Have you ever noticed that building that’s tucked away across the parking lot from Clippinger? It’s the Edwards Accelerator Lab. And by accelerator, I mean, particles are accelerated. Have you heard of the Large Hadron Collider, or CERN? Read “Angels and Demons” or seen the movie? Yeah, that.
This past week, the Supreme Court’s decision to refuse to hear same-sex marriage appeals led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in 11 more states, bringing the total number of states with legalized same-sex marriage to 30.
Pope Francis raised some eyebrows among conservative Catholics this week, making this week just like every other week since he became Pope in March 2013.
Jessica Ensley talks about her own personal sexual assault experience and encourages others to join in the fight against rape culture by marching this Friday
Countless activists devote their lives to helping others and giving a voice to those without, so how could we forget about our furry, four-legged friends? Celebrity animal activists strive to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals every day, and as much can be said for the men and women of local animal shelters here in Athens.Actor Ian Somerhalder (popularly known as Damon Salvatore in the television series, The Vampire Diaries), spurred by his love for animals and the planet, established the Ian Somerhalder Foundation in 2010. Despite his acting schedule, Somerhalder has taken his role in the foundation seriously, speaking on the foundation’s behalf about topics ranging from animal activism to climate change. The foundation aims cover a spectrum of goals that focus on the betterment of life for at-risk animals and the environment by supporting green energy and global conservation. They also strive to establish awareness of deforestation and its effects, the eradication of shelters that dispose of unadopted animals, and the care of abused or neglected animals.The Foundation believes that everything on Earth is interconnected and interdependent, which is why the foundation does not discriminate what they support. It has greatly expanded since its inception four years ago. Somerhalder recently released a statement announcing the foundation’s plans to introduce the ISF Sanctuary Project, a plan to purchase a large chunk of land to be used as a sanctuary for wildlife.The beauty of animal activism is that anyone can help. Athens County has several shelters that host charity events every year. Last Saturday, OU’s Alpha Phi Omega fraternity hosted their annual charity walk, Friends of the Shelter Dogs 5k. The walk took place in TailGreat Park Saturday morning. The Friends of the Shelter Dogs volunteer group will also host a “Purses for Pooches” event at Market on State, East State Street on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 6-11 p.m. to further fund the program.I have been wishing to get involved with local volunteer work ever since I moved to Athens, and volunteering for shelter animals has been a perfect fit for me. As a life-long animal lover and a five-year vegetarian, I would do anything to get adoptable animals into good homes. I plan on devoting any time I can volunteering with shelter animals in the area. Luckily, the Athens Humane Society has several opportunities for students to give back in a variety of ways. I look forward to helping these animals find good homes and live better lives, and I hope more people will join me.Jordan Williams is a junior studying English and Women’s and Gender studies. Email her at jw719111@ohio.edu.
Fall is here. October is already bringing a chill to our campus. In the words of Paul Simon, “The leaves that are green turn to brown. And they wither with the wind, and they crumble in your hand.” The changing of weather always makes me think: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
With all the recent news over the “Gamergate” controversy, I decided I should probably check out Depression Quest. Here’s the CliffNotes version of the scandal: Zoe Quinn, an indie game developer, was subjected to a massive amount of harassment after the release of her game, Depression Quest on Steam in August. When the game was released, her ex-boyfriend wrote a pretty nasty blog post claiming that Quinn cheated on him with a journalist from Kotaku, which resulted in more favorable news coverage of her game.After this was posted, it seemed like the entire online gaming community had something to say about it — many members of the community piled her with threats of rape and death.I don’t think I even need to say that there is no reason for the amount of harassment Quinn received.I was really excited to play Depression Quest, an “interactive fiction game” that has you read through the story as you’re making decisions. I hoped that it would properly capture the way that depression feels.The game is playable on Steam or on the web. The main page says that the primary goal of the game is to spread awareness, and players are able to continue for free or pay what they want. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.While I’m glad I played it, I was really displeased. There wasn’t anything that was particularly offensive towards those that suffer with depression — that was my main fear.Moreso, the game felt immature and a little rushed. It was extremely short — I think it took me about 30 or 45 minutes to complete it. It’s a text-based game, so the only action is choosing your decisions.As someone who has — probably much like many readers — suffered time and time again from depression, it felt like Quinn and her team channeled the thoughts of someone going through depression and wrote a script in one or two nights.I’m glad that Quinn made this game, as I think it gets people thinking about the topic. However, I just don’t think that depression is something that can be illustrated in a game.For example: many of the choices you have are already crossed off. The point of that is so players understand that these are choices that a depressed person couldn’t or wouldn’t choose (like ordering food and grabbing a drink when you get home for the evening).Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand Quinn’s reasoning for this and that it is something many people face. But I think it could have been better executed if there were a variety of choices in the spectrum, like maybe not being able to order food but being able to munch at your apartment.All in all, I’m glad I played the game, but it left me unsatisfied with a title I was looking forward to checking out.Sophie Kruse is a junior studying journalism. Have you played Depression Quest? Email her at sk139011@ohio.edu or tweet her @kruseco.
Baseball has seen classic nicknames. There was “Shoeless Joe” Jackson; Willie “Say Hey Kid” Mays; Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose.But none resonate with me quite like the nickname for a slugger from my own era — the enigmatic Adam Dunn.Dunn will always be “Big Donkey.” And I’m sad to see the big guy hang up his cleats without a postseason at-bat to show for himself.He has a ridiculous nickname, sure, but no other baseball player has hit as many home runs as the Donkey did, while also being so terrible at the same time. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.At his worst, Dunn was putrid. Horrid. Think of a synonym for either of those words, and he was it.But what made him such an endearing fan favorite was that he’d admit it. Dunn was his biggest critic. He once told reporters, “When I’m going bad, I’m the worst player in the league.” And historical statistics tell us just what that meant.He’s third on the all-time strikeout list, despite playing seven fewer seasons than the leader, Reggie Jackson and eight fewer than Jim Thome at number two. He also committed 120 errors while bouncing between first base and the outfield.Despite how historically awful he was, Dunn lasted 14 seasons in his career, which ended abruptly last week.Why did teams keep him around so long, despite his lackadaisical outfield play and his haphazard stabs at swinging the bat?Big Donkey could hammer a ball out of any ballpark.During his 14 seasons, he hit 462 home runs — more than half of which were on the Cincinnati Reds, my favorite team. I once saw him hit an electrifying three-run walk-off home run against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park in 2006. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite moments ever at a ballpark.Only 10 other baseball players in history have a higher home-runs-per-plate-appearances rate — Dunn averages at 14.90 at-bats per home run. Four of them are in the Hall of Fame and the others are Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Ryan Howard, and Manny Ramirez.Dunn is also tied with former teammate Ken Griffey, Jr. and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson with the most Opening Day homers in history; eight, to be exact.There might not be a more misunderstood ballplayer in this millenium. Fans, managers and fellow players either hated or loved him, or sometimes both. When Dunn came to the plate, there were seemingly three options: He’d strikeout, he’d walk, or he’d blast a home run nearly 500 feet.Heck, the guy even had a cameo appearance as a bartender in last year’s Oscar-nominated film, Dallas Buyer’s Club, which he helped invest.So with all that in mind, I fundamentally disagree, on all levels, with Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin’s decision to keep Dunn from batting in his only playoff appearance last Tuesday. Dunn warmed the bench during the Athletics’ 12-inning American League Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Royals.Dunn retired the next day, having not played in a single postseason game throughout his entire 14-year career.Waiting in vain on the bench for his named to be called as the innings passed Tuesday, Dunn showed little resemblance to the “Big Donkey” persona he embodied: The loveable but feared player who would either change the dynamic of a game with one swing or go down in three consecutive strikes.I wish Adam Dunn would’ve gotten the one postseason at-bat he deserved, but I wouldn’t change anything about the last 14 years. The pathetic strikeouts and pitiful defense, alongside the tape measure home runs made him one of the most entertaining athletes of my lifetime.Thanks for the memories, Big Donkey.Sanuel Howard is a junior studying journalism and the Local News Editor at The Post. Do you think Adam Dunn was incredible, terrible, or somewhere in between? Email him at sh335311@ohio.edu.
Olivia Hupp talks about resources available to help study for midterms.
Will Ashton discusses the movies to come out this fall.
Kristen Saylor discusses the role of symbolism in writing.
Maria Fischer talks about why school rankings are not always the most important factor.
Mark Gottschlich stresses the importance of sleep in daily life.
So I took my first trip to Seigfred Hall’s graffiti wall/mural last week.
I don’t know about any of you, but I loved bubble gum when I was a kid (I still do, actually). Whenever I went to the store, I had to have some form of bubble gum, and at Hubba Bubba was at the top of my list.
I will be the first to admit that I was wasteful when I had the luxury of a meal plan.Shively’s mashed potatoes and brisket is bland today? At least there is always the dependable burrito station. Nelson breakfast not up to par? The salad bar and a cup of soup will do.When I could pick up whatever I wanted without having to pay per ounce, it was easy to throw out sometimes-untouched plates of food.And now that I have to buy all of my own groceries, I can guarantee that I would never buy bananas with brown spots on them.My thoughtlessness is an example of the overall wastefulness documented in a recent NPR article that details how nearly one-third of the 400 million-plus pounds of food sold in grocery stores are never actually eaten.According to the article, 10 percent of all food is wasted in grocery stores themselves because many people, myself included, equate brown spotted bananas with them going bad.After being sold, 20 percent of all food in homes goes to waste, whether it ends up going bad or tossed out at the end of dinner, the article said. And while 30 percent of food is thrown out, the USDA reported that one in seven Americans don’t get enough to eat.The article said that the main reason food is wasted is because grocery stores overstock their shelves. “It comes down to shoppers demanding stocked shelves,” the article says. Everyone can change their habits, and I know this is something I could change about myself. Something as easy as buying apples that aren’t the prettiest to ensure that someone buys it could go a long way. Or informing my roommates when something is about to go bad could help eliminate a lot of waste.Other ways to prevent waste is by using kitchen composters to eat all that cabbage that you bought with full intention of eating, or even bringing it to the community gardens.Maybe you could even eat a dry burger at Shively … but then again, I don’t want to suggest anything too crazy.Meg Omecene is a junior studying strategic communication and the public relations director for The Post. Email her at mo403411@ohio.edu.
The National Rifle Association is one of the biggest political machines in America.Each year, the NRA spends millions of dollars in lobbying campaigns and this year alone has set aside $11.4 million for fall advertising, according to Politico.The group has 4.5 million members and has a large influence over the outcomes of elections. They air ads for Republican candidates across the country and have more of an impact on elections than people may realize.One of their most recent campaign ads is airing in Louisiana against Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. In the ad, a woman is shown putting her child to bed and then texting her husband who is out of town, “Love you. Good night.” In the next scene, a man is shown breaking into the house, and then it cuts to a shot of yellow police tape.The ad ends with the narrator saying, “How you defend yourself is up to you. It’s your choice. But Mary Landrieu voted to take away your gun rights. Vote like your safety depends on it.”Gun owners have a certain level of paranoia, and the NRA knows all of the right buttons to push in order to turn this paranoia into millions of dollars.Ads similar to the anti-Landrieu ad help coerce Americans into thinking that the only way to keep themselves and their family safe is to arm themselves, and that anyone who supports gun control in any form is a threat to their safety.The main reason Americans purchase guns is out of fear. According to a Gallup Poll, 60 percent of gun owners have it for their personal safety.The NRA fuels the mindset in America that the only way to truly protect yourself is to be armed.The NRA will never accept or admit that the main cause of gun homicides and mass shootings are the guns themselves. After the Sandy Hook shooting, NRA President Wayne LaPierre blamed the shooting on a lack of protection at schools, saying “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”Time and time again the NRA has made it clear that they think the only solution to violence is more guns when guns are what created the problem in the first place.According to ABC News, “A study by two New York City cardiologists found that the U.S. has 88 guns per 100 people and 10 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people — more than any of the other 27 developed countries they studied.”There is a clear correlation between the two statistics and it is important for America to finally accept that throwing more guns at a problem will not make it go away.The NRA will never blame guns as the main cause of mass shootings and homicides because without guns, their organization becomes obsolete.Once the gun culture in America changes, the homicide rate will change too. The only way for this to happen is for the NRA to finally accept and admit that guns may be a major part of the problem and that scaring people into thinking otherwise will not have a positive impact.There is a fear and paranoia in America created by a pro-gun culture and in order for this fear to go away, the NRA will have to go away as well.Gabby McDaris is a freshman studying screenwriting. Email her at gm573913@ohio.edu.
Tips on how to take risk in the online dating world, but also remain safe.
Catcalling and harassment must be stopped on the street of Athens.
I think our generation is scared of meeting people face-to-face. I’m a journalism student, so I’m a little off this norm — I live for talking to strangers and hearing their stories. But I hear struggles from friends and classmates who despise these situations. Some people dread in-class activities because it means having to talk to people you don’t know.Don’t get me wrong, I love the tech advances that make communicating easier and I love being able to text my family when I’m at school. I even taught my grandpa how to text and his messages brighten my day. I love Snapchat, but I mainly use it to bombard my friends with dog pictures. And I’m a total social media junkie — I live on Twitter and Instagram.Oh, and don’t forget Yik Yak. What could make time between classes go any faster than hearing the secret thoughts of other Bobcats?But I like face-to-face interactions, too. Is there technology that will take us too far past the normal mode of interactions?When Google Glass was first announced, I thought it was pretty cool, but it scared me how integrated it would be in a user’s daily life. The Glass would assist with everything you did. To me, it seemed like there would no longer be the privacy of a one-on-one conversation, void of tech interruptions.As a student, you can now get a degree completely from online classes. You could get your entire degree without leaving the comfort of your home. Lots of professors utilize the clicker system, which allows students to participate without actually participating. Some media classes do Twitter discussion during lectures — essentially promoting students to be on social media during class times. I even have a class that does computer-graded essays to save the professor time.All these things are great and there’s no doubt that they’re all making our lives easier. But don’t underestimate the value of a normal, tech-free conversation with a friend, family member or better yet, a stranger. It’s something tech can’t beat.
Solutions by The State News