When Rufus the Bobcat first rolled in to Peden Stadium Saturday night, the crowd cheered with approval, but the athletic department wasn't surprised. The made-over mascot is the result of a year of efforts to improve Ohio University's athletic image. The response at the game was very positive
When a director picks the cast of his upcoming sports movie, he usually looks toward a proven actor to portray the inspiring, or in some cases overbearing and short-sighted, head coach.Just one year before he was trying to get a bunch of motherf****** snakes off a motherf****** plane, actor Samuel L. Jackson played hard-nosed, no-nonsense high school basketball coach Ken Carter in Coach Carter
Ohio University's Mulberry e-mail system is experiencing service problems that are expected to continue for several days.Webmail, the online service of Mulberry, will not be available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day until the university determines the root cause of the problem.Sean O'Malley, spokesman for the IT department, said it appears as though the system cannot handle the high traffic this week after students returned from summer break. The Mulberry application will still be working, but at a noticeably slower rate, O'Malley said.
African culture? You think of masks and tribal dances.South American culture? Incan temples and Spanish explorers.Asian? Gongs and dragons.But no one associates stereotypical American culture with pilgrims and Indians.Ask 10 people and I bet you get 10 different definitions, and I bet not one mentions the forefathers or immigrants or anything more than 50 years old.American culture is contemporary, and who can blame us? For a country with just over 200 years of history under its belt, it's no wonder pop culture has replaced rituals and traditions of days of yore.Besides, Americans come from such diverse backgrounds that celebrities, fast food and television commercials are sometimes the only things that Americans of vastly different heritage, class or race can all relate to.Although on the surface we are all stewing in the melting pot in the midst of an obesity epidemic, idolizing rock stars and pop princesses while talking on cell phones, Americans tend to identify with their place of origin as well as the country of their citizenship. The Irish go nuts on St. Patty's Day, the Italian grandmothers are always trying to shove food down everyone's throat. We say that characteristics are in our blood. We preserve what boils down to imitations of parts of our ancestors' daily lives to pay tribute to our personal history.And so we create false culture to fill in what we think we're lacking. Think about Disney's Epcot, or other smaller tourist ventures that seek to deliver genuine imitation experiences of other cultures. We watch the Travel Channel, we see the movies, and then if we get the chance to see other cultures first hand for real, sometimes we're disappointed.Sometimes the real deal is inferior to our decked-out, made-up imitation.Let's take African culture for example. I'll use it because I spent time in Tanzania over the summer.Side note: Tanzania is just south of Kenya on the east coast of Africa. Don't worry, when I first found out about it, I didn't know where it was either.Anyway, Tanzania is pretty poor (understatement) and tourism is one of the biggest industries generating income for the people. Westerners come to go on safari and experience the unadulterated primitive culture they expect from a Third World nation.The funny thing is, Tanzanians are striving to industrialize and westernize. Their impressions of American culture are filled with misinformation and glorified views in much the same way many Americans misunderstand African culture.The effect is startling. Now, not only do we have culture being imitated in our own country, but our desire for perceived authenticity is changing they way other cultures present themselves to Americans.In Tanzania, I visited a Masaii village. The women in the tribe dressed in their traditional formal dress, danced and sang in their native language. Then men sacrificed a goat while we watched, thunderstruck by the primitive tools they used and clothes they wore.Later, our guide told us that they only dressed that way and cut open an animal because we were there. It's not actually a part of their daily lives.I have to admit I felt a little cheated.I mean, it was really cool to see and just what I would have expected, but finding out that my version of what African tribes actually do was inaccurate, and then finding out that they catered to my fantastic ideas made me wonder how exactly culture gets preserved.I felt the same way about the traditional African dancers I saw. The dancers weren't all from the same tribe that created the dance being performed and the costumes came from all different regions' and groups' traditional clothing. The performance was obviously geared toward its American audience ' the best little pieces from a bunch of different places put together to make a final product that hardly resembles any of the original parts.Consumers of culture, who keep the interesting parts and disregard the pedestrian, are deciding what gets preserved and what gets discarded. We stay interested as long as it stays interesting.And maybe our perceptions don't equate to the reality, but then we just have to ask ourselves, is this a bad thing?Is it better to have a skewed view of what a culture is, or ignore it completely and risk losing culture all together?
Note: Corrected on Sept. 7, 2006.
Student Senate passed a resolution yesterday to create the General Fee Governance Council to give students of Ohio University a voice in where the university's general fee will be spent.We have passed something that is seriously monumental
Despite mounting just 144 yards of total offense in its game Saturday night, our beloved Ohio football team did something the likes of Colorado and Duke were unable to do on the first weekend of the season ' defeat a Division 1-AA team.Yes, those same Colorado Buffaloes that played in the Big 12 Championship Game a mere eight months ago lost 19-10 at home to Montana State. Luckily for the Buffaloes, their amazingly bad start to the 2006 season was topped by Duke getting shut out by Richmond, 13-0.Elsewhere, only a failed two-point conversion by Illinois State allowed Kansas State to get by, Arizona State was tied with Northern Arizona after three quarters, and Maryland was lucky to knock off William and Mary. Apparently, the big-time upsets are not just reserved for March anymore. For decades, it was easy to separate the haves from the have-nots in college football, unlike college basketball, which always seemed to provide some kind of Cinderella story year in and year out. Nowadays, because of players seeking better opportunities elsewhere and scholarship restrictions, that line of separation is starting to become blurred.The change is either welcomed or despised. On one hand, there are those who love rooting for the underdogs and would enjoy seeing the impossible happen. Just look at the television ratings from last year's Ohio/Pittsburgh game if you want proof. The fans of the smaller schools have that hope that their teams can hang with the big boys now. After Saturday, the players of those smaller schools have the desire to be the next Montana State.Meanwhile, there are the athletic directors at the big schools. What used to be a $250,000 stomping of a smaller school in front of the home crowd is slowly becoming a $250,000 September funeral for the football season, which has to be making these administrators sweat just a bit. Also, who can forget the losing coaches? Surely Dan Hawkins didn't have this in mind when he left the blue turf of Boise State, where he won 53 games in five seasons, for the supposedly greener pastures of Colorado. As someone who loves a good shocker every now and then ' unless it happens to my team ' I think the unpredictability makes college football better. The idea of your team being able to win on any given Saturday can only bring more fans to the games, hoping to see the unexpected.On a final note, if I was Penn State coach Joe Paterno, I wouldn't be worried about the upcoming match-up with No. 2 Notre Dame or the meeting with No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 23. Instead, I'd be putting all my resources into the game that takes place between those two when 1-AA Youngstown State travels to Happy Valley on Sept. 16. A loss to the Penguins would probably be enough to put the 79-year-old Paterno into retirement. Then again, JoePa would definitely be able to say he's seen everything. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to let Duke coach Ted Roof know how easy it was to score on Richmond with his team on NCAA Football '07.
The gambling industry has hit a roadblock in pushing for a constitutional amendment to allow slot machines in Ohio. Half of the signatures gathered in support of the slot machines ' and the Learn and Earn initiative ' have been found to be invalid. The massive signature-gathering campaign has long been underway to put the issue on the November ballot. Now, thousands of signatures are needed in a matter of days for Ohioans to vote on the issue. But whether or not the signatures are obtained, this invalidity only highlights the deceptive nature of the operation. Signatures have been gathered under the guise of Learn and Earn ' a scholarship program that would reap 30 percent of profits from Ohioans gambling. Financial aid for Ohio's higher education is certainly needed, but playing to this weakness in Ohio's economy seems to be a scapegoat to allow gambling. Signature collectors are paid $8-$15 an hour to push the scholarship program, conveniently down-playing details of the outcome of the slot-machines, how the money will be appropriated and what it means for Ohioans in the long run. Seven racetracks and two new locations in Cleveland would together house the 31,500 slot machines if approved. If it does manage to show up on the ballot, whether or not gambling is considered a moral issue, the manipulation already rampant through this operation should be enough to detract voters from voting yes.
A consultant group accused of violating Ohio state law for destroying documents related to its investigation of data theft at Ohio University recovered those documents in early August. Moran Technology Consulting of Naperville, Ill., which conducted an audit of the university's Information Technology department after network security breaches, recovered notes from 22 interviews the group conducted, which are at the center of a legal battle between the university and two fired IT administrators.Some notes were recovered using software that found deleted documents, and others were found in archived e-mails, said Charles Moran, president of the consulting group. We got everything. Suing the university for the disclosure of those notes and other documents are former administrators Tom Reid and Todd Acheson, who have claimed the interview notes are crucial to the defense that they're mounting to keep their jobs. The two have appealed their firing to the university.But neither of the men nor their lawyers were informed that the notes were discovered weeks before they filed a lawsuit seeking those and other records Aug. 22.We have a lawsuit pending and they still haven't told us
After a recent visit to Hudson Health Center, I feel compelled to share my story.I have lived in Athens for almost six years now, giving me ample time to hear the horror stories about Hudson. I will admit that I have received sub-par service in the past as well. However, my most recent visit to Hudson was enough to reverse 6 years of stigmatization. The new lobby is beautiful. The chairs are comfortable, the room was a cool temperature and the soft colors were relaxing. I do not know who is responsible for the design of the new lobby, but they should earn many kudos. I also want to address the level of care I received. Everyone I spoke to was pleasant and helpful. The nurse took time to listen to my concerns, and the doctor took the time to explain what was going on, as opposed to simply writing a prescription and sending me on my way. Despite what you have heard about Hudson, they can do a great job with typical ailments. With the new environment and the attitudes that I encountered today, I hope Hudson is on its way to establishing a better reputation. Katie Nutter is a graduate student in sociology.
Summer 2006 was a three-month onslaught of obscene gas prices, stifling heat and disastrous overseas conflict.In other words, it was prime time to duck into a dark, air-conditioned room, spend a couple hours with a bunch of strangers and forget about politics and petroleum. But in case you were too busy facing the music and the heat, here are some summer movie highlights:Funniest Movie: Strangers With Candy. Amy Sedaris and her ex-junkie-prostitute alter ego Jerri Blank made a nearly flawless leap to the big screen in a prequel to the brilliant-but-cancelled Comedy Central show. Most Pleasant Surprise: The Descent. Horror movies with no-name casts are being churned out by the week, but this British import is among the scariest films ever made.Most Unfairly Panned: Lady in the Water. I hated M. Night Shyamalan's The Village as much as the next person, but his twisted fairy tale, though flawed, was an intriguing ' at times moving ' tribute to how ideas and storytelling are society's foundation.Best Performance: Meryl Streep, A Prairie Home Companion. While Streep made The Devil Wears Prada less of a snoozer, her real summer triumph was in playing a neurotic, lovelorn folk singer in Robert Altman's masterpiece. Biggest Scene-Stealer: Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Will Ferrell passed the scene-stealer torch to Cohen, who played a gay, Perrier-swigging French race car driver who catches up on his Camus on the track.Biggest Letdown: Miami Vice. Michael Mann can still make a beaut of an action scene, but he also threw in an expressionless Colin Farrell and one of the most ridiculous romances in recent years.Worst Movie: Down in the Valley. This idiotic, overlong Taxi Driver mish-mash might be a lower career point for Edward Norton than the time he spent nancing around in a purple costume in Death to Smoochy.Best Movie: A Prairie Home Companion. The two most deliriously wonderful hours of the movies this summer ' and, incidentally, the best so far this year ' were Robert Altman's Companion
Athens' ruling rockers are back in town for a raucous, rolling show that will give Athenians the Southeast Engine fix they need after a long summer. Formed in 1999 by lead singer Adam Remnant and drummer Leo DeLuca, Southeast Engine truly took shape when the pair started taking classes at Ohio University and practicing in their dorm rooms.We would drink beer and play until 4 in the morning
Athens County is appealing an arbitrator's ruling that a fired 911 dispatcher should be allowed to return to work.The dispatcher, Warren Ferguson of New Marshfield, was terminated Nov. 17, 15 days after allegedly coming to work intoxicated and sexually harassing a female coworker. Ferguson, who had worked as a dispatcher for about 10 years, filed a grievance, and on June 6 arbitrator Mitchell Goldberg ordered that Ferguson should be allowed to return to work after providing evidence from a physician or mental health provider that he was fit to return. After being reinstated, he would need to provide this evidence every six months for two years.Matthew Baker, Ferguson's attorney through the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said the arbitrator's decision in June was binding and he thinks Ferguson should be reinstated.Ferguson has provided the evidence required to return to work, Baker said. The county commissioners refused to reinstate Ferguson, and OPBA has asked the court to intervene and order the reinstatement with retroactive pay from June 16. In his June decision, Goldberg said Ferguson qualified as a troubled employee because of personal problems at the time of the incident. According to court records, he had been through several surgeries and was dealing with the serious health problems of family members. He had been receiving treatment for his stress-related problems
For most of us, a persistent cough or an unusual pain is a quick doctor visit, a small co-pay and an inconvenient trip to Walgreens. But for those without health insurance, a doctor visit is too costly, and sufferers wait until that cough becomes pneumonia or that pain becomes bone cancer before finally heading to the emergency room and racking up huge medical bills.The Census Bureau recently announced a 2.9 percent increase in the number of people in the U.S. without health insurance ' a record 46.6 million or 15.9 percent of the population. In 1987, only 12.9 percent of the population did not have health insurance. That alone should merit an effort by employers ' the primary health care providers ' health insurance companies and the government to come together to solve this problem. It's their employees and constituents who are suffering.It's not just a liberal, humanitarian endeavor or one that should only matter to those who cannot afford health care. The insured have to pay more to subsidize the cost of the uninsured ' an additional $922 per family's insurance plan in 2005, according to a study by the consumer group Families USA. Uninsured patients only pay on average about a third of the costs of their care, leaving the government and insurance providers to pick up the tab. Moreover, since uninsured patients know that their doctor or hospital visits will be expensive, they often do not get routine checkups that could prevent more serious medical problems. When they do finally decide to get medical attention, it is an emergency room visit that costs an estimated six times more than treatment at a doctor's office. One percent of uninsured Americans even visit the emergency room as their primary source of care, according a 2000 survey by the Kaiser Commission.Medical care is also a huge cause of bankruptcy. Fifty percent of all bankruptcy claims can be partly blamed on medical expenses, according to the National Coalition on Health Care. It is time, past time, for this looming issue to be resolved. As politicians begin their pre-election banter, the uninsured problem is one that must be addressed. Health care should not be a luxury. Politicians on both sides of the fence need to put aside partisan squabbling and work toward that goal, for all Americans' sakes.
Fall Quarter is an exciting time for Ohio University students: a time to experience parties, new classes, friends and of course, drinking games. Drinking games, especially in college, often offer a unique social experience. Since I have been in college
It started as an attempt to give student renters information about the city housing code.But now local landlords are railing the ordinance as insulting and unconstitutional
Mayor Ric Abel said yesterday that City Council acted illegally when it adopted an amended ordinance authorizing a new contract for city employees, and he asked council members to call a special session to adopt a new ordinance for the same purpose.Reiterating that he would veto the ordinance adopted at Tuesday's council meeting, Abel said its approval was illegal because it changed the contract already agreed upon by city officials and negotiators from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.City Council only has authority to accept or reject a labor contract
The Ohio lacrosse team's offense will gain more support and experience this spring as the Bobcats added a new assistant coach to the staff.Head coach Allison Valentino announced that Paula Habel was added to the coaching staff last month after Habel was recommended to her.One of my coaching colleagues recommended her to me and I was really excited about all the experience she already has
A December advisory opinion from the Ohio Ethics Commission creates a chilling effect on Ohio University employees who might run for public office, city Law Director Garry Hunter wrote in a letter Tuesday to an OEC representative. As a result of the opinion by OEC Chief Advisory Attorney Jennifer Hardin, three City Council members employed by OU did not vote on ordinances concerning development on OU-owned land. The main subject of the opinion was an OU administrator who did not vote.Hardin added in the opinion that the OEC had not previously considered the differences between council members who are university administrators, faculty or contract employees.The OEC has received at least one similar request for an advisory opinion from a university community, according to Hunter's letter.In his letter, Hunter requested a chance for the city to tell the OEC why state ethics law should distinguish between university administrators and other university employees.
Nelsonville residents likely will be able to enjoy their city by bike or take a stroll on a new 1.86-mile bike path connection to the Hocking-Adena Bikeway, and they have $800,800 of state funds to thank. The Nelsonville bike path is one of 35 community-enhancement projects totaling $14.5 million that Ohio Department of Transportation is supporting this year. The enhancement projects are a different way to use transportation
Solutions by The State News