The windows outside Ohio University’s Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, decorated for Paint the Town Green, feature some of the Court Street businesses Bobcats have come to love as part of their OHIO experience. Photo by Emma Howells
Bobcats looking to channel their “Athens State of Mind” are encouraged to visit the more than a dozen locations across Ohio University’s Athens Campus and in the local community that decked their halls in OHIO’s green and white in celebration of Homecoming .
Fourteen entities participated in the 16 th annual Paint the Town Green decorating contest, which challenges local businesses and organizations as well as OHIO offices to showcase their Bobcat pride. Sponsored by the Campus Involvement Center and the Student Alumni Board, Paint the Town Green is designed to draw town and gown together to celebrate all things OHIO and Athens and serves as a mean of welcoming home Bobcat alumni who are returning to the community for Homecoming.
Paint the Town Green entries are judged on criteria that includes creativity, presentation of decorations, and overall use of the Homecoming theme, which this year is “Athens State of Mind.” The winners of this year’s contest will be announced at the Yell Like Hell Pep Rally, scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, on OHIO’s College Green.
On-campus entries
Photo by Emma Howells
Staff and students affiliated with OHIO’s Allen Student Advising Center on the fourth floor of Baker University Center highlighted the “Athens State of Mind” theme by focusing on the community’s past and present. The office’s décor includes historic photos of both Ohio University and Athens, a window display in which students were asked to describe Athens in one word, and a video tour of OHIO and Athens.
On the fifth floor of Baker University Center, Ohio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center used the office’s windows to feature a skyline silhouette of iconic buildings on the Athens Campus.
Photo by Emma Howells
Staff in the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility in Baker University Center 349 paid tribute to uptown Athens and their favorite spots in Athens with their Paint the Town Green display. Decorations includes a replica of the Athena Cinema’s marquee, proudly displaying the “Athens State of Mind” theme, and shout-outs to some of Bobcats’ favorite Athens eateries.
Employees in the Dean of Students office in Baker University Center 345 used their Paint the Town Green display to share what Athens means to each individual in that office. One staff member’s door documents her journey from Oklahoma to OHIO while another employee’s door featured song lyrics proudly boasting, “I’m always in an Athens State of Mind.”
Photo by Emma Howells
Ohio University’s Diabetes Institute at Parks Hall 140 welcomes visitors to its Paint the Town Green display with large columns, similar to the ones that greet those entering West Green’s Grosvenor and Irvine Halls. The display features historic photos and OHIO-themed silhouettes.
Ohio University Event Services and the Brigadier General James M. Abraham and Colonel Arlene F. Greenfield Veterans and Military Student Services Center, both located on the third floor of Baker University Center, participated in Paint the Town Green by decorating the windows outside of their offices.
Photo by Emma Howells
Staff and students employed at the Patton College of Education’s Department of Human and Consumer Sciences in McCracken Hall 121 created an interactive display for Paint the Town Green, inviting visitors to enter the office through a replica of OHIO’s Alumni Gateway and to take their pictures using photo frames in the shapes of the state of Ohio and Athens County.
Ohio University’s WellWorks in Grover Center E124 highlighted iconic buildings and landmarks on the Athens Campus, as well as OHIO’s five core values—character, citizenship civility, commitment and community—in its Paint the Town Green display.
Off-campus entries
Photo by Emma Howells
Passion Works Studio’s colorful Paint the Town Green display features this year’s Homecoming theme, “Athens State of Mind,” as well as Passion Flowers, the official flower of Athens, Ohio. The display offers a hint of what spectators can expect from this year’s Passion Works Homecoming Parade float.
Photo by Emma Howells
Mountain Laurel Gifts’ Paint the Town Green display features the Homecoming logo and welcomes Bobcats back to the bricks of Athens.
Other Athens businesses that also participated in this year’s Paint the Town Green competition are:
- Bluetique, 19 W. State St.
- College Book Store, 50 S. Court St.
- The Shop at Precision Imprint, 28 ½ E. State St.
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Ohio University’s Homecoming festivities continue through Saturday, Oct. 20. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit Ohio University’s Homecoming website and follow #OHIOHC2018 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.