MULTIMEDIA

Students can benefit from healthy sex talk

Sex discussion aims to talk health, confidence and orgasm.

University releases public records of faculty salaries

Ohio University has released faculty salaries for the 2014-15 academic year.

Editorial: Program goals not transparent

We 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. 

Lights, Camera, Ashton: Comedy becoming too self-aware to be funny

Anyone who is knowledgeable about comedy will tell you that it is subjective. Different people just laugh at different things. There is no right or wrong answer to what someone finds funny.I mean, sure, it’s easy to get mad at someone who keeps sponsoring Adam Sandler’s half-assed attempts at comedy, or Melissa McCarthy’s tired overweight routine. But they are not wrong per se. That’s just their preference. Personally, I like my comedy dry and witty, dark or absurd. But I know for a fact that there are things I find hilarious that many people look at with a blank, confused face.With that in mind, however, there’s definitely something to be said about how comedy weaves itself through culture. Vaudeville led the way to silent comedy and slapstick. The invention of sound in films led to quick-witted humor and mile-a-minute joke telling. Later, comedies like There’s Something About Mary paved the way for seemingly thousands of R-rated comedies involving different bloody fluids.Nowadays, there seems to be a new trend in pop culture comedy, but it may be one that comes at a price down the road. It’s self-aware comedy; comedy that prides itself in not only knowing it is a joke, but making a joke of how much of a joke it is.When applied well, there are certainly times where this works. Looking at some examples from the past few years, 21 Jump Street capitalized on the crappiness of its genre with fast wit and tongue-in-cheek aplomb, while The Cabin inthe Woods is, in my opinion, one of the better horror comedies to grace the screen of late—if just for its delightfully gory third act.But now, it seems that any and every (successful) movie with comedy has self-referential comedy in it. There was The Lego Movie, which — to its credit — needed this awareness and still serves as the best comedy of the year. And then there was Muppets Most Wanted, which was fine, solely because the Muppets have always been self-aware, and are funny about 95 percent of the time anyway.But after those, it started to get a little irksome. Just this summer, there was Neighbors, A Million Ways to Die in the West, 22 Jump Street, They Came Together, Let’s Be Cops and Guardians of the Galaxy —all of which took pride in saying over and over, “Oh, don’t worry. We get the joke.”For the most part, the strategy works for most of these movies, which makes criticizing them something of a bizarre, backhanded compliment. But it’s not about the films so much as it’s about the approach. The reason why self-aware comedy worked in its traditional sense was because it dealt with a select few being aware of the joke.It was like the one guy in class who was able to see through the BS and get away with sarcastically making fun of it. But if everyone is laying back and being sarcastic, there is no rhyme or reason to everything. There’s no joke, because nobody is out of the picture. It’s just preaching to the choir, and then it is no longer self-aware comedy. It’s just the norm.So, perhaps this isn’t a criticism but a warning: Slow down on the self-aware stuff. It’s cute, but the wear and tear is starting to show. If you don’t slow it down now — and considering how much money some of these movies made, they won’t — comedy is going to become stale.But hey, maybe that will be when self-aware comedy will be funny again. Someone will finally see the joke within the joke within the joke.Will Ashton is a senior studying journalism and a writer for The Post. Email him at wa054010@ohio.edu.

Put It In Writing: Becoming a great writer comes with more than just writing

Many people want to become better writers. Being a great writer is something people should aspire to be. However, you’re not going to become a great writer just by writing. Yes, practicing will improve your writing to a certain degree, but it is not the only thing (or necessarily the best thing) to help you become a better writer. The best way to improve your writing is to read.  It may sound cliché, or maybe it’s something you’ve never really heard, but reading is the No. 1  way to improve your own writing. Reading allows you to explore different styles, words, structures and worlds that you may have never considered for yourself. Reading isn’t merely looking at the words on a page; reading is opening up your mind to a unique realm full of knowledge.Not only does reading allow you, as the reader, to discover what appeals to you, but it also exercises your mind. Joseph Addison, an 18th century writer, once said, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” When exercising, you build resilience and strength in your muscles, keeping them fit and agile. Reading does the exact same thing, but for your mind. When you read, you are exercising your brain by mentally cataloguing dialogue and imagining scenarios through words on paper. This only goes to increase your intelligence, thus making you a better reader and a writer.Read everything you can get your hands on. Read full length novels of every genre. Read the classics. Read the newest releases. Read short stories by independent authors on the internet. Read Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. Read newspapers, articles and essays from local providers and websites. Read poetry. No matter what it is, read it. It could provide you with insight that you may not notice on your own.Stephen King, the author of “The Shining” and “Pet Cemetery,” has a quote which goes well: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” You have to make the time to read in order to improve your writing. Whether you can only fit in one chapter of a book a night or if you can finish an entire novel in a few days, do it. Even 10 minutes of reading is better than not reading at all.Read when you can, write when you can and watch your writing improve before your eyes. It’s amazing how quickly you can progress if you continuously read and write. You will find what works for you through this process, and your writing will begin to feel like you. All you have to do is exercise your brain a little.Kirsten Saylor is a freshman studying English. Email her at ks749113@ohio.edu.

Campus Chatter: Textbooks not worth the money

I did something pretty risky this school year: I didn’t buy a single textbook.

AAUW Fellowship Application Workshop to be Held at Women’s Center

Close to one year ago, Rashmi Sharma attended a Women’s Center Brown Bag Lunch and Learn conducted by Director of Grant Development and Projects in the Graduate College at Ohio University, Roxanne Male-Brune.The second-year doctorate student did not believe Male-Brune’s session about the American Association of University Women Fellowship would be of benefit to her, but budding curiosity about the organization drove her to find out more.Sharma now stands as a recipient of AAUW’s International Fellowship for the 2014-2015 year.On Thursday, the Women’s Center will collaborate with the Graduate College in hosting their second brown bag discussion entitled “How to Write a Competitive AAUW Fellowship Application,” guided by Male-Brune. AAUW is a non-profit organization that awards grants and fellowships to women pursuing graduate studies that advocate women or are involved in activities that promote women.Male-Brune will introduce the women to “Pivot”: an online search engine that allows students to discover worldwide funding opportunities to conduct their research.She also plans to discuss the requirements and guidelines for AAUW applications, as well as how to interpret the questions and prompts to write compelling responses worthy of selection. The application process was initially overwhelming, Sharma said. Along with writing numerous essays and a proposal, applicants need documents from the university, different departments and academic advisors all in a timely fashion.“You need somebody who is persistent with you, who is following up with you the whole time,” said Sharma.For Sharma, Male-Brune acted as her mentor and motivator to complete the tedious application.Male-Brune hopes that Sharma’s success will inspire other women to realize that winning the award is possible.“Not only will (potential applicants) see the opportunities and success, but they’ll see that they’re not alone and that there (are) resources that we provide that make the process easier,” said Male-Brune.Students interested in any kind of funding are encouraged to attend, including undergrads that might be applying to study or intern abroad.“Even if you don't end up writing the application for these fellowships, I'm sure Roxanne is going to have some great tips and tricks to make your application stand out, and that's something that's going to hold someone in stead for many years to come,” said Sarah Jenkins, program coordinator for the Women’s Center and LGBT Center.@katekevvvkk940213@ohio.edu

Marzec: OUPD to search bags at senate meeting tonight

Ohio University Police Department will be searching all bags before tonight’s senate meeting at 7:15 p.m., according to Student Senate President Megan Marzec.

OU to build $5.5 million 'academic center' at Peden

Ohio Athletics announces academic center fundraising campaign.

In The Know With Meg O: Libraries not on the outs in the States

A Pew Research study published this week reports that libraries are not, in fact, dying.The study finds that Millennials are just as likely to have visited a library in the past year as their older counterparts and, additionally, are more likely to have visited a library’s website.The study also reports that how Americans use libraries is just one part of a broader social view. According to the report, “As a rule, people who have extensive economic, social, technological and cultural resources are also more likely to use and value libraries as part of those networks. Many of those who are less engaged with public libraries tend to have lower levels of technology use, fewer ties to their neighbors, lower feelings of personal efficacy and less engagement with other cultural activities.”In short, those who go to the library may be more engaged and involved citizens.While I am happy to read these findings, I’m pretty shocked.When I was younger, I went to the library every week to check out books and movies (and to sneak a peek at People Magazine … I was such a rebel), but I rarely have gone since I got a Kindle for my 17th birthday.I am an independent bookstore’s least favorite person. While I used to be an avid bookstore-goer (though it wasn’t independent, I cried actual tears in high school when the Borders by my house announced they were going out of business), when I got a Kindle, I just didn’t go anymore.However, my mom goes to the library almost once a week and just picks up a book that looks interesting to her. I haven’t done that in years. I figure that I should be up to date on bestsellers if I want to talk to any of my peers about a book we read for pleasure.I love being recommended a book, reaching into my backpack, typing it in and clicking pay. I could start reading a book days earlier than I used to, but I totally bought into the instant gratification that Amazon and other e-reader services provided, even though I was aware that it was being criticized as consumer censorship.So here is a shameless plug: visit your local library if you go home this weekend, and if not, stop by the Athens Community Library and pick out a book that looks interesting, not just the current number one book on Amazon. Apparently, that will make us a whole lot more engaged with the world around us.

Senate to aim for greater student involvement

In the midst of political unrest, Ohio University Student Senate will continue its work as a functioning body, revisiting last week’s tabled resolutions and voting on two new resolutions to staff the Accountability and Student Worker committees. 

A conversation with the mayor: from Marzec to bananas

Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl speaks with The Post in an open-ended interview.

Post Streeview

Nowstalgia: “Pokemon” encompasses everything a young child could ask for

Last week, I mentioned some of the most popular voices in the 90’s cartoon world. This week, I am selecting certain shows done by each voice actor (or actress) to reminisce upon.

Proposed student code of conduct changes are minor

New code will be easier for students to understand, OU -officials say 

Marzec did not ask for police presence

Though some speculated that Student Senate President Megan Marzec asked for police presence at last weeks senate meeting, which led to four arrests, OUPD said they arrived on their own accord

County to raise health care premiums for employees

Athens County will see a 10 percent hike in its health care premiums, affecting 292 county employees

Red, Blue & You: America needs to counter ISIS terror group

“Mission Accomplished,” were the words hanging behind President George W. Bush on the USS Abraham Lincoln when he gave his infamous speech in 2003 announcing that, “major combat operations in Iraq have ended.”What seemed to be the end of conflict in Iraq turned out to be nothing more than a 10-year pause when a new terror group started to gain power in the country.The new threat to peace in Iraq is known as ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or ISIL (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).ISIS is an extremist terror group that aims to turn Iraq and the Levant (a region consisting of Lebanon, Syria and Palestine) into an Islamic state. The group was formed by Abu Ayyub al-Masri who had ties to Al-Qaeda. al-Masri was killed in 2010 and was replaced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who leads ISIS today.The group started gaining attention in June, when they gained control of Mosul, Nineveh, an Iraqi province and Tikrit, another city in Iraq. Since then, ISIS has declared an Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria.Although the group’s acts in June did earn some national attention, nothing earned more of a response than the Aug. 19 video released by ISIS showing the execution of American journalist James Foley.The man who executes Foley in the video says that American journalist Steven Sotloff is also being held captive and will be decapitated if U.S. airstrikes continue. ISIS followed through with their promise Sept. 2 when they posted the video. Afterward, ISIS made another threat to British aid worker David Haines.On Sept. 10, President Obama gave a speech regarding what America’s plans were in handling ISIS. He said, “Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.”This had no impact on the terror group, who just three days after Obama’s comments, released a video showing the decapitation of Haines.Everyone can agree that something needs to be done to destroy ISIS and provide payback for the vicious acts they have done over the past several months. The only problem is that not many Americans think President Obama can get the job done.According to an NBC News poll, “70 percent of Americans say they lack confidence that the U.S. will achieve its goals in fighting the terrorist group ISIS.”There’s good reason to be skeptical about America’s ability to handle conflict in the Middle East — America has a less than stellar track record in dealing with the problems in the Middle East.We already know how things went in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan seems to be heading in the same direction with a fear that the country will fall back into extremist control once the U.S. removes all troops in the coming years.The list goes on and on with examples of American intervention in the Middle East with what seems to be no real results or solutions to the problem. Acting as the world police in the Middle East is like playing a cruel game of whack-a-mole — just when it seems one problem is solved, another one pops up.It’s important to realize that the U.S. as a whole, not just President Obama, has had trouble dealing with conflict in the Middle East in the past.These failures should not scare us away from acting on a threat that would affect the safety of Americans and others across the world. The possibility of yet another terrorist attack on American soil may seem premature to worry about, but there is no telling what ISIS is willing to do in order to get their point across.But one thing is for certain. Whatever President Obama and the U.S. government decides to do regarding this new terror threat, the country, as a whole needs to understand that any form of action is a step in the right direction.

Letter: Campus is unsafe due to Marzec

To the President of Ohio University, and staff therein:I am the parent of a current sophomore at Ohio University. Until recent events, I was a proud parent with a very happy, involved pre-med daughter who loved her school. Now, I am deeply upset to find she questions her personal safety and no longer feels represented by the Student Senate president in a place she now calls home.I am compelled to speak up as a parent, as a Jewish person and as someone who values the rights of all people -— not just those in places of power.As you have heard repeatedly from parents, lawmakers, students and observers, I too am appalled by the actions of your Student Senate president. Megan Marzec has embarrassed the university on a national, perhaps even international, level. Of this, there is no question. Her abhorrent, inappropriate and vicious video made far more of a statement than perhaps she intended.That she does not understand this is clear; she has made no apology for any portion of her behavior and in fact chooses to continue to use her position to forward her personal beliefs.While the discussions about Israel and Palestine are timely and certainly of interest to many, the issue for Ohio University needs to be immediately refocused back to the REAL problem at hand which is not the misguided and factually incorrect BDS movement and not Israel vs. Palestine. The problem at Ohio University right now is that the elected Student Senate president openly abused her power and position by pushing her personal agenda while clearly identifying as the president, which tacitly suggests support of the students of the university at large. She no longer represents the student body; she represents herself.The students elected her to represent all of them, and with that appointment came great responsibility, responsibility to lead even those with whom she may disagree. Having chosen to state in her repugnant video that she was performing this act in her position as president, in response to a challenge from the university president and later arriving at Student Senate meetings clearly focused on her personal agenda (by wearing personal political buttons in her stead as president) is reason alone for her to be removed from a position she clearly is not capable of holding or understanding.It is further incredibly disturbing to me that Ohio University professors, in whose classrooms my daughter may one day need to sit, attended a student meeting and screamed violent epithets at their very own students. The particular professor from the School of Film without a doubt should receive a reprimand for this unbelievable behavior — I am astounded Ohio University supports its educators behaving in such a manner toward the student body it is supposed to educate, train and nurture.The arrests of the four students at the Student Senate meeting (and only those four students, despite loud, angry and violent behavior from far more than those four) sends a frightening message about who can and who cannot speak freely at Ohio University and that apparently Megan Marzec believes free speech holds for her but not those who disagree with her.Freedom of speech is frequently misquoted, misunderstood and used conveniently by those who insist on being heard but do not wish to be confronted. It is well noted that in Whitney v. California, the court found, “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.”Perhaps, Ms. Marzec was aware that if the other side was allowed to speak freely, she would be shown to be racist, narrow-minded and uneducated and without any ability for forethought to her actions. It is a good thing Megan Marzec is in college. She would well benefit from taking a few courses in government, history and public relations, for starters. Then perhaps she can revisit running for an office that represents a variety of people with interests other than her own.She also might want to consider apologizing to all those with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and their charity foundation at large, for such an ugly hijacking of a worthy cause for her own purposes is without excuse. I am sure Dr. McDavis did not intend for his well-intended challenge on behalf of ALS to be abused in such a horrible manner, but because he issued the challenge, it connects her act to the Office of the President as well.I hope Ohio University does the right thing in this matter and removes Megan Marzec as president of the Student Senate. She is not upholding the office to which she was elected and does not understand her responsibilities therein. My daughter and the students at large deserve a president who represents them all, and does so with respect for all.  Elizabeth Gloger is a parent of an Ohio University student.

OU's diversity widens as Urban Scholars program falters

In 2005 President Roderick McDavis welcomed the first class of Urban Scholars, which had 12 students, as a part of his effort to increase diversity on campus. Today there is a total of four Urban Scholars.