Welcome (back) to Athens, Ohio University students! That may be an unusual sentiment coming from a townie, but you make Athens the wonderful town it has become. You bring the fresh perspectives and vitality that energize the whole town during the school year. You are our guests here, and we want you to feel at home - in fact, some students like Athens enough to settle here after graduation or come back after seeing the world.
Your studies will keep you busy, and we encourage you to master your chosen field and get good grades. Just as importantly, please take the time to explore your new home.
OU has many causes, clubs and interest groups to get involved in, while Athens and the surrounding region provide a chance to interact with a broader variety of settings and people passionate about their work. The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau (athensohio.com) is a great place to start.
Here are some of the highlights I've encountered:
1) Outdoor activities - Athens parks and the Hocking Hills State Park system have hiking trails, wilderness and beautiful attractions to explore. There are also regional environmental groups dedicated to preserving and improving the health of our outdoors.
2) The arts community - There is ArtsWest, the Dairy Barn and plenty of galleries and shops, as well as a hopping music scene uptown.
3) The local food and craft community - A wonderful farmer's market at the mall parking lot on State Street sells fresh locally grown produce on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Community Food Initiatives has community gardens (get your own plot!), workshops and works to develop a strong local food system. ACENet (Appalachian Center for Economic Networks) is a non-profit organization that focuses on small businesses in the food, agriculture, artisan and wood sectors. Lastly, there are some great and inexpensive restaurants and food shops within walking distance.
4) Festivals - Arts, craft, food and music festivals are held throughout the year; see the local papers (The Athens Messenger, The Athens NEWS and, of course, The Post) for up-to-date information.
5) Politics - You will be here for four years, so why not get involved in school or local politics? Who among you will get fellow students inspired and organized to make your concerns and interests heard by OU administration and City Hall? Several OU students have been elected to Athens City Council (most recently Sarah Sexton in 2003 and Amy Flowers in 2005) and both major parties have college clubs that will be politically active this fall.
Again, welcome (back) to Athens, and I hope to see you at one of these events or around town.
-Mark McCutchan resides in Athens.
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