Opi n ions
Letters to the editors (cont.) Continued from page 5
on the consequences of all housing and dining options available at Oberlin (i.e., dorms, cafeterias, Program Houses, Village Houses, and the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, among others) for their intellectual, professional, social, and ethical development. The survey does not manifest bias in favor of OSCA at the expense of the College’s housing and dining options. Rather, it presents an opportunity for alumni to reflect on how all available housing and dining options contributed to their experience at Oberlin. We affirm, based on our experience as Oberlin alumni and professionals in STEM, that this survey appears to be a systematic, unbiased, and well-designed instrument. Further, we disagree with the College’s apparent contention that receiving and completing this survey would alienate alumni; in contrast, we assert that it presents an opportunity for alumni to celebrate and deepen their connection to Oberlin. We hope that the decision to not support this survey was made in good faith, but we fear that, in blocking its dissemination, Oberlin’s leaders are contributing to a larger national climate in which decision-making is motivated by optics rather than facts. Oberlin’s present moment is, and will remain, one characterized by tough financial and organizational choices. Some of these choices will be hard. But the difficulty of these looming decisions is all the more reason for decision-makers to first establish a foundation of robust data collection and analysis. The project undertaken by Mehra and Petersen brings together some of Oberlin’s most valuable assets: exceptional students and faculty willing to apply their intellectual rigor to gathering unbiased data; tireless staff dedicated to collaboration and inclusion; and engaged, truth-seeking alumni eager to support the College in moving toward a secure future. Could the explanations offered for the last-minute suppression of this survey — that survey distribution would interrupt the alumni-engagement strategy, or that decision-makers already have enough information — justify throwing away the unique opportunity this research offers? Do those involved in suppressing the survey believe the risks of cluttering an alumni’s inbox, or perhaps of receiving data that is inconvenient, outweigh the academic, strategic, and ethical benefits that this survey could create? We call on Oberlin’s decision-makers to allow the survey to be disseminated immediately; receive a formal briefing on the survey’s results; and commit to a cross-disciplinary stakeholder engagement process, with tangible participation from students, faculty, and alumni, in order for any relevant decisions to be adequately informed by data. Our alma mater’s administrators now find themselves at a crossroads. Oberlin bills itself as one of the leading producers of Ph.D. candidates in the country. Given the precarious status of scientific values in 2020 America, we can think of no more critical a time for Oberlin to realize the principles of collaboration, transparency, and unbiased truth-seeking it so effectively instills in those it educates. – Erika Brandt, OC ’13 Shane Clark, OC ’14 Jake Grossman, OC ’08 Casey Lee, OC ’12 Nathaniel Meyer, OC ’09
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Art Rental Program Has Students’ Best Interest At Heart The Art Rental program at the Allen Memorial Art Museum has, for the past 80 years, been an important aspect of the AMAM’s offerings and a cherished tradition. Hence, it was with great interest that I and other museum staff read the opinion piece “Art Rental Needs to Address Accessibility Concerns,” published in The Oberlin Review Feb. 14, while noting with dismay that many fewer students than normal took part in Art Rental on Feb. 15, leaving the museum with 86 unrented works out of 395. Last September, following advertising by the Art Students Committee, approximately 35 percent more students than average came to the event, with those at the end of the line going away empty-handed (“New Approach to Art Rental Attracts Record Number of Students,” The Oberlin Review, Sept. 20, 2019). As ever, the AMAM maintains a democratic first-come, first-served practice regarding Art Rental. When the doors open at 8 a.m., those first in line enter; this continues until no more people wish to rent, the works are all rented, or until noon, whichever comes first. Over the years, modifications have been instituted to improve access to the program for all students. Years ago, Art Rental occurred on a weekday; it was moved to Saturday so as not to compete with classes. More recently, the AMAM made images of most of the works available online through our eMuseum database, so that anyone may preview them. Before the arrival of card access — which now allows students self-access to the Clarence Ward ’37 Art Building — each February, Campus Safety officers opened the building so that those who wished to arrive Friday night could stay indoors. And about a year ago, to facilitate students’ installation of their chosen works, the AMAM began providing different types of hanging hardware suited to the various College residence walls. We understand that one of the biggest concerns the ASC has expressed is a lack of knowledge among other students about the program. We would be glad for feedback on how to ameliorate this, as the AMAM already advertises it via our website and social media, the OC Events Calendar, and the Campus Digest. We also note that while dedicated students have always been first in line when the doors open, an important aspect of the program is that it is open to the entire Oberlin community. At 10 a.m. last Saturday, when there was no line and a few Oberlin city residents had already rented, 150 works remained, including by such artists as Kollwitz, Oldenburg, Rosenquist, Rouault, and Stella, along with manuscript leaves, Chinese calligraphy,
and Japanese prints. Some students who arrived later expressed frustration with what they perceived to be a complicated process of list-making and check-in times, noting its complexity may have kept away others. We acknowledge the commitment and creativity of the ASC and applaud their interest in making the wait for the doors to open more fun through such activities as a costume contest and screen-printing, as well as the provision of warm beverages. We also thank them for including, on the poster they produced about the list and in the check-in process, the comment “you can still arrive mid-morning and (most likely) still receive artwork.” But we wonder if this semester’s check-in system unintentionally made participating in the program appear more onerous. We would humbly put forth that students might simply do what many generations before them did: Those who are super-motivated to be among the first in the building arrive as early as they wish with fellow Art Rental die-hards, preserving the camaraderie the writers of the Feb. 14 Review article rightly note occurs, while those who want to rent but are not as motivated to be among the first in line arrive Saturday morning and simply take the next spot. The diehards may wish to self-create a list, memorializing their order of arrival. The AMAM does not want to get into the minutiae of list creation now, anymore than it ever has — which is never. But the process above is what seems to have worked for many years and accords with our commitment to making the program open to all through our first-come, first-served practice. A key aspect of the program has been that renters may rent two works. Each September, with the excitement of the new semester — and for firstyears, the newness of the program overall — as well as relatively nice weather, the collection routinely sells out. In February, however, works are almost always left over. Given that, and the additional time (double for choosing, registration, and wrapping) and cost (double for the wrapping materials) that would be incurred in allowing renters only to rent one work at a time, the museum does not plan to make a change to the two-work limit at this point. Last week, by 10:15 a.m. with no line, we allowed three works to be rented, and with 100 works left at 11 a.m., up to four. In conclusion, we simply note that though the opinion piece stated that “Art Rental … is completely student-run,” it is only the recent phenomenon of creating and managing a list that is student-run. The program itself, for 80 years, has been run by AMAM staff. All of us at the museum thank both the writers of the recent piece and the ASC; we know they feel passionately that Art Rental is an important Oberlin tradition, and have the best interests of the program and their fellow students at heart — sentiments with which we heartily concur. We look forward to working with students and other community members to make sure that everyone who wishes to participate can do so. – Andria Derstine John G. W. Cowles Director Allen Memorial Art Museum
Living Wage and Health Care for UAW Workers Proves Urgent President Carmen Twillie Ambar, Oberlin College’s first Black president and just the second female president, shared with us all an impressively argued, 900word announcement titled “Dining and Custodial Negotiations,” which reported that the College has proposed to, very shortly, cut every single one of its custodians and dining hall workers without warning, unceremoniously — a Trumplike “Get out of here, you’re all fired!” President Ambar’s defense of her actions is quite solidly based upon One Oberlin, which is the name of the final report produced by the Academic and Administrative Program Review. The president offers an unassailable argument for the protection of the College’s core value: that of “educating our students for lives of meaning,” as she wrote in the announcement. These cuts are projected at some time in the future to generate more than $2 million a year in savings. Moreover, the College holds that, although it might have to pay Gibson’s Bakery an astounding award once approaching $50 million — perhaps a lot more if it loses its appeal — these firings have nothing to do with the trial’s outcome. The declaration strains credulity far too much because just $2 million of that $50 million would produce the savings expected from all these job eliminations, saving the jobs of many Blacks, people of color, women, et cetera — all of whom, though now treated, if not actually viewed, as expendable, have always been as loyal to Oberlin as any other class or section of the College. They are, indeed, our most vulnerable. The president is absolutely right to ensure that educating our students for meaningful lives remains sacrosanct. Surely, all alumni and current students would unhesitatingly do all we can to help those less fortunate among us, so near to us. It’s the least we can do to breathe life into our words about “educating our students for lives of meaning.” Would the president at least ask our Board of Trustees to reconsider the employee cuts if the College wins its appeal and does not have to pay the full $44 million to Gibson’s? You are in no position to demand, but ask. But regardless of the outcome, would the president at least ask our Board of Trustees not to hire any vendor who will not guarantee that their employees will be paid a living wage and receive health care? Again, you are an employee and can’t demand, but you can ask your employers to hold the candle high in support of “educating our students for lives of meaning.” What is the College’s core value — not just our students’ — if not a willingness to stand for a living wage and health care for any human being, but especially for those eager to clean our toilets and cook our food? – Booker C. Peek Emeritus Associate Professor of Africana Studies
