Tips os a Safe HallOUween

Arielle J. Patterson

 

Athens in the fall: the weather is cooler, the leaves are changing and Halloween is approaching.

 

Ohio University is known for throwing a Halloween Block Party that fills up Court St. with bands and tons of people. Guests come from out-of-town just for this infamous party. If you are new to OU, then you are probably not prepared for the events of October 26. Here are some tips on how to guarantee a fun and safe HallOUween.

 

1.    Registering Guests- If you live in the dorms then you must register your guests. This is something that Res Life is very strict about. They must have your guests name and information before they can even set foot in your dorm. There is a $25 fee to have a guest and it must be approved your roommate(s).

2.    Wristbands- This is another rule for anyone living in the dorms. You and all guests will receive a wristband that must be worn all weekend. You have to show your wristband to go in and out of dorms across campus.

3.    Costumes- No one is allowed to wear a costume that impersonates a law enforcement officer. Sorry ladies, that means the “sexy cop” is out of the question. Also, you cannot carry any props that look like weapons.

4.    Set a meeting point- With all of the people that will be in Athens, cell service will be practically non-existent. Set a meeting spot with your friends so that if anyone does get separated you will be able to find each other again.

5.    Drinking- Do not think that you are sneaky this weekend. Yes, you may be able to slide your way into a bar any other weekend but beware because you will be watched. Not only does the city have more cops out this night more than any other but also liquor patrol will be at bars and watching for underage drinkers. If you are caught you will receive an underage citation. If you are carrying a fake ID it will be much worse than normal so just put it away for this weekend.

Now obviously the same “weekend rules” apply, such as: do not go off alone with strangers, do not drink too much, do not carry an open container, etc. This weekend is an especially important one though. Your HallOUween experience is based entirely on how you act. If you follow these tips, I guarantee that you will be able to enjoy your time worry free.

Chi Chi Rodriguez

Arielle Patterson

When people think about pro golf, the first polarizing athletes that come to mind are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, but many do not know the great story of Juan Rodriguez who is golf’s first Latino Hall of Famer.

Juan Antionio “Chi Chi” Rodriguez came from a poor family in Puerto Rico. To help support his family, Rodriguez made money by becoming a golf caddy. Although he could not afford a golf club, he made one from a guava tree branch and would swing at a metal can that was his ball. He learned how to swing by watching the golfers at the club he worked at and began to teach himself. Rodriguez continued to play even when he joined the United States army when he was 19-years-old.

In 1963, when Rodriguez was 28-years-old, he won the Denver Open then eight titles on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour between 1963 and 1979. In 1985, Rodriguez was eligible to play in the Champions Tour (also known as the Senior PGA Tour). Between the years of 1986 and 1993 he won 22 tournament victories. He became the first player to win the same event three years in a row.

In 1992, Rodriguez was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as the first Puerto Rican honored. Today he teaches children to play golf with the same determination and drive that he taught himself.

NO MORE

Ke' Asha Reed

Each and every day both men and women are affected by sexual assault and domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and this year the Domestic Violence Awareness project has joined forces with “NO MORE”, a campaign dedicated to inform men, women, and youth about domestic violence and sexual assault. “NO MORE” was created in 2010 by a group of 50 individuals from various organizations. NO MORE seeks to put an end to “The stigma, shame, and silence for good”. Through social media, public awareness, and celebrity support NO MORE continues to grow and gain more following each year. Both NO MORE and the Domestic Violence Awareness support the right of all individuals to live with peace and dignity. If you are interested in getting involved with the organization and campaign visit www.nrcdv.org for volunteer opportunities.

Friday Madness

Alaina Chester

 

Friday October 11^th was the Kantnar theatre event, Friday Madness! At eleven o’ clock the theatre opens up to a room full of actors and actresses who just moments before were given a part of a script to analyze and perform! The theme for the night was Bad manners and what was so interesting about it was the fact that every script was different. You never knew what the next scene would entail. When the scene begins, it’s almost like the audience has to find ways to put together the clues in order to figure out the characters and setting. 

There was a scene where a married couple, later recognized as vampires, who had finally gotten their life together but the wife didn’t want the same life as her husband. She wanted to live like she should by doing what their kind does. She in the end chooses the life she wants over her marriage. It was twisted but interesting! Ohio University’s Association of Black Journalists President, Aunjanna Million took on the vampire wife excellently!

The night consisted of comedy and not just drama. While a couple was having a date, the girl needed to ask the waiter for advice. Although in the end the waiter was giving both her and her date advise. There was also a scene where two elderly women were having a conversation about their lives and how the world is changing. It is later discovered that one of the women have had a lot to drink which opened up even more comedy to the scene!

The night consisted of laughs and great performances. It’s so great how actors can put together something in so little time but do it so well. If you have a love for theatre, performance, or comedy than this is a show for you!

 

Slumber Party 2.0

Zahara Pruitt

 

 

A good old-fashioned slumber party! A rite of passage for any girl, with most females being to more than a few by the time they reach their college years. Everyone needs a night spent hanging out with just the girls every once in a while. Doing each other’s nails, eating junk food, and dancing to popular music are all ingredients needed in having a night to remember, but what is required for a slumber party 2.0?

Paricia Benson answered this question when throwing the first ever Little Sister, Big Sister Slumber Party as a fundraiser for her upcoming participation in the Blackburn Spencer Pageant. Taking place at the Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. fraternity house this past Saturday, October 5^th, a mixture of excited black female underclassmen and upperclassmen met at the house for a truly memorable night. With festivities beginning around 9pm, the ladies were able to mingle with one another and make new friendships while also discussing important topics impacting the lives of modern day female African American Ohio University students.

Seniors Kelle Perez and Tata Artino headed a panel of upperclassmen that gave helpful advice to eager freshman ears. The topics ranged from playful to serious, including everything from guy advice to helpful study habits to encountering racism on campus.

 

This sleepover was beneficial in a variety of ways. Knowing only a few people there when I arrived, I left with many more numbers in my cellphone and friendships in my heart. It was truly refreshing to hear such valuable advice from upperclassmen that you knew were keeping it completely real with you. By the end of the night many of the upperclassmen exclaimed that they wished something like this had been thrown their freshman year and I can definitely understand why.

Taijuan Moorman

To anyone passing by the Scripps Amphitheatre last Thursday evening, the sight of what looked like a man being hanged would frighten some, and alarm many. And to anyone who stuck around for Kappa Alpha Psi’s Black Male Summit, the reaction would be no different.

 

Along with this display, candles sat around five pictures of black men and one woman, whose lives were taken too soon. One of whom was Trayvon Martin, whose tragic case has stirred up protests, rallies, and conversations on stereotypes, racial profiling, and race in America. The four remaining pictures were of individuals whose circumstances were equally as tragic and unfair, yet did not receive as much attention from the general public. The gentlemen of Kappa Alpha Psi proceeded to tell us these stories once the summit, title “Did I Deserve To Die?” began.

 

One member appeared from the back of the Scripps building, stumbling towards the crowd in a way that gave the impression of him being shot. While stumbling and lying on the ground, he spoke as if it were his last words, pleading for justice, and questioning why he had to die. The crowd was still.

Taijuan Moorman 

 

 

One of the men gave us the first depiction of the unfortunate cases, understandably with a bit of anger and sadness in his voice. The incident involved Jonathan Ferrell, a former college football player, who was fatally shot by police while looking to them for help. He had just gotten into a serious car wreck, and sought help at the nearest house he could find. He attempted to knock on the door of a white woman’s home, who closed the door once she realized it wasn’t her husband coming home. She then called the police, who once arrived to the home, shot Ferrell when he advanced towards them.

 

The remainder of the cases were alarmingly similar, of people going about their lives in situations that could be common to people of any culture, yet these cases seemed to consistently involve either race or police brutality as a prominent factor in the deaths. And each case was depicted by one of the males of Kappa Alpha Psi in ways that commanded attention, and left the crowd silent.

 

After these instances were presented, the crowd was asked for reactions, in an interactive way that had many interesting points being brought up, including the need for unity, more education and empowerment in the black community, and talk of black-on-black crime in relation to other forms of race-on-race crime. Another issue that was brought up directly referred to the summit, in that the black community has a tendency to speak on a lot of these problems, however will not pursue action, or understand how to do so.

 

Programs like these are incredibly informative, but are just the first steps in solving problems in a community that understandably isn’t always sure of what to do about it. They are also inspiring, as this summit was, by getting people to realize that they can do something, simply by contacting representatives, voting, and bringing attention to cases of injustice.

Metamorphoses: The Review

Brea Burks

Mary Zimmerman’s play Metamorphoses is a dramatic, emotional play that I highly recommend people to go see. In 90 minutes, the actors give a whirlwind of emotions throughout the whole play; from loved ones dying to people being rejoiced by Gods. It ties in how Gods would act as a regular person walking the street and the feeling they have when love and heartbreak is tied into their lives. The play goes through different stories to explain a journey Midas goes through.

The play is about how the king, Midas, was powerful and wanted more power. He asked Silenus that whenever he touches an object that it will turn it into gold. Silenus granted him the wish, but when Midas touches’ his daughter and turns her into gold, he begs Bacchus to take the spell back. Bacchus tells him that the only way the spell can go away is walking to the ends of the Earth and find a pool where the stars reflect through it.

On Midas’ journey he runs into different stories with God’s in the “real world” and how they face the situations. One of the stories was about a woman named Alycone and Ceyx. Ceyx was going to sea to visit an oracle. Alycone was very weary of him going out to sea, but Cyex convinced her that everything was going to be ok. Days later, Poseidon, the sea of God, destroys Ceyx’s ship and kills him at sea. His wife Alycone was devastated but the God’s granted them to see each other. The both were reunited and turned into sea birds. The play goes through other experiences that display emotion and trials each person faces through their story.

I think that Professor VerNoy did an excellent job on choreographing the play as great as the others shown in big arenas. I also think the actors made the characters come alive in every scene and story. They were able to show emotion and be able to let the audience understand the point of every myth. It brought tears to one’s eye and joy to one’s heart when something wonderful happened. This is a play I would see more than once, just to fall in love with it all over again.