Quarters to Semesters: A Faculty Perspective

by Megan Tyler and Mollie Welly

Ohio University has made it very clear that they are trying to make the transition from quarters to semesters as painless as possible for students, but what about faculty and staff?  Curricula are changing to meet the needs of semesters, causing professors to change the courses they have taught for years.  Some faculty and staff are embracing the switch from quarters to semesters, while others aren’t thrilled with the changes that are happening.  Many students have strong opinions as to the effects of the transition on the faculty, as well.

"Fracking is Fracking Ridiculous"

Eric Schafer is a senior at Ohio University. He's a member of the Athens community and is concerned about how hydraulic fracturing may be affecting Athens and OU. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a controversial method of extracting natural gas from the ground. It can potentially contaminate ground water in communities. Currently, there are 100,000 acres in Athens County being considered for. Parts of Ohio University's campus are also under exploration as potential land to be sold for fracking. Benefits of fracking include economic growth for the community such as the addition of new jobs.

By Kate Loveless, Paige Perigo, Chelsea Simmons.

Privately Owned Exotic Animals

By: Ryan Dentscheff and Heather Wilson

Owning animals privately has become a very controversial issue in the recent months. In the fall of 2011, a little over 50 miles north of Athens, a Zanesville resident released all 56 of his exotic animals to roam among the everyday citizen. 

This has lead to the pursuit by numerous organizations to get legislation passed, making it illegal for the “Average Joe” to be able to own “exotic” animals. We will be getting expert insight and civilian opinion on the matter, leaving it up to you to decide whether you support or oppose this important issue. 

Is Change Always A Good Thing?: OU's Quarters to Semesters Switch

By: Brent Silbiger, Allison McDonald, and Brady Smock

Ohio University is switching from the quarters system in favor of semesters beginning fall of 2012. This means OU will be going from their typical 3 ten week quarters to two 15 week semesters. For many students this creates a sense of urgency to finish their majors quickly before the change.  Other students will not meet graduation requirements because of the switch and will become the dreaded 5th year senior.  Other students are finding themselves graduating early and are excited to experience the change and believe it will utilize their time better and feel less condensed.  Faculty will be effected by the change also. Will it end up a positive change for OU? Only time will tell.

Wasteful Spending or Necessary Improvements?

By: Isaiah Griffin and Shandra Smith

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In the beautiful hills of Hocking County, Ohio, a road project is underway on State Route 664 through the area of Old Man's Cave. This project is part of money granted under the Federal Transportation Reinvestment Act, and 6.5 million dollars has been granted to build a bypass around the park area. While the business owners who make a living off the 2.5 million tourists who visit the parks annually support this project in hopes of protecting pedestrians as they cross from the existing parking lot to the park entrance, many of the local residents believe that this project is a waste of taxpayer monies.


Mary Chambers is a frequent local visitor to the park who believes that monies would have been better spent building a pedestrian walkway over the existing crosswalk.

Mendy Mata was a construction worker on the 2-year long reconstruction project after the last major flood in the park.

From Midefield to Sidelines: A Bobcat is Born

               Joey Perruzzi(left) coaching on the Sidelines of Pruitt Field in the game against Ohio State

 “I think the best thing I have to offer this team is my amount of experience” Joey Perruzzi, head coach of Ohio University’s Mens Club Lacrosse team told me as he cleared off an ottoman covered with papers, notebooks and pens. Just a few moments before, I was welcomed into Joey’s off-campus apartment, in which jerseys and sports memorabilia covered the walls. I took a seat in the family room where a 60 inch flat screen television practically filled the wall, more than ideal for tuning in to any ‘big game.’

                Joey Perruzzi moved to Athens this fall to pursue a master’s degree in Coaching Education here at OU. He received his undergraduate degree in Sports Management from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, the spring prior. At Belmont, Joey played lacrosse for four years at the Division II level.

Making Moves

Joey commanding his troops against OSU

         “Moving from a college with 1,200 people to one with 25,000 was a big adjustment. BAC and OU are two different worlds,” Joey said. While he had to get used to his new environment, he found himself taking on more of a responsibility than just keeping up with grad school classes. After only one interview, Joey had been named the new head coach of the struggling team. According to many of the players, Joey was quickly accepted into the Bobcat family and was respected by all the players. Some find it hard to believe that these players warmed up almost immediately to a new coach; however, after talking to Joey for even a few minutes, I saw his charisma and confidence shine through like a high beam. The epitome of extrovert, he has that intangible attention-getting quality.

Perfect Fit

In recent years, the OU Club Lacrosse team has had its fair share of ups and downs. With no spare funds to pay a coach, they found a diamond in the rough when Joey reached out to them. He wanted to gain experience, build his resume and do what he loves while attending school. The team needed someone with a higher level of experience. He was a perfect fit.



Joey hugging a teammate after beating Hilliard Darby



      Perruzzi had eight years experience of lacrosse. He was the co-captain of his high school varsity team and made All OCC. When Joey was a college freshman in 2008, he and his team at Belmont Abbey were Conference Carolina Champs, beating the 3^rd best team in the nation. When he had any free moments, he coached at youth summer camps and coordinated tournaments. Last summer he spent a month in Maryland, coaching at the Navy Lacrosse Camp.

       In the time since Joey has taken on the role of Head Coach, the team has been undefeated. He admits he is not a passive coach,“I am extremely leadership-oriented,” he said. This value of leadership not only comes from lacrosse, as I found out later. Joey also played baseball for nine years, hockey for ten and football for four. Talk about athlete!

From Making Goals to Setting News Ones

For a 22-year-old, this lacrosse guru has made leaps and bounds in his field of work and study. So my biggest inquiry was, what’s next?

“I would love to coach in Florida, that is the goal,“ he told me with a day-dreamy gaze.

With vastly growing programs accompanied by a sunny palm tree setting, it would be no shock to us if Joey ends up in Florida sometime soon. In ten years he says he hopes to be a head coach for a Division II Program and on his way up the latter to even better opportunities.

  So as I was ready to depart from Joey’s sports-splashed apartment, I turned to him with one last question.

  “If you could have one super power, what would it be?”

Joey started to smirk. Then, with a twinkle in his eye he replied, “It would have to be…to fly”

TRIVIA

Favorite Color:	Red
He drives a…	2012 Black Volkswagen Jetta
Favorite NFL Team:	The Cleveland Browns
Broken Bones?	Both wrists and fingers multiple times
Your IPod is full of…	Jay-Z and J Cole
Favorite TV Show:	Entourage and Boardwalk Empire
Two most favorite athletes:	Joe Haden and Booby Gibson
Dream Vacation:	The Bahamas or the West Coast

By Megan Tyler

From Scrubs to the Runway

Nursing to Hollywood

Jessica at her first photo-shoot

By: Allison McDonald

Jessica Heidenreich, a junior at Kent State University is studying to be nurse. Jessica’s mother is a nurse and from a young age this career fascinated her. With a year and a half left of school she is changing directions drastically with her life. She is putting a hold on school and moving across country to Los Angeles, California.

Fork in the Road

Growing up in northern Ohio life looked the same for most girls. “I was always in this mindset where my life was planned; go to college, get a job, work, get married, have kids, etc.,” Jessica said.

She explains what the normal life of a girl from Ohio would look like. Until one day she decided that the life she had planned for herself wasn’t the life she wanted to live. The only word that comes to mind when thinking about this type of life to Jessica is “settling.” At this moment, drowning in chemistry books, she decided it was time to change the direction her life was going. “I knew it would be now or never, I felt that I was at a fork in the road.  I could either let fear take over and finish school and eventually make my way out to California,” she said. “Or, I could take the road untraveled, where I buck up, make the move to LA, work really hard, and do my best to follow my dream.”

The Road Untraveled

Jessica at a cast after party with actress Victoria Justice.

With the ultimate decision behind her Jessica is finishing out this semester of school and planning for the move to Los Angeles. The plan is to pack up and drive across country to LA late May, early June. She will be living with her cousin who already lives there. Once she arrives Jessica plans to find a part time job to support herself, but the majority of her time is dedicated to making her dreams comes true.  “I will have a list of every LA agency ranked in order of my favorite to least favorite, and go on every open call and meet with these agencies, show them my portfolio and what I have to offer, and hopefully nail a contract with one of them,” she said. 

Its Your Life so Own it

Goofing around before a shoot.

In the hopes of being signed to an agency Jessica is determined to do whatever it takes to make her dreams a reality. She is a strong-minded individual but has let others influence her life for too long. It’s time she took matters into her own hands. “I’m relieved that I finally made a decision for me, not based on anyone else’s thoughts, feelings or concerns but my own,” she said.

 It’s not everyday someone comes across a girl like Jessica. Her unmatchable beauty may be daunting to some, but she rivals that by being one of the most down to earth, kind hearted human beings you will ever meet. Her drive and motivation over powers anything that stands in her way. “ This is a very exciting adventure I am about to embark on,” she said. “  It has the potential to make or break me, it has the potential to be magic or misery, but I will try my best and cannot wait for the outcome.”

With a loving, supporting family behind Jessica is ready to take on the world and make a name for herself. “I encourage anyone with a dream to pursue it, because you have one life, it’s yours, so own it.”

Question	Answer
Inspiration:	Hannah Davis, Freja Beha Erichsen, and Alessandra Ambrosio
Aspirations:	Make a decent living while modeling/acting, all while eventually getting my degree.
Free time:	Listening to music, I take lyrics to heart and make the music my own by incorporating it into my life and my situations.
What is it you will miss the most:	My friends and family in Ohio. They have shown me love and support and encouragement since day one.

The Modern Day Clara Barton By: Brady Smock

Who is Tori Skinner?

Tori and her dog Ace or "Bug" as she
prefers to call him in her Athens apartment

Tori Skinner is a junior at Ohio University, she is a Nursing major and Spanish minor. Her life consists of her family and friends that are VERY important to her, she is involved in many extracurricular activities outside of her daily course load she is apart of she is a TA or (Teaching Assistant) for Anatomy and Physiology she is apart of the Relay For Life Planning committee, she enjoys life here in Athens due to the many opportunities she has received here working with the community during her different rotations in The School of Nursing with helping from “Old Folks Homes” to The Psychiatric Hospital here in Athens this quarter.

Favorites of Tori’s:
Store:	J.Crew
Movie:	Remember The Titians
Song on iPod:	Dirt Road Anthem
Food:	Mac N’ Cheese or Pizza or Big Mac
Season:	Spring
Candy:	Anything Godiva
Pop:	Diet Dr Pepper
Animal:	Puppies
Color:	Green

Inspiration

Tori’s Mom, Diane is one of Tori’s biggest cheerleaders as well as molders of who she is as a young woman “My Mom has always taught me treat others the way you want to be treated,” Tori says. She admires the hard work and drive her mother has and says that is one of the main reasons she is so determined in both her school work and creating long lasting relationships with others

Tori and her mother Diane Skinner at
Rio's here in Athens,OH.

Tori’s Grandmother “Beezy,” as Tori calls her is another of Tori’s greatest influences in her life. Her grandmother was a school teacher for 50 years, she is now retired and take care of Tori’s grandfather who has Dementia which is not an easy disease to battle with. “She’s such a strong woman and someone who has always pushed people to do their best how could you not look up to her?” Tori say’s. Values and being yourself are two very important parts of who Tori is today, these are things that have been communicated to Tori by these influential women in her life up until this point, and many more years to come.

Brittney Snyder (left), Tori Skinner (right), In Gordy Hall
in front of the Nursing School

Career

Tori’s career path landed in the Nursing field by a stroke of luck. Tori had been accepted into the Pharmacy program here at Ohio University, however in High school she had to have her appendix out one thing lead to another and she began talking with her Nurse Anesthetist before her surgery was to begin and that got her heels a turning in her head as to this is the career she wanted to pursue. She enjoys the aspect of having a more hands on relationship and enjoys that you get to learn about the patients more on a personal level rather than filling their prescriptions.

Down the Road

From school Tori hopes to pursue a career for a year as a nurse once she graduates from OU she will have her BSN, which is a step up from an RN. After working for a year she wants to pursue a graduate program somewhere in Ohio more than likely “the Ohio State University,” she says. She wants to either become a Nurse Practitioner or a Nurse Anesthetist. She hopes to one-day work in Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  “I don’t know if I wanted to be married down the road in 10 or 15 years, but I would like to be happy in all my relationships especially my personal one.”

Riding to Reward Others

By Danielle Szabo

Mohammed ‘Mo’ Farunia is a junior at Ohio University studying health services. Mo enjoys biking. Not in a 5-mile-ride-on-the-bike-path kind of enjoy, more along the lines of a 2-day-bike-tour-across-Ohio enjoy.

This past May, Farunia began an enduring bike tour of his home state starting in Lakewood – a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio - and eventually ending in Athens, Ohio. A close friend from high school, Gabe Williams, decided he would accompany Farunia on his 180-mile tour to Ohio University.

Mo Farunia (left) and Gabe Williams (right) before leaving from Lakewood, Ohio.

On top of a sixteen-hour bike trip, broken up into two days, Farunia also decided to put his efforts into raising money for charity. He did this successfully with the support of friends and family in anticipation of the long journey. The two cyclists raised and donated $1,600 to St. Judes Research Hospital.

Preparation

Surprisingly Farunia and Williams only dabbled in biking before their trip. Both were very active in high school and continued an active life-style after. However, Farunia only started biking regularly in the summer of 2010 when gas prices were high and biking provided a way for him to save some money. “Why drive my car to work when I have a bike?” he asked as gas prices were well over $3.50 at the time.

In months prior to the journey Farunia’s workouts consisted of “not to much biking, the normal things [he] always did, a little running…some swimming at the local YMCA and playing a lot of basketball…to get [his] heart rate going and to build [his] endurance.”

The Trip

On a clear Thursday morning at the end of May, Farunia and Williams began their journey on their bikes, heading for central Ohio. Their route was made up of  various back roads, occasionally stopping in major cities to refill on resources and rest. The first half of the trip consisted of ninety miles ending at Kenyon College located in Gambier, Ohio. The college was a solid half-way point between Lakewood and Athens where a fellow high school classmate, Dan, was currently enrolled and who they would be staying with.

Fun Facts
Dinner on the night before trip	Pasta and carbohydrates
Mo's longest ride before Athens	30 miles
What were in the backpacks at all times	-Camelbac with 2-3 gallons of water    -Trail Mix + Cliff Bars    -First Aid kit    -Wallet    -Smart phone with GPS    -Extra clothes -Gatorade packets
Temperatures from day 2	High 75 - Low 65

Almost finished with day one, Farunia and Williams encountered unpleasant weather conditions. “An hour and a half out of Gambier it started to rain” said Farunia. “It was cold and we were cranky but we got through it.”

Eventually the two safely arrived in Gambier, although they were drenched from the rain. “We immediately met with Dan locked up our bikes and ate dinner at a campus restaurant” said Farunia. After catching up with their good friend, the two called it a night and were back on their bikes at 7:30 a.m. beginning on the final leg of their journey.

Day two went on without a hitch and blessed the two cyclists with beautiful riding weather. One of the more eventful stops of their trip occurred fifty miles out of Athens when the two were stopped in Somerset, Ohio by the mayor of Somerset and the President of the Historical Society. “They gave us a tour of the old court house which was the main court house for the entire north west territory at the time.” Farunia laughed, also sharing how they nervously investigated the inside of an antique jail cell. 

Farunia inside a jail cell in the Somerset Ohio.

As the trip came to an end, Farunia and Williams entered Ohio University’s campus via the bike trail and took celebratory pictures in front of Peden Stadium. From there the two headed to Court Street for a well deserved dinner.

Around 6 a.m. the next day, Farunia explained how he anxiously awoke "expecting to get my things packed up, eat breakfast, and hit the road again. But after a minute or so I realized that I didn't have to go anywhere so I went back to bed.” 

Future Rides

Since their last bike trip the two have founded Rewarding Rides, categorized as a 'cause' on their Rewarding Rides Facebook Page, with the inspiring  slogan "Do something nice for someone, today and everyday".

           

Farunia and Williams plan to continue their annual bike tour this summer but with a twist; “each year take a different bike tour with a different destination and then raise money for a different charity” said Farania about their future plans. This June the cycling duo will again begin a bike tour in Lakewood, Ohio, heading this time to Chicago, Illinois. The route is approximately 300 miles long, almost double their original route.

The money they raise this year will go to Good Works, Inc, a charity based out of Athens, Ohio.

On campus at Ohio University, Farunia does not participate in any of the cycle organizations because he says he is “not really a fan of competitive cycling”. They prefer the tours to be “a fun relaxing thing to do” said Farunia. “If we made it competitive it might loose its luster”. As of now, future tours will continue to consist only of Williams and Farunia as they don’t want to be “possibly held back or forced to exceed what they are comfortable with." 

The exact date and route of their next annual tour has yet to be decided, but these two riders enjoy the casualty in their plans, instead focusing on the importance of giving back to those in need.

Mo Farunia's arrival to Ohio University's campus in Athens, Ohio.

Click here to see a map of the duo's route. 

Only 'MO're Adventures to Come

By: Ryan Dentscheff

Monica enjoying the outdoors on

a summer day near her Pennsylvania

home

 Monica Philippone, or as her friends often call her, “Mo,” can’t be more excited to start her life after college. For this Ohio University sophomore, the past year has been filled with life changing experiences that has her motivated to excel towards a career. 

Pre-College days

Growing up In DuBois, Pennsylvania with two sisters of ages 17 and 23, competition started at a young age for 19-year-old Monica. So it comes as no surprise that she lettered in four sports as a senior at Dubois Central Catholic High School. Being an avid member of the track, soccer, softball and cheerleading teams was only a small portion of her life in high school. She was also a member of the hip-hop competitive dance team, where she and the team traveled twice to Disney to compete in the national competition, and a eucharistic minister at her local catholic church. 

Living it up at OU

As if all of her activities in high school weren’t enough, it seems as though she has taken on more than ever as she continues her studies at Ohio University. 

A big challenge “Mo money Mo problems,” as some high school friends liked to jokingly call her, has faced was deciding to give up her will to be a cheerleader and join the club gymnastics team. She does love gymnastics but she admits to liking cheerleading more. “I miss throwing people in the air,” she said. 

Her hard work never seems to stop for Mo as she is also a very involved member of Habitat For Humanity. In the spring of 2011 she and many other members of Habitat went to Mississippi to help build a house. “It’s a lot harder than it looks,” she described about the building process, “especially the whole hammering part.”

For relaxation, Monica very much enjoys running, yoga, and hanging out with her friends. 

Monica playing with the

kids from the orphanage in Ghana 

Two weeks in Ghana just isn’t enough

Through the Humanity Exchange Program, Monica spent two weeks in the December of 2011 in Ghana near Esiama. Her funniest and possibly oddest experience on the trip she explained was “never getting so many marriage proposal” as law permits married men to be guaranteed entrance into the US.

 Her main priority while in Ghana was to teach english to grades four to six and working in an orphanage. She described her favorite day of the trip being when she and the caretaker took all of the kids to the beach, a very unusual occurrence due to the high costs of transportation and food. She bought the kids a soccer ball and they all spent the day picking up shells and playing soccer. She explained her favorite thing was “just seeing them all so happy.”

Monica was simply amazed how well the “family” took care of themselves with very little adult care. “They never seemed slowed,” she said, “the boys cleaned and the

 girls cooked. They were all young but took care of each other as though they didn’t even need a parent.” She was very saddened when two days before she left to come back home to America, the family caretaker packed her bags and left. Monica spent the last two nights of her stay living in the orphanage with the 19 children. She and the kids were all so sad when her trip concluded. 

Future Goals

Monica and Autumn Setzler preparing

for a day of relaxation during OU

fest season

After finishing her bachelors degree in social work, Monica hopes to attend graduate school in either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. She one day wants to travel to Europe to work with Cinderella House, a program organized to help women victimized by sex trafficking to readapt to normal life. After working there for about a year, she explained that she wants to find a steady job somewhere near her hometown. 

Favorite Food	Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Favorite Movie	Despicable Me
Favorite Quote	“Reach for the moon, even if you don’t make it, you land among the stars”
Favorite Musician	Usher
Favorite Hobby	Dancing

By: Ryan Dentscheff