Happiness

In our last blog entry we were told to write what resources we would need in order to be happy the rest of our lives. Here are our necessities:

Brad:

I want to live in a nice, big log cabin on a few acres of forested land out in the country. I would like to have a 3-door garage and a red Porsche 911 Carrera for Sunday drives. Inside I would like a large open kitchen/living room for entertaining family and friends. I would like to live in a rural, yet populated area with a good school system and a close town nearby. These are the things I feel are necessities to living a long and blissful life.

Breanna:

I want to live on 5 acres of land with a house and a large red barn. In the barn I would keep my ATV and get that out on the weekends to take rides through the woods. I would love to have the town where I live have a fairground where I can eat great food, see truck and tractor pulls, and hang out with all my family and friends.

Emily:

I want to live in a suburb of Columbus at a healthy distance from my family in a house in a culdesac. I would love to have a large kitchen inside and a huge backyard. I want to have a garden with colorful flowers and tall trees. I want a wooden deck and a pool to entertain guests outside. On the deck I would love to have speakers to listen to music outside. These would be all the resources I would need in my life to make me happy.

-TwoGirlsOneGuy

The Not So Distant Future

Sitting here studying for finals and thinking about summer feels distant, thinking about what my ideal future home would be like seems impossible at first. It's hard to accept that one day I'm going to leave the confinements of knowing where I will be living based off a mutual consensus of my friends and a location with a relatively short walk to campus. There will come a day not too far off in the rather hazy future where I will be forced to pick a place that I want to be my home. Not the town my parents moved my family to, not the place that is best for me to attend school for my desired major, not where my friends are, not for any reason but my own. I don't know where exactly that place will be yet but I do know a few things that will need to be there for me to feel at ease.


24/7 access to the outdoors and nature
Containing me inside is the equivalent of attempting to keep an elephant in a cage, it's not going to happen. I love nature, fresh air, and being able to wake up and run in the morning or just sit outside and read a book.


Seasons
Anticipation of what's to come next. Knowing that it won't be snowing every other day, or a heat wave for an entire year satisfies me. I like variety and change so, when it comes to the climate where I want to live, I can't think of better example to change it up then the seasons.

Music
Everyday, every mood, all the time. I have to have music. It's how I get by no matter what kind of day I'm having. I have a song for every mood on my i-pod and every one helps me get by.

People
I'm a very outgoing person who needs people to socialize with and see on a daily basis, living in a deserted area would be bad for me because I would get bored and would never be able to meet new people.

Books
Nothing else can be said but I'm always reading one and I usually prefer those of the leisure variety that you can't put down, not the textbook type that you dread picking up.

Animals
Pets, zoo animals, and wildlife. I love them all and would want to be able to access all of them!

Sports
Whether I'm playing them or watching them, I have to have them. No sport in particular as long as their is some competition I'm bound to be happy.


A Body of Water
Swimming, boating, cooling off at the beach are some of my favorite things when the weather gets warm, I can take the heat as long as I have someplace to cool off.


A Balance of City and Open Areas
I love the access to shopping, food and sites of the city, but I like to be able to relax and look at the stars in my backyard at night. Living in a suburb with access to the big city would be great for me!



I don't know exactly where I will be in the future but I know that these things will be a part of my life along with so many others and I look forward to what will happen when they are.

Maggieland

If we all lived in Maggieland…the world would be a better place. People would be free to make extended awkward eye contact, belt out show tunes, and exchange very sarcastic comments without worry. Who wouldn’t want to live there? However, such a place doesn’t exist, because if it did then we could build two Cedar Points so we could say “Let's not go to that one, let's go to the good one (Family Guy reference).” There is however a few things I need, in a semi-close perimeter, to be happy.

Since I enjoy swimming and jumping off really high diving boards, I need to be near a pool with a deep end. Pool these days are only five feet deep (Lame!), which means no diving boards. People are too worried about safety nowadays. Our parents had diving

boards and turned out just fine. I would like to live near a golf course too. I’m not good at golf and I don’t play often, but I like th atmosphere. If I had a house near a golf course, I feel that it would be a safe area.

As for food…I need a lot of it. There definitely has to be a McDonald’s to supply breakfast, because they have the best hash browns. There needs to be Panera Bread because they have the best potato soup. Applebee’s has a pretty diverse menu, which is nice even though I usually eat the same thing every time I go. Most of these food places can be found near a mall. Which leads me to my next point; I NEED a mall/ shopping area with a Forever 21 (my favorite store). I would like an America Eagle too because their jeans fit tall people.

I want to live in a place that has hot summers and semi-cold winters. I love snow but I also love the sun and mowing. I don’t think I could live at the beach year round because sea creatures freak me out and I don’t like not being able to see my surroundings in the water. Also, I don’t want to live in the city; I need to be able to see the stars at night, which is something many people take for granted, or never get to see. I really don’t need many restaurants or material things to be happy; I just need to be near my family. I know that sounds cheesy but I hate being 13 hours away from my family in Iowa. Even though I live close to home I don’t get to see my family that often, which I miss since I’ve been in college.

Blog 4

Is there a specific area or climate you'd like to live in someday? What resources (such as parks, movie theaters, specific restaurants, etc.) would you need to have to live most happily in a place, and why would you want them?

Appalachia...
What is it? Who lives there? Why is Ohio University tucked in the midst of it and what does that mean to OU students? Nobody at OU seems to know for certain how to simply define Appalachia, but everyone has very different thoughts. Here’s what some OU students had to say…

“When I hear "Appalachia," I have two trains of thought. I either think of run down mountainside shacks with cars up on concrete blocks outside, or I think of really awesome scenery and forests and mountain views,” Connor Morris said. Coming from Marietta, Ohio, Morris said that he could consider himself to be Appalachian. “I’m used to seeing the hills and valleys and certain types of people,” he explained. “It's definitely important to learn at least a little bit about Appalachian culture, because a great deal of the people that live in the Appalachian area aren't ignorant hilljacks, and there's actually some pretty cool music, festivals, local legends, and history that come out of it,” Morris said.

“Poverty line and high unemployment ratings,” Mike Scholze

“I kinda feel like protective of the area, because my grandma grew up here and its a sentimental place for me. I feel really attached to this school and the area, so I feel like if they are going to down talk it I want to be defensive,” Alexis Carder On the other hand, although she said it may seem hypocritical, she does not consider herself to be Appalachian even though he ancestry is tied to the culture. She said that she may even be a little bit offended if someone called her Appalachian likely because of the reputation the culture has gained.

"We are a university surrounded by an underprivileged area, it is important that we know and understand what the area of Appalachia means,"Marissa McDaid

"Whenever I hear people talk about Appalachia, I imagine a very rural setting with people that are living on the borderline of poverty. I picture dirt paths winding around the Appalachian hills where most families live in farmhouses. The way it is described reminds me a bit of the Amish communities near my hometown, but much more modern,” Elyse Freeman

Although Appalachia means something different to everyone, it is still important that Ohio University students surrounded by the area are consciously thinking about what it means and attempting to gain a better understanding of the area they temporarily live in.

My potatoes bring all the Irish to the yard, and they're like, "That famine was hard"

Appalachia.  I had never actually thought about what that term referred to when I heard it.  I had actually never heard it so much until I got to Ohio University.  Little did I know, I've pretty much been living in Appalachia my entire life!  But for some reason people here like to acknowledge the existence of this culture/area much more than my hometown twenty minutes north of the heart of Pittsburgh.


"Oh yeah that's what it's like here in Appalachia!"
"Oh those people definitely look like they're from Appalachia!"
"Haha Appalachia!!"


Okay.  I know we're in Appalachia.  Thank you.  For some reason everyone in Ohio University and their mother wants me to know that for some reason.  The most I heard anything remotely close to "we live in Appalachia" back home was in my geography classes in 7th grade where we talked about the Appalachian Mountains.  So in other words, I never heard it, I guess that's why I never really knew about it or that I lived there.


So I started hearing this word a lot.  What exactly is everyone talking about when they say Appalachia? Context clues gave me hints, but it wasn't until a week or two ago where I finally found out what defines Appalachia and the stereotypical Appalachian man: a right-winged, redneck, poor-ass, uneducated, squirrel shooting hillbilly that lives somewhere around the eastern United States between the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.  Of course, most of that doesn't seem to be the case for anyone I've met in Athens OR Pittsburgh, other than the whole, living there thing.


So as everyone I'm reading this to right now knows, I had to interview three people three simple questions and record their responses on this here blog.  First, I asked my Dad.  I called him on the telephone and said "Oh hey dad, I'd like to ask you some questions."  
He went ahead and said "Ask away son."
Why did I type that.


So I asked him what he thought when he heard Appalachia.  He pretty much just dolled out this list:
White Lightning (another name for moon-shine)
Bluegrass Music 
Poor people in the woods
Pick-up trucks 
Blue Ridge Mountains 
Cole mines 
Nascar
Dirt roads


He then went on to say is that enough, I don't have time for this.  I asked him if he was appalachian and he said no.  Then I told him that Pittsburgh was in Appalachia and he said never mind, yes.  So stereotypically he doesn't consider himself Appalachia, I don't think he wants to, but he is.  Hell, he says warsh instead of wash and yinz.  And then I asked him if he knew anyone who was Appalachian and he said "Well.. you live in Pittsburgh, so that makes you Appalachian, so yes.  Can I go now?"
He wanted to do the assignment less than I did.  I guess that's where I get it.  


At the very least, this blog is entertaining.


Next I interviewed my friend Hayden Wolford.  I asked him what he thought of when he heard the word Appalachia.  All he said was "Truthfully, I just think of home.  Oh, and red necks." 
He's from Jackson, Ohio, and thats only about 40 minutes north of here I think.  The other two questions had obvious answers so I didn't even ask them.


Finally.  I interviewed my twin brother Dennis.  And I was too lazy to type so...







This was easier than making up a 3rd interview.


I didn't post this in class or anything.

Appalachian Nation

When starting our research on what is appalachia, there seemed to be a common theme amongst all of the responses. A majority of the people we talked to seemed to have the understanding that appalachia is a poverty stricken, uneducated demographic who live near the appalachian mountain chain. Everyone seemed to have a common stereotype of an overallwearing, unshaven, redneck wielding a banjo. (Much like the picture below)

Considering that my (Turner's) friends live in Athens, you would think that they identify themselves as being appalachian, when in fact that is not the case at all. Even one my friends who grew up in rural Athens, surrounded by people who do consider themselves appalachian, did not consider himself appalachian.

No matter what area of the United States you live in, it is important to know about the region that surounds you. Even though many stereotypes are met by appalachian people, it is important to understand that every culture has a rich history and that different doesn't mean inferior. Living in Athens, you are surrounded by the appalachian culture therefore a better understanding will allow you to bypass stereotypes and make your own interpretations from your observations.

Appalachia in Athens

When people hear the word “Appalachia” many things come to mind. We each interviewed our roommates to find a wide range of answers.

Question 1: “What do you think about when you hear “Appalachia?”

Emily’s Roommate: “Mountains, poverty.”
Brad’s Roommate: “Mountains, poorly educated,

no teeth.”

Breanna’s Roommate: “Poor, mountains.”

Clearly, that question had a common theme in all three answers: mountains. The second question did too…

Question 2: “Are you Appalachian?”

Emily’s Roommate: “No?”

Brad’s Roommate: “No.”

Breanna’s Roommate: “No.”

Each one of our roommates happened to be from a rather large city. Whether it be Cleveland or Columbus. Now you can see why they wouldn’t consider themselves as Appalachian. Now the third question:

Question 3: “Do you personally know someone who is?”

Emily’s Roommate: “Yes.”

Brad’s Roommate: “Yes.”

Breanna’s Roommate: “No.”

Two-thirds of our interviewees personally knew someone who is Appalachian. After comparing answers we concluded that it’s important that our roommates and us, now being at OU, know and understand the culture of the Appalachian people to understand where people come from and how they are adapting to the world around them. This is important because we’re only residing here for maybe four years, while they make this their permanent home. The least we can do is learn and appreciate their culture.

-TwoGirlsOneGuy

Appalachia

Appalachia— the cultural region that spans the central and southern section of the Appalachian Mountains—but what exactly does this entail? We set out to interview a few people in our dorm. “What are a few words that come to mind when you think of Appalachia?” The general consensus we received were words like, “uneducated, people of the mountains, rural, blue collar jobs, homeless people, and poverty..” None of the people we interviewed identified themselves as being Appalachian, coming from places like Columbus and Toledo. So what does Appalachian culture really mean? We decided to delve further, wanting a more complete picture. After additional research, we realized how shallow the responses we received really were.

The Appalachian culture is so much more than many make it out to be. We found a website that summed up everything we found fairly well “[the Appalachian culture is one of] neighborliness, hospitality, love of place and land, modesty, bravery, sense of humor, loyalty, resourcefulness, and patriotism.” So why do people place such a negative connotation with Appalachia? Poverty is becoming a problem. With the changing economy, many are unable to find jobs in a world where blue-collar jobs are facing extinction.

Is it important to know about the culture of where you reside? We came to the conclusion, yes. By ignoring your surroundings, or failing to learn more about them, you are depriving yourself of an excellent opportunity. You shouldn’t dismiss cultures different than your own as lesser, especially before knowing more about them.

By: Daniel Murtha and Kristen Dittmar

I feel that knowing your surrounding is a huge part of life. Its always a good thing to know the past and present about your home, or home away from home.
What Exactly is Appalachia? "
"Appalachia means to me: like the deep heartfelt yurning inside for a place, but its not realy a place its more like a time! A time when people meant it when we said thankyou & god bless ! When kids respected thier elders,when thoughts & lives weren't so cluttered with outside objects & inside envies ! A time when you worked to live not live to work & held your head high cuz you earned it, cuz you made somethin outa nothin, when wal-mart was your garden,the bank was your root sellar, your neighbor was your family friend" http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/223389-what-does-appalachia-mean-to-you

(A question I kept getting was "are you talking about the Appalachian mountains?")

I Spoke to three individuals about what they thought when they heard "Appalachia."
First Response I got was they thought of mountains.
The second response I they thought about silence, and peace. (this was a response from a female of course:)
The third response I got was once again they thought about mountains.
I would never say I lived in a Appalachia area. Nor could I say I heard from someone that says they are Appalachia. Even while being here in Athens. Its hard to really say you do when you are surrounded by other college students. You tell me is this the so called "Appalachia area?" We may live in a Appalachia area but are the people really Appalachia?

Appalachia: 2011...10 years ago

Appalachia is one of America's most unique cultural trademarks. No where else in the world do people speak with such noticeable accents and so many words made up it just sounds like they're saying 3 words at once. Given this as it may be, many people from America don't even know what its really like in the genuine Appalachian towns. I asked three different people some questions about what they think of Appalachia. This isn't totally conclusive about all of America but it gives you an idea of what some of the people our age think.

I interviewed 3 people in my dorm for this experiment. Strangely enough, they all gave me the same answers! The first question I asked was what is the very first thing they think of when they hear Appalachia. They very quickly said Appalachian mountains! That's an easy answer given they just tacked on mountains at the end but it gives us an idea of what people think of Appalachia. Most mountains are secluded, hard to get to, and sometimes you never want to leave right? And Appalachians live in exactly those types of places. How could we have Appalachia without the mountains? We wouldn't and the atmosphere would be much different I predict. The next thing I asked them was does they consider themselves an Appalachian. Again they very quickly said no. They don't come from a community anywhere close to the Appalachian mountains. So, what can we learn from this answer? I have a feeling unless you really want to live in Appalachia, you will probably always answer no to this question. This could be for a number of reasons, one being because your definition of Appalachia doesn't match your town that you live in or came from. Two, you may come from a town that might resemble an Appalachian town, but you don't want to be considered an Appalachian per se so you say no. This brings up an interesting thought. Why wouldn't someone want to be considered an Appalachian? One of the most popular reasons might be because the only kind of people who live in those areas are uneducated and don't make very much money. And that's understandable because one of the most important things society has told us that can make us happy is money and that requires an education so we don't want people to see that we are failing at that...but thats a whole other blog.

The last question I asked was do you know anyone who is an Appalachian. Again, the reoccurring theme here of quick no's shows up and I ask myself why. It very well might be the same reason as above; they really don't know anyone in the Appalachian area. It could also be because they just don't want to be considered an Appalachian because when you have friends from a certain area you are often considered part of that area as well.

These answers are very enlightening on how people think of Appalachia. But what is Appalachia really like? Based on my experience of visiting places up in the mountains and my mother forcing me to go see how people live up there, it's really not all that bad. They don't have as much things to keep track of as we do in our city and suburban areas. They barely ever use their cell-phones, they don't even watch tv, and they definitely don't play video games. They also don't have to go to work in the city in a fast paced environment and try to do a billion things through out the day before its over. They do hard work though like farming. That in and of itself is hard work sometimes but its a different kind of hard work. Depending on your personality you may wish you could just live off the land and be a farmer and live in Appalachia. I don't think it would be as bad as some people think it is. If you really want to know what Appalachia is like get off the computer and go take a hike up to some real American homes in the mountains and see for yourself.

M&M

Appalachia: What is it?

It is important to learn about appalachia because we are living in it, and it is important to understand the history and culture behind the place that you choose to live. Appalachia has a wealth of culture that is extremely valuable for people to learn.

In the 1890’s the president of Berea College, William Goodell Frost made the first real attempt at mapping out what he referred to as “Appalachian America”. Although Appalachia does not have definite topographical boundaries the region is roughly defined by 420 counties, 13 states, and 8 independent cities. An estimated 90% of Appalachia's earliest European settlers originated from the Anglo-Scottish border country. Unfortunately due to the region’s rural location it has lagged behind in economic health, and significantly in

education leading to many stereotypes about the region. Some may say that people from appalachia are “hicks”, “hillbillies” or “rednecks” but there are some aspects of the Appalachian culture that are quite valuable.

We interviewed several people wandering around Alden Library and got interesting responses concerning appalachia. Many people did not identify themselves as appalachian but said that they did know a lot o

f people that are appalachian. All interviewed did say that they knew of many of the common stereotypes of people from appalachia, but did not w

holly support them or believe them. All of the people interviewed thought it was important that students living in Athens should know a little bit about appalachian culture so that they could better interact with the people they see every day. They noted that the people of appalachia run this town and it is important to understand where they came from and their culture. Some of the people interviewed shared some interesting facts about appalachia, one of them being that the Appalachian Trail is one of the best hiking footpaths in the world and stretches 2,167 miles all the way from Georgia to Maine. Many aspects of appalachian culture, such as music, are unique to the region and contribute greatly to American Culture as a whole.

Michael, Morgan, Kathy, Jeffrey

Appalachia. Think of the first thing that comes to your mind? For most people its hillbillies, bluegrass, and an accent. Whether that is a good thing or bad thing is up to the people that live there. I interviewed three people currently living in Appalachia to see what the area means to them.

I interviewed my parents because although they live together, they both have a different outlook. My dad thought of banjos, mountains, and moonshine when asked what he first thinks about. He does not consider himself a part of Appalachia because he grew up in Iowa. He says we are called Appalachian by the federal government, but we are on the edge of it

and are not submerged in the culture. My dad works in Huntington, West Virginia, and it’s what he calls “the heart of Appalachia.” The people there are polite, friendly, religious, and very musical. They also like to take care of older family members; they see it as a disgrace to the family to put them in a nursing home.

My mom thinks it is important to know about the people around you and understand their lifestyles. You should know the environment in which you live and adapt to it. The first words that come to her mind when hearing “Appalachia” are poor, rural, farm, and hills. My mom works with a woman who will avoid telling people she is from West Virginia. She tells people she is from Ohio so she won’t be treated differently. The woman says people will act superior to her and treat her like she is uneducated. My mother is not Appalachian because, like my dad, she did not grow up in Appalachia.

My friend Taylor, a student at Ohio University, believes it is necessary to be knowledgeable about the land you live on. It is respectful have a background and history on an area to truly appreciate it. The first words that came to her mind were trees, wilderness, and hills. Taylor is not an Appalachian, nor does she know any because we live on a college campus. The school has people from all over the United States, so not one lifestyle is dominant. Having a college in Appalachia shadows the surrounding area’s culture because we do not interact with them on a regular basis.

I do not consider myself an Appalachian because I live on the edge of the Appalachian area. However, I may show a few characteristics with my language on a regular basis. For example I say “crick” instead of “creek,” “melk” instead of “milk,” and “hoam” instead of “home.” Many people in my hometown will pronounce common words like these with a little accent. When we travel some people will notice our little accent or changes in some words. Understanding the area you live in is definitely necessary; however the college town takes away from learning about the surrounding area. We do not live in a completely Appalachian area so many people may be unaware of the culture or term altogether.

Athens Lunatic Asylum

Athens Lunatic Asylum

By: Daniel Murtha and Kristen Dittmar

Athens, Ohio is well known for being the home to Ohio University. Though, many people do not realize that it was also famous for having one of the best mental hospitals in the world. The Athens Lunatic Asylum, also known as “The Ridges,” is a historic part of Athens that still remains today. On January 9th, 1874 the federal government purchased 1,000 acres of land from The Coates family. The great complex took six years to build. The Lunatic Asylum opened shortly after the civil war. This was no coincidence the hospitals purpose was to treat war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eventually, the Asylum opened its doors to people with multiple mental issues. Daniel Fremau was the first patient to enter the hospital. He believed himself to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. This shows what kind of patients the Asylum had to deal with.

The Asylum performed many treatments which today are no longer used. The most common was the lobotomy. Also, patients were often submerged into ice cold water for long periods of time and received electric shocks to the temples. To say the least patients were not treated very well.

Many people believe that the torture that took place at The Lunatic Asylum is the prime reason Ohio University is a “haunted campus”. There have been multiple events that are believed to be linked to The Asylum. For example, there was a suicide that took place in Wilson Hall. The story goes that the student was being haunted by the spirit of a patient from the asylum.

Athens has a lot more history to it than we may know, so go check it out!

Blog 3: Cultural Contexts

From your own perspective(s):

Is it important to know about the Appalachian culture, since you now live in Appalachia? Why or why not?

Interview at least 3 other people, and ask the following questions:

What comes to mind when you hear the term "Appalachia"?

Do you identify yourself as Appalachian?

Do you know anyone who identifies as Appalachian?

Summarize your findings.

A Little Greek Past

Our community of Athens Ohio is home to plenty of history, and some of which has an almost unheard yet still interesting history. Having restarted this chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, SAE, we were tasked with having to learn all of its history on our own in order to start teaching it to our new members. My best friend Stephen took on the task of finding out as much as he could and came across the founding of our chapter at http://pattwardlaw.com/SAE/index.htm. Each week Stephen would copy a page of Patt Wardlaw’s story and post it in all of our bathroom stalls, which turned out to be the best way for us to learn it.

It all started as group of older guys, including WWII veterans, decided to start their own fraternity and called it Gamma Gamma Gamma or Tri-Gams. They grew very quickly and they needed a house. The house that I am typing at right now is the same house our founding fathers lived in when they signed the lease in fall of 1951 for 57 East State St. The house was originally built by two sisters for a sorority but went depression-broke before the girls could rent it. As such the sisters moved in themselves and despite other Greek organizations constantly trying to buy it refused to sell it. The Tri-Gams were able to sway the ladies because they felt that they could trust the “older guys” that made of the Fraternity. They proceeded to repair and paint the old worn out building over the summer. The result shocked the entire local Greek community that shadowed almost every other fraternity house on campus.

We thought this was where the story ended but we learned otherwise when my fraternity was lucky enough to have our fellow brother alumni come down for a reunion supported by barbeque and beer. They were a fairly big group from the 70s and 80s and brought plenty of our chapters’ history for us to enjoy. The older half of them actually did not get to live in the house because they had been kicked off campus because of their low GPA. They said it was a .06 accumulative but that did not stop them from staying together regardless. They all lived on another house off Mill St. to stay together even thought they weren’t recognized officially. By the time they had graduated all but 3 of their approximately 37 brothers had an arrest recorded and had been nominated the “Animal House” fraternity by Playboy Magazine. Eventually though the managed to require the house and even added on to it! The house has been renovated four times now by the Nationals of SAE and the most recent one was over the summer with $1,000,000 spent on repairs and refurbishment, but will grow each year as we add more to it. Our history has been up and down but we still hope to add and build upon it.

Ohio University Vietnam Protests

In 1965 the United States started to deploy troops into Vietnam, in fear of the spread of communism all over the world. At the height of the war thousands of students began to protest across the country.

41 years ago, today, 4 students were shot and killed by the National Guard during protests against the war, along with 10 wounded. This shooting sparked even more protests against the government, including a large movement at Ohio University. Students were already protesting prior to the Kent State shootings and arrests were made during an ROTC sit it by 9 OU students.

Terry Nance was a student during the protests at OU. In a recent interview he told the columbus messenger, "The next 10 days were weird. During the day, everything was normal on campus. People went to classes, followed their usual routine, but as soon as the sun went down, things got bad...dangerous"

OU students were uncooperative with the Athens police, pulling bricks off the street and vandalizing store fronts.

Tear gas was eventually used on the students to clear the crowds and mayhem. Eventually the National guard was brought into Athens. The next morning, as Nance went uptown to get a copy of The Post, he recalled, “As soon as I turned the corner, all I saw was National Guardsmen. They were stationed at every parking meter and every hotspot on campus.”

On May 15, 1970, Ohio University announced to the students that they had until 5 p.m. that day to leave campus and return home. This was only 10 days after the Kent State shooting. The protests that occurred during these weeks are sadly remembered and influence how universities and the government handle protests today.

-Chris and Turner

For the entire interview with Terry Nance go to:

http://www.columbusmessenger.com/NC/0/8408.html

Athens Local Issue: Noise Law

If you want to convince someone that Ohio University is not a party school, don't give them a tour of the campus on a Saturday night. Thursday nights also might be a bad idea. Just to be safe, avoid Tuesday nights as well. Around Fest season, any night might not be safe.

This is because these nights are where you'll spot the drunken students stumbling back from bars, or stumbling up hill to the bars. And even if you don't see them, you'll definitely hear them. I can count on one hand the number of nights where I didn't hear someone outside of my dorm drunkenly yelling to friends.

The issue here is this: do the police in Athens have the right to put a stop to loud partying? The current noise ordinances have been a source of controversy, because they give officers the right to issue citations to anyone they think is making a disruptive amount of noise without having to issue warnings or receive a certain amount of complaints from neighbors.

The Know Noise Task Force is a group of students who feel that the current noise ordinances are unfair and should be returned to their original incarnation, and have even proposed an amendment that would do so. Their argument is that if no one is complaining about the noise, it is a victimless crime that doesn't require police action.

It's tough to say where I stand on this issue. On one hand, giving tickets to someone who has received no complaints hardly seems fair: if it was truly noise pollution, someone would complain about it. Not to mention live bands at festivals possibly being shut down without warning if police think they're "too loud". Imagine paying the exorbitant ticket prices to see one of these fests, but it gets cut short because they were playing too loud.

On the other hand, I have had more than a few interrupted study sessions in my dorm because someone is playing music way too loud. Hiking up to the library in the cold just to get some peace and quiet for studying is not cool. We'll see what happens with noise law in Athens in the future. In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying the drunken ramblings I hear outside of my dorm on every day that ends with the letter 'y'.

Works Cited:
Fox, Joe. "The Post." The Post. N.p., 4 Mar 2011. Web. 4 May 2011. <http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/content/new-task-force-challenge-noise-rules>.
"Police chief slams proposed noise law." Post 8 Mar 2011,

Wilson's History

Wilson Hall is where many people live during their first year of college. After being built on West Green in 1964, it was redeemed a resident hall for students. This luxury building includes air-conditioned rooms and even a formal lounge area! It was originally named West Green building number 5. How original. It was soon to be named Wilson Hall after H

iram Roy Wilson. He was educated at Ohio University and became part of the faculty in 1896 as a chemistry instructor. Wilson was also the National President of the Alumni Association from 1927 to 1929. He was a skilled musician, playing instruments such as the violin, cello, and pi

ano. He retired after 49 years teaching at Ohio University in 1945 and willed his library collection of 1,000 books after he died.

Although the lavishness dorm has many a

menities, its also to be considered…haunted. Not only that, but the most haunted building on campus. It was even featured in Scariest Places on Earth on Fox in 2001. Some people might say that the stories were compiled through the hand-me-downs of tall tales, while others believe in the paranormal activities.

When talking about Athens and all the scary stories, the tale of the pentagram is bound to come up. The story behind the pentagram is you can connect five of the Athens cemeteries’ and it will create a pentagram in which is shown in a picture above. And what is in the middle of the star shape? You guessed it; Wilson Hall! Sort of creepy I know. That is not the only popular topic when it comes to Wilson Hall and its spooktastic tales. The next one is the story of room 428. The resident living in this room haunted by a ghost of a woman who got locked in one of the towers of the Ridges which was then a mental hospital. It was said the woman undressed and folded her clothing into a neat pile and eventually laid down to die. When staff finally found the missing woman months later, she had decayed into the floor, leaving a stain outlining her body. Years and years later, the resident of room 428 was roaming around the Ridges with her friends while they came upon the stain. She touched it. When she got back into her dorm room, she experienced devilish noises. She dabbled in sorcery practices to the point of going insane and ended up committing suicide. When administrators assigned rooms for upcoming residents of 428, the new residents did not stay for long. They declared that blood would seep through the walls and a woman would haunt them. Every time the blood was tried to be covered, it managed to seep through the new coat of paint. Since then it has been made into a boiler room. But it is said a devil’s face can be seen on the door. Whether this is all true or not, it’s up to you. So if assigned to Wilson Hall you can either believe the history left by Hiram Roy Wilson, or believe in the handed down stories about specific paranormal activities.

-TwoGirlsOneGuy

OU Floods

Today at Ohio University, we don't have to be too worried about our campus buildings flooding. However, that wasn't always the case. From the 1940's to the 1960's, Ohio University's campus had major flooding problems because of the Hocking River. Students basically expected a flood every year and it wasn't a surprise once one hit them.

During these twenty years, low parts of the city and most of OU's campus would experience as much as a 30 foot flood. However, the worst flood occured in 1907 when the Hocking River overflowed by 26 feet 7 inches, which is 10 feet above the flood stage. Another very serious flood occurred in 1964. A picture of this flood can be seen here. The floods got so bad that people would call OU's baseball fields the "OU Aquarium".

For years, the city struggled with plans of how to stop the flooding. Proposals for dams an levees were too expensive, adding up to millions of dollars. In 1940, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began surveys to try and solve the issue, but this was delayed due to the start of World War II. Their plan was to reroute the Hocking River. At this time, the river ran through OU's golf course, under the Richland Bridge, and between West Green and West Union Street. The president of OU at this time (Baker) didn't think rerouting the river was possible. He stated that he wouldn't live long enough to see it done.

When Alden became president, he began to push the idea to reroute the river, especially since damages were approximately $610,000 at this point. Gym floors would be warped, the football stadium was completely covered, and even reached the balconies on the Riverpark Apartments on South Green. In 1964, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to plan once again. They decided to rechannel Hocking, but without using levees because they didn't want to interfere with the possible expansion of the city. The proposed plan was to reroute 5.5 miles of the river, which would shorten the river by 1,400 feet. It was also going to cost about $10 million. During Alden's last year was when they were able to accomplish rerouting the Hocking River.

Today, students don't have to be concerned about yearly floods and having difficulty getting to classes, and the administration doesn't have to deal with thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Works Cited:
The Athens News; "Rechanneling river discouraged yearly floods"; Marietta, Alexander; December 13, 2010

Why does “Parking Services” set us up to get ticketed?
This is becoming a huge problem to me already and my vehicle isn’t even on campus yet. I just checked to see how many emails I have gotten from parking services and so far I have received 27 emails about parking lots being closed off on certain dates. I feel the parking here sets us (the students) up for failure. They always say use the meters but the meters are always taken up. If the meters are taken up, then what?
It’s becoming a huge problem for those operating a vehicle around campus. Not all people need to drive but yet there are those people who have to. I go eat at Shively with my friend throughout the week and we will literally be in there for like 20 minutes and he will get ticketed. We pay for our education so we should not have to pay for tickets. It just seems un-reasonable.
The number of tickets my buddy received is un-reasonable. He received a total of 108 tickets while being here on campus. He’s a junior and already owes over 2,000 dollars in tickets. I understand that there are problems with parking around campus but they could easily make other lots that do not require a permit. Add a parking lot located on West, South, and East that can hold a large amount of parking and there wouldn’t be any problems.
Of course a lot of people would say they would never do that because they like taking our money and ticketing us. I personally wouldn’t be driving around everywhere I go but yet other people are different. Like I said we pay for our education we should not have to pay tickets.

"Crime Alerts" Becoming all too Familiar to OU Students

Unfortunately, it has become all too frequent that when we as Ohio University students, faculty and staff check our on campus email accounts we are greeted with messages with the subject of “Crime Alert”. It is policy to post these alerts when there is a situation that the University believes could threaten a student, staff, or community member. According to Ohio University’s website, crime alerts can be posted for any of the following crimes: arson, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex offenses, and others if deemed necessary.

Over the course of the 2010-2011 school year there have been a significant number of crimes posted for public indecency and sexual imposition. These crimes are by no means anything to be taken lightly. For some reason, many students feel that the emails and police reports that provide the horrific details of the alleged incidents were written for their entertainment.

It is hard for students to believe that such devastating acts of violence such as rape occur in their own backyard or while they are walking home at night. They are issues that students are educated about as they grow up but continuously live with the notion of “it will never happen to me”.

Sadly, the four victims of the most recent crimes here at Ohio University likely lived with the same notion and regrettably they were wrong. It is important that all of us at Ohio University take the “Crime Alert” e-mails that flow into our in boxes seriously. For young women on campus they should come as a reminder and warning. Being on campus alone is sometimes inevitable, but being smart and aware of your surroundings is the most crucial thing anyone can do. For young men, be wise and considerate and don’t let any of your girlfriends walk alone at night if it’s not necessary. The extra trip up or down Jeff Hill could make someone’s night so much safer.

As students, faculty and staff, Ohio University is somewhere we all call home at some point during the year. Home is a place that we all should feel safe and secure. We should have that same feeling whenever we are on campus. If we all heed the warnings and are continuously aware of our surroundings, we can help make sure we are not victims of these crimes.

"Crime and Emergency Alerts." Ohio University. Web. 2 May 2011. http://www.ohio.edu/police/alerts/