Campus Life : Eye on OU : Year in Review
How quickly time flies when you're having fun
Speakeasy examines the main events from the past year
By Luke Wright, Staff Writer
Veronica DeSantos, Campus Life Writer
June 4, 2007 | 1:28 p.m.
The 2006-2007 school year—how quickly it has all flown by. A slew of unforgettable events have lent their hand in cementing this landmark year into the subconscious of every Ohio University student’s vault of memories. These events—sending one on a rollercoaster ride of emotion—range from the festive, carefree attitude of the Halloween celebration to the sobering realities of the Virginia Tech massacre.
Let Speakeasy take you back to the year that was and all the events that capitalized these past 10 months.
Student Senate elections
Elections, elections, elections. The candidates devoted entire quarters to planning the most efficient route to success. Many months were exhausted campaigning for the top seats in the Student Senate, and countless numbers of speeches were memorized, rehearsed and regurgitated at meetings and debates.
This year’s race for the president’s seat in Student Senate not only left the candidates gasping for air, but also left the public in a state of self-induced apathy. As pointless as many students might find these elections, this year was historic in more than one fashion. Tim Vonville, Will Klatt, Shane Tilton and Patrick Heery all scraped and clawed their way toward the vacant chair. Vonville, who represented TOGA, ultimately attained the prized position. Surprisingly enough, Vonville won by the most miniscule of margins—17 precious votes ahead of Will Klatt. These elections were the first to be held electronically and also rendered a vote of No Confidence in President McDavis’ abilities as OU’s administrative leader.
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg—instead of being known as home to Virginia Tech’s campus, this small town in rural Virginia will now be referred to as the site of America’s worst school shooting to date. May 16, 2007, will now be a day of remembrance. Seung-Hui Cho is no longer just the name of a South Korean immigrant but that of a killer.
The carnage that took place on the grounds of Virginia Tech ushered in an era that will forever be paralyzed by fear. Similar to Columbine’s effect on high school security, Virginia Tech set into motion wheels of change that are geared toward reforming on-campus security. The long-term effects of this most heinous of crimes are yet to rear their heads, but one thing is certain: College campuses everywhere will never be the same.
Graffiti wall scandal
Members of the Theta Chi fraternity painted a not-so-flattering picture of themselves when, in early April, they used the graffiti wall on Richland Avenue—a medium traditionally utilized by students as a forum for expression—to articulate some of its own feelings.
“Bangin’ bitches with no rubbas and no arms” was found plastered across the legendary wall, much to the distaste of students who found the crude statement offensive. The wrongdoers did not walk away unscathed, however. The frat was forced to complete 50 hours of community service, donate $200 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and host a sexual awareness event.
The Athens blackout
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2006, the entire OU campus was hit by a blackout. The blackout, which started at 10:25 p.m., came just in time to interrupt studying, partying and the all-important “Project Runway.” The blackout brought many unexpected events to the evening, including many students gathering on Court Street just to see what would happen. Rumors were started about what caused the blackout and the possibility of cancelled classes. Sadly, to the dismay of many students, the power returned by 11:35 p.m. that night. However, no one will ever forget the great Athens blackout of 2006. (The many Facebook groups that stemmed from it won’t let us!)
Halloween
Yes, it may happen every year, but since it is pretty much the most important event at OU, it’s important to mention it in this year’s past events. This year’s annual Halloween event took place on the weekend of Oct. 27-29 with the main street party taking place on Saturday, Oct. 28. Nothing too out of the ordinary occurred this year. We had the usual cold weather, drunken people and very revealing costumes.
Despite its smaller than usual crowd, this year’s Halloween still led to talks of possibly fencing in Court Street and charging admission for next year. The only thing that came out of these talks, however, is a new $25 fee for guests staying in the residence halls on future Halloween weekends. What lies ahead for the future of Halloween weekend? We may never know, but until then, it will remain the No. 1 event every year in Athens.
Famous faces
This year OU saw a slew of famous people in lectures, musicals and concerts. The year started off with Ted Neeley portraying his well known role of Jesus in the hit musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Neeley performed this role on Broadway as well as the movie version of the musical, which was released in 1973. Along with Neeley, other famous faces at OU this year were Art Garfunkel of Simon and Garfunkel, The Fray, country singer Miranda Lambert, NPR’s talk show host Diane Rehm, Erin Brockovich, Vanilla Ice and actor Anthony Rapp from “Rent.”
These people wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the Performing Arts Series, Horizons Concert Series, Kennedy Lecture Series and the University Program Council. With all of the famous faces on campus this year, students look forward to the new batch that next year will bring.
The 2006-2007 school year was a great year that will forever live on in our hearts and memories, full of special events that many students won’t soon forget. We look forward to many more eventful years that will give us things to do in between the pesky monotonous days of class.