ATCO Bowling

The crash of pins, cheers, victory dances. High fives all around, all except for one person who has two thumbs way down. "Paul! You're on my team! You're supposed to be happy when I get pins down!" Paul chuckles, hands his respirator tank to me and we grab his bowling ball so he can knock down some pins of his own.

Paul has Down's syndrome and has been on my ATCO bowling team all year, along with Brian, Dawn and Blair, a fellow APhiOer. League bowling is every Wednesday from 5 pm until 7 pm at Rollerbowl at the end of Palmer St. We play two games against a different team each week. At the end of the quarter, the points are totaled and prizes are awarded to the best team, individual player, most improved, etc. For our team, the motto is "It's pins!" We have been described as the Cincinnati Bengals of bowling. Some days we're awesome, other days we're lucky if anyone breaks 100...

Many of the ATCO bowlers are in wheelchairs and require the use of a ramp to get the ball down the alley. Blair and I set up the ramp for Brian, grab the heaviest ball at Rollerbowl and set it up just right. Once you find the sweet spot, you can get a strike every time you put the ball on the ramp. The holes have to be pointing in just the right way and the ramp has to be just left of center. Last quarter Brian got the highest score for the season after we worked together to get him a whopping 6 strikes (two turkeys!) in one game.
Here is an example of bowling with a ramp (usually volunteers hold the ramp steady and put the ball in place. If the bowler needs extra help, we lift their hand so they can touch the ball so it rolls down the ramp and alley)



Hanging out with my friends at league bowling is a cathartic experience. You get to take a step away from homework, work and useless worries and just enjoy the time. Everyone has their silly moments and frustrations, but it can all be turned around with the next roll of the ball just by knocking down a few more pins. Working with people who have mental and/or physical disabilities can be intimidating if you've never done it before, but all you have to do is recognize that we're all people who enjoy attention and like to be part of a group. Once you realize this, you can relate to anyone (handicapped or not). It's all about stepping outside of your bubble!

League bowlers or league helpers are constantly in demand. An extra pair of hands to set up the ramps, grab the bowling balls or even to just sit and chat while everyone else is bowling is always appreciated. Jeff Bierlein is in charge of ATCO and is always looking for more help. His e-mail address is ac317@seorf.ohiou.edu.

Service as a fresh start

Athens, Ohio is seen as a college town overrun by crazy Ohio University students taking advantage of the freedom of leaving home. The endless opportunities and ability to reinvent yourself is intoxicating on its own, but after the initial rush, the thrill tends to wear off and many people are left feeling lost and looking for a way to feel needed. Some become involved in academic clubs, sororities or fraternities and find a connection there. For me, I found the answer in doing service.

Doing service in the Athens area is a way to learn and experience the unique community we live in. It is quite possible to go four years without venturing out of the cozy confines of the OU campus: living in dorms, going to class, partying on the weekends. This bubble can easily become your whole life. By taking a step outside and acknowledging that we live in Appalachian Ohio, one of the poorest areas in our nation, it can be overwhelming and empowering. You can do something about it. You can help.

One of the great ways to do this is to find out who needs help and how you can get involved. To figure this out, I joined Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. It is a group where guys and girls who are motivated to do something more with their college experience can come together and do service to the campus, community and nation. We get involved with ATCO, an employment and training center for adults with disabilities; Big Brothers Big Sisters at the local schools; Good Works, the only homeless shelters in 7 counties in Appalachian, Ohio; Passionworks, Monday Lunch and so much more.