Dave Deibi Does It All

You know him or someone you know does

By Maggie Malone | Photo by Nathan Bielski | Design by Sonny jay

Dave Deibi is deeply involved in and around Athens, from facilitating creative events at Donkey Coffee and Espresso and Passion Works Studio to fronting his own band and wearing multiple hats at Ohio University. Deibi is known in the community for the many roles he plays, but who is the person behind these projects? Backdropper Maggie Malone sits down with Deibi to find out.

Q&A

How did you end up in Athens in the first place?

I arrived here as an undergraduate student, and then I did a master's degree. And then I left, and then I came back again to do more school … What I found is that the Athens community is so supportive and empathetic and kind. This place disproportionately has the demographic of relaxed, fun and kind people that seems higher than the average nationally. That's why I came back.

What did you study in school?

I studied a lot of random things. I did undergrad in Spanish education. I did creative writing and literature as well. Then I did a master's in international affairs, anthropology, history of Latin America, specifically literature as well. That was the first stint in Athens. When I came back, I became a non-degree seeking student in geology, and I did the paleontology graduate certificate, which was awesome, because I love dinosaurs. Most recently, I just finished another master's in experiential ed, outdoor rec, that sort of stuff.

Can you identify all the roles you fill at Ohio University?

Foundationally, I am an instructor in University College where, I teach first-year students in the 1900, 1100 and 1500 curricula. When I say “teach,” that's in quotes, because it's very student-led. We have certain things that we want to cover, but we also make it pretty organic in my courses. In addition, I'm what's called a “faculty in residence” in Res Life. I'm not an RD, I'm not an RA, but I operate within that department as a resource for continued programming and outreach to students. So that's kind of the “day job” thing, but I wear so many hats, and really, what I found is every single position that I hold doesn't feel like work. Everything I do, I feel very fulfilled doing it. 

I’ve heard about an Ultimate Frisbee situation that you’re a part of… can you tell me about it?

We affectionately call it Penultimate Frisbert, which is not ultimate frisbee, because that's intense. I like to say that it's collaborative, not competitive. It doesn't mean you don't try, but it means that you are rooting for the other team's success as much as your own. We don't keep score. People play barefoot. People do cartwheels — or just walk around and talk. We divide up the teams in such a way that you have matching energies. That's through Res Life. 

What are other spaces in Athens you’re involved with outside of the university?

Chris and Angie Pyle, who are the owners of Donkey Coffee, approached me because they had known me from the community, and asked if I wanted to do the art directing and facilitate the events and activities there ... I'm in charge of the art installations, I oversee designated space, which is the poetry night, as well as the open stage and also do the booking for the Friday and Saturday shows. 

I’m also a project coordinator for Passion Works Studio, which is really fun. Honey For The Heart, the big Halloween parade, was put under my leadership last year for the first time. But I've always been a very invested participant. In addition to that, I host their art night with Eben Tobar every Wednesday night.

Outdoor Pursuits is looking to increase [its] programming on campus, and there's an amazing new high ropes course and zipline. They asked if, every Tuesday for the first six weeks of the semester, I can facilitate getting a ton of people through the zipline. Outdoor experiences and adventures like that are so wonderful, because you never know what kind of empowerment crossing the risk threshold gives to a person later. When we're thinking about getting 80 students every Tuesday night, it's really fun to think about what kind of ripple effects that might have in their lives. 

And another thing that I do is with this accomplished, wildly talented filmmaker in Athens named Nathan Bielski. He has been very kind and gracious enough to let me jump onto films that he's working on. He works with Twenty One Pilots out of Columbus, and working on music videos with Nathan and them has been amazing. We just got done with a Fisher-Price commercial. This is just another beautiful thing that's really busy and random and weird, but I just usually say yes to everything.

Can you tell me about your band Ready, Aim, Flowers?

Ready, Aim, Flowers is a project that's had so many iterations because the lineup is always changing. The one constant is that I'm always there. And the idea is to create music, art and [an] experience that embodies the same energy of all the activities I do, where it's positive because it's used for advocacy through entertainment. 

Is there a hobby or interest that people might not know you have?

I mentioned earlier that I really love dinosaur paleontology. That's something I haven't done that much of lately, just because I've gotten invested in so much. I used to work with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Utah Museum of Natural History, and even the Raleigh Museum of Natural History, and the Bureau of Land Management as well in Utah and Montana and Colorado. I used to do that during the summers for the longest time. 

I also used to be a professor of Spanish here. I love modern languages. It’s interesting because, when I speak Spanish, when I am in an environment in which that is my primary means of communication, I am a different person. Not vastly different, but my personality shifts. I learned how to speak Spanish from living in the Dominican Republic for a year and working at a clinic as a medical interpreter. So there's a Caribbean swagger that comes out a little bit when I speak Spanish.

Do you feel like you tap into different versions of yourself within your different circles here in Athens?

I just know so many people [who] have to mask all the time: the business mentality, the formality, the posturing. I’ve somehow lucked out in that I get to be the same person every day. But whatever I'm doing, I match energy. So when I'm working at Passion Works with the core artists, that's a little bit more gentle and affectionate. When I'm hosting open stage, I'll do a couple of songs, and then I transition into host mode, whereas if you come see Ready, Aim, Flowers perform, I try to command the stage, and I let my bigger self come out and conduct and perform. 

Are there any underrated organizations that you want to give a shoutout to?

There are something like 600 student organizations on campus. Nobody has an excuse, because there is something for everybody. What I would recommend is not to close yourself away. It is so easy to doomscroll yourself to oblivion, especially when you are transitioning away from what’s familiar … But knowing your local and your proximate environment is so important. There's a place where every single person can belong in this town. If you can learn how to invest in your environment, in your community now, it’ll ripple astronomically throughout the rest of your life

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.