Editorial: New veterans center in Baker a worthy sign of appreciation
Oct. 8, 2014The Post reported on Tuesday that Ohio University is taking steps to ensure that military veterans are well supported during their time in Athens.
EDITORIALS
Editorial: 'Post' backs general education program
Oct. 6, 2014Ohio University’s College of Arts and Sciences rolled out a new program this semester that allows students to explore a topic within or outside of their major instead of enrolling in a swath of unrelated general education courses.
From The Editor's Desk: 'The Post’ gets back to its roots with 'throwback' front pages
By JIM RYAN | Oct. 5, 2014You may have noticed that our front page looks a little different today. Per Post tradition, we will be publishing “throwback” front pages this week in celebration of Homecoming Week here at Ohio University. (OK, this is only the third year, but who’s counting?) This year’s cover is modeled after the 1963 Post, which is one of my favorite newspaper fronts from over the years.I scoured our archives for eye-catching headlines from ’63, and I found a handful of gems:Girls begin traditional manhunt to find dates for Coed Prom (Feb. 11)Solitaire, eights, hearts — big deals on campus (Feb. 26)Whew! Dorm radiators will continue to heat (April 23)‘Spitless’ Toledo University takes it in ear (Oct. 10)To be honest, I still have no idea what that last one means.If you’re familiar with our Homecoming-Week covers from years past, you’ll notice that we’re doing things a little differently this year by featuring front-page designs reminiscent of OU’s olden days first and working our way toward The Post’s modern look. We did the opposite in the past.Our Friday edition will feature a classic Green & White design on its back cover.This will allow those who haven’t seen a print copy of The Post in awhile to see what we’re all about today, all while giving them an extra hint of nostalgia in celebration of Homecoming Week.Stick with us throughout the week for a bit of Homecoming fun and information about events happening around campus this week. And keep your eye out for us in the university’s annual homecoming parade on Saturday. We’ll be the ones handing out papers and causing a ruckus — all in good homecoming spirit.As always, thanks for reading. Jim Ryan is a senior studying journalism and political science and editor-in-chief of The Post. Let him know what you think of the homecoming front pages. Contact him at jr992810@ohio.edu or on Twitter at @Jimryan015.
Editorial: Marzec should have moved quicker
Oct. 1, 2014Megan Marzec should have submitted her nominations for student representatives in a better fashion.
Editorial: Replacement for treasurer gives hope to senate’s future
Oct. 1, 2014At last week’s Student Senate meeting, Zainab Kandeh took over as the treasurer for the recently resigned Carter Phillips. In Monday’s edition of The Post, we wrote that Kandeh is looking to overhaul the Senate Appropriations Committee in a similar manner as Phillips had planned. In addition, Kandeh’s ascension to an executive position made this year the first that the top leadership of senate has been composed of three women.We’re pleased with Kandeh’s new role.This spring, we endorsed Kandeh — who was running for president on the Action ticket — as a write-in for vice president.At the time, we wrote that “Kandeh is the ideal person to become the intermediary between Marzec’s bold ideas and the existing senate structure. We think Kandeh, like Marzec, is also running for senate for the right reasons.”We also said that Kandeh “cares about students and wants to improve their experience at the university. She recognizes the organization is broken and wants it to change, even though her vision isn’t as radical as Marzec’s. But that’s a good thing. We think the combination of Marzec’s vision and mettle with Kandeh’s knowledge and leadership would be the ideal team to lead senate toward substantive change.”We think that Kandeh will present a unifying voice among senate leaders and she is more than qualified to be treasurer.The position may not have been what she desired at first, but having her voice at the top table is a positive for both senate and the student body. Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
Editorial: OUPD keeps campus safe for students
Sep. 29, 2014Ohio University Police Department keeps this campus safe for students, even more than students know.
Editorial: 'Post' survey gauges feedback from readers
Sep. 28, 2014We’re trying to get to know you better, Bobcats.
Editorial: Inclusive Marzec statement a step in the right direction
Sep. 25, 2014During Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting, President Megan Marzec said she is disappointed Ohio University doesn’t recognize the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah the same way it does Christian holidays.
From The Editor's Desk: Page size shrinks to keep with standards
By JIM RYAN | Sep. 25, 2014We’re slimming down the size of our newspaper by a bit less than an inch. The downsized dimensions, we hope, will be more manageable for readers and be more environmentally friendly.
Editorial: Three papers in town a nice rarity
Sep. 24, 2014The Athens NEWS and The Athens Messenger now share the same owner.
Editorial: Spending money for future Bobcats
Sep. 23, 2014We reported in Tuesday’s Post that Ohio University has been setting aside increasingly larger portions of its nearly $500 million endowment for internal uses since 2011.
Editorial: OU protects attack victims
Sep. 22, 2014Ohio University is now offering students the chance to report sexual assaults anonymously. This gives the roughly 50 percent of OU’s victims of sexual assault who do not want their cases investigated an outlet for assistance and resources, according a report in Monday’s Post.
Editorial: Support of center has catch
Sep. 21, 2014Ohio University announced plans last week to build a new student-athlete academic center in the north end zone of Peden Stadium. The facility, which will cost an estimated $5.5 million, will be made possible by a $2.25 million donation from alumni Perry and Sandy Sook and will bear their namesake. The fundraising campaign that will cover the estimated remaining cost ($2.75 million) reminds us of a recent university fundraising efforts of larger means but similar significance. The Walter Fieldhouse, which sits next door to the site of the academic building, was made possible by a large lead donation, a subsequent fundraising campaign, and, later on, student fees.As long as this fundraising campaign doesn’t follow that same route, we support the idea of a new academic facility. We oppose the construction of the facility if it goes the way of the fieldhouse — which is available to all students, to be fair. This academic building would be used by only the approximate 450 student-athletes, so all students should not be tasked with supporting it. We already heartily support our student-athletes — with our fees and otherwise — so we think an additional cost to students would be unnecessary.Of course, there has been no indication that student fees will be used for the academic center. But that was initially the case with the fieldhouse as well — to the best of our knowledge. To reiterate our point: We’re in favor of improved facilities for our student-athletes as long as the necessary finances come from donors, not students. If that were not the case, we can think of better uses for our tuition dollars.Editorials represent the majority of The Post’s executive editors.
Editorial: OU payroll lacks female presence
Sep. 18, 2014We reported on the top 50 faculty salaries at Ohio University in Wednesday’s Post, and what we found was unsettling.
From The Editor's Desk: Emails pour in on daily basis
By JIM RYAN | Sep. 18, 2014Readers have submitted, by my count, 46 letters to the editor since the beginning of the academic year.
Editorial: Program goals not transparent
Sep. 17, 2014We reported in Wednesday’s Post that Ohio University’s Urban Scholars Program — which at its conception planned to recruit 100 high-achieving students annually from Ohio’s low income, urban areas — only consists of four total students this year.
Editorial: Yik Yak: Don’t use to abuse
Sep. 17, 2014As The Post reported yesterday, the newly-popularized Yik Yak mobile application offers Ohio University students — and many others across the nation — the chance to anonymously post whatever they please in an easy-to-use, hyperlocal app.With more than 3,400 users on campus, the idea clearly resonates with OU students.While we take no issue with the idea of students being able to post their thoughts without having to think twice about job prospects or lurking parents, the seemingly harmless app can have a dark side.Being able to post whatever you desire without having to attach your name is a lot of power, and it has led to criminal charges and cyberbullying complaints elsewhere, our reporting uncovered.A quick scroll through the app Tuesday evening led us to derogatory posts about students, in some cases using their full names. Other posts are highly sexualized, racist or just downright mean.Such posts might be written in jest — or with good intentions — but there are some that cross the line. There’s nothing wrong with good, clean fun, but it’s not cool to use anonymity to bully and degrade others.Simply put: There is no need to be attacking our fellow Bobcats. If you feel the need to tear another student or faculty member down, settle the score face-to-face, or at the very least do it on a forum with your name attached.Don’t ruin a good outlet by flooding it with hate. We’re better than that.Yak away, Bobcats. Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
Editorial: SPJ chapter wins national award
Sep. 14, 2014We would like to congratulate our peers in Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists chapter, who took home National Campus Chapter of the Year earlier this month at the SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism conference in Nashville, Tennessee.Although we did not cover the news with a story — we often shy away from covering news about our E.W. Scripps School of Journalism colleagues — the honor is a testament to the talent trained at OU. It’s also a big deal for the journalism school because national recognition such as this helps recruit talented high school students interested in breaking into the journalism field.“Ohio University’s chapter was chosen because of its efforts to well-conceive and organize nearly 24 events paired with multiple other media-oriented campus groups, effectively use its social media outlets, creatively utilize Skype for ‘virtual visits’ and efficiently serve its student body with professional-grade programming,” according to a news release on SPJ’s website.One such event involved Gregory Moore, the editor of The Denver Post, who was able to visit our newsroom last year and speak with those pursuing reporting jobs. We would not have been able to make the connection without the help of SPJ.Full disclosure: some of our co-workers and colleagues are SPJ members. Lindsay Friedman, our Digital Editor, is the organization’s special events coordinator and former president.SPJ has set a high standard that all student organizations should strive for. We commend its leaders for their efforts. Editorials represent the majority of The Post’s executive editors.
From The Editor's Desk: Some mistakes, progress overall
By JIM RYAN | Sep. 11, 2014This past week has been a hectic one, both at The Post and around campus. Much of that to-do, in both cases, has stemmed from Student Senate President Megan Marzec’s controversial “blood bucket” challenge.
Editorial: Sexual assault victims need funding
Sep. 10, 2014Time — and funding — is running out for an important university resource for sexual assault survivors.
