Ohio University is located in one of the poorest counties in the State; the campus is surrounded by barren farmland for miles on all sides, and the amount of non alcohol-related activities around the city range from somewhere between sparse and nonexistent. And to the nearly 20,000 students who call it home, that’s just fine. The beauty of Ohio University lies in its simplicity. Small town feel, the roads a sea of burnt red brick, oh, and two main streets littered with 19 bars.
Welcome to Athens, Ohio, a city with a blatant, unapologetic identity.
But what separates OU from all the other party schools and drinking towns out there? That’s what I’m here to explain, the unique four year love affair between a school and its students, 20 things you’ll experience at Ohio University
20. THE RIDGES
With all of the debauchery that occurs throughout the city, it’s incredibly ironic that Athens was once home to a mental hospital. Athens Mental Health Center went out of business in 1993, but the area, known as “The Ridges” remains as a place where paranormal activity occurs, and was ranked as the 13th most haunted place on earth by the British Society for Psychical Research
19. BLACKOUTS
An inherent side effect of most of the first 19 experiences, Blackouts generally occur on good nights, but often result in a downward spiral that may include, but is not limited to: Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea (hey pepto bismol!!) not remembering shit, a trip to the drunk tank, completely unnecessary fights, eating terrible food, and really, really bad hook ups. This is not to be confused with a brownout, a distant cousin of the blackout that mainly just results in time travel and an inability to put coherent sentences together.
18. T.G.I.T
In the real world, it’s common to think of 5 o’clock on Friday as quitting time for the week. Luckily OU is pretty far removed from the real world. With only a limited number of classes occurring on Friday, many students choose to take advantage, and live in the world of perpetual 3 day weekends. Uptown, at the bars, at houses, in the dorms, it’s pretty much impossible to distinguish Thursday night from Friday, and we wouldn’t have it any other way
17. DRUNK FOOD
One of the best parts of living in a college town is that most places are open till the wee hours of the morning in anticipation of students looking for a pick-me-up on the drunk pillage home. Ohio University is no different; with a wide variety of grease-covered options to coat any alcohol ravaged palate. Sophomore Alex Korecky, a grizzled veteran of the drunk food game offered a bit of insight: “The best option in my opinion, is Jimmy Johns (subs), which has a quick delivery, a well located spot uptown, and a large menu which runs you about 6 dollars for your own smash paradise.” Well put, but if subs aren’t your thing, there’s Big Mama’s Burritos (picture chipotle opened late into the night, with a vast menu), Goodfellas (the equivalent to fast food pizza), the always classic Wendy’s, and everything in between.
16. PARKING TICKETS
Lots of them. Parking services for the City and the University are absolutely relentless when it comes to issuing tickets for expired meters and parking in illegal zones, though students continue to disregard them. Though these violations occur regularly, senior Tyler Heil, who works for University Parking Services says that students have no one to blame but themselves. “Parking services sends out almost weekly emails to students about parking situations,” he said, “but no one reads them and then complain no one ever told them, but when it comes to parking I guess ignorance truly is bliss.”
15. RIO
As much fun as OU is, because so much of it revolves around drinking, many of the younger folk around town get excluded from the bar scene. Luckily, those who aren’t fortunate enough to own a fake id still have their own little slice of paradise down Union St. Rio Grande is the closest you’ll get in Athens to authentic Mexican food, but that is rarely why students end up there. “I usually get the margaritas because they are reasonably priced and contain the most alcohol” said Greg Lary “It’s funny, because almost nobody is 21 there and they never check id’s.” An underager’s paradise.
14. VERNON ALDEN
Who is Vernon Alden you ask? He’s your best friend; he’s your worst enemy. He welcomes you into his home, but you’re always unhappy to be there “Alden is always there for you,” Sophomore, Kortney Dixon said “he will stay up late with you, will teach you life skills, and will never turn you away.” He’s the namesake of our expansive, 7 floor, school library, home of endless adderall-induced cram sessions.
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13. MORTON/JEFF HILL
Most every student at OU spends the early portion of his or her time living in the dorms. The dorms suck on a variety of levels. The rooms are small, the food is terrible, and fire alarms only seem to go off only at 6 in the morning after a long night out. But nothing is more dreaded about dorm life than the treacherous walk up Morton or Jefferson hill, and unavoidable option for the vast majority of underclassmen. Both hills are seemingly endless, and lead to most major buildings on campus. “I’d rather contract rabies than walk up Morton” freshman, Milo Taibi exclaimed. That says it all
12. GREEK LIFE
Though Athens is essentially dream world, some fantasies sadly remain just that, just ask our friend Kristen. “I live in a sorority house and I am still waiting for the day that we all stop what we are doing strip down to our bras and panties and have an epic pillow fight in slow motion.” I guess we can’t have it all, but what we can have are homecoming and greek week, 2 weeks (one in the fall, and one in the spring respectively) where a fraternity and sorority are paired together for a week of themed socials, that tend to turn closing at the bars into halloween recreated.
11. CAN MEN
After a long day and night of “festing” you’d think the biggest downside (besides the brain busting hangover) would be the cleanup. Luckily many of Athens’ gracious party hosts receive an unexpected assist in this process from the locals (“townies” as many students refer to them) who are gladly willing to do the dirty work in exchange for the financial benefit of the can returns (remember, one of the poorest counties in all of Ohio). Everyone wins.
10. HORSE COPS
From time to time, especially in the Spring, weekends get out of control and require not just regular cops, but cops patrolling on the back of horses. If you’re looking for the easiest way to spend a night in the drunk tank (or you’re just looking to spot a clueless freshman) go up and pet one of the horses, seriously… try it.
9. MARCHING 110
It is often said that as many people attend OU Football games for the marching band as for the game itself. They is nationally recognized as one of the best college bands in the country and participated in the Tournament of Roses Parade leading up to this year’s Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
8. NATURAL LIGHT
According to Princetonreview.com, Ohio University is ranked number 6 in the prestigious “lots of beer” category. Who knows how they actually reached this conclusion, but needless to say, students here consume mass quantities of beer regularly. The most prevalent is Natural Light. Why “natty” though? There are certainly better beers out there/ “Natural Light is the drink of choice by all Ohio University students” sophomore Zack Hahn observed “Its not about quality, its about quantity”
7. HOMECOMING
For most Colleges and Universities, homecoming means reuniting with old friends, attending the local parade, and the school’s football game. Homecoming at Ohio University does feature all of this, but is most memorable for, shocker, day drinking, or in this case, early morning drinking. That’s because many of the bars open at 5:30 in the morning and serve up kegs and eggs for loyal patrons willing to brave the cold and stand outside in glorious anticipation of the morning’s events.
6. GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS
Campus Throne’s own Mike Mohn offered the best insight on the lovely ladies of Athens: “They are vivacious in that they’re great partiers, and look even better while they do it. They encompass the girl next door or farm girl look, while exposing a wild metropolitan attitude towards having a good time.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
5. THE BARS
With 19 bars all piled on to two adjacent streets, there are options aplenty for an aspiring Athens socialite. Every bar and every night offers new and exciting possibilities. We’ve already mentioned primetime at Pawpurrs; in addition they offer 50-cent drafts on Tuesdays. Well shots are a dollar at Courtside on Wednesdays. During the spring you can get 5 Coronas for 12 dollars at Broneys. Every bar offers its own atmosphere and signature drinks
4. HALLOWEEN
Athens’ Halloween block party on Court St. is among the largest street parties in the country. The event hosts nearly 30,000 people annually, and people travel from around the country to be a part of it. However, if you do plan to participate in the festivities it is absolutely imperative that you go all out. If you’re a girl, a little covering as legally possible makes for a great costume. A guy? The most wildly offensive theme you can think of without inciting a riot, the recently dead are especially effective in this sense.
3. (#)FEST
Perhaps nothing is more uniquely Athens than this fest (which proceeds numerically every year, last year was sixfest, this coming year will be sevenfest). This event occurs in a large open field, known as the “big red barn,” where roughly 10,000 people gather with the beer or alcohol of their choice, and spends the day taking in the festivities, which include a music festival and an unparalleled level of degeneracy that is only heightened by unfavorable weather.
2. SPRING STREET FESTS
If there’s one thing that is synonymous with Athens in the springtime, it’s day drinking. And what better way to partake in this time honored tradition than closing off entire streets every Saturday, firing up some live bands, tapping entirely too many kegs, and engaging in near riotous behavior for a near 24 hour period?
1. PRIMETIME
It’s only appropriate that Pawpurr’s trademark happy hour begins and ends with a bell, because in many ways Primetime is like surviving a brutal round in a boxing match. “Primetime is probably the most convenient and inconvenient hour of the day,” said Junior, Nick Cerri, “You can get drunk for $10 but you can’t move 10 inches” An already inexpensive bar reaches a frenzy as prices are slashed in half, dollar beers, two-dollar car bombs, with shots raining down like a monsoon.
This is Ohio University in a nutshell, a place that has provided countless young people with great stories, great friends, and of course… great experiences.
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As an OU Grad I have to say that I remember these things fondly. That being said I think that Can Men should be replaced with Up-Town Performers. We cannot leave out the Piano/Banjo/Spoon Men of Athens and their “gift”. Also I think that Greek Life should be replaced with Hippies. OU is not an especially greek campus but there are plenty of Hippies on College Green walking on tight ropes and practicing their dance-fighting
As the mother of an OU senior, i now understand why graduating is such a depressing thought! Had i known that going away to college was all that, i would have never made the decision to go to school locally and live at home with my parents. In my next life i definitely want to come back as a student at OU, if not for 4 years, i’ll take just a long weekend. By the way, great article.
Why would you openly put that Rio serves underagers alcohol?! Are you praising something you want to be shutdown?
“the amount of non alcohol-related activities around the city range from somewhere between sparse and nonexistent”
you have a small mind with few brain cells.
“Ohio University is located in one of the poorest counties in the State; … And to the nearly 20,000 students who call it home, that’s just fine.”
why are you fine with that?
oh and if you would leave uptown for once you would know that there is better authentic mexican food at gran ranchero on state street.
this is why OU needs to upgrade their incoming freshman GPA requirement