This is an inside page for The Post newspaper that I created while on their design team. This was created with InDesign.

1. FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 20124 WWW.THEPOST.OHIOU.EDU
OLIVIA YOUNG
Staff Writer | oy311909@ohiou.edu
———
When the Appalachian Hell
Betties are at their day jobs
— ranging from secretary to
school counselor — they might
seem harmless. After they don
fishnets and festive knee socks,
though, they are Hell on wheels.
Since 2004, the Women’s Flat
Track Derby Association has
grown from a handful of teams
to 147 worldwide and, after two
years of training, The Appala-
chian Hell Betties are finally
ready to play.
April 1 marks the first of
at least four bouts that will
qualify the Hell Betties for the
association’s apprenticeship
program this year. The Appren-
ticeship Membership Program
is the team’s final step in join-
ing 35 other teams as full mem-
ber in the association’s North
Central division, including five
Ohio teams.
The all-female sport has
caught on enough that it is one
of eight being considered by the
International Olympic Commit-
tee for the 2020 Olympics.
There are now about 11,000
skaters in the United States, said
Juliana Gonzales, executive di-
rector of communications for
the association. That does not
include members of the 200 or
more unaffiliated junior, ama-
teur and co-ed leagues.
Women of all ages and occu-
pations are strapping on their
skates to get physical in the
rink. Judith Winner, a 48-year-
old independent web developer
known to her teammates as
Dame von Pain, said she feels
empowered by the sport.
“It doesn’t matter how pretty
you are or how your body looks,”
she said. “If you can skate, you
can be a part of this team.”
Jessica Beckford, an Ath-
ens resident, started the roller
derby team in 2010 with about
10 members. Last year, Phila-
delphia-born Ohio University
graduate student Erika Guth-
rie — also known as Daizey
Lovedirt — became the Hell
Betties’ head coach.
“(Roller derby) gives women
a chance to be somebody differ-
ent,” Guthrie said. “I feel like I
can be brave here when in other
parts of my life, I’m not.”
And though there are a few
Hell Betties who are, like Win-
ner, older than 40, roller derby
is anything but a gentle sport,
Guthrie said.
Heather “The Hell Blazer”
Blazer has been sidelined for
three weeks after tearing a
ligament in her ankle during
practice. But Blazer, who is a
secretary at Holzer Clinic in Gal-
lipolis, Ohio, said she can’t wait
to get back on her skates.
“I feel kickass when I’m skat-
ing,” she said. “It’s like our alter
egos. We get to dress up and be
sexy and confident.”
The players’ satirical pseud-
onyms reflect their derby alter
egos. From pop culture refer-
ences to sexual innuendos,
skaters are asked to check their
chosen derby names against
an international roster so that
no two players end up with the
same alias.
The Hell Betties’ aptly named
skaters are looking forward to
many milestones this season.
In addition to taking on the
Cincinnati Flock Ewes in their
inaugural bout, the 30 skat-
ers are also preparing for the
Women’s Flat Track Derby Asso-
ciation’s skills test, which they
must pass in order to compete
in the league.
In the skills test, skaters are
judged on their posture, stride,
stopping and speed, as well as
their efficiency in whips and
checks. Skaters must also be
able to hop, weave and demon-
strate that they can fall safely by
performing baseball slides and
knee falls.
“We are starting to take our-
selves seriously,” Guthrie said.
“Every woman on the track has a
place and is a part of something
that’s bigger than herself.”
Photos by JASON CHOW | Staff Photographer
Renae “Mama Sequina” Loebker, center, jokes around with some of the Appalachian Hell Betties as they wait their turn to practice hitting. Jessica Beckford, an Athens resident, started the
local roller derby team in 2010 with about 10 members. The Hell Betties will have their first of at least four bouts April 1 in order to qualify for an apprenticeship program.
ANJELICA OSWALD
For The Post | ao007510@ohiou.edu
———
With the advent of spring
comes the sweet smell of blos-
soming flowers, the sounds
of students throwing Frisbees
around and the opportunity to
ring in the season Holi-style.
The Indian Students Asso-
ciation is hosting its annual Holi
Fest, its take on the Hindu festi-
val of Holi, otherwise known as
the Festival of Color.
The Holi festival welcomes
spring but also promotes a unity
in diversity and heralds joy, hope
and fulfillment, said Bhakti Shah,
the president of the Indian Stu-
dents Association and a graduate
student studying education.
“Like the colors of the rain-
bow, that are different yet to-
gether, they reflect beauty,”
she said. “This festival brings
together all the colors of India’s
diversity in a rainbow of unity.”
To celebrate Holi, the Indian
Students Association will have
students and staff perform vari-
ous dance and musical pieces
exemplifying different types of
Indian culture, varying from
traditional to Bollywood, during
Sunday’s festivities.
A full Indian meal will also be
served, including items such as
mango lassi, naan, Bhindi Ma-
sala and Aloo Matar.
Participants in the event also
have the opportunity to par-
ticipate in the playing of colors,
where colored powder is applied
to each other’s faces to symbol-
ize that no differences exist be-
tween people.
For the first time at OU, a
more exact playing of colors
will happen Saturday after-
noon. People will throw col-
ored powder at each other to
celebrate Holi, said Manindra
Singh, the acting cultural di-
rector for the Indian Students
Association and a doctoral stu-
dent studying molecular and
cellular biology.
“Thisisgoingtobeaveryinfor-
mal gathering for those who want
to participate in playing of colors
or for those interested in learning
what Holi is about,” he said.
Although there is no time yet
decided for Saturday’s playing of
colors, the location will be off-
campus, most likely at Carriage
Hill Apartments, Shah said.
“In India, we celebrate so
many festivals, and it’s always
fun,” said Vishal Dongare, the
treasurer for the Indian Students
Association and a graduate stu-
dent studying medical engi-
neering. “Here, you miss all of
that. This is an opportunity for
us to celebrate, and it is a cool
experience for others to learn
about our celebrations.”
ALLAN SMITH
For The Post | as299810@ohiou.edu
———
Within two hours of tickets
for Wiz Khalifa’s Convo Con-
cert going on sale, the most
coveted seats had already been
snagged, leaving the rest of the
Pittsburgh-based rapper’s fans
subjected to the back rows.
Unless they could find a
scalper.
The business of ticket scalp-
ing has long walked the tight-
rope of legality and profitability
as fans pursue tickets to their
favorite events and scalpers
look to make a quick buck.
“(The Wiz Khalifa concert)
was the first time I bought tick-
ets with the intention of scalp-
ing,” said Jay Campbell, a fresh-
man at Ohio University. “It’s
an easy way to get money and
since it happens everywhere, I
figure why not?”
Campbell said he pur-
chased the floor seat tickets
for $40 and initially sold them
for $60 and raised the price to
$70 as tickets became more
difficult to find.
Scalping, or reselling tickets
for more than their face value,
is not regulated by the federal
government and, in Ohio, is le-
galandleftuptomunicipalities.
John Biancamano, OU’s Le-
gal Counsel, said he didn’t be-
lieve there are any university
rules addressing scalping.
Andrew Holzaepfel, asso-
ciate director of the Campus
Involvement Center, said he
does not see scalping as a
problem.
“Wehavebeenfortunatewith
the Performing Arts Series and
have not experienced much of
the secondary ticket market to
date,” Holzaepfel said.
Assistant Athletic Director
for Ticket Operations Chris
Radford said he hasn’t seen
any cases of ticket scalping
in his two-and-a-half years at
OU, but said the issue could
arise with the recent success
of OU’s football and basket-
ball teams.
“Sure, it’s looked down
upon, yet if that happens (at
OU), it means our athletic
events are in high demand,
and that is definitely a good
thing,” Radford said. “With
our teams winning a lot re-
cently, we may begin to have
this issue arise.”
Radford said the depart-
ment’s policy is that tickets
cannot be resold for more
than their face value and that
tickets may not be sold in front
of a venue before the event.
Those who would like to
peddle or solicit goods, includ-
ing event tickets, elsewhere in
Athensmusthavealicensefrom
the city, according to the Athens
City Code.
Instead of selling on the
streets, ticket scalpers typi-
cally advertise on the Internet
like freshman George Peck,
who said he uses social media
to advertise for tickets he has
for sale.
“I use Facebook to get in
contact with potential buy-
ers,” Peck said. “Then I’ll meet
with them in person to strike
a deal.”
Peck said despite the con-
troversy about the practice,
the risks match the rewards.
“It’s a fair practice. I don’t
see what’s wrong when some-
one is willing to buy them
at the price I set,” Peck said,
“There is a risk involved for
me also. If no one is willing
to buy the extra tickets I have,
then I will lose the money, so
it’s a two-way street.”
JULIA MOSS | For The Post
Bhakti Shah, the head of the International Student Union, directs Aditi Dwivedi, Maria
Rodionova, Warnaka Gunawardena and Vishal Dongare while Aditi cues the students to
perform the next dance move. The dancers were practicing for the Hindu festival of Holi, a
celebration that welcomes spring. The Festival of Color, as it is also called, will be held at
Saturday in Baker University Center Ballroom.
Appalachian Hell Betties don skates, prepare for competition
Student scalpers profit from Khalifa
Student-run Holi Fest sheds light
on Indian traditions of spring
DUSTIN LENNERT | Director of Photography
Freshman George Peck bought four tickets for the May 18 Wiz Khalifa concert. Instead of using the tickets for himself, Peck plans
to scalp them to friends and other Ohio University students looking for tickets.
ABOVE: Erika “Daizey Lovedirt” Guthrie, the Hell Betties’ head coach, carries her gear to
practice at Dow’s Roller Arena.
BELOW: During practice, many of the Hell Betties help each other maintain their skates to
keep them rollin’ ready.
Like the colors of the rainbow, that are different yet together,
they reflect beauty.This festival brings together all the colors
of India’s diversity in a rainbow of unity.”
BHAKTI SHAH
PRESIDENT OF OU’S INDIAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
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WHAT: Holi Fest ‘12
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Baker University Center
Ballroom
ADMISSION: $7
IF YOU GO