Download pdf - Fall 2012 (Vol. 6 Issue 1)

bFall 2012

armed &knowledgeable

+12MaC-attaCk

statsathens CoMes alivevia twitter

Cuban off court

New SAC Logo18

ST

UDENT SENATE

04 APPROPRIATIONS COMMIS

SIO

N

Black Affairs:

2012-2013Student Senate

Updates

Woman-to-Woman will take place every

first and third Thursday in the Women's Center

from 7:30-8:30pm

International Affairs:Oct. 18th Capoeira Class (Brazilian

Martial arts) Grover E205, 6-8pm

Oct. 19th Capoeira Performance baker theatre 7-8:30pm

University Life:The Provost will be coming to Nelson Court on October 25th. She will be interacting with

students from 5:30 to 7:30pm

State and Federal:Remember to

register to vote by October 6th

Message From The Execs:“This is a pivotal year in

Ohio University history and we need more involvement

than ever before.”Floor plans, photos and more information at

www.diversifiedproperties.net

Contact Alecia Moquin740.592.5262 or [email protected]

375 Richland Ave.Apts. A & B3 bedrooms, central air, large open kitchen/dining/living area, onsite parking for all residents.

80 Mill St.Apts. 1, 2 & 34 bedrooms, central air, onsite parking for all residents, private back patio, close to everything.

5 Atlantic Ave.3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house located at the end of a quiet south-side street, central air, washer/dryer, plenty of off-street parking.

77 N. Congress St.4 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house. Great uptown location, large front porch, central air, washer/dryer, onsite parking for all residents.

28 N. College St.Incredible central uptown Athens location! 15 person occupancy, park-ing included, perfect for Greek organization.

22 Blick Ave.

Like new! 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouses featuring spacious open & bright floor plan, onsite parking with garage, deck and much more. Close to everything…bike path, OU, O’Bleness Hospital, easy access to all major highways.

16 Blick Ave.

19 Herrold Ave.

Like new! 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouses featuring spacious open & bright floor plan, onsite parking with garage, deck and much more. Close to everything…bike path, OU, O’Bleness Hospital, easy access to all major highways.

30 Blick Ave.

18 Blick Ave. 21 Herrold Ave.

Providing quality residential rental properties to the Athens Community for over 25 years!

backdrop | Fall 20124 5

Letter from the editorbThe First Semester—

There’s been a lot of change in Athens this fall and Backdrop is no exception. Fortunately, with the quarters to semesters change, Backdrop readers can happily know that they will be able to read more content with four issues instead of three this year.

We’ve also changed some of our regular features. “Cribs” will now be replaced with the new music Q&A, “Sounds Like” (pg. 10). This column will give readers the opportunity to meet a new local band—

and find out which famous musicians the musical act sounds like. Oh, and you won’t find that crossword puzzle anywhere. Instead, we’ve replaced it with Photo Hunt (pg. 43)—a game we took out of the bar and dropped into the magazine.

In this issue, you’ll find a glimpse of Athens’ new Cuban eatery (pg. 14), a look behind the famous OU parody Twitter accounts (pg. 18), and our cover story on the Second Amendment Club (pg. 24)—as well as many other aspects of Athens that we all love and adore. Not to worry, we didn’t change everything. Backdrop still brings you “Hot4Teach” (pg. 8) and our “Recipe” section (pg. 28).

However, as much as we love Athens, it’s good to leave the “bubble.” If you’re thinking about studying abroad (pg. 20)—staying too connected to home via technology while studying abroad can hinder the experience. If words can’t convince you to burst your “bubble” and go abroad, this issue’s photo story of Scotland may do the trick (pg. 36).

In the end, nothing quite compares to Athens—it seems fitting that the celebration of out first issue on semesters would coincide with the timeless tradition of Homecoming. Cheer on our teams to more victories as you read up on the recent Bobcat domination of the MAC (pg. 34). Welcome home. Here’s to a great year!

Fall 2012 » voluMe 6 issue 1

Editor-in-chiEf Shannon Miranda

Managing Editor Melissa Thompson assistant Managing Editor Sara Portwood associatE Editors Kelsi Bowes & Nick Harley assistant Editor Stephanie Fisk

copy Editor Julianne Mobilian assistant copy Editor Margaret McGinley

crEativE dirEctor Cassandra Sharpe

dEsign dirEctor Emilee Kraus art dirEctor Olivia Reaney MarkEting dEsign Morgan Decker

dEsign tEaM Cassandra Fait, Tasha Gardone, Emily Pignatiello, Karlee Proctor, Jessie Shokler

photo Editor Amanda Puckett contributors Kasey Brooks, James Conkle, Isaac Hale, Emily Harger, Royle Mast, Daniel Rader, Steven Turville, Meghan Shamblen, Nate Smallwood

Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes hereFun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here

tABLe of CoNteNtSb

Missed ConnectionWith home only a mouse click away, is technolgy diminishing the study abroad experience?

Armed and KnowledgeableMeet the OU club that’s exercising its 2nd Amendment freedom with safety first.

20

24

Follow us on Twitter @Backdropmag

FeatuRes »

Shannon Miranda

Go Bobcats,

SEE THE PHOTO STORY PaGe 36

oN the Cover

bFALL 2012

ARMED &KNOWLEDGEABLE

+12MAC-ATTACK

STATSATHENS COMES ALIVEVIA TWITTER

CUBAN OFF COURT

24

14

34

18

Cover photo by James ConkleCover design by Emilee Kraus

tABLe of CoNteNtSb

contributors Hannah Croft, Kerry Crump, Nick Harley, Angela Ignasky, Zak Kolesar, Chris Longo, Margaret McGinley, Sara Portwood, Kaitlyn Richert, Melissa Thompson, Rose Troyer

publishEr Katie Mefferd

advErtising dirEctor Adrienne Krueger MarkEting dirEctor Angela Ignasky assistant MarkEting dirEctor Jared Looman MarkEting tEaM Annie Blackie, Kelsi Bowes, Jess Carnprobst, Morgan Decker, Virginia Ewen, Jeff Kassouf, Alyssa Keefe, Carolyn Nachman, Alyssa Pasicznyk, Jessica Sees, Rose Troyer

WEb Editor Jacob Betzner distribution dirEctor Rose Troyer assistant WEb Editor Kerry Crump vidEographErs Chris Longo, Denny McCarthy

Stop by one of our weekly meetings, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in Scripps Hall 111.

interested in working with us?

Fall 2012 » voluMe 6 issue 1

Simply send an email to [email protected] to get started.

Want an advertisement in backdrop?

h4t » bringing sexy backClass is in session with these foxy former Bobcats.

8the drop »

eNtertAiNmeNt »

sowing seeds, Growing Minds Residents of Athens give their kids a taste of higher education.

12

the Digital edgeThis OU alum turned his love for football into a successful online startup.

16

SportS »

sol Food Athens’ new eatery is the premier hot spot for Cuban cuisine.

14

18 trending @thensThese Bobcat-themed Twitter accounts are a must-follow.

30 up to ParOne OU freshman is ready to compete for her team after a year of diligent solo training.

34 MaC attackPost-season success has its benefits. Take a peek at what ESPN is calling “The Year of the Bobcat.”

44 exhibit aTake a peek inside Backdrop’s very own art gallery.

46 RR&R » Renter’s RageHouse hunting in Athens can be a headache… just ask this Backdropper.

43 For Fun » Photo huntHow well do you know the Front Room? Can you spot all the differences between these two photos?

36 Photo story » arran: scotland in Miniature

28 Recipe » College GreensWith these Homecoming-approved recipes, we’ll have you seeing green!

42 on the Web » not Your typical Fifth Year

10 sounds like » Finding our sea legsScubadog surfaces as one of Athens’ best local bands.

7Homecoming WeekOU Women's Field Hockey vs. Michigan StateSunday, Oct. 7 // 1 pmPruitt Field

OU Women's Soccer vs. NiagraSunday, Oct. 7 // 1 pmChessa Field

OU Women's Soccer vs. BuffaloTuesday, Oct. 9 // 1 pmChessa Field

Safer Sex Anyway You GoPOWER Hour

Tuesday, Oct. 9 // 7 pmLeadership Center

OU ImprovTuesday, Oct. 9 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

Singer/Songwriter CircleTuesday, Oct. 9 // 8 pm1804 Lounge

TriviaWednesday, Oct. 10 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

Homecoming Show (UPC) ($)Thursday, Oct. 11 // 7pmMemorial Auditorium

Emerging ArtistThursday, Oct. 11 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

OU Improv Comedy ShowThursday, Oct. 11 // 9 pmBaker Theater

OU Swimming and Diving vs. IntrasquadFriday, Oct. 12 // 5 pmAquatic Center

OU Women's Field Hockey vs. Missouri StateSaturday, Oct. 13 // 1 pmPruitt Field

OU Football vs. AkronSaturday, Oct. 13 // 2 pmPeden Stadium

Blackburn Spencer Scholarship Pageant ($)Saturday, Oct. 13 // 6 pmBaker Ballroom

Open StageSaturday, Oct. 13 // 9 pmFront Room

October 7-13

Mountain Stage with Larry Groce (PAS) ($)Sunday, Oct. 14 // 7 pmMemorial Auditorium

Beer, Booze, BustedPOWER Hour



Sunset Cycling (CR)Tuesday, Oct. 16 // 7 pm & 8 pmPing Center


Post Secret (UPC)Wednesday, Oct. 17 // All DayBaker Theater Lounge

TriviaWednesday, Oct. 17 // 8pmBobcat Student Lounge

Post Secret (UPC)Thursday, Oct. 18 // All DayBaker Theater Lounge

Workshop Showcase (CR)Thursday, Oct. 18 // 7 pmPing Center



Post Secret (UPC)Friday, Oct. 19 // All DayBaker Theater Lounge

OU Women's Soccer vs. ToledoFriday, Oct. 19 // 3 pmChessa Field

OU Women's Volleyball vs. Northern Illinois Friday, Oct. 19 // 7 pmConvocation Center

Open StageFriday, Oct. 19 // 9 pmFront Room

Planet Ping (CR)Friday, Oct. 19 // 9 pm - 12 amPing Center

OU Women's Volleyball vs. Western Michigan Saturday, Oct. 20 // 7 pmConvocation Center

Blue Pencil ComedySaturday, Oct. 20 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

October 14-20week 8

OU Women's Soccer vs. N. IllnoisSunday, Oct. 21 // 1 pmChessa Field

Laser TagTuesday, Oct. 23 // 4 pmBaker Ballroom

More Treat, Less TrickPOWER Hour


OU ImprovTuesday, Oct. 23 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge



Project Trio (PAS) ($)Wednesday, Oct. 24 // 7:30 pmMemorial Auditorium


Tinariwen (PAS) ($)Thursday, Oct. 25 // 8 pmStuart's Opera House, Nelsonville, Ohio


OU Women's Volleyball vs. Miami Friday, Oct. 26 // 7 pmConvocation Center

Open StageFriday, Oct. 26 // 9 pmFront Room

OU Swimming and Diving vs. Eastern MichiganSaturday, Oct. 27 // 5 pmAquatic Center

OU Women's Volleyball vs. Bowling Green Saturday, Oct. 27 // 7 pmConvocation Center

Blue Pencil ComedySaturday, Oct. 27 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

October 21-27week 9

Fall Festival • TBA • TBA

Fall Festival (UPC)Monday, Oct. 29 // TBATBA

Sundae's on MondayMonday, Oct. 29 // 11 am - 1 pm3rd Floor Baker

Sneezin' SeasonPOWER Hour


Comedy Caravan with Blue Pencil ComedyTuesday, Oct. 30 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge



OU Football vs. Eastern MichiganThursday, Nov. 1 // 6 pmPeden Stadium

Dr. Neal Barnard (KLS)A New Approach to Food and Health

Thursday, Nov. 1 // 7:30 pmBaker Ballroom

Emerging ArtistThursday, Nov. 1 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

OU Improv Comedy ShowThursday, Nov. 1 // 9 pmBaker Theater

Open StageFriday, Nov. 2 // 9 pmFront Room

Blue Pencil ComedySaturday, Nov. 3 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

October 28 - November 3week 10

Break Away from the PackPOWER Hour

Tuesday, Nov. 6 // 7 pmLeadership Center

OU ImprovTuesday, Nov. 6 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

Singer/Songwriter CircleTuesday, Nov. 6 // 8 pm1804 Lounge

TriviaWednesday, Nov. 7 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

OU Football vs. Bowling GreenWednesday, Nov. 7 // 8 pmPeden Stadium



DAD'S WEEKEND:Open StageFriday, Nov. 9 // 9 pmFront Room

Jeff Garlin (PAS) ($)Friday, Nov. 9 // 8 pmMemorial Auditorium

OU Swimming and Diving vs. Eastern MichiganSaturday, Nov. 10 // 1 pmAquatic Center

Remember The Titans: Coach Boone (UPC)Saturday, Nov. 10 // 7pmBaker Ballroon


November 4-10week 11

HookahPOWER Hour


Comedy Caravan with Blue Pencil ComedyTuesday, Nov. 13 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

American Indian Heritage Month Speaker (BSCPB)Tuesday, Nov. 13 // 7 pmBaker Theater


Pinterest Day (UPC)Wednesday, Nov. 14 // TBABaker





Red, White and Vote (UPC)TBA Uptown

International Dinner (ISU) ($)Saturday, Nov. 17 // 7 pmBaker Ballroom


November 11-17week 12

November 18-24

OU Women's Volleyball vs. Notre Dame Friday, Nov. 23 // 7 pmConvocation Center Happy Thanksgiving

week 13

Sundae's on MondayMonday, Nov. 26 // 11 am - 1 pm3rd Floor Baker

LatexologyPOWER Hour


William Kamkwamba (KLS)The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Tuesday, Nov. 27 // 7:30 pmMemorial Auditorium

OU ImprovTuesday, Nov. 27 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge


Pre-Kwanza Celebration Performer -Ge'ylah (BSCPB)Wednesday, Nov. 28 // 7 pmBaker Theater





Blue Pencil ComedySaturday, Dec. 1 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

November 25 - December 1week 14

Tap Dogs (PAS) ($)Sunday, Dec. 2 // 7:30 pmMemorial Auditorium

HIV AIDS AwarenessPOWER Hour

Tuesday, Dec. 4 // 7 pmLeadership Center

Comedy Caravan with Blue Pencil ComedyTuesday, Dec. 4 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

Singer/Songwriter CircleTuesday, Dec. 4 // 8 pm1804 Lounge

K is for Kawanzaa (BSCPB)Wednesday, Dec. 5 // 8 amBaker Theater Lounge

All Night Study (UPC) TBATBA

TriviaWednesday, Dec. 5 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

Emerging ArtistThursday, Dec. 6 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

OU Improv Comedy ShowThursday, Dec. 6 // 9 pmBaker Theater

Open StageFriday, Dec. 7 // 9 pmFront Room

Blue Pencil ComedySaturday, Dec. 8 // 8 pmBobcat Student Lounge

December 2-8week 15

FALL S E M E S T E R

2012

THE

CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT CENTER PRESEN

TS:

FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION AND EVEN MORE EVENTS:

FOLLOW@ou_involvement

CALL 740-593-4025

VISIT355 or 339 Baker

[email protected]

CLICKohio.edu/involvement

Backdrop alumna Hannah Croft makes her return to the magazine with a post-grad perspective on returning to OU as a full-time employee.

Travel abroad to Scotland with guest photographer, Julia Moss.

There are 50 miles of shelving in Alden Library. OU offers 276 undergraduate majors.backdrop | Fall 20128 9

hot4teAChb

NOAH HAgEN

Noah Hagen: visiting professor of Biological Sciences and medical Student

Where are you from?Northwest Ohio. I grew up on a chicken farm where Indiana, Michigan and Ohio meet. It’s a

little town called Holgate.

What is your favorite OU memory?Just living on Station Street with my two best friends and having numerous themed house parties. We had a “Dress As Your Roommate Party” and so as dudes that was a little more interesting because girls borrow each others’ clothes all the time but basi-cally we borrowed each others’ stereotypical outfit and dressed as each other. It actually turned out really well; a lot of other people had fun with it too.

What is your favorite fest and why?Palmer’s always crazy, but I always enjoy High Fest because it’s the intro to the

“festing” season.

What is the best thing about teaching at OU?I really like the transient moments of epiphany— the realization when you actually integrate something for someone.

What do like to do in your spare time?I really enjoy listening to music. I don’t do hiking, I more so do walking but I enjoy walking around the forest. I was raised out in the country so I enjoy gardening and being outside— the outdoors. I do the oc-casional socializing uptown.

What is your favorite cereal?I don’t really ever get up in the morning. I don’t do mornings. I’ve been nocturnal since I was 12.

Do you have any pets?I have enough responsibility taking care of myself.

How did you celebrate your 21st birthday?Went to Redbrick for a while, got Big Mamma’s burritos and tried to sleep

on Jeff Hill, cuddling my burrito. My friends took me home.

bY MaRGaRet McGinleY | Photos bY kaseY bRooksOnce a Bobcat, always a Bobcat for these students turned professors.

BRiNgiNgSexy back Jennifer Bowie: executive director of development, Advancement Communication and marketing,

and teaching editing and production in the e.W. Scripps School of Journalism

[email protected]@ohio.edu

ContaCtjena seileR

Where are you from?I came to college here from Toledo. But I was born in Columbus and lived all over the state of Ohio: Mentor, Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus, Upper Sandusky and Yorkville, Illinois. But I came here in 1990 and I’ve actually lived in Athens longer than I’ve lived anywhere else in my whole life.

What year did you graduate from OU?I earned my bachelor’s degree in journalism in ’94 and my masters in communication in ’99.

Which was your favorite fest and why?My freshman year was the first year of Palmer Fest and I never went. We all just really enjoyed coming up and seeing all the costumes on Halloween. But Halloween was really the only big thing; the fests hadn’t really started.

What was your best costume?My freshman year I was a giant turtle. That was a lot of fun.

Were you in a sorority?I was not. I was in the Marching 110. I carried a flag for four years because I played the flute, and if you look close, there aren’t any in the 110. So I did guard. It was a lot of fun.

Do you have any pets?I don’t. We have three kids. That’s enough.

Do you know how to drive a stick shift?Barely. My dad would be really disappointed.

What is the best thing about teaching at OU?Even though it’s been a long time, I’ve been where my students are. I know what I want them to take away. I know what distractions they have in their lives. I know what they need to learn and what the most important things are for them to walk away with. I think having been at least sitting where they are, even if it was 20 years ago, is helpful and I also think having worked in alumni relations that there is something special about the Ohio University experience. So to share that with them also helps to bring us to a better understanding of one another.

JENNifER BOwiE

OU was Ohio’s first university, established in 1804. OU has five regional campuses.backdrop | Fall 201210 11

SouNdS Likeb

Scubadog is one of Athens’ biggest rising musical acts. Composed of a hodgepodge of talented Athens’ musicians from other established bands, Scubadog blasts audiences with sunny, indie rock hooks at a tempo that bounces along and propels you to get out on the dance floor. The band consists of Josh Antouccio on guitar, Jake Householder on guitar and vocals, Jesse Remnant on bass and Chris Mengerink on drums. Backdrop caught up with the band before a show at Casa Nueva on a warm fall evening for our new feature, ‘Sounds Like.’ We love the name, where did it come from?Josh (Guitar): When I was a child growing up we [went scuba diving] as a family and we had a dog named Sam that died…no. I don’t know, I was researching old unused inventions and one of them was the Scubadog Apparatus

that someone invented that was ingenious. It was basically a bowl on a dog’s head.

Jake (Guitar/Vocals): It wasn’t modernized at all, it was very old school, deep-sea diver like, but the dog looks really triumphant in the drawing.

If you guys had to pick collective influences for the band, who would they be?Jake: Seeger, Karen Carpenter, Huey Lewis…

Forget Huey Lewis, what about his infamous backing band, The News?Jake: Well, that was originally the backing band for Elvis Costello, it was called Clover. But, speaking of which, Elvis Costello is probably a big one.

FinDinG ouRSEA LEgS

bY niCk haRleYPhotos bY jaMes Conkle

Need a crash course in the local music scene? ‘Sounds Like,’ Backdrop’s newest section, is here to help you find your new favorite Athens-based acts.

“... so we’re still trying to find our sea legs.”

jake householder vocalist/Guitarist

sounDs like: elvis Costello & the attractions, telekinesis!, the Format

JoSh ANtouCCio

GuitAr produCtioN

ChriS meNGeriNk

drumS

JAke houSehoLder

GuitArvoCALS

JeSSe remNANt

BASS

Who Does What?Josh: The Beatles.

Jake: The Band.

Jesse (Bass/Vocals): Weezer.

Jake: The typical stuff. Anything that’s ever influenced indie rock bands I feel like [influences us].

So the normal cannon of influential artists?Jake: I don’t know, yeah. We started the band because we just wanted to get together and make rock ’n’ roll music that was fun to play, that we really enjoy and that we were excited enough about it that we wanted to share with other people. It’s a very collective collaborative sort of thing, we don’t want to just sit in our practice space and play it for just ourselves— we want to bring people into that and have that be something we experience all together. So, what is your songwriting process, typically? Do you guys all bring stuff to the table or does one person mostly drive it?Jake: It kind of goes in seasons. It’s different from a lot of bands because there’s not one main songwriter; there are all of us bringing various pieces of the puzzle together. Sometimes it’s a complete song that somebody brings and more often than not it’s like Josh says, “I’ve got this part,” I

say, “I’ve got this part,” Jesse says, “Sorry I’m late, what’s happening?”

Jesse: “What key is this song in?”

Do you think there’s something special to be said about the Athens music scene in general?Jesse: I’m in other bands in Columbus and Dayton, and playing in Athens, it’s always pretty packed. The kids are always excited about it.

Josh: The cool thing about Athens is that people come and go so much that there’s always fresh faces every year.

Chris (Drums): If you can stay together longer than a year…

Jake: You can be us!

Chris: What’s there to do at night in Athens besides go see a rock band or get drunk?

If you guys had to sum up your sound as best as you could with one of your songs, which song would it be?Jake: I don’t know. That’s a hard question to answer because I think we’re still kind of readjusting to what we are. The band has gone through some transitions. Chris joined the band a year and a half ago and then Jesse joined the band almost a year ago, so we’re still trying to find our sea legs.

scan to listen to scubadog online.

voCALS

Athens has over 15 arts related group programs. OU has been labeled one of the most haunted universities in the country.backdrop | Fall 201212 13

the dropb

bY Rose tRoYeR | Photos bY eMilY haRGeR

P erched high above campus, The Ridges are commonly known for folklores of haunt-

ings and ghosts. Often overlooked is the bright presence of the Child Development Center (CDC). Located in Building 27, the Child Development Center serves as a community for young children to play and learn while their parents are away at work.

With two infant rooms, two toddler rooms, and three preschool rooms, the center provides a learning environment for children of all ages. Padded floors loaded with various toys span the infant rooms. Cozy cushions and shelves flooded with books can be found in the reading corner, just one of many distinct areas of the toddler and preschool rooms. Directly in front of the door are two desks where the children eat

their snacks, and from there, the writing station comes into view, complete with paper and every color of marker of which a child could dream. Finally, the far side of the room, the children’s play area, has a child-sized kitchen set, baby dolls and enough toys to keep any toddler busy for days.

While the children learn and play, Ohio Uni-versity students from the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education are able to work with the children for their respective majors.

“Let me just clarify, this is not just a preschool,” Cathy Waller, director of the CDC, states. “Our purpose is to provide a site for pre-service early childhood education students, as well as other students throughout the university, the opportu-nity to work with young children in some way.”

In the past, the development center has also employed students studying early childhood education as interns.

“This quarter we have four interns from Child and Family Studies who are here doing some work with children, but also doing some support work totally re-vising our children’s library,” Waller ex-plains. “One of them is helping do some PowerPoints for a presentation some of the staff is doing. One of them is redoing a brochure for us.”

In addition, the CDC offers an oppor-tunity for those getting their early childhood ed-ucation licensure, which is preschool through third grade in Ohio. The development center also helps OU students with their coursework. Be-cause the CDC functions as a lab school for the Patton College of Human Services, students are able to gain valuable hands-on experience. Stu-dents taking a childhood psychology class may come for a tour of the center and get to observe the CDC’s unique philosophy.

Their philosophy centers on more than just teaching children the ABCs. Waller and the various OU students and interns focus on the social aspects of childhood in addition to education.

“One of the things that we help kids leave here with is how to be a friend,” Waller says.

The goal is to provide each child with the tools they will need to function in groups as they continue their education.

Children ranging from ages 6 weeks to 5 years old attend the development center. Thus, the school has separate rooms for children of different ages to learn and interact with their peers. Each room, decorated in a plethora of the children’s colorful artwork lining the

walls and ceilings, is equipped with one to two people who teach the children skills about growing up and learning in a conceptual way.

As the students learn conceptually, they also watch the world grow around them, by spending time in the CDC’s very own garden.

The garden isn’t something that the children merely help with— they main-tain it themselves.

“It’s grown from about 3 by 3 feet to

probably 20 by 20,” Waller says. By getting their hands in the dirt, the

children learn how certain foods grow, such as which vegetables grow above or below ground. The children learn the cycle of the plants, how to plant seeds, how to harvest the food, and how to make meals with the food that they’ve grown. When it is all said and done, the kids invite their parents to a garden party with the staff.

“Every year is a learning year about the garden,” Waller says. “The kids are

always very excited. Sometimes, we do a little farmers market in the lobby if we have too much stuff.”

At the end of har-vest season, the left-overs from the garden are used as fertilizer.

Flowers picked by the children are dis-played in all rooms.

After developing their green thumbs, the children will have a whole body of science experience to take with them into their actual school experience, along with countless other lessons in math, spelling and social skills that the CDC provides. The next time you think of the Ridges, forget about the ghosts of the past, and think about the future that is being grown.

SoWiNG SeedSgroWing Minds

A handful of local children keep the future in sight as they learn at The Ridges.

“One of the things that we help kids leave here with is how to be a friend.”Cathy Waller Director of the Child Development Center

Last year four OU students filmed a documentary on the Ridges. Scripps has over 19 student organizations in its school.backdrop | Fall 201214

As OU Alumni and Athens’ natives, this couple spiced up the Cuban dining scene uptown.

15

the dropb

solbY MaRGaRet McGinleY | Photos bY steven tuRville

food

A short walk through the alleyway between Insomnia Cookies and Wings Over, followed by

a descent downstairs into uptown Athens’ Cuban eatery, Sol, takes you farther than you think. The immediate scent of onion, green pepper and garlic saturate the atmosphere, while the warm décor and exotic ambiance gives patrons the illusion of physically being somewhere else, whether it is a secluded island or Cuba itself.

Regardless of the location, the experience at Sol is still about feeling at home— at least that is the vibe co-owner, Tuti Wilson, was aiming for.

“The goal of the restaurant was to provide a fuller experience where your meal is more like family,” Wilson says.

Wilson knows better than anyone that Cuban heritage is first and foremost about family. Both Wilson’s parents and her grandparents were born in Cuba, but Tuti was born in Miami, Fla., where she grew up immersed in Cuban culture. She describes her family as “pretty traditional,” especially when it comes to food.

“We eat early, 3:30, 4:00, and it’s usually the biggest meal of the day,” Wilson explains. “After that, everyone just hangs out and has family time.”

Wilson moved from Miami to Athens in May of 1986. After overcoming a bout of culture shock, she eventually fell in love with the neighborly feel of her new home.

“I remember the first day that we were unpacking our truck and the neighbor

came down the street and brought us an apple pie, like from a movie,” Wilson recalls. “It was so cute.”

She also fell in love with her now husband and business partner, Todd Wilson. Wilson met Todd shortly after she moved to Athens in eighth grade. Subsequently, the couple attended Athens High School and then graduated from Ohio University in 1994.

After graduation, the couple married and moved to Miami, pursuing careers in information technology. However, 10 years later, the Wilsons moved back to Athens to raise their family.

“Everyone knows everyone,” Wilson says of Athens. “We like that you go to the grocery store and the lady who checks you out knows what your kid’s favorite candy is.”

The move back to Athens allowed Wilson to open her own food buggy, Chica Chica Chop Chop. Growing up in the United States and having such a strong Cuban background, she learned to prepare the various cuisines that she was exposed to. Thus, she made every dish herself, developing a steady client base that resulted in not only profits, but friendships as well. The success of the food buggy led to the idea of a restaurant, and ultimately, the opening of Sol on February 2.

“We had tons of volunteers who were customers who wanted to help us put time into the restaurant,” Wilson says. “That’s another beautiful thing about Athens.”

According to Todd, opening a Cuban restaurant in his hometown

has always been more of a dream than a reality.

“We always thought that a restaurant would be a good idea so we decided to do it,” he says. “It’s rewarding to see the feedback that you get from customers when they come in and try it.”

The Wilsons refer to the products they serve at Sol as “Cuban Fusion” and offer recipes that combine an array of Spanish, Caribbean and African flavors to make for a unique and satisfying taste. The main theme in all of Sol’s dishes is citrus-based in order to explore and emphasize the tropical aspect of the culture’s food as much as possible.

“I don’t think there’s enough eclectic food in this town,” customer Joe Krause says. “There’s not a lot of variety.”

Krause and his wife, Hollie, describe the food at Sol as Cuban comfort food that has an authentic and fresh taste—qualities that are not always easy to come by in a college town.

“There’s an appreciation for people who take risks and bring their own flavors and their own uniqueness to a town in the middle of the country,” Krause says. “It’s hard to open up an eatery here that is unique.”

For Wilson, preparing the food for her customers is what makes owning a restaurant so special and personal.

“When somebody makes you something, they’ve taken time and they’ve put forth something of themselves and you’re eating it,” she

says. “That’s the most personal thing someone can give you, something that they’ve made and something that you’re going to actually put in your body.”

In addition to the meal, the Wilsons want their customers to enjoy a dining experience that can’t be had elsewhere.

The warm reds, oranges and deep greens of the interior were designed to make diners feel comfortable. The walls are lined with Wilson’s own black and white photographs of her Cuban relatives.

“I think they’ve decorated it beautifully and I think it feels very comfortable,” Hollie Krause says. “They’re very passionate about it.”

According to Wilson, she and her husband are just as passionate about their customers as they are about the restaurant itself.

“We have people that stay three or

dinner with a Twistsalsa Dancing lessonstuesday night5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.with an extra hour of open dance after the lesson

Friday night10:30 p.m.- 11:30 p.m.with open dance until 2 a.m. after the lessons

$5 Cover1/2 price Appetizers

$4 premium Cocktails

For more information:solrestaurant.net/events

four hours and just sit at the table all night long,” Wilson says. “That’s a compliment because I gave the people who sat there a memory.”

While the Wilsons have great plans for the future of Sol, for now, they are where they want to be: in Athens, running their very own Cuban restaurant.

After all, it’s about feeling at home.

Athens received city status in 1912. Ohio’s alma mater song, “Alma Mater, Ohio,” was decided through a contest.backdrop | Fall 201216 17

eNtertAiNmeNtb

From football star to Internet entrepreneur, this former Bobcat is revolutionizing the world of recreational sports.

Being a student athlete is tough. Actually, some students may scoff at that statement. How tough is it to have

travel notices excusing you from class, priority scheduling and free tutors? But balancing schoolwork with collegiate athletics is a juggling act—one that David Carter, a 2011 Ohio University graduate knows all too well.

Carter is now the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Edge Sports Inc., an organization that bridges the gap between sports organizations and web developers by bringing sponsorship opportunities to the sports industry through technology and interactive media. But before he became an entrepreneur, he was a student athlete. Carter played college football first as a Commodore at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and later as a Bobcat at OU. During his career at Vanderbilt, Carter was a two-year-letter-winning defensive end. Off the field, he made the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2005, making the balance between schoolwork and being a varsity athlete look easy.

“My biggest strength was time management,” Carter says. “You may have no idea where you will go career-wise so you have to make academics a priority.”

After playing football for two years at Vanderbilt, Carter decided he wanted to move from defensive end to tight end. In order to become an offensive player, Carter began to search for a school that was the perfect fit. He was drawn to the Bobcats because of the College of Business and being able to play tight end was an added bonus.

“I liked the size and area, but ultimately the timing

bY Melissa thoMPson | Photos bY Daniel RaDeR

diGitALEdgEthe

and opportunity was perfect,” Carter explains.

His success as a Bobcat was palpable. Carter was the starting tight end for Ohio football and in 2008 he was named to the Academic All-MAC team. Also in 2008, he became captain of the Bobcats. Carter thrived on and off the field, graduating from OU with a GPA of 3.55 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

But Carter wasn’t ready to leave Athens quite yet. After being a football operations intern for the New England Patriots and a sales and marketing intern for the Memorial Tournament and Appalachian Regional Entrepreneurship Group, Carter returned to the college town he once called home.

“Working for the Pats was great, but I don’t think I could have done it for a living,” Carter says. “Scouting was a lot of fun, but other parts of the job were just too chaotic. I couldn’t see myself doing that kind of stuff every day for the rest of my life; too stressful.”

On April 17 of this year, Carter launched Jersey Watch Network through his own company, Digital Edge Sports Inc., a company based in the Innovation Center at OU. The Jersey Watch Network allows parents,

coaches, players and fans to connect online using administrative and social tools. Users enjoy the ability to view rosters, up-to-the-minute scores and player highlight reels all completely free. The company is funded by sponsors who cover the cost of the website and its domain.

“I think the Jersey Watch Network has the potential to do really well because it is free for its users and also because it is something into which I have put my heart and soul,” Carter explains. “When you love what you do, your business should thrive.”

Sponsorship is essential for the continuation of Jersey Watch Network and luckily for Carter, Bobcat alumni have been incredibly helpful. Four Ohio Sports Administration alumni are current advisory board members of Digital Edge Sports Inc., which connects Carter to even more people within the OU network. This fall, Jersey Watch Network will scale to Cincinnati as Carter continues to expand the company’s network by utilizing undergraduates for internship positions.

Although Carter’s journey as a Bobcat student athlete may be over, being a part of OU’s alumni network is something he sports proudly— no jersey necessary.

cartEr’s tEaM:

*5 out of 8 of the team are within the Ohio University network

Sam Girton: Associate Professor, School of Visual Communications

Jim Kahler: Exec, Director, Department of Sports Administration Ohio University ‘81 Grad

Jackie Reau: CEO, Game Day Communications ‘12 Grad

Luke Sayers:Vice President, Huddle Inc. ‘01 Grad

Craig Bailey: Entrepreneur and Strategist

Erin Carter: Co-Founder, Digital Edge Sports, Inc.

Tom Starr: Founder and CEO, Tom Starr Live Advisors, Founder and CEO, Miracles for Life

Brian Gainor: Account Supervisor, GMR Marketing, Founder, Partnership Activation‘07 Grad

[email protected]

david Carter’s recently launchedinteractive media site for youth sports

The population of the town of Athens is over 20,000. The unemployment rate in Athens is 6.8 percent.backdrop | Fall 201218 19

eNtertAiNmeNtb

i t’s 1 a.m. Finals are tomorrow, but the cool blue light of Twitter is far more enticing than any notion of studying. Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, stop.

“It was a nice gift on our first night back being visited by the law enforcement because we were dancing with maracas on our front porch.”

Favorite. “I spend every Sunday searching Athens for the things I lost

Wednesday thru Saturday #HungoverBluesClues.” Favorite. “2 cases $30. Jorts $10. OU penny $15. Telling the

kid in the mud on acid that he’s not really in quicksand-PRICELESS #9Fest”

Retweet. The Court Street Shufflers made these keen observations the

past year through endless bar crawls and spring fests. The two students behind that account see Athens and its Ohio Univer-sity party culture with a sharp and hilarious eye. Their Twit-ter account is one of many and aims to capture the remarkable culture that is OU. Since Twitter’s first appearance in 2006, it has become a powerful form of social media. With an explosion of Twit-ter accounts related to OU alone, almost every part of Athens is represented. From OU’s plethora of partiers, hipsters and squirrels to campus inspired parody news and a fake President Roderick Mc-Davis account, Twitter is a never-ending source of entertainment.

Backdrop had the chance to speak with a few of the creators behind these accounts to gain some insight into their parodies and their future plans. All have requested to remain anonymous and agree that hidden identities are critical to their success.

While anonymity adds to the creative authenticity of a parody account, it also protects their potential future employ-

says. “I would be careful out there, because employers will find it.”

The two students behind the Court Street account understand the im-portance of privacy, but it’s hard to maintain a low profile with such growing popularity.

The Court Street Shufflers stumbled onto Twitter feeds with an impres-sive debut tweet: “Finals Week at OU means only one thing! Pre-gaming at Alden! Getting tutored by my good friends Jack & Captain.”

“It was the end of fall quarter, and we were saying funny shit back and forth so we made an account that night,” one of the creators recalls. “We did about 10 tweets, and the next night we had about 600 followers. It was unbelievable.”

The Court Street Shufflers’ hysterical observations of the party scene on OU’s campus have made them a very popular account to follow. With over 1,900 fol-lowers strong, it has become a difficult secret to keep.

“It was so hard,” one of the creators ex-plains. “We didn’t tell anybody for a long time. We had to deny it for a while but we ended up telling our close friends.”

With a rapidly growing follower count, they are attracting the attention of local businesses. But the Court Street Shuf-flers aren’t ready to settle and advertise for others just yet.

“We’ve had Dave Rave contact us, wanted to retweet some of their stuff,

but we’re thinking of making some of our tweets into T-shirts,” one of the Shufflers says. “We’re thinking of some way to make some money off of it.”

An account familiar to communi-cation students of OU is the Scripps Statue, which made its first appearance in fall quarter of 2011. The creators be-hind that account wanted to give life to the beloved bust in E.W. Scripps Hall of the same name. For non-commu-nication majors, the Scripps Statue is a sculpture of the dedicated publisher and newspaper-chain giant of the early 20th century, Edward Willis Scripps.

“We want it to feel like the Scripps Statue is talking, not like some stu-dent is talking as the Scripps Statue,” the creator of the Scripps Statue ac-count says. “Often when I’ve passed the statue on my way to class, I’ve wondered what all it witnesses and overhears. After speculating on some funny possibilities, I decided to bring the statue to life on Twitter, and present the world through its eyes.”

Twitter may be the haven for the re-freshingly blunt thoughts of partiers, stoners, eccentric roommates, but also a beloved drunken mascot, Ru-fus the Bobcat. Every piece of OU’s culture is embodied in one account or another to provide endless enter-tainment. The Scripps Statue encour-ages the ingenuity of these accounts.

“I think they’re great. I view these

from bricks to Scripps, these parody accounts Tweet life into our college town.

courtstreetshufflers @CourtShuffler

ou headlines @OUHeadlines

shit bobcatz say @shitbobcatzsay

Mr. a-town squirrel @AthensSquirrel

scripps statue @ScrippsStatue

ohio hipster @OUHipster

bobcatgreaterthans @OU_greaterThans

ou stoner nation @OUstonernation

ou roomies @OURoomies

rufus bobcat @dRUNKBOBCAT

only in athens, oh @OnlyinAthensOh

bobcat Makeouts @bobcatmakeOUts

fOLLOw THESEOU PAROdY ACCOUNTS:

ment. In journalism introduction classes, students learn the impact Twitter has had on the news industry. Students are warned that the thoughts they express online now will affect them later in life.

Julia Fleming, Assistant Director for Employer Relations at the Career and Leadership Development Center, advises stu-dents to be very cautious of what they tweet.

“We’ve talked to employers and they definitely use searches for students,” Fleming says. “I think students are becoming more comfortable with that. If you would have asked them three years ago, they would have said, ‘That’s an invasion of privacy!’ but it’s becoming the norm.”

So which is safer? A parody account, or heavy privacy settings? Parody account holders believe they can tweet without the risk of future employers seeing questionable content, because there is no connection to their names, but Fleming disagrees.

“Anything can be traced back to you nowadays,” she

bY saRa PoRtWooD | Photos bY nate sMallWooD

trending@thens

accounts as an extension of univer-sity pride.”

Enjoy the creativity of a student body that never fails to disappoint with the witty one-liners, relatable retweets and brutal humor of these parody accounts. Find and follow the right account to experience Bobcat pride in 140 characters or less.

@CourtStreetShufflers

@ScrippsStatue

Athens County is 50 percent women and 50 percent men. Voter turnout in Athens is 35.4 percent.backdrop | Fall 201220 21

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“It kills me to think about how much time I spent online when I could have been out

venturing in a foreign country.”ashleigh Mavros, ohio university junior

ConneCtionmissedbY kaitlYn RiCheRt | illustRations bY eMilee kRaus

As more students pack their passports to study abroad, they must be prepared to unplug technology and plunge into the experience.

connections are keyNowadays, technology is how we stay connected. It’s hard

to remember a time when our fingers weren’t glued to our smartphones or our laptops didn’t house a Skype account.

For students interested in studying abroad, traveling may be no vacation from being constantly wired in order to stay in the loop. Maintaining contact with friends and family will most likely be a priority. Consequently, reliance on technology may significantly increase for students who study overseas.

Because of this, some study abroad alumni believe that constant usage of technological resources has gone overboard. In fact, they point out that an overuse of technology can hinder the overseas experience.

The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as email providers and inexpensive calling services such as Skype, have blown up internationally within the past five years. Each resource is bustling with students eager to lust after a piece of home. This integration, however seemingly positive, has its consequences. The giant leap from physically experiencing a foreign culture to relying on a pixilated laptop screen for happiness from home is growing as more students travel abroad each year.

Ashleigh Mavros, an Ohio University junior, studied abroad in Mérida, Mexico, during winter 2012. She said she always had a Wi-Fi connection available, whether she was at her host home, school, an Internet café or a hostel.

“I wish I had been less dependent on the Internet while abroad,” Ashleigh says. “It kills me to think about how much time I spent online when I could have been out venturing in a foreign country.”

too much integrationDavid Burton, an OU Spanish professor and the director

of the Mérida, Mexico, study abroad program for 22 years, says that he has seen an increase in the use of technology

among his study abroad students, whether it be school-related or not.

“Students have definitely become more reliant [on technology] over the years, because it’s become more available and convenient to use,” Burton explains. “It’s not a bad thing, as long as students don’t abuse it.”

But Burton notes that he and his colleagues do not place limits on students’ technology use. He expects that his students will have responsibility and willpower.

Students travel overseas to learn, first and foremost, but within the past couple years that drive to learn has weakened. Technology supposedly contributes to an improved international education value. However, instead of prioritizing their work, students are turning to their keyboards for comfort and distraction.

“Technology can ease the stress of culture shock for students, but it can also isolate those who use it too consistently,” Burton says. “That’s not why you’re studying overseas.”

Kevin Uhalde, an OU history professor, traveled to France and Tunisia as a graduate student during the summer of 1995 and agrees with Burton.

“Having those resources to stay in touch is understandable, but it’s unfortunate that they can interfere,” Uhalde says.

The extent of technology when Uhalde studied abroad included visiting low-cost phone banks. He said that while he tried contacting home about once a week, there were times when he could go months without calling.

“I set up my first email account in 1994, and I completely neglected it when I studied overseas,” he recalls. “Now, I think things would be a lot different.”

However, he believes that the lack of technology when he studied abroad gave him a richer experience.

“I was lonely and isolated. I didn’t know anyone,” Uhalde says. “But on the other hand, I think a big difference then was that I just accepted that. It did not really occur to me to

“When you constantly use the Internet, you get sucked into staying in your own world.”laura hyde, ohio university senior

Study Abroad: don’t Miss your connection

«contact office of Education abroad location: walter international Education Center | 15 Park Place

phone: 740-593-4583 Email: [email protected]

Walk-in advising Monday-friday | 1:00-4:00 p.m.

upcoming information sessions

israel: cultural & political intersections, summer 2013

Thursday, October 18 7 p.m. Hillel | 21 Mill Street

italy: learn italian in florence, summer 2013

Tuesday, October 30 7 p.m. | Baker 231

«

«

«

«

Whether it is with the locals of a buzzing city or the other ambitious students within a program, establishing relationships alleviates the stress of living overseas and dealing with culture shock.

Can technology ease anxiety? It’s possible. But it won’t make the situation easier if your idea of staying in touch is living vicariously through the photos that your friends post in America.

On the other hand, Laura says if having a Skype conversation with your best friend or logging into your email account a couple times a week makes your time away more enjoyable, taking advantage of that is vital.

A slice of familiarity might be just what those students need to remind them why they left the country to explore the world. There is so much out there, beyond cyberspace, that has yet to be explored.

Laura says that it’s important to focus on developing a strong, emotional attachment to your host country, and that can be made easier by limiting your technology use.

The bottom line? Students planning to travel overseas should connect themselves with their host country, create relationships with those around them and discover who they are.

“You should feel connected enough with your host country that you won’t want to leave it when you have to,” Laura notes. “It can be an emotional rollercoaster, but it is worth it.”

Uhalde agrees.“Having that transformation experience is difficult to

do without that emotional attachment,” he says. “If you are never completely disconnected from what is familiar, you won’t have that experience.”

Transform now, Tweet about it later.

be in touch with home all of the time. [Being out of touch] was part of the experience.”

And now? Society has shifted. We endlessly scroll through Facebook every day. These social media resources—anything from Instagram to Wordpress—have allowed us to do something spectacular; to share connections among friends and family throughout the globe.

But with this change, even just a few hours spent online every day, comes the potential to neglect the overall experience. Burton says that over the years, he has seen the quality of his students’ overseas experiences dwindle, and believes technology is probably a factor.

“Back in 1991, I was not connected at all,” Burton says with a chuckle. “My students and I did not have that kind of distraction. And now, few students can control themselves. Many think, ‘There’s no Wi-Fi? What am I gonna do?’”

Mixing travel and languageDisconnecting from technology is even more vital for

students who travel to perfect their foreign language skills. By shying away from English and comfort, a stronger cross-cultural linguistic experience can be gained.

Technology can also be harmful for that learning process because language is progressive and mistakes will inevitably be made.

“You will have good days and bad days, and it can be incredibly stressful,” Uhalde says “That’s why it’s hard to not want to go back to speaking English, to turning to familiarity.”

Laura Hyde, an OU senior who has studied abroad in France and Senegal, West Africa, experienced this frustration in both of her overseas experiences. While abroad, she strived to improve her French speaking and

reading skills.She says she probably spent too much time on the

Internet in France, reading tweets and news updates in English. Since she didn’t feel a strong cultural transition from America to Western Europe, she felt compelled to use her computer routinely.

“I was constantly putting pressure on myself [in France],” Laura admits. “I knew I had to be out there, meeting new people and having new experiences. But on the other hand, there is a time you need for yourself. I felt that staying in touch was almost a good way to unwind.”

When Laura studied in Senegal, her technology access was extremely limited—a strong contrast to her time in France. While she felt the experience as a whole was more emotionally trying in Senegal, Laura says that the added distance between her and her laptop enriched her time there, as well as her French speaking skills.

“I felt a bit more disconnected from home [in Senegal], but I had enough access to the Internet that I could keep in contact with my friends and family,” Laura says. “[Technology] is definitely not needed every day.”

It is clearly imperative to make connections abroad.

OU’s average freshman ACT score is 24. There are over 17,000 undergraduate students on campus.backdrop | Fall 201222 23

feAtureSb

OU has 42 residence halls. The student to faculty ratio at OU is 20:1.backdrop | Fall 201224 25

feAtureSbOhio students cringe at seeing a pile of books from

their most recent courses taking up space knowing they are worth less than half of their original value.

Instead of biting the bullet and selling their used books, this group of Ohio University students let their books bite the bullet instead.

Members of the OU Second Amendment Club, also known as OU2AC, take to their private shooting range, which is located right outside of Longstreath, Ohio, with a barrage of guns to practice their aim on targets. Those marks, however, are not traditional in the sense that they have a bull’s eye painted on them. Instead, their crosshairs are pointed at the likes of astronomy textbooks and fried-out Xbox 360s.

The OU2AC came into the potpourri of OU political organizations during the Clinton gun ban in the mid 1990s to address the repugnant issues surrounding the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.

Recently, those issues have come to light again with the growing number of attacks relating to gun violence.

With the last few decades being filled with the famil-iarity of domestic attacks, guns have undergone a severe scrutiny in the United States. In this past year, firearms have been under an intense magnifying glass. With such a negative light shining through because of the multiple shootings that happened over the summer, including the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, the Sikh Temple in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Em-

bY Zak kolesaR | Photos bY jaMes Conkle

ou’s second amendment Club members aim to teach gun safety and exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.

armedknoWleDGeable

&

pire State Building, firearms have been caught in quite the firestorm. Members of OU2AC aide in the effort to protect their Second Amendment rights through the edu-cation of its members.

What worries people the most about those horrible tragedies is the relative ease in which the perpetrators gathered their arsenal. However, OU2AC’s main goal is to make sure that each and every member knows the re-quired safety tactics before he or she is even allowed to get behind a gun. Furthermore, the club stresses that the most dangerous aspect in handling firearms can be the handler themselves.

“Firearms aren’t evil, it’s the people behind them that are evil,” former veteran OU2AC member Andy Ziegler states. “So with that [the OU2AC] just wanted to dem-onstrate that it’s a safe, healthy thing if done properly.”

Like stretching before a soccer game or warming up be-fore a race, the training in other sports is comparable to the safety measures that a gun connoisseur must take in

tHe SecoNd ameNdmeNt:A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.-the united States Constitution

OU has over 430 registered student organizations overall.backdrop | Fall 201226 27

order to practice the sport carefully. Once someone has gone through all the safety precautions, he or she can then load the magazine, the ammunition storage for a gun, and open fire on the range.

The stance the OU2AC takes today does not come close to shadowing the humble beginnings when the group first started 12 years ago. What started out as strictly a politi-cal organization, turned into a club centered on students’ passion about the proper use of firearms. However, their mission encompasses much more than the hobby and safety aspect of the club. Although the resounding theme

echoed by OU2AC members articulates having assurance in the individual with control of the gun, the last 14 words of the Second Amendment carry weight that instills a cer-tain sense of freedom in Americans.

“[The] Second Amendment’s not about shooting. It’s about human liberty,” former OU2AC guest speaker Phil-lip Shiflett says. “It’s a basic human right that you have the right to defend yourself.”

Many believe that this issue shouldn’t be the case considering the recent attacks of unprotected citizens on American soil. Several have called for much stricter regulations on guns, which might be a factor in why the OU2AC is seeing a spike in interest for club membership. Students are now looking to use the club as a platform to speak about their rights, but to also come away with knowledge that every gun owner should have.

“People don’t go to learn gun safety, but they’re going to learn it whether they like it or not,” Vice President Scott Mittelstaedt says. “We have really specific guide-lines we have to follow.”

Although 70 students showed concern in joining arms with the OU2AC during this year’s student involvement fair, the group has yet to attract a large following. At most times they only stand 10 to 15 members, but their voices still remain heard. The recent events aforementioned and the media’s extensive coverage of those happenings play a tremendous role in how Americans view groups with outlooks and beliefs similar to the OU2AC.

“It’s not always bad, but I would say it’s usually more negative than it is positive,” OU2AC President Thomas Howard says. “It’s kind of difficult to get facts, but I feel like there’s not a lot of facts in the media’s portrayal.”

One of the group’s former members, the only female member, Jennifer Rodgers, knows first-hand the lasting damage a gun can cause. Rodgers became close friends with Rachel Scott, the first victim of the infamous 1999 Columbine High School shooting, at a youth Christian camp. Scott, who was in high school at the time, was Rodgers’ counselor when she was a middle school student attending the camp where Scott volunteered. Although there was an age gap, the two became good friends in the years that Rodgers attended the camp with Scott.

Since Rodgers became close companions with Scott, it made it difficult for Rodgers to cope with her loss

throughout middle school and high school. Thus, she developed very strong feelings against guns follow-ing the incident at Columbine and was “anti,” truly wondering why peo-ple had guns at all.

Rodgers is a prime example of learning over time that gun-use, as a hobby, is acceptable if done in a cor-rect and safe manner.

Rodgers recalls Scott’s father, who returned to the camp to provide in-sight to those who were close to Scott, emphasizing that it was not the weap-ons that killed his daughter, but the people who pulled the trigger.

“You can kill someone with anything you want. You can make a paper clip a weapon,” Rodgers says. “I look at it this way: if you’re going to shoot some-body, you’re going to shoot somebody.”

She also alludes to the shirt worn by a certain character in the popular Adam

Sandler movie “Happy Gilmore.” The shirt reads, “Guns don’t kill people, I kill people,” reiterating the point that not everyone with their finger on a trigger is dangerous.

Scott’s father also provided Rodgers with the comfort that made her re-think her stance on gun use in Amer-ica. If he could see that the weapons weren’t to blame in the Columbine shooting, then surely she could realize that the right to keep and bear arms should be protected under the law.

“After I went and shot for the first time, I kind of thought about it and thought maybe this isn’t as bad as peo-ple think it is,” Rodgers says. “If you can do this right, are legally allowed to and can do this in a safe matter, I don’t see the point in you not being able to defend yourself.”

Teaching gun safety is a good way for members to try to prevent something

as tragic as a school shooting from happening again.

“That’s why I’m certified [in gun safety] and most of the club is as well,” Mittelstaedt says. “It’s why we do the safety lessons [and] why we’re always trying to educate ourselves further on the issue.”

OU2AC is asking for others to not look at them as gun enthusiasts who are just practicing their right to par-ticipate in a hobby protected within the Constitution.

“We’re a society that claims we need to be open-minded and open to accepting new people and other ideas, so why is it that things that have been fundamental in our soci-ety for 200 years are all of a sudden being put down and discriminated against?” Rodgers asks. “It’s a belief. It’s a lifestyle. It’s who we are. It’s not anything bad.”

““[The] Second Amendment’s not about shooting. It’s about human liberty...”Phillip shiflett, Former ou2aC Guest speaker

OU has 42 residence halls.

Over 80 percent of freshmen attending OU receive financial aid. The average travel time to work for employed Athenians is just under 13 minutes.backdrop | Fall 201228 29

reCipeb

f all has officially arrived, and you know what that means: homecoming season. Court Street will bustle with the faces of students past longing to relive the “best years of their lives” from sunrise to sunset. Even

if you’re new to OU or a seasoned veteran, you may want to celebrate the weekend by throwing a homecoming tailgate party as the Bobcats take on Akron. Backdrop has just what you’re looking for: easy, green-inspired dip recipes and a simple green beer tutorial will help you host the tastiest game-watching bash in Athens.

sideline spinach dipDoes too much early drinking have you sidelined before the teams even hit the field? This creamy spinach dip in a bread bowl of your choice will quickly replenish your energy levels to keep you in the game.Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups of dip

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 5-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and finely chopped1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt1 tablespoon lemon juice1/2 teaspoon saltFreshly ground pepper, to taste1-10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (green onion)1 round loaf of bread

ingredients

Thoroughly mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir in onion, water chestnuts, spinach and chives until combined. Refrigerate for six hours or overnight. When ready to serve, cut top of bread off and scoop out the middle. Fill bread bowl with dip, and tear the chunks of bread leftover into pieces for dipping.

···

Get your game face on and mash some avocados to make this classic party appetizer. Serve with white tortilla chips to cheer on the green and white.Makes approximately four cups of guacamole

game-day guacamole

6 large cloves garlic, unpeeled6 ripe medium avocados1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to taste1 teaspoon salt

ingredients

Prep In a dry skillet over medium heat, cook unpeeled garlic, turning occasionally. After 10 or 15 minutes, the garlic will be soft and blacked in some spots. Cool, remove skins and finely chop the garlic.

Cut each avocado in half, cutting around the hard center and twisting apart. Scoop out the pit and throw away. Take a spoon, and carefully run around the inside edge of the avocado to scoop the flesh into a large bowl.

Add garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Mash all ingredients together to preferred consistency, and season with salt. Transfer to serving bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the dip’s surface. Refrigerate guacamole until ready to serve, overnight or for one day.

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·

green beerThis is as easy as it gets, folks. Join in on the festivities with the ultimate drink in hand— green beer that you tinted yourself. Make as much as you can handle

ingredients

Your favorite chilled light beer, amount left to your discretion Green food coloring A large pitcher

···

Prep Pour beer into pitcher. Add drops of food coloring, two at a time, stirring until desired darkness is achieved. It’s really that simple.

·

bY anGela iGnaskY | Photos bY MeGhan shaMblen

greensCollege

Adapted from eatingwell.com

Adapted from eatingwell.comand allrecipes.com

gUAC:

diP:

Prep

50 percent of people living in Athens are living below the poverty level.backdrop | Fall 201230 31

SportSb

up toparbY Zak kolesaR | Photos bY RoYle Mast | illustRation bY olivia ReaneY

Freshman golfer, Angela Codian, was TaylorMade for OU’s golf team.

Ohio’s regional campuses have no residence halls. OU has 10 colleges for specific undergraduate majors.backdrop | Fall 201232 33

w hen a golfer begins his or her descent down the daunting fairway toward an approach shot, his or her mind automatically races ahead toward the putting

green. There is an intense amount of pressure and decision-making going into every shot as the athlete attempts to place the ball precisely on the green. Ohio University freshman, Angela Codian, felt a similar weight on her shoulders when trying to choose where she would study for the next four years, but the high-tension situations she encountered on the golf course more than prepared her.

Before making her decision to work for her degree in biology at OU and play on the women’s golf team, Angela had two other Mid-American Conference schools in mind. Toledo and Kent State were both being considered before she even stepped foot on the grounds of Athens. Once on campus, the scenery and character of the small-town college life captivated her. She soon believed the biology department and the camaraderie of the golf team would give her the best chance to succeed on the course and in the classroom.

On a clement day last October, Angela made her first visit to the university to meet with the women’s golf coach, Kelly Ovington, and her potential future teammates. Ovington

knows from years of experience as a coach, and being a member of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), how significant a college visit is to an incoming student athlete. She knew that a visit to Ohio would win Angela over from the other schools she was still contemplating.

“It’s one of the most beautiful schools I’ve ever been to and once a recruit comes onto this campus they fall in love,” Ovington says. “It’s almost like they walk away bleeding green.”

Before Angela’s visit, her expectations of Athens were drawn solely from what others had told her— that it was in the middle of nowhere. Although she chose not to listen to her friends’ admonitions, Angela soon found out that they

would be right, but that it was just another reason the campus had such a neighborly feeling.

“I would say that just the atmosphere and how everyone was just so nice here that it just really brought it all together,” Angela says of her first taste of OU. “The professors are great, the students are great and I really have enjoyed this campus a lot.”

Academics also played an important role when Angela was deciding which college to attend. Off the golf course she earned a 3.7 grade-point average and was very much involved in various clubs at Jackson High

School in Northeastern Ohio. If her busy golf schedule allows, she would like to do the same in college.

“I play volleyball, basketball, tennis, [and] all other different sports. So, hopefully, I want to get on some intramural teams,” Angela says as she looks wearily at her coach out of the corner of her eye. “I’m not sure if it will work into my schedule or not.”

She is going to have to get used to balancing schoolwork and practice during her first college semester—a juggling act she has not had to balance since her junior year in high school.

After finishing tenth in the state her sophomore year and seventh her junior year, Angela called it quits on high school golfing so that she could put all of her focus on improving her game and mechanics for the collegiate level.

Although she was not able to see if she could crack top five in the state her senior year, perfecting areas of her game and competing in numerous competitions paid off as the former Jackson standout got an opportunity of a lifetime. Angela secured a slot in the 2012 TaylorMade Adidas Collegiate Tour Championship, which was played on August 10. She had not even started her first year of college yet, but would be going up against seasoned golfers from Big Ten and other MAC schools on an intricate University of Michigan Golf Course.

“I was really excited to play there, and especially at a Big Ten school, to see what I could shoot on that kind of golf course layout,” Angela says. “I was excited because there were girls there from Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and maybe one or two other MAC schools, so I was excited to see what I could shoot on a difficult golf course against those players.”

In the two-round tournament, Angela finished 13-over par, two strokes ahead of the next closest golfer. Without having any collegiate experience under her belt, the incoming freshman came away with a victory. That is not to say that Angela glided to victory without undergoing some trying circumstances along the way. She started out the second round double bogeying on both the first hole and second hole, already putting her four over on the second 18.

“I doubled those two first holes of the second round and I tripled the last hole of the first round,” Angela says of her hassles. “It just goes to show that just because you have one bad hole, it doesn’t mean that the tournament is over.”

Being away from the team ambience for a whole year made Angela miss playing for Jackson, but her work ethic that year is what propelled her to the individual achievements that she accomplished during that time. Ovington has already noticed

from the goals Angela has set for herself, and the effort she has already put forth, that she could do some special things this fall.

“She has one of the strongest work ethics I’ve seen,” Ovington says. “After practice she’s going out to play more golf on her own and sometimes before practice she’s there working on chips and short game.”

After shaking hands and parting ways with Angela at the Convocation Center, she sought advice from Ovington about whom she should see concerning working out some muscle soreness before practice. Throughout their whole exchange, the smile on Angela’s face never faded away. The positivity was flowing all through the room, and it was easy to tell that the team’s 3:30 afternoon practice was what had her spirits high. The greens of OU had become her sanctuary after making the momentous decision of which school to attend.

“I want to see her smile when she’s out there,” Ovington says. Angela won’t let her coach down in that department—that’s

for certain.

“It’s almost like they walk away bleeding green.”kelly ovington head Women’s Golf Coach

golfing 101PAR Expected # of strokes to finish a hole

ACE Shooting a hole-in-one

BOGEY One stroke under par for a hole

EAGLE Two strokes under par for a hole

MULLIGAN A repeat shot in place of a bad shot

http://www.thegolfexpert.com/golf-lingo.php

TEE BOxSAND TRAP

FAIRWAY

ROUGH

GREEN

10 20 30 40

IN SCHOOL HISTORY

in Ohio student attendance for basketball and football.

INCREASE43 %total national football and basketball telecasts between the ESPN family of networks and CBS. 17

$870,000

SWEET SIXTEEN APPEARANCE &1st FOOTBALL BOWL WIN 2nd

in combined base salaries for the new contracts of Head Football Coach Frank Solich and Head Basketball Coach Jim Christian.

record for licensed merchandise revenue last academic school year.

$245,000

page views on the athletics website last year, the largest total in five years.

6,000,000 OVER Men’s basketball ranking

in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in school history: 25th

record in the Convo for Men’s basketball – a school record

16-1

Statistics courtesy of ohiobobcats.com, Ohio University Athletics Annual Report and The Post.

attaCks the maCbY ChRis lonGo inFoGRaPhiC bY eMilee kRaus

Upsets abound, OU sports teams make their way into the national spotlight.

Have you seen Ohio on the rise? On September 1st, the Ohio football team knocked off Big Ten powerhouse Penn State 24-14 to continue what has been dubbed by ESPN’s “The Year of the Bobcat.” As both the football and Men’s basketball team aim to dominate the MAC and beyond, we look back at a year that saw Ohio athletics reach new heights.ohio

Win over rival marshall

CaRDiaC ‘Cats: BiGGeSt GAmeS thiS pASt yeAr

44-7

Win at Bowling Green clinches the mAC east

29-28

Win over utah State first Bowl Win in Boise, id

24-23september 17, 2011 november 16, 2011 December 17, 2011

24-14

Win at penn State

september 1, 2012sCoRes

january 21, 2012 69-65

Win vs. rival miami on Gary trent day

64-63March 10, 2012

Win over Akron in Cleveland to win the mAC tournament

65-60March 16, 2012

Win vs. michigan in Nashville 1st round of the NCAA tournament

73-65March 23, 2012

Loss vs. North Carolina in St. Louis Sweet Sixteen

backdrop | Fall 201236 backdropmag.com 37

photo eSSAyb

Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes herebackdrop | Fall 201148 backdropmag.com 48The Isle of Arran as seen from the ferry that travels from the Scottish mainland city of Androssan to Brodick, the primary settlement on the island.

SCotLANd iN miNiAturearraN:

Photos bY julia Mossthink ou’s fests are wild? one ou photographer takes us to Scotland to learn a different definition of “festival.”

photo eSSAyb

The Lamlash community gathers to witness the crowning of the new Heather Queen, Louise Shankland, at the Front Green near the town’s harbor on Saturday, July 14. The Crowning of the Heather Queen is an annual event that was established in the 1950s.

Locals Craig Jarvis, Judith Ross and Bob

Mackay stand around Yvonne Currie as she explains how she has

accidentally used paint that stained her skin

orange. The event staff dressed up as

Oompa Loompas to add another aspect to

the festival.

Check out the rest of Julia’s photos online.

The Fancy Dress Parade heads down Lamlash’s main road to the Front Green to commence the crowning and fun-filled activities such as sheep-shearing demonstrations and purple-pillow fights.

Local children hold the previous Heather Queen’s, Hannah Bone’s, cape as the crowning ceremony begins. Her final act as Heather Queen is to transfer the crown to her successor.

LEFT

BELOW

LEFTRIGHT

Community member Carole Johnson participates in the

pillow fight competition while Yvonne Currie judges

the winner. The game is to hit the opponent with a purple- pillow while sitting atop a log until one player

falls off.

Local, Niall McMaster, teaches Yvonne Currie how

to shear a sheep after the fair is over while Lamlash

community members watch. A sheep has to be held in a way that makes it feel as though it can’t

escape to prevent it from struggling.

Judith Ross jokes during a break with the other Oompa Loompa event staff as the festival is taken down.

Child staff member, dressed as a Smurf, throws paper airplanes while waiting for the adults to finish cleaning up the festival. As part of the event staff working the tea tent, she dressed as a Smurf to accompany the older staff dressed as Oompa Loompas.

RIGHT

BELOW

LEFT

backdrop | Fall 201242 43

oN the WeBb

Baltimore Ravens punter, David Zastudil, graduated from OU in 2002. OU has had students from all of the 50 states.

After a long day of studying, your eyes can start playing tricks on you, but something is definitely off between these photos. Can you find all the discrepancies?

PHOTO HUNTCheckmark the boxes once you find the differences.

123456

The first person to submit the correct answers [email protected] will win a prize!

The start of one of the proudest moments of my life was walking into

the sea of black gowns hurrying around underneath the Convocation Center this past June. The last time I had ventured to this area was when I parked there as a sophomore living in Boyd Hall. I didn’t feel like enough time had passed to warrant me standing there in a black gown and bronze chords with many of the same friends I knew then. Soon, our tassels moved from left to right and I exited the building armed with a Journalism degree from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. There was nothing I couldn’t do, except apparently find a job in my degree in Northeast Ohio.

Following this proud moment in my life were some of the most trying. Who wants to move back in with their parents after four years of being away? I felt like a failure. For the first time in my life, things were not going as planned.

I am extremely grateful that I have a home to fall back on that many college grads do not have. I also, thanks to my amazing family and the G.I. Bill, managed to graduate without any student loans. However, I was stressed trying to find a job to support my minimal living expenses. I can’t even fathom those that graduate without a home to return to and with loans to pay back all while facing unemployment. Reality can be a real bitch. That’s why I decided to return to this alternate universe known as Athens.

Even some harsh realities have managed to bombard me in this blessed place.

I am now the Campus Events Planner for the Campus Involvement Center. I worked here in my undergrad career as a student programmer and public relations coordinator. Luckily, my old boss contacted me a few months ago to let me know about a position. I jumped on the opportunity after applying to close

to 40 jobs and only getting one interview. What graduate wouldn’t jump on the opportunity to come back to the town he/she fell in love with over four years? So, back to Athens I went, but Athens is not quite the same as I remember.

First of all, I no longer know the ease of simply swiping into Ping. As I grow older and my metabolism slows down, I need free gym access now more than ever. I was surprised to see that Ohio faculty and staff has to pay for Well Works. I also now have a faculty/staff parking pass making me walk less. Moral of the story: I didn’t gain a Freshman 15 but I am about to gain a postgrad plenty. My old intramural soccer team is reorganizing for the year and at first I was contemplating finding a blonde-haired, blue-eyed freshman’s ID to borrow on game day. Then I learned that I am actually able to participate as long as I pay the $35 fee every semester. This is just one more of the cost that

slaps you in the face when you enter the real world.

Another thing that my faculty/staff ID does not do for me is load up with Bobcat cash. Even after I moved off campus my junior year, my mom knew my love of coffee and would load up some Bobcat cash on there for me to use at the Front Room and the occasional West 82 stop. That is no longer an option even if my

mom were willing to do it, which she isn’t now that I have my “big kid” job. And I thought I needed coffee as a student because I had an 8 a.m. twice a week; now I wake up at 6:30 a.m. daily. I

literally can’t function without two cups of coffee by 10:00 a.m.

I could go on about how this experience differs from my experience as a student—and I plan on doing just that. Keep checking back for new posts about my Athens lifestyle as a newfound townie. I promise some posts will include how great it is to be a graduate living here there has to be a silver lining somewhere right? I still adore Athens in all of its red brick glory. However, the fairytale ends when you shake those hands in that black gown on graduation day. You can never go back so please appreciate every moment.

bY hannah CRoFt | Photos bY isaaC hale

from OU student to certified townie, a lot of things change when that tassel moves from right to left on

graduation day. These are just a few of the highlights, or should i say lowlights, of entering the “big kid”

world even when that world is still in Athens, Ohio.

#PostGradProblems

not your typical

fifTH YEAR

“Even some harsh realities have managed to bombard me in this blessed place.”hannah Croft, event Planner for Campus involvement Center

Check out Backdrop’s newest online blog.

Derrick Hall, who is president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks, graduated from OU. The scientific name for the bobcat species is lynx rufus.backdrop | Fall 201244 45

exhiBit Ab

Take this set of memoriesand douse them with wateruntil they drown.The puddle that remains a blurred im-age of what was,the memories no longer shifting around but instead still, at rest in your head.

Your endless scrutiny is gone but the feeling lasts like a trip to the oceanlong after your return to Wooster, Ohio in a house by the freewaywhere water comes in drops from the faucet,not waves.

Remedy of worry bY Matt DouGheRtY

waking UpbY eMilY hensel

With the wind at my back,I whispered to the trees,Soon all that was said,Was repeated by the leaves.

The leaves told the flowers,The flowers told the clouds,The clouds told the rain,As they washed it all down.

The rain told the soil,That once more told the trees,A tree then shifted,And looked down upon me.

It bent down and asked me in the calmest of words,"Would you be upset if I told the birds?"

So on went the chain,A chain of knowledge indeed,Somehow it was spread,To the fish in the stream.

That fish told a sailor,Who told my words at a bar,The whole town now knows,And they see it from a-far.

These words escaped one woman,Yes she seems to be the only one,Nature has told her everything,But her heart did not succumb.

She was deaf to my words,And more dead to the birds,But that does not stop me, no my path is not deterred,

For I have whispered to the trees and now my love has been heard.

UntitledbY Matt toleDo

UntitledbY nate sMallWooD

Untitled

bY bailY haRnaR

October gets under my skinThe last few days of warmthThe crunching, dying leavesThe beautiful ugliness of it allI start to feel lonelyRecklessI long for youLaugh, laugh, laughNo consequencesMy jack o’ lantern leers at mePumpkin guts collect under my fingernailsIt rotsMy nails peel away

Pumpkin guts bY shantel WolFe

Swee

t Pe

abY

eMi

lY n

eWM

an

whispering windbY anDReW DoWninG

Check out more artwork by Ohio

University students.

Want to be featured in our next issue? Submit your art, photographs and poems to [email protected].

Backdrop Magazine is six years old. Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes herebackdrop | Fall 201246 backdropmag.com 47

ruthLeSS rANt & rAGeb

that you haven’t even lived in yet. The Sunday before classes started,

fellow Backdropper Sara Portwood and I started talking houses. After finding absolutely no useful information online, we hit the streets and took down phone numbers on

advertisements for rental companies. Unknown to us, this would be the easiest part of the process. When we did eventually go into an office to schedule visits for specific abodes, we were handed a list of apartments that were still available as of that day and told to “go knock and see if someone’s home” ourselves.

I’m sorry, but isn’t that your job? No, I will not knock on the doors of potential murderers to see if they will let me walk around their house. I might as well ask if they have a white van full of candy for me to crawl into afterward. Weirdness aside, this just increases the need for the race that is house hunting to speed by even faster.

Other college towns in Ohio have their housing frenzies at a reasonable time of the year. Toledo, Kent and OSU all start their searches around the February or March before the

next school year—an average six months after Bobcats start their residential hunt. Akron students say they take their sweet time, with the average student signing leases in July or August, just weeks before the start of classes.

To the realtors of Athens: What makes you think that this is a good idea? Rushing students into signing leases is a sure-fire way to get awful reviews and tear up your reputations more than they already are. I’m going into my lease prepared to sell a kidney to pay for damages that we didn’t cause because I’ve never heard of anyone actually getting his or her deposit back.

Calm down, Athens. There’s no rush at other colleges to plan out houses years in advance, so why here? And to the freshmen who will be reaped into the housing games next year, may the odds be ever in your favor.

The first come first serve basis of off-campus housing has this Backdrop writer on the prowl. bY keRRY CRuMP | illustRation bY tasha GaRDone

renter’s Rage “I’m going into my lease prepared to sell a kidney to pay for damage that we didn’t cause.” kerry Crumpohio university sophmoreSophomore year: I spent the first

two weeks of it lost in thought and paperwork concerning things that would not even be relevant in my life for an entire calendar year. Hours were spent walking through the 95-degree Athens heat—mostly uphill. And let’s be honest—knocking on strangers’ doors to see apartments that may have already been signed didn’t make it any better.

I was not on campus for more than six hours before the phrase “Where are you living next year?” sent me into a mild anxiety attack, and I began to cringe every time I read a “Just signed my lease!” tweet. It quickly became clear to me that my future roommates and I were behind in the housing game before summer had even ended.

As one of those purely “Athens” traits, house hunting years in advance

is a strange phenomenon that few understand, and even fewer enjoy. If sophomores don’t sign a lease within the first two weeks of the semester, their chances of getting a slice of prime Court Street real estate are slim to none, and a house on Mill or Congress is out of the question. When a place is finally secured and the lease is signed, the realtor is already talking to you about resigning for the place

b End Homecoming weekend with a bang and celebrate at

Backdrop’s Beer Pong Tournament

thE right to barE arMs

$16 per team

sunday gun-day, octobEr 14

12-3:30 P.M.Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery

all ages welcome to cheer

21+TO PLAY