Dustin Galofaro is new to Athens County and comes to Sam's Gym in Glouster, Ohio, to practice his fighting techniques and also to be a part of the tight-knit community the gym provides.
After a restful winter break, I began the second semester of my junior year at Ohio University and haven't really had a chance to look back since. Though busy, it's been a wonderfully productive semester.
I spent a lot of time this semester working on portraits and multimedia. I created a short documentary film for my Advanced Video class and two portrait series, one each for my Small Systems Lighting and black-and-white film photography courses. I really enjoyed the creative freedom allowed by my professors to find and peruse stories and concepts I found interesting for all my projects. The image above and the five that follow below are images from the portrait series about fighters at Sam's Gym I created for my final project in my Small Systems Lighting class.
Sam's Gym is a community boxing gym located in Glouster, Ohio. People from all walks and stages of life come to a gym for many reasons. Many simply enjoy the sport of it, others come to learn how to defend themselves, and others keep returning to stay in shape. Run by owner Sam Jones, the gym acts as a community center in the former mining town of Glouster. Jones keeps the gym operating mainly from his own funds and also with the help of donations from fighters and the community. Jones has deeply invested himself in all those that train at his gym. People stay in touch with Sam long after they've moved far away from the gym. Some will even call Sam on Father's day, as he acts much like a father to a few of the fighters.
Below the portrait series is a few images I made while covering the rowdy street festivals in Athens for the student newspaper. Fests are serious business in Athens, and they draw in college students from around the region to Athens to live up their college years.
All the other images are either from my classes, The Post, or simply what I had free time to photograph.
Junior year has tested my resolve multiple times and really put me in a bind at times. Despite this, I am so thankful for this past year I spent at Ohio University and I look forward to one last year to finish out my degree.
Fighters come from all over the region - even outside of Ohio and it's neighboring states - to train with Sam Jones for a variety of reasons. Jones urges all of his fighters to be "champions in life", to be the best they can be in and outside of the ring.
James Robinson has earned a national lightweight title in Columbus, Ohio, as a result of his training at the gym. A member of the Glouster Police Department, he continues his training in hopes of becoming a member of the S.W.A.T. team.
James Robinson (father of James above) is one of the trainers at the gym. A fighter himself, he has spent many years with Sam Jones working with the array of people that are drawn to the gym.
Justin "Peanut" Sayers, 11, comes to the gym every week to practice his fighting skills. A few years ago, Sayers returned home from school with bruises he received from a bully, and his mother abruptly removed him from public schooling. Now homeschooled, Sayers hones his boxing skills at Sam's Gym in Glouster, Ohio, to protect himself from any physical encounters in the future.
Michael Hansard is a student at Hocking College and has recently started training at the gym to prepare for his first fight. Sam Jones explains that the gym is a powerful outlet for the youth in the area. Jones checks in with his younger fighters to ensure that they're staying up with their school work and maintaining an upstanding behavior.
Chase Stephenson, top left, parties atop a tree as other Palmer Fest partygoers help an intoxicated girl off the tree. The annual street festival took place on Palmer Street in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, March 28, 2015.
Sean Plagens, dressed as simply "America", falls to the ground laughing with his friends. The annual street festival took place on Palmer Street in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, March 28, 2015.
Ohio University senior, Connor Spies, right, drinks from his water bottle as partygoers try to tie up a tarp to cover the porch of a Milliron Street residence as other people party below. Rain fell consistently during Milliron Fest in Athens, Ohio, on Friday, March 13, 2015.
Police officers shut down a party at 18 Palmer St. The annual street festival took place on Palmer Street in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, March 28, 2015.
Ohio University junior redshirt forward Treg Setty blocks a shot by University of Toledo sophomore center Zach Garber during the second half of play. The Bobcats fell to the Rockets 80-73 in the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.
Ohio University sophomore guard Quiera Lampkins goes up for a layup against Northern Illinois University freshman guard Kelly Smith. The Bobcats defeated the Huskies 67-40 at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015.
Ohio University redshirt junior guard Mariah Harris cheers after a scoring shot by the Bobcats with her fellow teammates on the bench.
Though required for some courses at Ohio University, classroom participation creates anxiety for some students and leaves them feeling overwhelmed. (Photo Illustration)
Veronica Borja holds a photograph of her father Ralph Borja, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, in Jefferson Hall in Athens, Ohio, on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Borja has lived in over ten different locations in her lifetime, including Vicenza, Italy, due to her father's military service.
Ohio University redshirt freshman Greg Moray high-fives children as he makes his way into the convo. The Bobcats defeated the Panthers 20-18 at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, on Friday, February 6, 2015.
Ohio University redshirt junior Spartak Chino looks up while being held down by University of Northern Iowa junior Jarrett Jensen.
Ohio University junior Kagan Squire celebrates his 6-0 victory over Northern Iowa University redshirt freshman Leighton Gaul.
Tasha Seiter hoops using her light-up hula hoop in Athens, Ohio. Seiter and her sister picked up hula-hooping several years ago and the pair made it past the preliminary audition process in America's Got Talent in 2012.
Dakota Mash, an employee, sits inside the garage of Cullison Scrap Metal with compressed cubes of crushed cans behind him on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. Cullison Scrap Metal, located just outside of Athens, Ohio, generates most of its business through buying aluminum cans, crushing them down, and then reselling them in bulk as scrap metal.
Robin Hecker wears her hobo clown attire in Athens, Ohio, on February 9, 2015. Hecker's father is a clown, and she along with her five siblings dress up with him on occasion to help him with parties and other clown-related gigs.
Ohio University redshirt senior catcher Kyle Dean slides to beat the tag at third base. The Bobcats defeated the Broncos 7-5 on Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Athens, Ohio.
Ohio University sophomore outfielder Mitch Longo, left, high-fives redshirt senior catcher Kyle Dean, right, to congratulate him on scoring.
Rick Crooks, a blind artist, cuts a metal pipe in his metal-sculpture workshop in Crooksville, Ohio, on Sunday, March 29, 2015. Crooks creates metal animal sculptures from repurposed equipment and tools and has created over 1,200 pieces of folk art. At the age of sixteen, Crooks lost his eyesight entirely in a gun accident. Crooks creates his sculptures by and large by himself, but also employs his stepson when he requires assistance.
Rick Crooks holds a dragonfly sculpture with other pieces he has created in his metal-sculpture workshop.
Elephant seals confront one another on a beach near San Simeon, Calif, on Thursday, January 1, 2015.
Bob Placier examines a woodpecker he recently captured in one of his bird nets before bagging it and taking it inside his home near Albany, Ohio, on Sunday, March 29, 2015, as another bird remains tangled in the net. Placier is a licensed bird-bander and captures birds to record their physical data. He then gives the data to the United States government to ensure Southeastern Ohio's bird populations are conserved.
Two squirrels hang on a tree in College Green in Athens, Ohio, on Sunday, April 5, 2015. (Both this and the following image were taken for an article about the history of squirrels on Ohio University's campus)
A squirrel buries its face in Wendy's dipping sauce in College Green in Athens, Ohio, on Sunday, April 5, 2015.