackie O’s, according to a previous report from The Post.

Chelsea Langlois, general manager of Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant, said the restaurant staff is planning to reopen the building in June. .

McDavis Hall to welcome students in August

LAYNEE ESLICH NEWS STAFF WRITER

On May 12, Ohio University’s Housing and Residence Life posted pictures of a single and double suite in the new Roderick J. McDavis Residence Hall to Instagram and Facebook with a caption alluding to the dormitory construction being 80% finished.

Construction on the dormitory, otherwise known as McDavis Hall, is expected to be completed in August, according to past reporting by The Post.

The photos sparked questions and comments online from both students and parents.

According to OU Housing and Residence Life, the south wing of the building will occupy returning students, while the north wing will occupy firstyear students.

Breakdown of

campus healthcare services

ESLICH NEWS STAFF WRITER

Ohio University offers a wide range of healthcare services for students and locals in Athens.

OhioHealth Campus Care is located in the Hudson Health Center. There, students can find urgent care, primary care and psychological services, offered to any OU undergraduate, graduate or medical student enrolled in one or more credit hours.

Primary care services at Hudson require an appointment, but urgent care does not.

Going to a new place can be daunting, especially when starting a university career. To help make this process as easy as possible, here is a quick look into the who and where of Ohio University.

Notable places on campus include Baker University Center, Nelson Court, Boyd Dining Hall, Alden Library, the College Bookstore, Ping Recreation Center, Chubb Hall and Hudson Health Center.

Baker is located at 1 Park Place. There, students can find dining options, such as West 82 and Latitude 39, as well as the new Maggie Davis Market Express. Baker is also home to numerous conference rooms, a theater and Bobcat Depot.

Across the street from the fourth floor of Baker is Alden. Alden, located at 30 Park Place, houses seven floors of books and study rooms.

The library has rooms and hushpods available to reserve during busy study days. Café Bibliotech is located on the second floor of Alden, where students can use flex points and Bobcat Cash for their purchases.

OU has two major dining halls: Nelson, located on South Green, and Boyd on West Green, otherwise known as The District on West Green. Both dining halls have markets inside, with Nelson housing a coffee shop, Southside Espresso Bar, and Boyd being home to a smoothie bar known as Smooth Moves. Both dining halls serve breakfast,

lunch and dinner.

If a student is in the mood to workout, they canhead to Ping at 82 South Green Drive. There are three floors worth of treadmills, stair steppers, fitness classes, weight rooms and more. For those who like to run or walk, there is also an indoor track on the third floor that spans the interior perimeter of the building. There is also a squash court, five basketball or volleyball courts, four racquetball courts and a 36-foot-tall, double-sided climbing wall. continued pg A2

KAITLIN HOGG | NEWS STAFF WRITER

LAYNEE

For financial questions, head to Chubb Hall at 1 Ohio University Drive. There, students can get more information about scholarships, financial aid and can speak with people in the registrar’s office. When students go in-person or call, they must know their PID number.

Sickness is no rare thing during school, and sometimes, a trip to the doctor is needed. Students who have to see a doctor can go to Hudson Health Center for free or low-cost treatment. Students do not have to be enrolled in OU’s student health insurance plan to receive care at Hudson Health Center. Urgent care is on the first floor of the building, and walk-ins are available. Hudson Health offers several services to students, such as cold and flu treatment, physical exams and mental health counseling.

There are many options for tutoring. Make an appointment at the Academic

Achievement Center on campus. There, students can receive help writing papers through in-person or virtual tutoring and peer-assisted learning. The center also offers resources, such as first-generation student success and academic coaching.

Students in need of OU merch or textbooks can go to the College Bookstore on 50 S. Court St. The store has sale sections, where t-shirts are $8.88 and crewnecks are $18.04. The bookstore also has a wide selection of textbooks for a majority of OU’s courses.

Notable people in the area include OU President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, OUPD Chief Andrew Powers, OU Student Senate President Donald Theisen, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson and Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith.

President Lori Stewart Gonzalez has been president of OU since 2023. Gonzalez prides herself on being present for the students, hosting ice cream socials and pizza events throughout the year. Last year, students were critical of Gonzalez, following the closure of diversity, equity and inclusion-related centers on campus and slow negotiations with the United Academics of Ohio University.

Athens law enforcement is under the direction of Andrew Powers, chief of Ohio University Police Department, and Rodney Smith, Athens County sheriff. The OUPD headquarters is located at 118 Ridges Circle Drive. The Sheriff’s Office is located at 13 W. Washington St. Powers has been the police chief since 2009, and Smith has been serving as sheriff since 2014.

Mayor Steve Patterson has been mayor of Athens since 2016. Before becoming mayor, he worked at OU as an associate professor

of health psychology. Patterson serves as the chair of the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council. He is also a member of the Ohio Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and the Ohio Mayors Alliance.

For on-campus issues and suggestions, speak with Donald Theisen, the newly elected student senate president. Before he was elected president, Theisen served as the governmental affairs commissioner. The Senate ensures the needs and wants of students are properly represented and acts as a liaison between students and university administration.

More information about other people and places around OU can be found on the OU webpage.

Ohio Pawpaw Festival relocates after 25 years

Despite the change, the festival will continue to stay rooted in tradition as it moves through this uncertain, but exciting time.

After 25 years of being held in the same location, the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival is moving from Lake Snowden in Albany to the Snow Fork Event Center in Nelsonville. The Festival has been held at Lake Snowden since 2001.

The change in location stems from a disagreement between the festival directors and Hocking College, the owner of Lake Snowden.

Since its debut in 1999, the Pawpaw Festival is a tradition for many Southeastern Ohio families.

The festival takes place over a full weekend, filled with fun and educational events. The festival also hosts music artists, presentations and special events, including competitions for visitors.

Chris Chmiel, founder and director of the Ohio Pawpaw Festival, said the location change was unexpected, due to Hocking College’s unusual contract requests this year.

“It was (Hocking’s) proposal to change the contract significantly,”

Chmiel said. “We didn’t accept their proposal because we felt like it was just a lot more expensive, and so we weren’t able to come to an agreement.”

Chmiel chose the Snow Fork Event Center after seeing the Nelsonville Music Festival undergo location problems.

However, Chmiel stated he was unsure if this would be the permanent location.

One main concern of this year’s festival is the operations for the vendors. A location change brings changes to rules, regulations and the processes vendors go through to set up.

“My main concern is just logistics because I’m not used to being at that venue and seeing how things operate out there,” Givens said.

Givens added he is nervous about the new layout, but eager to see how many people attend this year’s festival.

Chmiel shared a similar outlook on these changes, focusing on the new possibilities rather than the restrictions.

“It’s an invigorating kind of excitement,” Chmiel said. “We have to seize this moment and make the best out of it.”

Ronnie Givens, owner of the Rhythm & Food food truck, is a consistent vendor of the Pawpaw Festival. This will be the fourth year that Rhythm & Food attends the festival, where they serve specialty pawpaw dishes, such as pawpaw barbeque sauce, hot sauce and pawpaw-based coleslaw.

Despite the circumstances, Givens is preparing for another successful event. However, he admits there will be some setbacks.

Several traditions started because of the Pawpaw Festival over the last 28 years, including yearly festivities and campouts. Chmiel shared they appreciate all the traditions festival goers built and plan to preserve as many as possible.

A longstanding tradition for festival goers is camping at the grounds of Lake Snowden. With the change to the Snow Fork Event Center, that tradition comes to an

Magnolia Bradley, festival attendee is disappointed to lose this opportunity but excited to experience this year’s festival. Bradley, a junior at Ohio University studying psychology, attended the festival for her first time

“I really liked the outdoor activities that they had,” Bradley said. “I hope that everyone continues to come together despite the change in scenery.”

After spending her first festival swimming in Lake Snowden and enjoying the scenery, Bradley said she is pessimistic about the festival’s activities changing in the fall.

“Based on my first time going, I think that I would prefer it to stay in the same place,” Bradley said. “I think it will have a negative impact.”

This year’s festival is Sept. 18 through Sept. 20, according to the Ohio PawPaw Festival webpage.

LIV JACOBS | FOR THE POST

Some people responded positively to the photos, sharing their or their children’s negative experiences living in different OU dorm rooms.

“This was soooo needed! Just wish my daughter had better living experiences on campus,” a parent commented on the Facebook post.

The building is named after OU’s 20th president, Roderick J. McDavis.

McDavis was the first African American president of OU, and also the second OU alumnus to hold the title, according to OHIO Today.

The OU Board of Trustees approved the plan for the new residence hall in April 2024 as part of the University’s Housing Master Plan.

The master plan focuses on meeting

students’ expectations, adapting housing capacity, keeping close proximity between residence halls and the main campus, investing with student affordability in mind and ensuring wellbeing through recreational facilities.

Jneanne Hacker, executive director of OU Housing and Residence Life, said McDavis is a large influence on improving residential life on campus.

Ohio University held a celebration in honor of McDavis, consisting of a tour of the residence hall construction site and a lecture given by McDavis.

In his lecture, McDavis discussed OU’s focus and vision, which have remained the same since its founding.

“When Manasseh Cutler and Rufus Putnam had a vision, there was a singular focus, and that focus lives

on today,” McDavis said. “It is, in essence, to create a space that provides access and opportunity for those students who will come today and tomorrow.”

Ariana Trejo, an upcoming sophomore at OU studying English literature, culture and writing, chose to live in a double room in McDavis for the 2026-2027 school year.

Her choice to live in McDavis stemmed from wanting to live in a newer dorm after living in Sargent Hall during the 2025-26 school year, which was built in 1963. In Sargent, Trejo lived in a double room, which she described as “close living”.

Sargent Hall’s floor plan measures Trejo’s old room at about 11 feet by 15 feet, while

following the pictures OU Housing and Residence Life posted to Instagram.

“We went on this website where you can put in the dimensions of your room and the dimensions of your furniture to see how much room you have afterward,” Trejo said. “And it looked really big when we were doing that, but when they posted a picture of one of the finished rooms on Instagram, I was like, ‘Oh, that doesn’t look quite as big as I thought it was.’”

According to OU, the residence hall provides communal kitchens, a laundry room and elevator access. It will be the largest residence hall on the entire campus, containing 591 beds. Live reporting of the construction can be viewed

LE211424@OHIO.EDU

Healthcare

Services/continued from pg 1

On the third floor of Hudson, psychological and counseling services are provided to any student, including individual and group therapy, psychiatric consultation, addiction recovery, telehealth support and crisis and emergency.

Anna Casteel, OU’s student health insurance administrator, provided advice to those considering receiving psychological services.

“There’s walk-in hours, and what I tell people is, if you try counseling, you don’t ever have to go back if you don’t like it, but don’t let the person you talk to detour you from not trying it again,” Casteel said.

Ping Recreation Center also houses a well-being suite on the second floor that includes massage chairs, a relaxing pod, coloring books, weighted blankets and other

with an OU ID.

“There’s a lot of different things that any student can use, you know, without insurance,” Casteel said.

“If they just need to take a break in between classes and they want to chill out in the corner and color for a little bit, they can.”

OU’s medical school also offers a student-run clinic, known as the Heritage Community Clinic. The clinic offers medical assistance to underinsured or uninsured individuals in the community, providing health screenings, diabetes care, sexual health and wellness, bus driver physicals and primary care.

OU requires all students enrolled at the Athens campus to be on an insurance policy. If a student wishes to maintain their preexisting insurance plan, they may do so and can waive the university insurance at any time before

Students can also choose to in the university known as the Student Health Insurance Policy, which is renegotiated each academic year.

Any student who does not complete a waiver to opt out of the university insurance policy will be considered uninsured, remaining on the student plan, with the charge staying on the student’s account.

Students not on the university plan can still receive care at Hudson Casteel advises upcoming students

Jackie O’s Reopening

On the night of the fire, the building was evacuated quickly, however damage was extensive and led to a six-month closure of the restaurant.

Andrew Oestrike, owner of Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant said the fire spread into their hood system, which took a while to extinguish.

“And as a result, we had quite a bit of damage in our kitchen, as well as pretty extensive water damage due to the sprinklers and all the other things that happen when thousands and thousands of gallons of water are sprayed into your kitchen,” Oestrike said.

During the period of repairs, Langlois said they were also working on upgrading the establishment. That includes improvements to the equipment in the back, as well as to the dining area.

“Jackie O’s will still feel like home, the Jackie O’s you’ve always known, but it may need a little fresh paint, little upgrades here and there,” Langlois said.

Langlois has been working in Athens restaurants since 2016, and said she loves catching up and hanging out with the “friendly faces” she’s gotten

/continued from pg 1

to know over the years. For their reopening, she’s looking forward to seeing their new food menu.

Scott Bradley, head of culinary operations at Jackie O’s has been working on “exciting new ideas” for their menu. Langlois said Bradley is leading them in a great new direction, and thinks he does a great job utilizing local farms to get quality ingredients.

The Jackie O’s fire also affected The Union, as the two buildings share a wall. Langlois said The Union only had to close for about a day or so to clean up after their smoke damage.

Langlois described The Union as “an ally” for Jackie O’s, as they organized a fundraiser show to benefit the 55 employees who found themselves out of work after the fire. She added that several Jackie O’s employees attended The Union show, and many local acts volunteered to perform.

“Overall, that event alone raised over $1,000 that went straight to the employees,” Langlois said.

Jackie O’s also had its own fundraiser, which raised over $9,000 with 129 donations. Langlois said they distributed the funds among

to have their health history ready before the beginning of the school year, including shot records and a digital copy of their insurance identification.

OU provides insurance through United Healthcare, and most healthcare centers in Athens are directed by OhioHealth.

“They (OhioHealth) own and operate Campus Cares, Urgent Care in West Union and O’Bleness Hospital, so that’s all Ohio Health, and they do take most insurances,” Casteel said.

“They will bill any insurance, but it’s the patient’s responsibility to know if your insurance is in network or not.”

Casteel suggests that students go to Uptown Clinic on Court Street or

the employees who applied for the support.

“A lot of our employees, at this point, have figured it out and found other service jobs or temporary jobs for contracts,” Langlois said. “And we look forward to a good percentage of our staff returning, which is so encouraging to see that we won’t have a lot of turnover, and we’ll just get everyone back.”

The 2025 fire is Jackie O’s second since its opening. The restaurant was forced to close for several months in 2014 after a fire, leaving about 31 employees out of a job, according to a previous report by The Post.

Oestrike said letting employees go who rely on Jackie O’s is the “worst feeling in the world.”

Recalling the recent fire, Oestrike said he was about to walk into an Ohio University football game when he received a phone call, during which he could hear sirens in the background. He said he had driven past Jackie O’s only half an hour before, and everyone seemed “happy.”

“I rolled back around 30 minutes later, and there’s fire trucks everywhere blasting water from the roof down into a very smoky building,” Oestrike said. “And, it’s a very, very disheartening, saddening, awful moment to go through, and

Care

as alternatives when campus care is not open. However, those facilities require an out-of-pocket cost depending on the healthcare plan.

Casteel also highlighted OU’s Office of Health Promotion’s programs throughout the academic year, promoting mental health and wellbeing.

The goal of the office is to educate students on where to reach out for health concerns and prevent harmful activities. For more information, visit the third floor of Baker University Center.

LE211424@OHIO.EDU

I wouldn’t wish it on my worst of enemies, because it is terrible, and you have to make decisions that are awful but necessary the next day.”

To prevent future fires, Oestrike said they will be installing “a hood that is not 50 years old,” and Langlois said they are moving the hood in the kitchen to ensure it vents correctly.

Greta Hanesworth, one of the founders of Blue Eagle Music, has been living in Athens for over 50 years, and said she enjoys visiting Jackie O’s Public House to play card games with friends and enjoy their company.

“(Jackie O’s) is reasonably priced and it’s a nice restaurant,” Hanesworth said. “You can get what you want, and even with a huge crowd, you still were able to get in, and you get something to drink and something to eat.”

With their upcoming reopening, Hanesworth said she is looking forward to seeing the return of their live music performances at Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant.

For more information regarding its opening date and menu, Oestrike said he will be updating its Instagram and Facebook.

Urgent

on West Union Street

Firefighters work to put out a fire that broke out in the kitchen between The Union and Jackie O’s on Union Street in Athens, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2025.

(ETHAN HERX | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Hudson Health Center, May 21, 2026, in Athens. (ALLIE STEVENS | FOR THE POST)

Bobcats have wide range of options at Ping Recreation Center

average. West said he tried the climbing wall and ran on the track a couple of times. His favorite activity in Ping is playing soccer in Area A.

code, ask what you’re looking for. There’s basketballs, volleyballs and racquetball sets right now and also barbell pads.”

The Charles J. Ping Recreation Center, located near Peden Football Stadium and South Green, offers facilities to support nearly every recreation need.

Past the front desk is a 36-foot-tall climbing wall and a weight room. Down the hallways are five courts, ready for basketball or volleyball, four racquetball courts, two multipurpose gymnasiums and a squash court. The stairs next to the desk lead to the second-floor cardio equipment, along with the Well-Being Wing and rooms for group fitness classes. One more set of stairs leads to the four-lane indoor running track.

Larry West, a sophomore

“I stay far away from the workout machines,” West said. “I usually just go play sports with my friends, so soccer, volleyball, basketball. Sometimes, if I’m feeling crazy, I’ll hit up the massage chairs. I even watched the dodgeball tournament there once.”

Bobcats interested in using a court can bring their own sports equipment, except outdoors sports such as tennis, football and baseball. Those interested in playing tennis can use the Tennis Center next door.

Ping has a variety of equipment available in RecRe boxes. Hanna Vorisek, the assistant director at

If the courts available are not set up for what is needed, the front desk staff can take down or put up volleyball nets at one’s request.

“What we try to do is have a mix of both drop-in basketball and volleyball available,” Vorisek said. “It may not be in your favorite court, but there will probably be a volleyball or a basketball area set up for just drop-in play.”

Ping also offers group fitness classes. Boxing, cardio dance or sculpt, yoga, pilates and cycling are free with membership. F45 Training and Womxn & Weights are also additional expense

music creation, as well as lightbox and biofeedback therapy.

“Pretty much every space in Ping is designated for physical fitness and physical wellness, where the WellBeing Wing is definitely a place where there’s not any physical activity going on,” Gabe Edwards, the coordinator at Ping, said.

“Most days it’s in the quieter part of the building. It is a space where folks can focus on the other pillars of wellness and not necessarily come to the gym to work out or get physical.”

West said he uses the massage chairs when he is sore after a run; he even studied in one during finals week.

“I think it’s great to have everything open,” West said. “There’s enough to where

their student IDs to run, lift, play ball, chill and climb. Non-students can purchase day passes for $8 and 30-day passes for $30. Annual passes are also available, ranging from $85 to $340. Summer memberships are available for $45, lasting through August 14.

During the school year, Ping is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Holiday hours are subject to change. Until August 19, summer opening times are the same, but the center will close at 9 p.m. every night. The climbing wall opens and closes separately.

“We hope that we have something here that fits that need and that you feel safe and welcomed in our space,” Edwards said. “That

OHIO OHIO GREEK GREEK LIFE LIFE

Oh Well | Financial literacy starts in college

your Ohio Guarantee.

Since social media influencer

James Charles lashed out at a woman for asking for donations after losing her job due to the closure of Spirit Airlines, I’ve been thinking a lot about privilege and financial literacy. If you are privileged enough to have a parent or guardian pay for your tuition, do not be ashamed. Still, every college student should work toward financial literacy no matter how scary it seems.

Dorms

Knowing the price of your tuition is important for room selection, budgeting, meal plan selection and more. For most freshman housing, traditional quad rooms are the *cheapest option. For students living in River Park, an apartment style room is the most expensive option. You can check your specific tuition details under

The Ohio Guarantee ensures you have a fixed tuition cost during your time at Ohio University. Without it, significant changes will occur in your tuition bill.

The Ohio Guarnatee also goes beyond affordability by offering a graduation plan and alumni-only scholarships for furthering education postundergraduate.

All dorms are equipped with essentials, and are renovated over time; any rumors of “bad” rooms is a myth at Ohio University. For example, the back end of South Green, or “Back South,” has a reputation for being the worst dorm options because they are the oldest and farthest from the center of campus. Aside from that, the *photos look very similar to South Green’s front four. It’s simply who you’re living with that makes or breaks the dorm, even if some halls have private bathrooms or better airflow.

Dining

It’s important to choose your meal plan based on how you prefer your dining options. If you have specific restrictions, you can attend forums to connect with food service at OU to understand dining options and changes or even opt out of the meal plan. Opting out can save you money because you purchase your own food, although you don’t have access to the dining hall without payment. Whether you choose flex, traditional or opt out of your meal plan, it’s good to understand the cost so you can spread out your meals effectively without wasting money at the end of each week.

Scholarships and loans

It’s very important to stay upto-date on what scholarships are available and how federal funding for education is being changed. Changes to what loan programs are being

offered can significantly affect students who rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA can change year to year based on your financial income, so it’s also important to work with your OU financial advisor for any questions regarding your aid.

Scholarships are available through OU and other outside sources. It’s important to apply to these frequently, even if there is a low chance of receiving them. It’s a guaranteed loss if you do not apply.

Significance

During room selection in the spring, I overheard girls saying their tuition was cheaper because they had moved down to the traditional ten meal plan, which gives them 10 swipes a week. They also mentioned they were going to be living in the River Park dorms, which are $6,000 per semester. I questioned them on if they knew that was

Letter from the Editor | Become one with the bus

Welcome to your next adventure, new Bobcats. As you touch down on campus for Bobcat Student Orientation, you are presented with an overwhelming amount of information about housing, clubs and organizations, hazing prevention and other well-being resources, but an often overlooked piece of the new-student-puzzle is transportation.

Athens Public Transit serves Athens, Albany, Nelsonville, the Village of Chauncey and The Plains. Services run Monday through Friday, with schedules and real-time bus trackers available online.

I use Lines 2 and 3 almost each week to get groceries. I see the same passengers on most of my journeys, have a favorite bus driver and love the freedom I have to go and run a simple errand. Become one with the bus.

Even one quick ride to Kroger and back is enough to settle your public transit nerves. I, admittedly, have hopped on the wrong line a time or two, but the buses return to or near Baker University Center at the end of the route. There is no shame in missing your stop or getting on the wrong bus completely. Listen to some music, strike up a conversation with a local and catch the ride back to Baker. Whether you are coming from out of state, just

across the county line or somewhere in between, learning how to get around an unfamiliar town is stressful.

Campus is joyously walkable – you will get used to the hills, trust me – and Court Street is a simple stroll with a stretch of restaurants, bars and local shops. However, beyond Court Street, things are a little more spread out. It is entirely possible to walk or bike to Walmart and other places on East State Street. The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, a scenic 22-mile bike and walking path, can lead you right to East State Street, but APT is a valuable resource if you prefer not to make such a long walk or if you are picking up a few bags of groceries.

Only 200-300 OU residential parking permits are reserved for freshmen, according to a previous report by The Post. For many freshmen, this means leaving their cars at home. Taking the bus allows you to explore Athens beyond what you can reach on foot.

In addition to APT services, the GoBus runs seven days each week with trips from Athens to Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Marietta, Wooster, Parkersburg, Van Wert and stops in between. The GoBus has stops at Baker and the Athens Community Center. GoBus tickets cost from $5$30, plus tax, but it is a great option for those needing to travel home or wanting to explore other cities

truly cheaper. I didn’t pry any further once I realized they simply didn’t know their dorms were more expensive than the previous year.

It’s OK if you don’t understand everything right away – money and finances are hard to understand. No one has figured it out. So many TikTok videos are posted with suggestions on how to save or how to properly use credit. It all comes down to how frugal you are with your money to pay off loans while simultaneously using your money for living expenses. Understanding finances and doing what works best for you when it comes to saving and using money is great to begin in college.

Make sure to research and work with your financial advisor and parents or guardians to know where your finances are. Oh well, your roommate makes or breaks the worth of your living expenses.

throughout the academic year.

Bonus point for the bus: APT rides are free with your OU student ID. With gas prices in Ohio reaching an average of $4.77 per gallon, a free bus ride sure beats the steep price of a tank. When you step onto campus in the fall, make it a point to explore APT at least once. Hop on Line 2 or 3 and visit Marshall’s. Stop by Ohio Thrift or treat yourself to a Texas Roadhouse dinner with your friends. But brace yourself for a bumpy ride, buses and bricks are not always the kindest combination.

ELIZABETH TALAGA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ask

Success in college doesn’t only come from attending class, hitting deadlines or studying, but knowing how, when and where to devote your time and energy.

Unlike high school, college is centered around independence and selfdiscipline. Class attendance is not always mandatory, and professors may not always remind you of assignment due dates. Suddenly, the responsibility shifts. Going to class and staying on top of assignments becomes your responsibility, not someone else’s.

Leaving high school and entering college is not only a jump in personal responsibility but in academics, accountability and work ethic as well. Understanding how you function on your own schedule can help establish what you need, as both a student and a person, to be proactive and keep yourself afloat.

An estimated 90% of college students procrastinate, and about 25% of that estimated

number become chronic procrastinators. Strategically planning in college will help you better organize your day and further prevent valuable time from slipping by.

Each day holds the same amount of time. How you choose to use it will ultimately shape your task management, college experience and future.

As a student who holds a 4.0 grade point average and still prioritizes time outside of academics, one of the best things I did was create a monthly calendar. Assignment due dates, exam dates and times, meetings, social gatherings and weekend plans were noted. By simply looking at my calendar, I knew what needed to be done, where I needed to be and when I wouldn’t have the time to work on assignments.

Along with planning comes priorities, and along with priorities come habits. Starting a new habit can be easy, but breaking out of one is not. Even simple, daily patterns can develop into “must-haves” without your immediate realization.

Many times, time management comes down

Schmidt Happens

A lot of stress comes with your first year of college, and room selection is a huge stressor for many incoming students. Room selection can make you feel stuck when it comes to both your dorm building and roommate, but that doesn’t have to be the reality.

Creating a relationship where you can comfortably express your concerns is important for both you and your resident assistant. RAs are there to assist you with more than when you forget your keys. They can help you fill out work order forms, get in contact with emergency and maintenance workers if needed and help with difficult roommates or neighboring residents. RAs also host residence hall events you can attend for free and utilize to meet and become friends with people living in your hall.

If you end up in an unfixable situation with your room or your roommate(s), you can switch rooms in the spring semester. Many dorms open up during the spring semester. Whether due to transfers or those studying abroad, there

to the smaller choices made throughout the day. Putting off assignments for “later,” skipping one class or spending more time distracted than productive may not seem significant at first, but it will present itself in your stress, workload and results.

Studying is important, but your body needs rest in order to process and retain information. In fact, college students are recommended to get seven to nine hours of sleep in order to concentrate properly and recall material. Less than seven hours turns into sleep deprivation.

Harvard and Eastern University provide valuable tips for managing time as a college student, such as having a plan, creating a balance between life and academics and staying organized. All of these ideas can minimize stress levels, which then allow for the mind to think more clearly and improve both focus and productivity.

One of the most difficult parts about college is constantly being pulled in different directions. For example, you have to study, but you made dinner plans. You need to work out, but

you’re exhausted. There’s a birthday celebration, but you really just want a night to yourself. There will always be an option of what to do with your time.

Find what matters to you most in that specific moment, and make a decision that will best suit your needs. Remember, it’s OK to say no or change your mind completely. Create practices you can be proud of to push you forward, not hold you back. Everything you do, no matter how small, is a factor in the lifestyle you will create for yourself at college.

Everyone has their own system. Perfecting how you manage your time may not happen immediately, but that’s part of learning how to live independently. Trial and error is part of the process, and mistakes are inevitable. What matters most is how you recover from them and adjust moving forward.

Learning how to manage your time doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. Ohio University offers many different services students may utilize, such as student well-being, advising, tutoring and more. Well-being advising

provides links to student organizations, counselors, help lines and other guides to help students feel confident. During transitions, high-stress periods, or even for daily advice, students can receive valuable input and feel more assured knowing they have a support system through the university.

Time at OU moves faster than expected, which is why learning how to manage it early matters. While deadlines, exams and responsibilities are important, so are the experiences and memories made along the way. Creating balance between both can help make college not only successful, but meaningful.

Aleni Bender is a sophomore studying Organizational Communication at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Aleni about her column? Email/ tweet her at ab285023@ohio. edu/@aleni_bender

| Your dorm doesn’t make or break your first year

may be a dorm you can move into to improve your situation. For extreme situations such as health hazards, inform your RA so they can help you find a temporary housing space until the spring semester.

Don’t be afraid to fill out the work order requests if needed, especially for damage that may have been there before you moved in. Make sure you document any prior damage so you are not held liable and get them fixed, especially if it affects your living environment.

Some dorms on campus, such as those on *South Green, have a bad reputation when it comes to living comfortably.

The dorms are older and are not as up to date, making it not everyone’s first choice compared to renovated dorms on East Green or the newly built McDavis Hall.

Despite the negative reputations of some dorms, the reality is that all dorms have their positives and negatives. Like many dorms in South Green, they are the closest dorms to Nelson Dining Hall and Nelson Market. When it comes to your room, if you evaluate and document prior damage and fill out a work form if needed, you

can make yourself at home.

You can also use decorations in your section of the dorm and fill out the roommate agreement on Roompact to establish ground rules for everyone to live comfortably.

All residents with a roommate must fill out the roommate agreement on Roompact. The agreement covers multiple aspects of sharing a space such as shared items, dorm guests and how to communicate comfortably with each other when problems arise. Your RA heavily encourages you to fill that out as soon as possible, so when tensions do potentially rise, there are established rules and plans in place.

The communal bathrooms are another common perceived negative when it comes to living on campus as a freshman, and it’s hard to pretend like it’s an ideal scenario. But your RAs will also ensure that the bathroom stays a respected shared space. If you notice any behavior or residents not cleaning up after themselves, inform your RA and they will ensure that it is taken care of and the behavior does not continue.

Keeping yourself busy and

involved on campus can not only help you ease into campus life but also make your dorm feel less claustrophobic. Motivating yourself to leave your dorm and find other places on campus that make you feel at home can help you escape the box of your dorm and potentially get some alone time if you have roommates. If you get involved on campus and push yourself to meet new people, you will feel less like your dorm walls are caving in and more like they are expanding amongst the whole campus.

BobcatConnect and going to the involvement fair are perfect ways to get your name out there in some clubs and stay updated on meetings and events happening on campus. The involvement fair takes place on College Green during welcome week. It can get super crowded and overwhelming but it is a good way to meet with clubs at their booths face-to-face and ask them questions. For anything you miss, you can go to BobcatConnect.

BobcatConnect is OU’s online hub for all clubs and intramural sports associated with OU. You can find club events, join club email lists

and track your involvement in certain organizations. The more you sign up for as a freshman, the better! You will eventually figure out what groups you gravitate to and want to get more involved in. It’s important to take things in stride your freshman year and put yourself out there. You can make the best of your 4 years at OU by getting involved and finding the groups and spaces you feel most passionate about pursuing. There are some downsides to dorm living, especially when your room selection may not have been what you hoped, but using OU’s resources can tremendously help you through any struggles to ensure you have a great first year.

Grace Schmidt is a sophomore studying journalism and fashion merchandising at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Grace about her column? Email her at gs326823@ohio.edu Insta: @graceschm1dt

Abby’s Angle | Effort is what it takes to succeed in college

relatively little effort.

When I recall the beginning of my freshman year, it feels unreal. I was thrust into a new situation with new people and expected to just figure it out. Thousands of freshmen on campus were experiencing this with littleto-no advice except to study and make friends.

Before arriving at Ohio University, I spent weeks watching “What to expect at college” and “How to adjust to college life” TikToks and YouTube videos, and felt somewhat prepared. “How hard could it be?” was my mantra. I thought I knew exactly what college would be like.

Turns out, it’s much more complicated.

You will hear the word adjustment many times because that is exactly what college is: a massive adjustment that changes your responsibilities, goals, habits and friendships. It is a big change, and sadly, no TikToks or Reddit forums can prepare you.

The basis of this adjustment is effort. Effort will make or break your college experience. Some people say, “college is what you make of it,” which is the best piece of advice you will get. Effort makes the difference between simply existing in college and actually building a new life. While this can be exhausting, it is also incredibly rewarding.

When your parents leave after move-in day, the first thing to recognize is that you’re on your own now. From remembering assignments, due dates and keeping yourself organized, to doing laundry and choosing dinner, nobody is there to make decisions for you.

You have to make a conscious effort to try new things and make good choices. Good grades, meaningful friendships and memorable experiences don’t happen automatically because you want them to or because they should.

Academically, some struggle in college after coasting through high school with

According to The 74, “one in four young adults across the U.S. is functionally illiterate – yet more than half earned high school diplomas.”

Students are moving through school without retaining any functional skills, resulting in 20% of young adults with high school diplomas who do not have the skills to match it.

This coasting phenomenon ends in college, and effort becomes essential. The Education Data Initiative states, “first-time full-time undergraduate freshmen have a 12-month dropout rate of 22.3%” and “college dropouts are 100% more likely to be unemployed than any degree holder.” College is not impossible and one bad semester does not mean failure. However, success in college is rarely an accident. Going to class, studying when you do not want to and asking for help requires effort.

While hardships and external circumstances may arise, it is important not to let effort – or the lack of it –drive you out of college.

Social life works the same way, as it can be easy to isolate yourself. If I wanted to, I could go an entire day without talking to anybody, but studies by Texas Health show how “ … one short chat per day with friends can have a positive impact on mental well-being.”

Short and sweet conversations with others create a sense of belonging and community, which works against stress. Still, this requires initiative. Effort means introducing yourself, approaching new people and saying yes to plans even when you feel nervous.

OU offers many resources that helped me during my freshman year. Activities requiring effort, whether it be physical or mental, made my days much better.

Ping Recreation Center offers group fitness classes, including pilates and yoga, where I could move my body without having to create my own workout plan or playlist. I also joined The Post, where I wrote for the opinion section and received creative control over what I wrote and when I wrote it.

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone allowed me to improve my writing skills and form friendships with other writers.

If student journalism or workout classes aren’t for you, OU has over 550 student organizations and over 100 weekly programs and events. These organizations are eager to welcome new members in the fall, so keep an eye out for information about open houses and Welcome Week events. Nobody has everything figured out in college, but effort makes it all much easier. College will not magically become the best four years of your life without effort and initiative to try new things and succeed.

Abby Shriver is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @ abbyshriver_

GRACE SCHMIDT FOR THE POST

Brian Sicknick: Fallen Hero

Julian

the following day.”

Khater pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to 80 months behind bars and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.

George Tanios, who had brought the pepper spray to the riot, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and entering and remaining in a restricted building. He was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. He had spent more than five months behind bars.

Sicknick’s partner, Sandra Garza, wanted the maximum sentence for both men. She wrote in her statement to the judge, “I realize it will not bring back Brian, nor give him peace in his last moments on earth, but it will give some sense of justice in my universe.”

Sicknick’s brother, Kenneth, wrote in his statement to the judge, “The only thing that surpasses my anger is my sadness. Sadness that the only time I can communicate with Brian is to speak into the nothingness and hope that he is listening.”

President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to Brian Sicknick. His mother, Gladys Sicknick, accepted the award for him.

On January 20, 2025, the first day of Donald Trump’s second presidency, he pardoned all January 6 rioters, including Khater and Tanios.

Nearly 1,600 people received clemency. Over 600 rioters had been convicted of or pleaded guilty to assault of or obstructing law enforcement officers; in addition, 170 rioters had been convicted of or pleaded guilty to using a deadly weapon.

According to President Trump, “This proclamation [announcing the pardons] ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.”

Trump has called January 6 a “day of love,” and he has called the January 6 rioters “patriots.” Sicknick’s family called the pardons an “undoing of justice.”

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumentha said, “These mass pardons are sickening — the ultimate disrespect for police officers who were assaulted brutally by criminal rioters, suffering lasting injuries and death in some cases. Giving a blanket pass to cop killers and other insurrectionists, convicted by juries of everyday Americans, discredits justice and law enforcement.”

This summary references multiple verified sources, including reporting by CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, CBS News, and NPR, as well as official government statements and court documents.

THE

FACTS HAVEN’T CHANGED

“The November 3rd [2020] Election Was The Most Secure In American History”

In April 2023, Fox News Network and Fox Corporation made a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems to avoid going to trial. Dominion had alleged that Fox had defamed it by knowingly broadcasting false claims that Dominion had rigged the 2020 US presidential election to enable Joe Biden to become President. In fact, under oath, Rupert Murdock, the founder of Fox News, testified that the 2020 election was fair and that Biden had won. In sworn questioning in January 2023, lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems asked Rupert Murdock, the founder of Fox News, “Do you believe that the 2020 presidential election was free and fair?” Mr. Murdock answered, “Yes.” Later, he said, “The election was not stolen.”

The settlement meant that Fox News did not have to apologize or to admit guilt. Still, it is unlikely that Fox News gave Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million out of the kindness of its heart.

ON 12 NOVEMBER 2020, DONALD TRUMP POSTED THIS ON X:

“REPORT: DOMINION DELETED 2.7 MILLION TRUMP VOTES NATIONWIDE. DATA ANALYSIS FINDS 221,000 PENNSYLVANIA VOTES SWITCHED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BIDEN. 941,000 TRUMP VOTES DELETED. STATES USING DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS SWITCHED 435,000 VOTES FROM TRUMP TO BIDEN.”

An Associated Press Fact Check found that this claim is a “tall tale”:

“AP FACT CHECK: Trump tweets a tall tale of ‘deleted’ votes”

“THE FACTS: There’s no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, or of major problems with Dominion’s systems. Election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well, and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities.

“‘There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,’ says a statement emailed to reporters Thursday by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, a federal agency that oversees U.S. election security. ‘The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.’”

(Source: Associated Press, Nov. 12, 2020.)

TRUMP CONTINUES TO OFTEN CLAIM THAT THE 2020 ELECTION WAS STOLEN.

Wikipedia defines “The illusory truth effect (also known as the illusion of truth effect, validity effect, truth effect, or the reiteration effect)” as “the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure.”

For More Information:

“Results of Lawsuits Regarding the 2020 Elections.” Campaign Legal Center (CLC). “The various claims of evidence alleging a stolen 2020 election have been exhaustively investigated and litigated. Judges heard claims of illegal voting and found they were without merit.”

(Source: Campaign Legal Center.)

CAN WE BELIEVE TUCKER CARLSON?

In an interview with Dave Rubin, Tucker Carlson said, “[…] I mean I lie if I’m really cornered or something. I lie. I really try not to. I try never to lie on TV. I just don’t – I don’t like lying. I certainly do it, you know, out of weakness or whatever.”

(Source: The Guardian, Sept. 14, 2021.)

CAN WE BELIEVE ALEX JONES?

Josh Owens, a former video editor and field producer for Alex Jones’ Infowars, says the work he did for Infowars was “nonsense” and “lies.” For example, he was part of a team that flew to El Paso, Texas, to look for an Islamic State (IS) training camp across the border. They found no evidence that such a training camp existed, so they fabricated a video showing a reporter dressed as an IS agent holding a severed head prop and crossing a stream that they falsely claimed was the Rio Grande. In Owens’ words, “We just happened to find a little stream that looked like it could be the Rio Grande. We said we were on the border. The reporter I was with simulated the beheading, walked across and that’s what we posted.”

Within a few hours after being posted, the video got over 1 million views.

(Source: NPR, March 31, 2026.)

What Pancakes Say About Poverty—and Politics

At Ohio University, I often enjoyed reading my students’ assignments, some of which were autobiographical essays. Sometimes I could read between the lines and realize some things that the student may not have realized. Some of my students wrote about special nights when everyone would eat pancakes for supper. Kids like pancakes with syrup or sprinkled with sugar or spread with peanut butter, so these were special nights. If this happens once, then Mom and Dad are probably tired and don’t feel like cooking, but sometimes they happened a few nights in a row. When and where I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual for a mother to send a kid over to borrow a cup of flour or a cup of sugar or a couple of eggs. The family was having a specialpancake supper because it was the end of the month, and money and food were running low.

NOTE: Both Ohio Senators (Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno) and Ohio District 12 Representative (Troy Balderson) voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will increase food insecurity. Some of the worst provisions of the OBBBA go into effect AFTER the 2026 election. Read it and Weep https://www.cspi.org/cspi-news/ big-beautiful-bill-threats-snap-school-meals-and-more

What to expect at an Ohio Football game in the 2026 season

LONDON DEMARCO FOR THE POST

As Ohio football prepares for its 2026 fall campaign with hundreds of new students eager to attend games and support the Bobcats in their fight to the Mid-American Conference Championship, it is important to know what to expect while attending a game at Peden Stadium.

All students at Ohio University receive free tickets to every Bobcat football game. Students can go to ohiobobcats.evenue.net and sign in with a student email. Students can easily download tickets to any upcoming sporting event on campus.

Now that a student has their tickets, they can enter Peden Stadium; however, as with any place, there are rules to follow.

There are many items prohibited at Peden Stadium, ranging from food, drinks, weapons and animals. For security reasons, all bags are

checked by security upon entry.

After entering the stadium and finding seats in the O-Zone student section, located in sections 111-112 next to the Marching 110, the game begins. If a student gets to the game late and finds the student section is full, they might head over to OU’s historic “Victory Hill,” behind the eastern endzone.

While the game is underway, Ohio University requests cooperation by positively supporting the participants and officials. Profanity, racial or sexist comments or other intimidating actions directed at officials, players, coaches or team representatives will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal from the stadium. The throwing of any objects onto the field is also prohibited.

It is 100% encouraged to join in on the chants and cheer on the team while showing pride

Ohio has six home games in the upcoming season to attend, starting Sept. 12 against Jacksonville State University.

Just two weeks later Sept. 26, Ohio is back at home against the Stonehill College Skyhawks for its final game before MAC play begins. The Bobcats’ MAC home opener and homecoming game is against the Central Michigan Chippewas Oct. 10.

Ohio returns to Peden Oct. 24 to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles, and then the Bobcats close out the regular season with two straight home games against the Ball State Cardinals and Toledo

The Bobcats won 13 straight home games dating back three seasons, which is the second-longest home winning streak in all of college football behind the Indiana Hoosiers. This historic home-winning streak would not be possible without Ohio’s loud and patriotic fans packing Peden Stadium every home game. New Ohio students or longtime Bobcats can still be a part of supporting Ohio on Saturdays. Tradition has grown over the years, and it starts on Frank Solich Field. To be a part of this, Athens faithful and Ohio students must all follow the rules to help make sure Peden is still one of the hardest road stadiums to win a game in the entire landscape of college football.

OU looks to replenish top talent under John Hauser

JACK MULDOWNEY FOR THE POST

A respectable 2025 campaign finished with the Ohio Bobcats football team topping the UNLV Rebels 17-10 in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. The team finished third in the Mid-American Conference standings with a 9-4 record and was a tiebreaker short of back-to-back MAC championship appearances. Looking forward, new trails will be blazed in 2026. Coming off that success, the Bobcats have lost a load of high-level production that will be difficult to replace this coming season. Atop the list of detrimental losses are three long-tenured Bobcat stars. Starting quarterback Parker Navarro and starting running back Sieh Bangura

have both run out of college eligibility, and the team’s former star wide receiver, Chase Hendricks, capitalized on his tremendous junior year by transferring to University of California.

The stats speak for themselves with these three, and their absences will be felt. Navarro led the offense last season, throwing for 2,375 yards, rushing for 886 and totaling 23 touchdowns.

Hendricks hauled in 71 receptions for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns. Both were named to the 2025 AllMAC second team. Bangura was awarded All-MAC first team honors with monstrous numbers of 1,392 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns.

Beyond on-field play, these losses will also leave

the Bobcats searching for new locker room leaders. Navarro and Bangura were cornerstones of the program for four seasons, and Hendricks was a Bobcat for three. Losing that type of continuity will be tough for new head coach John Hauser to navigate in his first full season at the helm.

In addition to those three, the Bobcats lost numerous other contributors, including a trio of 2025 All-MAC offensive linemen, the offense’s unsung heroes.

Davion Weatherspoon transferred to the University of Arkansas, Jordon Jones took his talents to Troy University and Nick Marinaro has exhausted his college eligibility.

Tight end Mason Williams, named to last season’s All-

MAC third team, chose to transfer to Ohio State University, while second team defensive lineman Jay Crable will be headed to Florida Atlantic University. Three-year starting defensive back Tank Pearson, who was named All-MAC third team defense in 2025, has also exhausted his eligibility. It is needless to say that this Bobcats team has been stripped of a multitude of its winning DNA from 2025. However, there are some key returners next season, including running back Duncan Brune and safety DJ Walker. Brune played second fiddle to Bangura in the backfield but still took 120 carries for 585 yards and eight touchdowns.

Brune will presumably spearhead the offense alongside graduate student Victor Rosa, who transferred into the program after four years at the University of Connecticut. OU is also looking for another receiver to flourish in this offense, as redshirt freshman Preston Bowman was brought in from the University of Kentucky this offseason.

Walker looks to remain a defensive leader coming off a season in which he recorded 37 solo tackles and two interceptions. The linebacking core will also look familiar in 2026, as redshirt seniors Michael Molnar and Jack Fries and sophomore Charlie Christopher return to man the middle of the field for the Bobcats.

Coach Hauser has looked

securing high-upside transfer portal and high school commitments. Many of these commitments are threestar recruits and unproven transfers, some from highmajor programs who lacked opportunity at their previous schools. There is plenty of opportunity on this roster, though, and coach Hauser will have plenty of time in fall camp to evaluate his new additions.

Incoming freshman quarterback Levi Davis from Olentangy Orange High School boasts a very interesting skill set as a newcomer. A three-star dualthreat quarterback, Davis will come to OU as a homegrown talent hungry to put his athleticism and strong arm on display. Currently, it seems Nick Poulos will most likely be the Bobcats’ day one starting quarterback, but Davis is certainly talented enough to compete.

The 2025 season marked the end of an era for Ohio football, but 2026 will be the beginning of a retool as head coach John Hauser aims to forge his own legacy. The Bobcats will face only one high-major opponent, University of Nebraska, as opposed to the three they faced in 2025. Whether that was a calculated scheduling move or not, the Bobcats look to have a manageable schedule to aid in finding a new identity.

Bobcat defense after an interception during the Bobcats game against West Virginia, Sept. 6, 2025. The Bobcats defeated West Virginia 17-10 in Peden Stadium.

(JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)

(JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)

Volleyball: Roster ready for 2026 success

After an off-season of losing, gaining and retaining players, Ohio University tries to replicate its 2025 volleyball success by making it to the MidAmerican Conference Tournament for the second straight year.

The Bobcats lost important players due to graduation, especially the team’s setter, Kendall White. Before playing for Ohio, White was a setter at Liberty University for one season with limited playing time, and at Kent State for two more. In two seasons as a Golden Flash, White played in 191 sets across 54 matches, tallying 1,367 assists.

After two seasons with Kent State, White decided to transfer to Ohio for her senior season. Her success and experience carried over to Ohio and immediately made her a leader on the team. In White’s first and only season as a Bobcat, she played in 102 sets across 27 matches and had 670 assists, which put her at 10th in the Mid-American Conference, along with 52 kills.

In mid-October, Kendall White earned MAC Setter of the Week just a few days after having a career high 57 assists against Akron in just four sets, which

was the second most in a game last season for the entire MAC.

Losing Kendall White is a big hit to the Bobcats, and in an attempt to fill her place, Ohio brought in Bellarmine University sophomore transfer Lillie Meinhart. In her freshman year at Bellarmine, Meinhart did not see much action. She only played in 10 sets across four matches, but was able to record 71 assists. Ohio sees potential in her and

How championship tournament expansion hurts Ohio

championship hunt.

Two of the most popular tournaments in college sports are March Madness and the College Football Playoffs. The two events are held over roughly a month-long period at the end of the season, with the hope of crowning a national champion.

In the past number of years, the NCAA has pushed for both leagues to expand these tournaments. On May 7, college basketball agreed to this, expanding its 68-team field up to 76. The NCAA believes this allows more student-athletes to experience the

On top of this, the NCAA is also taking advantage of its current surge in interest, as this expansion also gives more screen time to its providers that show these games. TBS, CBS, TNT and TruTV all had a plethora of viewers throughout the 2026 edition of the tournament, and these numbers will only increase with more games for fans to watch.

The 76 teams draw more eyes and highlight young stars before the draft, but that does not mean much for the Mid-American Conference and Ohio. This year, the MAC got two March berths for the first time since 1999, when the committee entered both MAC champion Akron and the

hopes to grow her into a starting setter with the help of returning junior setter Bryn Janke.

Luckily, the Bobcats’ roster did not see too many changes, with multiple talented players returning. The 2025 MAC Volleyball Freshman of the Year, Bailey Blair, returns for her sophomore season, trying to replicate her dominance in year one.

Blair led the team in points and kills,

31-1 Miami University to play in the tournament, but that was not without skepticism from both ends.

Miami may have had a perfect season, but it lost its first-round game in the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. This loss affected Selection Sunday and made the college basketball world riot when the MAC saw its second bid fight for its life in Dayton to even play its way into the tournament, but that was how the field fell.

This eight-team expansion may aid the MAC in getting a second team to this set of 12 play-in games, instead of the current four, but the metrics and data always point to leaving mid-major programs out. This addition will not be enough to allow programs like Ohio to sneak into March Madness, unless it has a record similar to that of Miami this year.

Instead, this expansion makes winning a conference tournament even more important for mid-major programs because these play-in games will likely consist of one strong team, like Miami, and 11 power conference teams.

The other six games are going to be between the 15 and 16 seeds. The MAC typically falls between the 12th and 13th seed line, so Ohio would have to bank on winning the MAC or putting together a season of fewer than five losses.

Now, this eight-team addition may sound major to college basketball, but it is nothing compared to what the NCAA wants to do with the College Football Playoff. It is aiming to double the current 12-team bracket to one with 24 teams, but the holdup here is with conferences not agreeing on a format.

The current 12-team format puts in the best four conference winners, which would almost always be the four power conferences getting

and was second in blocks, showing how talented she can be on both sides of the ball. Her 360 kills and 405.5 points put her at ninth and eighth in the MAC. Blair was one of two Bobcats named to the first team All-MAC list, next to senior middle blocker Emily Waddell. Last season, Waddell was second on the team in kills, third in hitting percentage and first in blocks. Waddell also had a career day last season in a sweep over Miami University in October.

In the game against Miami, Waddell had 14 kills, which is the third most kills in a 3-set MAC match last season. Her hitting percentage was also 0.778, which was the highest hitting percentage in a MAC game last season.

After three years as the assistant coach and one year as the interim head coach, Kenzie Brinkman has her first year as the official head coach after leading her team to the MAC Tournament last year. With a lot of returning players and no questions surrounding the head coach position, the Bobcats attempt to get out to a faster start to open up the season and keep that momentum going throughout the rest of the season and into a potential MAC Tournament berth again in 2026.

LD004224@OHIO.EDU

representation. Then, the next seven teams, based on the opinion of the selection committee, will be placed in this playoff as well, another seven teams from power conferences.

The final piece of the puzzle is a lone representative from the Group of Six. The Group of Six includes the Sun Belt, Conference USA, American, Mountain West, PAC 12 and the MAC. This one postseason bid against a heavy power conference favorite will never satisfy a Group of Six participant, and expansion only makes it harder for these teams, which are already at a disadvantage.

Boise State, James Madison and Tulane have been the three representatives over the first two years of the 12-team playoff, but the hesitation from the NCAA and the power conferences to allow more Group of Six teams in the field is that the average loss for them is over three touchdowns. Unfortunately, the College Football Playoff expansion is also about making money, and blowout matchups will not be something the NCAA wants to sell.

The proposed 24-team playoff has seen many different models, but one thing has been certain: the Group of Six will get no more than two automatic bids in this expansion, but some formats have the conferences remaining with just one.

It is no secret that the Big Ten and SEC have a lot of leverage on this decision, but to completely overlook six conferences when looking for a champion feels like a superconference is in the near future for college football, and that will not be good for Ohio or anyone in the Group of Six.

LD004224@OHIO.EDU

Junior opposite hitter Gentry Brown (3) serves the ball to Bucknell in The Convo, at Ohio University, in Athens, Aug. 29, 2025. (JACKSON MCCOY | FOR THE POST)

Transportation available for Bobcats, locals

FIONA PETTICREW

HUMAN INTEREST EDITOR

Many students come to Ohio University with no personal transportation, leaving their vehicles at home while they spend their first few semesters utilizing the public transportation available in Athens. Students and locals have access to a variety of

transportation including Athens Public Transit, Uber, Lyft, Cat Cab and Pink Cab.

Elise Jackson, a senior studying health administration and Kalila Lithtle, a senior studying communication studies said they prefer Lyft for nights out.

The two said they lived at the bottom of Mill Street and often grabbed a Lyft during the

Clothing shops across Athens help Bobcats find their styles

When looking for clothing, Athens has many unique local businesses to build a new outfit.

CAITLYN VANCE

ASST HUMAN INTEREST

EDITOR

As incoming Bobcats adapt to life in Athens and discover how they want to present themselves in college, many search for walking-distance clothing shops that suit them.

With Athens being run primarily by small businesses, there are various options for locally sourced secondhand clothing, as well as new pieces.

Kismet, located at 19 W. State St., is a woman-owned boutique that sells clothing, accessories and gifts. Kismet is a franchise with multiple locations and an online shop.

Angelina Smith, assistant manager at Kismet, is a recent Ohio University graduate and has been working at the boutique for four years. Smith said Kismet is a great option when looking for more formal event attire, but that is not all they sell.

“I feel like we’re one of the few places on campus that has clothes that aren’t OU affiliated,” Smith said.

Smith said clothing at Kismet ranges from $25-$60, while jewelry is $11-$50 depending on quality.

When in need of OU gear, there are various locations to check out. The College Book Store, located at 50 S. Court St., sells everything OU-related.

The Crazy 8’s section of the shop is significantly discounted from the rest of the store and is where many students stock up on OU apparel. With $8.88 T-shirts, it is the perfect place for new students to build their inevitable Ohio tee collection.

There are also crewnecks for $18.04 and $22.22 hooded sweatshirts.

Combining college apparel with unique, on-trend designs is the specialty of 10 West Clothing Co., located at 10 W. Union St. Mary Cheadle, owner of 10 West Clothing Co., said the store has evolved greatly since opening 38 years ago under her brother’s ownership.

“When my brother owned it, it was a different store,” Cheadle said. “Things like Mother Earth and hacky sacks, that kind of thing, we eventually developed into more Ohio Universityrepresented garments.” Cheadle’s daughter, Emma

winter months.

“They’re usually not too bad either,” Lithtle said. “I feel like they’re always like less than $15, unless it’s mothers weekend or something.”

Jackson said she’s never had a bad experience with a Lyft driver in Athens, although she said she’s never used Uber locally. Lithtle agreed with this, and said Lyft has a “good batch” of consistent drivers. The two never used CatCab, but said their younger friends often talked about the service.

CatCab is OU’s accessible para-transit service available for students and guests with mobility limitations. This service is free, and is meant to combat the “parking challenges” on campus, dropping off passengers directly to their doors.

CatCab is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. From Saturday to Sunday, the service is available from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

During school breaks, CatCab is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CatCab will service

passengers up to one mile from Baker University Center, and cannot service those wanting to travel past Stimson Avenue on East State Street due to the distance.

To use this service, students must first be registered with the Office of Accessibility Services and complete the CatCab agreement form.

Pink Cab is a transportation service only for women and non-male identifying passengers and drivers, as the idea behind the service is to ensure women and non-binary individuals feel comfortable while traveling. Two OU students launched this service on the messaging app GroupMe and received a positive response on their mission, according to a previous report from The Post.

Pink Cab charges $5 for a fivemile radius from College Green and $8 on busier weekends and event celebrations. Past the five-mile radius of College Green, the price is decided by the driver. Every person who joins the GroupMe is required to provide a photo of themselves for verification and

are prohibited from bringing any male into the car.

Many students and locals need Athens Public Transit to get through their day, which Jackson and Lithtle used once during their freshman year.

“Nobody had a car on campus yet, and we needed to go to Walmart,” Jackson said. “So we made it happen.”

The Athens Public Transit is free, services passengers Monday through Friday and closes on major holidays, according to its website. Buses can only stop at marked stops, but passengers are able to flag down drivers in hail zones.

Hail zones for the Athens Public Transit are far down East State Street, Columbus Road, The Plains, Chauncey and Nelsonville. Locals can visit the Athens Public Transit rider guide for specific routes, times and locations.

McCarty, is the manager and graphic artist. 10 West Clothing Co. strives to be different from traditional college apparel, incorporating current trends, local bars and campus events like family weekends.

“We try to be a little edgier, as well as incorporating Athens and Court Street and bar shirts,” Cheadle said.

When looking for casual, ontrend unisex OU apparel, 10 West Clothing Co. is an option for Bobcats.

Shop CGI, located at 13 W. Union St., is an option for secondhand clothing and shoes.

Selling brands like HarleyDavidson, Essentials and Carhartt, Shop CGI has wellcurated, quality products.

Since moving to a location closer to campus last year, Shop CGI has been a go-to place for students and locals seeking affordable pieces.

Most of Shop CGI’s inventory is priced under $30, according to a previous report by The Post.

Aside from being a spot to purchase apparel, Shop CGI encourages customers to bring thrifted items to trade for instore credit or cash.

While Athens is full of great clothing shops, Bobcats might notice pop-up thrift shops held throughout the year.

Some are hosted by campus organizations, while others are brought to Athens by Ohio Vintage Expo, which hosts thrifting events across the state.

Keirstyn Meisner has been selling second-hand clothing since she was a sophomore in high school. Now, a year after graduating from college, she has resold clothing and accessories as her full-time job.

Meisner, who was invited to Athens twice last semester by the expo markets, said college students are her main demographic. In addition to college markets, Meisner sells clothing and accessories online.

“The vibes are always really good at college campuses, I feel like everybody is excited to see the vintage stuff,” Meisner said.

Ohio reloads for 2027 campaign after offseason losses

JACK MULDOWNEY FOR THE POST

The Ohio men’s basketball team is currently looking to reload and field almost an entirely new roster for the 2026-27 season. Only three of 12 scholarship players from last season are returning, leaving head coach Jeff Boals with a tall task to replicate the production from last season that will not be carried over.

The Bobcats have felt the effects of the infamous transfer portal in today’s college basketball landscape, but many key players are on their way out due to having no remaining college eligibility. Jackson Paveletzke, Aidan Hadaway, Ajay Sheldon, Dior Conners and Jalen Breath have all exhausted their eligibility.

The biggest losses are Paveletzke and Hadaway. Paveletzke led the team in both scoring and assists last season at 17.3 points and 5.4 assists per game. Hadaway contributed 14.4 points and led on the glass, securing 7.4 rebounds per game.

for the Bobcats next season. Burris only appeared in 24 of 32 games but could become a more common rotational piece in 2026-27.

Freshmen JJ Kelly and Jordan Fisher, and sophomores Ayden Evans and Elijah Elliott, all entered the transfer portal. Kelly, who committed to the University of Texas at San Antonio on May 1, is the most

impactful

of these losses. He posted impressive numbers of 8.6 points per game on 52% shooting from the field and 33% from beyond the arc last season.

Hadaway spent his whole four-year career with the team, and Paveletzke joined in the 2024-25 season from Iowa State University. Replacing that type of sustained leadership in the transfer portal era is not easy in the slightest.

The three returners from last season’s team are standout big man Javan Simmons as a redshirt senior and two redshirt sophomores, Kiir Kuany and Jesse Burris. Simmons contributed 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season. Boals retaining the man in the middle for next season is crucial.

Kuany showed strong defensive promise in limited minutes last season, and his 6’9” frame and eye-popping athleticism could provide value

Elliott found himself sidelined with an injury for most of last year’s season, so his jump to the portal looks to be a fresh start back in his home state of Florida after a slow first couple of years in Athens. Fisher and Evans played minimal minutes in the 2025-26 season, and this move was to look for more opportunities elsewhere. Fisher still has not committed to a program for next year, while Evans is heading to Maine for his final two years of eligibility.

To begin constructing the new roster, Boals secured commitments from guards Kolton Mitchell from the University of Idaho and Kyler D’Augustino from IU Indianapolis. These two are high-octane scorers, averaging 13.7 and 18.5 points per game last season, respectively. They’re strong pickups to

attempt to fill the shoes of Paveletzke and Sheldon.

D’Augustino is a Southeast Ohio native, homegrown in Albany, Ohio.

“Kyler grew up a Bobcat, and it is great to bring him home,” Boals said to Ohio Atheletics. “He’s a tough guard who can score in multiple ways. Kyler will bring a big following to the Convo.”

Boals also dove into the international market for three more additions. Bosnian 21-year-old forward Dusan Makitan, 23-year-old Belgian forward Siebe Ledegen and 19-year-old Australian guard Che Brogan are all headed to Athens.

Brogan is a steady floor general who adds much-needed playmaking to a shot-heavy backcourt of D’Augustino and Mitchell. He averaged 13.4 points and 4.2 assists per game last season overseas.

Makitan is a 6’8” forward who posted averages of 15.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26 playing for BoracWWIN in Bosnia. He adds even more size and rebounding prowess to a strong frontcourt pair of Simmons and Kuany.

The experienced forward Ledegen boasts a sturdy 6’7” frame and averaged 12.8 points per game on a 41% clip from three-point range last season in the Belgian Pro League. Adding that combination of age, size and shooting ability makes Ledegen a key pickup.

Ohio is not done yet in the portal, and is still looking to reload as it aims to replace the lost production as effectively as possible. It’s not easy for any team to go through an offseason full of the transfer portal and NIL battles, but Boals surely fields a competitive Bobcats team yet again.

Junior opposite hitter Gentry Brown (3) serves the ball to Bucknell in the Convo, at Ohio University, in Athens, Aug. 29, 2025. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)

(JOHN FOUSS | PHOTO EDITOR)

Popular trails, attractions for Bobcats

FIONA PETTICREW FOR THE POST

Ohio University is chosen by many people for the social aspect, the education or the tuition cost. Some Bobcats pick OU for nature, enjoying the view and wildlife, while visiting or taking photos. Several parks and locations are available for students and locals to hike and explore, and people can take advantage of the area’s trails.

Strouds Run State Park is located at 11661 State Park Rd, and is a popular location for hiking and nature viewing for many. It’s about a 10-minute drive from Baker University Center, according to Google Maps, and about an hour with Athens Public Transit, a free public service for locals and students.

Several trails are available for nature and hiking enthusiasts at Strouds Run State Park, such as the Beaver Pond Trail, which is one mile long according to Strouds Run’s website. Chestnut Trail Lakeview Trail is seven miles, and is labeled as having a “moderate difficulty.”

Cameron Gillum, a senior studying aviation flight, said he visits Strouds Run at least twice a month during the spring and summer. He especially enjoys hiking when the weather is nice, and also fishes as well. He said Strouds might be a little far for some students, but it may be accessible by bike.

“If you have the ability to get the transportation to Strouds Run or Old Man’s Cave, which is a little bit farther, but it’s a

really nice spot,” Gillum said. Gillum comes from Northern Ohio and often hikes on flat land near bodies of water.

In Athens, he said he’s able to see a more “interesting” scene full of forests, hills and greenery.

“It’s pretty, and it’s just different,” Gillum said. “Especially if you’re from Ohio and you’re not from around here, it’s completely different than everything that’s around the rest of the state.”

The Ridges, which opened as the Athens Lunatic Asylum in 1874, is located at 118 Ridges Circle and is a popular spot for students to hike due to the building’s history and natural surroundings. The Ridges now operate as a space for many OU departments, community facilities and administrative offices.

The Ridges is about a 20-minute walk from Baker, and the Dairy Barn Arts Center is about a 30-minute walk, which is where the first trail marker for The Ridges Cemeteries Nature Walk is located.

Elijah Beard graduated from OU this May with a degree in computer science, and sometimes visits Dow Lake, located in Strouds Run, and hikes Radar Hill at least once a month.

“I just like Radar Hill, and I like its history,” Beard said. “I was there on Tuesday with my friend, and we were seeing stars.”

In 1963, Radar Hill Laboratory opened to monitor and study the surface of the moon for NASA’s Apollo mission. OU’s department of electrical engineering used

moon and satellite technology with 30-foot dish antennas and a 70-foot antenna test tower, according to OHIOToday.

The “tranquility” of Radar Hill stands out to Beard. Beard said students can take the red line from Athens Public Transit to The Ridges and walk to the observatory located on 174 Water Tower Drive to get to the trailhead.

“It’s easy to romanticize because I came from Columbus, so it’s a nice experience to come here, and it’s like a new, fresh sort of quiet zone,” Beard said.

For those who enjoy walking throughout nature and soaking in the sunshine on a hike, check out the trails and attractions near OU and Athens.

Student involvement to stay connected on campus

LIBBY SHOEMAKER

HUMAN INTEREST STAFF WRITER

To new students, walking on to a campus overflowing with new people and places can be extremely overwhelming. Students might feel a sense of isolation within a new school; however, one of the best ways to become immersed in the culture of Ohio University is through getting involved.

Getting involved in campus clubs, especially as an incoming student, gives students a platform to meet new people and find new interests. The Center of Student Engagement and Leadership, located on campus, is one of the many resources that helps students find ways to get involved.

Katelyn Moscouver, assistant director of student leadership, shared CSEL’s mission.

“The Center for Student Engagement and Leadership empowers students to find where they belong at Ohio through campus-wide programming,” Moscouver said. “... by connecting with student organizations through BobcatConnect or an Involvement Fair, and by offering accessible leadership development programming led by professional staff and peers.”

CSEL connects students to campus life in and outside of the classroom through supporting student-led organizations and leadership opportunities.

Many campus-wide events are offered throughout the year for those looking to be involved. One of the biggest and most accessible events is the College Involvement Fair located on College Green the Sunday before fall classes begin. The year’s fair is August 23. For those looking to explore before getting on campus, students can log onto Bobcat Connect to see all the active student organizations on campus.

Getting involved on campus

not only allows students to explore social opportunities, it also helps academically and professionally.

“Students who get involved are more likely to graduate, have access to more leadership roles and opportunities,” Moscouver said. “Students can engage more deeply with their areas of interest whether these are related to their academic pursuits or not.”

Additionally, Moscouver also shares that one of the best ways to get involved is to just

reach out and try new things.

The Involvement Calculator 10 Question Quiz is a start to finding clubs that pique students’ interests.

Involvement looks different for every student, and many campus resources are available to help students find where they belong.

Tuti Perdomo, assistant director for programming at CSEL, highlights the importance of students getting involved on campus.

“I think the more connected a student is, the more successful they’ll be at Ohio,” Perdomo said. “If they can build friendships and strengthen their connections to people, they strengthen their connection to campus. They can find people who enjoy the same kinds of things that they like to do, so it’s basically just a way for them to feel more supported, engaged in their campus life.”

Perdomo emphasizes how student involvement goes beyond joining organizations: it helps students meet new people and create meaningful relationships connected

through campus. By taking the step to research or attend a club meeting, students can find a world of people who share the same interests.

“We host two different kinds of events,” Perdomo said. “Just basically giving different ways that they can engage … Throughout the year, we try to vary all the things we offer, don’t be nervous to attend.”

CSEL offers events yearround, and information is mainly posted in Baker University Center. Student involvement continues to be an important part of campus life, and finding a group to connect with enriches the college life through meeting people of similar interests.

The Gob Pile Trail in the Bailey’s Trail System in Chauncey, Ohio, April 19, 2026 (ETHAN HERX | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Students walk around the Involvement Fair on College Green, Aug. 25, 2025, in Athens. The Involvement Fair is an event where Ohio University student organizations have tables to inform new students about what they can become involved in. (MEGAN VANVLACK | FOR THE POST)

Dining hall hacks, things you need to know about OU’s meal plan

much more flexible and therefore less stressful for students.

Some people pick their future college based on the quality of food, while others get scared about the number of options. As upcoming freshmen adjust to college life, here is a rundown of the dining hall and food plan need-toknows.

PSA from an upperclassman: the

The biggest difference between the flex and the traditional plans is the additional $225 in Flex Points. These points can be used at campus cafes, West 82, Latitude 39 and Life is Sweet. Leftover meal swipes are able to be used at Jefferson, Nelson and Boyd Markets to buy groceries.

includes a large amount of walking, people do not move as much as they think they do. There are unlimited options of pizza, hamburgers, pasta, and whatever food a person wants. If one chooses to, one can eat ten desserts in one sitting at the dining halls.

The thing is, to stay aware of what is being consumed. Ohio University provides menus and nutritional information for everything served in all of the dining halls and eateries.

As for the meal plans, it is tricky to know which one to get. For Freshmen, it should be strongly recommended

past year, the rules with block and that with a non-flex plan can swipe others into the dining halls or use swipes in as frequent succession.

For young college students who are still trying to figure out how to eat and survive in college, having the ability to spend their extra meal swipes in the markets is really helpful. With busier and more random schedules, getting to the dining hall 14 times a week may be difficult.

Those living on East and South Greens are located near Nelson Court and Earl’s Coop. Nelson is a solid option for food, providing daily options like burgers and pizza. Including additional options of grilled chicken, pasta, Velvet Ice Cream,

that the Flex 14 plan is the way to go. Yes, it is more expensive than the traditional meal plans, but it is so

revolving selection of daily meals.

Earl’s Coop is a grab-and-go chicken place, similar to Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. It may not be the “healthiest”

option, but it is reliable and open until midnight Monday through Thursday and at 4 p.m. on Fridays. Eat there wisely and do not be afraid to walk in a few times a week.

Boyd Dining Hall, also called The District on West Green, is the main dining hall for those living on West Green. They have frozen yogurt and pasta, as well as quesadillas on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, it can be argued that the best part of Boyd Dining Hall is the smoothie deal in the market.

With any meal plan, there are dining options at Boyd Market’s Smooth Moves, where there is the option to

three times a week.

The meal plans are there to use, and they do not carry over into another week. Upperclassmen with block plans are an exception to this.

At the end of the day, there are many dining options provided. Make life easier by planning a food schedule or ordering ahead of time on the mobile app. Though sometimes ordering and waiting is the better option.

The food will be there next semester, as it doesn’t change a lot. Try new things. Have fun and be smart.

and a good variety, but if someone is trying to go between classes, then be prepared to wait in a long line.

The best thing to do there is to mobile order or order in person with the understanding that there may be a wait time.

Brick City Deli has a store, located in Jeff Market, and a food truck, Brick City Deli On The Go, which is parked next to Bentley Hall. The one in Jeff Market has more options. This goes for sandwiches, sides and a gluten-free bread option.

For these, ordering ahead can be helpful, but it is not always the right move. If going in person to Brick City Deli in Jeff Market, then the food will be ready within thirty minutes. If ordering ahead, it may take from one to three hours.

Always make a plan for eating at the beginning of the day. Schedule changes happen frequently every day. Plan for it early on. Sometimes, classes prohibit this as well.

Helpful tip: to use up all of the meal swipes included in the dining plan, it would probably be best not to schedule three classes back-to-back in the middle of the day. Do not go up to Court Street or DoorDash McDonald’s

LEANNE ABEL | FOR THE POST

Right: Boyd Hall, which houses The District Dining Hall on West Green Bottom Left: Nelson Dining hall on South Green

Summer is heating up for the zodiac signs, especially with Mercury’s retrograde from June 29 to July 23. With the retrograde in the water sign, Cancer, emotions will drive us. Cancer is a mirror sign, so we feel nostalgia is in the cards. With Mercury retrograde being known for a time of miscommunication and confusion with decision making, traveling and relationships, it’s best not to make any big decisions during this time. Be ready to travel carefully, double-check your bags on vacation and make sure not to text an ex while reflecting on the beach.

Aries

If you moved back to your hometown, you might run into people from your past. With Mercury’s retrograde in Cancer, you’ll be feeling more sensitive about those people. With Mars in Gemini, you’ll have an urge to revisit unfinished conversations. Don’t get distracted after your hard work this year, Aries. Use your urging sensitivity to look inward and to work on something personal that is unfinished, like a passion project.

Taurus

It’s a physical summer for you, Taurus. Although you’ll experience less change, it will

HOROSCOPE

be detrimental. You’ll feel it in your shoulders; emotional renewal is available for you this summer, so stick with loved ones as disruptions occur. Focusing on what you want and knowing your worth will allow you not to sink into what has been holding you down. Find a quiet place to do yoga, Taurus.

Gemini

You will feel the speed this summer, Gemini. When you reflect on the past this summer, you’ll be able to discover or rediscover something about yourself. This summer is for authenticity while experiencing unexpected, but mostly good, changes. You can do anything, Gemini, just don’t spend too much money trying to figure out how you’ll look as your authentic self. Evolve from within.

Cancer

Cancer, it’s time to party. You feel nostalgia in ways of old aesthetics returning, but don’t get too deep in longing for the old times. Reflecting can become a realization of a talent worth marketing. You’re attractive this summer, Cancer; let fresh perspectives into your party.

Don’t get nervous and overwhelmed by major relationship changes and career goals. Open up and embrace the change, but when it gets too much, don’t be afraid to call the party off and decide what you want from your relationships.

CROSSWORD

Have fun, but don’t neglect your outdated goals and intentions, Cancer.

Leo

This is the first spiritually expansive season in a long time for you, Leo. Before you take charge of your ambitions, this summer begins with a preparation break. Use the retrograde as a time to manifest and practice your talents, then you can show them off during your birthday season. Say yes to new opportunities and seize the day, Leo. One small decision could change everything for you.

Virgo

This is a slow summer for you, Virgo. You are thoughtful about your decisions, but don’t dot your I’s and cross your T’s to be useful. Make sure you affirm your worth in your workplace. People are watching you, so be sure you show them how hard you’ve worked.

You know what you want, so tune into your intuition for insight on your goals this summer. This is a time for a break-up or a breakthrough; either way, you’re getting something off your chest, Virgo.

Libra

Demands will overwhelm you this summer. Even though you are graceful while juggling all your responsibilities, you need to wrap them up and step

away from what doesn’t serve you. You are bored and ready to outgrow what you thought you’d love forever.

By the middle of summer, you’ll be trying new things, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. This change may cause drama later in the summer, but you still tackle it with grace without losing yourself. Remember, you aren’t performing for others this summer, Libra.

Scorpio

Scorpio, it’s time to let go of never-ending arguments. All the areas in your life are intense, so cast out your shadows and spend some time alone to reflect on how much you have learned; ease up on your determination and obsessions. It’s time to be serious about what you want and exactly why you want it.

A new career decision could put you in a leadership position this summer. Organize your finances, and the Venus in Virgo will help you think carefully when seeking security. You are a lone wolf this summer, Scorpio. Figure out the reason why you hunt the places that you do.

Saggitarius

Sagittarius, do not get FOMO from the wedding season. You are the sign of freedom, though it would be a lot better if relationships were set in stone. Retrograde brings miscommunication, which can bring you instability, but this summer is about something that blows your mind wide open. You may discover a new place, learn something new or even date someone who reflects at you with unexpected accuracy. Even with new things, don’t rush into committing.

Capricorn

Your summer starts with people telling you what they left unsaid, and you won’t hold back in your response. Don’t get yourself caught in an argument; be patient with your relationships.

Your calendar is impressive this summer, as you are determined to be invested in your work. Even though your finances will thank you

this summer, you need to make sure you get rest before burnout forces you to. Shake up your routines, have difficult conversations and channel your energy steadily. Be ready to tie loose ends, but make sure you have the energy to do so, Capricorn.

Aquarius

It might be time to move your calendar around, Aquarius. It will be liberating if you tap into your creativity and pleasure. The planets want you to focus on what really matters and to focus on how you go about things. If you are looking for love, it’s time to flirt, but if you are coupled, your relationship will grow deeper.

Make sure to stick to a consistent story and erase illusions because later this summer, your loved ones will need to know if you’re there for them. Otherwise, romanticize your summer by publishing something before it’s done or posting a photo dump on Instagram. Be cringe, be free, Aquarius.

Pisces

Pisces, paparazzi are outside, and the paparazzi are those you do not want to see. Stay inside and tend to your garden, polish your things and cleanse your room. Getting rid of bad vibes is a good chore for you. With the cleared space, you’ll get more productive as the summer goes on. Before you know it, your calendar will be booked and busy.

Everything will change for you by the end of the summer, so make sure to express your creativity to achieve your dreams. Just remember to have room for the new.

Cassidy McClurg is a freshman student studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassidy about their column? Email cm303824@ohio.edu

I AM JARRAD CHRIStiAN

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

It’s time to give power back to Ohio’s working class.

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

The election takes place November 3.

These are Jerrad Christian’s Positions on Some Important Issues, But They are Widely Held by Many Progressive Politicians:

Get Money Out of Politics

Money has distorted our politics and drowned out ordinary people. Citizens United opened the door to unlimited corporate spending, giving billionaires and special interests more influence than teachers, mechanics, nurses and working families. Elections should not be auctions. We must end Citizens United, cap campaign spending, expose dark money and make every dollar traceable. Lobbying, as it exists today, too often functions as legalized bribery. Corporate and foreign-linked interests should not shape American law through campaign cash or political pressure. If elected officials represent Americans, their loyalty and funding should come from Americans.

Protect Voting Rights & Democracy

The government is not some distant machine. It is us. And in a healthy republic, the people hold the power. That means protecting the right to vote with the seriousness it deserves. We should pass the Voting Rights Act and fully restore the protections that were stripped away after Shelby County v. Holder. When federal oversight was weakened, states were free to pass laws that made it harder for certain communities to vote. An updated framework like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would reestablish clear guardrails against discrimination and ensure that changes to voting laws are reviewed before harm is done. Every eligible citizen should be able to cast a ballot without unnecessary barriers and trust that it will count. A healthy democracy depends on fair access, clear rules and accountability at the ballot box.

Defend Civil Rights & Equality for all

For the past century, we have improved our country by expanding liberty to people of every demographic. Voting rights, marriage rights, housing rights – all were won in showdowns against think tanks, white supremacists, and religious institutions that sought to limit access to freedom, equity, and equality. Today, those freedoms are being erased. The groups that sought to prevent civil rights hold the reins of power. Instead of discussing policies to improve our conditions, corrupt politicians direct our attention to boogeymen like The 1619 Project, CRT, DEIA, and transgender athletes. They manufacture fear around racial, sexual, and gender minorities to keep Americans divided and stop us from uniting against them. Minorities do not oppress us. Bad policies do. Politicians and corporate greed keep us living paycheck to paycheck, unable to pay our bills or find jobs, and watching helplessly as our communities fail. We cannot unite against our oppressors if we kick marginalized groups off the playing field. Pushing back against legislative discrimination and political propaganda is not enough. Congress must pass and codify expanded protections for civil rights, reproductive rights, marriage equality, and religious freedom.

Abolish & Prosecute Ice

ICE was created in the fear and panic after 9/11 and has grown with too little oversight. Today, the agency conducts raids, separates families and operates detention facilities where abuse and neglect have been documented. When an institution repeatedly violates rights and erodes trust, cosmetic reform is not enough. ICE should be abolished as it exists today and replaced with a narrow, accountable system focused on public safety and the rule of law. Agents who break the law, falsify records, abuse detainees or violate constitutional rights should be investigated and prosecuted. A badge is not immunity.

Pass Universal Healthcare

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

Raise the Minimum Wage

Reduce Energy Costs

Reducing energy costs requires more supply, a modern grid and smarter efficiency investments. That includes domestic production, expanded renewables, nuclear power, storage and grid upgrades that prevent outages and price spikes. Wind and solar can lower long-term costs because they have no fuel cost once built, while nuclear power helps maintain reliable baseload energy. Families should also have affordable ways to lower their own bills through weatherization, efficient appliances and rooftop solar where it makes sense. Energy policy should keep the lights on at prices people can afford while protecting clean air and water.

Expand Rural Internet Access

Broadband is infrastructure, as essential as roads, electricity and clean water. Expanding rural internet access means investing in fiber where it makes sense, supporting wireless and satellite where terrain requires it, and ensuring federal dollars reach unserved communities instead of padding corporate balance sheets. Companies that take public funds should be held accountable for delivering service. Rural communities are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair shot. Reliable high-speed internet helps students, farmers, small businesses and families compete in the modern economy.

Support American Farmers

American farmers are squeezed by rising input costs, volatile commodity prices and corporate consolidation across seed, fertilizer, meatpacking and distribution. When a handful of companies dominate the market, independent producers lose bargaining power. Supporting farmers means enforcing antitrust laws, breaking up monopolies, strengthening the Packers and Stockyards Act, increasing pricing transparency and ensuring fair contracts. We should also invest in local processing, rural infrastructure and conservation programs that reward responsible stewardship. Farmers deserve a fair market and a future they can pass to the next generation.

Protect Our Environment

Protecting the environment is about health, heritage and responsibility. In Ohio, hunting, fishing and time outdoors are part of the culture. Clean water, healthy habitats and strong wildlife populations preserve those traditions for future generations. Conservation should not be partisan. We must invest in habitat restoration, protect public lands, manage resources responsibly and keep pollution out of our waterways. Rural communities understand stewardship. We pass down rifles, tackle boxes and traditions. We should also pass down healthy land and clean water.

Cap Ohio’s Gas Wells

Ohio has thousands of old oil and gas wells across farmland, forests and backyards. Many are orphaned, and some leak methane or threaten groundwater. Too often, taxpayers are left paying cleanup costs after companies walk away. Capping abandoned and orphaned wells should be a priority. It protects drinking water, reduces emissions and creates skilled jobs in remediation. Companies should also be required to carry bonding levels that actually cover cleanup costs. If a company drills, it should be responsible for the full life cycle of that well. Period.

End Corporate Welfare

David Bruce JC 10” X 21”

Corporate welfare is one of the quietest scams in politics. Politicians praise free markets while handing tax breaks, subsidies and special carve-outs to profitable corporations. Small businesses compete on their own, and working families pay their taxes, while large companies negotiate incentives behind closed doors. If a business model only works because public money props it up, that is not strength. It is leverage. We should end targeted giveaways, close corporate loopholes and require strict clawbacks when companies fail to deliver promised jobs. Public dollars should build public goods.

Make the Rich Pay Their Fair Share

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

End the Housing Crisis

The housing crisis did not happen by accident. We have treated housing like a speculative asset instead of a basic foundation of stability. Corporations and private equity firms buy up single family homes in bulk. Zoning laws lock entire neighborhoods into artificial scarcity. Wages lag while rent climbs. And working families are told to just “budget better” or "earn more" while half their income disappears into a landlord’s account. Ending the housing crisis starts with building more homes. Reform exclusionary zoning so duplexes and small multifamily units can exist in places that outlaw them. Incentivize first time homeownership instead of luxury developments only investors can afford. Crack down on large institutional buyers distorting local markets. And make it easier for first time buyers to compete without getting steamrolled by cash offers. Housing is stability. It is where kids do homework. It is where families build wealth. It is where small businesses are rooted. If we want strong communities and a functioning middle class, people need a place to live that does not feel like the Sword of Damocles.

Reform Public School Funding

A child’s future should not depend on their ZIP code. Too many schools are funded based on local wealth, leaving rural and working-class districts behind while wealthier communities offer more opportunities. Education is infrastructure, and schools should be funded based on student needs, not neighborhood tax bases. That means fully funding special education, investing in early childhood programs, paying teachers like professionals and ensuring rural districts are not forced to rely on endless levies just to keep the lights on. Strong public schools strengthen the entire country.

Strengthen & Protect Unions

Unions built the American middle class. The weekend, overtime pay, workplace safety rules and child labor laws were won because workers organized. Over the past several decades, union power has been weakened while executive pay has soared. When workers cannot negotiate, wages stagnate, benefits shrink and jobs become less secure. We must protect the right to organize, impose real penalties on companies that violate labor law and repeal policies that undermine collective bargaining. A strong labor movement stabilizes the economy by giving workers a voice and communities a foundation.

Defend & Restore Social Security

Social Security is not a handout. It is an earned benefit that working people pay into every single paycheck. My grandmother lived on Social Security for the last decade of her life, and even then it was tight. That check was stability, groceries, rent. It was dignity. When politicians talk about cutting it, they are talking about cutting into the lives of people who built this country. If we want to defend and restore Social Security, the math is straightforward: uncap it. Right now, income above a certain dollar threshold is not taxed for Social Security. A nurse pays on every dollar she earns. A billionaire stops contributing once they clear the cap. You and I pay the same dollar amount as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. That makes no sense. Lifting or eliminating the cap would extend the program’s solvency and strengthen benefits without cutting a dime from retirees. Social Security works. It has dramatically reduced senior poverty for generations. The problem is not the program. The problem is political cowardice to the donor class.

Working people pay taxes out of every paycheck, while many wealthy individuals and corporations use loopholes, offshore structures and preferential treatment to lower their tax bills. That is not fairness. It is access. Making the rich pay their fair share does not punish success. It applies the rules consistently. Capital gains should not be taxed more favorably than wages. Billionaires should not be able to borrow against assets indefinitely to avoid taxes while their wealth grows. Large corporations should not report record profits to shareholders while paying little or nothing in federal taxes.

End Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

The United States should end funding for what is happening in the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, neighborhoods have been destroyed and children are buried under rubble while U.S. tax dollars continue to fund weapons. Israel has a right to security, but that does not include collective punishment or the destruction of civilian life. If America stands for human rights, that standard must apply even when it is uncomfortable. We should halt offensive military aid, demand a permanent ceasefire and condition future assistance on compliance with international law.

End Russia’s War in Ukraine

Russia invaded Ukraine. A larger nuclear power crossed a sovereign border because Vladimir Putin believed he could seize territory and outlast the world’s attention. Ukraine has the right to defend its sovereignty, and the United States should support that right. The goal must be a durable end to the war that preserves Ukraine’s independence while reducing the risk of a broader conflict. That requires leverage, diplomacy and clear limits about what America is trying to achieve.

Transition Soldiers Back Home

Service members are asked to sacrifice years of their lives, move across the country or world, and carry responsibilities most civilians never experience. Too often, they return home with little more than paperwork and a checklist. A serious transition plan means translating military skills into civilian careers, expanding apprenticeships, improving mental health care, supporting families and preventing homelessness and isolation. Medics, logistics chiefs, aviation technicians and other service members have valuable skills, but they need clear pathways into civilian life. We should fully fund the VA and partner with employers who understand military experience.

Regulate A.I. & Data Centers

AI is already shaping hiring, lending, news, coding and public opinion. If these systems are biased, opaque or weaponized, the harm can spread quickly. We need transparency, accountability and guardrails for how corporations and government use AI. Americans should not be secretly profiled or judged by systems they cannot challenge. Data centers also bring real costs, including heavy electricity and water use. Communities that host them deserve strong environmental standards, fair taxation and infrastructure investments to offset the burden. Growth is welcome. Exploitation is not.

Defend Data Privacy & Online Freedom

Search history, location data, private messages and biometric information are personal. Constitutional protections against unreasonable intrusion should not disappear because technology has changed. Today, companies harvest, buy and sell data at massive scale, while brokers build profiles most people never see. Governments can also buy datasets they would otherwise need a warrant to obtain. That is a loophole around basic liberty. We should require meaningful consent, limit data collection to what is necessary, ban the sale of sensitive personal information and close backdoor data purchases by law enforcement.

Audit the Pentagon for Fraud & Waste

The Pentagon should be audited like every other part of government. The Department of Defense controls a massive share of federal spending, yet it has repeatedly failed to produce clean audits. Patriotism is not writing blank checks. It is demanding accountability for how taxpayer money is used. Fraud and waste show up through inflated contracts, cost overruns and procurement systems that reward major contractors even when performance falls short. We should strengthen inspectors general, enforce consequences for contractors that defraud taxpayers and stop using “national security” as an excuse to avoid oversight.

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Five festivals in Athens to look forward to

hosts its Honey for the Heart parade earlier in the day.

Passion Works events

Ohio University and the surrounding Athens area aren’t strangers to a festival that brings the community together. Make sure to check out these festivals and community gatherings this year in Athens.

Ohio Pawpaw Festival

For those who are not native to the Southeastern Ohio area, the pawpaw fruit may be a foreign concept. Pawpaw is North America’s largest edible native tree fruit and is abundant in Southern Ohio.

In the past 25 years, the Ohio Pawpaw Festival has taken place at Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio. However, this year, the festival is moving to Snow Fork Event Center in Nelsonville, Ohio — about a 20-minute drive from OU.

The Ohio Pawpaw Festival is an Athens favorite because it celebrates local culture with local food, live music, a pawpaw-eating contest, pawpaw flavored beer and ice cream and more.

Whether looking to appreci-

ate the culinary power of pawpaw or just wanting to relax, the Ohio Pawpaw Festival is taking place this year on Sept. 18-20.

Athens Halloween

OU and Athens as a whole are widely known for their exceptional Halloween celebrations.

Student-run events are common, as students roam in costume during Halloween weekend.

Additionally, the Athens Halloween Block Party is a citywide celebration that takes place on Court Street with live music. The block party is just one part of the day’s festivities, as Passion Works Studio also

Passion Works Studio is a local art studio that works to create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and able-bodied people to create art and participate in inclusive communities.

Throughout the year, Passion Works has several events that are a lively part of the Athens area. In September, Passion Works creates art to support and raise awareness for Turn it Gold, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting childhood cancer.

Also in September, Passion Works creates pawpaw-themed art to display at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival

As previously mentioned, before the Athens Halloween Block Party, Passion Works’ Honey for the Heart parade shows off repurposed art and puppets the community comes together to help create, through a pop-up studio in October. Honey for the Heart is a great way to be connected to the local Athens culture during the Halloween season, with around 2,000 people helping at the pop-up studio in the weeks leading up to the parade.

Fest Season

OU is famous for its party scene, and the end of spring semester is a peak time for that aspect of campus culture.

“Fest season” takes place over several weekends in spring, with different streets throwing house parties each weekend.

The streets involved in fest season are Milliron Street, Mill Street, Congress Street, High Street, Palmer Place Street and Palmer Street. It is important to stay safe during

Nelsonville Mu sic Festival

For those who stay on campus over the summer, or who are inter ested in visiting the Athens area over the summer, Nelsonville Music Festival is a major event not to be missed.

Featuring national, regional and local music acts, Nelsonville Music Festi val showcases live music on multiple stages, taking place across three days and offering nearby camping and lodging. Anyone who has an interest in music, camping or local culture can find something to appreciate at Nelsonville Music Festival.

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Fans watch as Charley Crockett performs at the main stage