Ohio University is nestled within Appalachia, something OU makes part of its identity. The university as an institution knows it exists in a vulnerable region, a place historically characterized by self-reliance, poverty, underfunded public services, little economic opportunity and food insecurity. For some youth of Appalachia, the dream is to make it out.
To its credit, OU supports and uplifts Appalachia and promotes these endeavors to students with scholarship opportunities for Appalachian students, community development economic research opportunities in Appalachia and funding through the Sugar Bush Foundation dispersed to Appalachian Ohio projects. OU also offers an Appalachian Studies certificate for students.
On paper, OU understands its place in Appalachia, but most students do not. There is a difference between studying Appalachian culture or researching Appalachian community initiatives and actually recognizing Appalachia as a vibrant, culturally diverse area which should become a part of every student's identity.
To many OU students from cities or suburbia, Appalachia and Athens is treated as an artifact to study and stereotype, as well as a backdrop for four years to eventually leave behind. Students rarely treat Appalachia as a place to integrate with, accept and learn from.
I am from Morgan County, Ohio, an hour north of Athens. For scale, the population of Morgan County as a whole is 13,626, whereas the population of Athens is 25,313. Morgan County has one high school for the entire county. There is no Walmart, no mall and the world’s smallest Kroger. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced everybody out of schools and onto Zoom in 2020, we were sent home with books since the majority of students did not have WiFi.
I often hear students refer to Athens as “the boonies,” which means “a thinly settled rural area.” This is funny to me, considering Athens was a “big city” to me growing up, with a bigger Kroger, multiple traffic lights and a mall.
When I step outside the well-maintained bubble of OU’s campus, this is where I feel most at home. When I see the locals students treat like an inconvenience, I see the people who were my teachers, coworkers, bosses and family friends.
There is a lot of research done about the barriers for Appalachian students attending college. However, there is not a lot of research about the stigma created from students from other regions coming to Appalachia for college and the deep cultural and social disconnect they perpetuate while coming here.
One of the biggest examples of this disconnect is how students interact with the “townies” of Athens. The locals are given their own subculture, stereotypes and labels within the OU students . Some locals believe the “townies” label has a negative connotation, like a, “hippy, hillbilly or an OU has-been.”
The people students dismiss as “townies,” the people who shut down off-campus house parties, are not separate from everyone else. They are the foundation, and they are not an inconvenience or intrusive outsiders who hate young adults.
"Townies” are the foundation of Athens, and without them OU wouldn’t have a place to anchor itself in.
I urge OU students to go beyond campus, but not in the way most suggest. It’s not just going to Strouds Run or exploring restaurants outside of campus. As an OU student, if you are going to call Athens home, you have a responsibility to treat the locals, or the townies as friends and equals, not just background characters in your four years here.
As a senior in high school when I was trying to learn more about OU, many current students on social media whined about the lack of shopping, chain restaurants and things to do. Choosing to attend college in a rural area means accepting the area’s worth is not measured in Targets and Chick-fil-As. Appalachia is rich in tradition and connection. The stories are endless.
If you are going to call Athens your home, Appalachia and its people are not a spectacle or an inconvenience. Don’t treat these people and this region as something to view from afar, or something to fix. Step out of your little bubble, engage with the locals as equals and treat Athens and Appalachia like the home you claim it is on social media.
Abby Shriver is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
