May 5, 2017 by The Oberlin Review

The Oberlin Review May 5, 2017

established 1874

Volume 145, Number 24

Krislov’s Legacy: A Retrospective Tyler Sloan and Oliver Bok Editors-in-Chief

Oberlin UAW Chair Milton Wyman said that one of the ways Bon Appétit wastes money is in its inefficient foodpurchasing practices. “You know, they say how they get organic food, but it’s half-rotten when it gets here,” he said. “They buy in such large quantities that it sits on the docking lots before they can get it all out.” Capers added that CDS workers see and hear from students when the food Bon Appétit serves is or isn’t what they want. She said that even though CDS workers — many of whom are chefs with culinary degrees and have previously worked in fine dining — want to make changes that would improve food quality, Bon Appétit management allows little to no flexibility in changing recipes. “I feel like [Bon Appétit] makes a big show every year,” Capers said. “[They say,] ‘We value your years of experience. We value your expertise. We value your knowledge. We want your input.’ Then we give our input and [nothing happens]. So I think that’s a show. … At Stevenson, we’re the ones out there serving you. So we

Fourteenth President Marvin Krislov departs from Oberlin this semester after a decade at the College to head Pace University in New York City. His legacy reflects the complex reality of leading a small liberal arts institution for many years, with an early honeymoon period followed by ongoing internal conflict and record-breaking fundraising efforts. Hired by the Board of Trustees in 2007 to succeed controversial President Nancy Dye, the College’s first and only woman president, Krislov inherited an administration rife with conflict. In his early years, he navigated significant administrative turnover and a student body that had just overwhelmingly voted it had “no confidence” in Dye in a campuswide referendum. Perceived by many as extremely isolated in the latter part of her tenure, Dye was initially a hit on campus with students swooning over her fresh ideas and participation in campus events such as Drag Ball. Yet by harping on particulars and frustrating faculty on her way out, Dye exited on a sour note after 13 years at Oberlin. “[Krislov] was kind of the anti-Nancy,” said Hispanic Studies Professor Sebastiaan Faber, who has worked at Oberlin since 1999. “Nancy Dye was very involved to the point of micromanaging sometimes. Krislov came in saying from the beginning that that was not his management style, he was much more of a delegator and that he saw himself as a president who appointed good and responsible people in key positions that he could trust, and then focus his time mostly on the external part of the job. … At the college level it felt like a welcome change from the previous administration.” Lessons learned from Dye’s decline undoubtedly influenced Krislov’s approach to his presidency. By teaching a course each semester, indulging students with selfies and Instagram shoutouts, frequently attending campus events and hosting staples such as Coffee with Krislov, he prioritized making himself accessible to the student body in ways that are unprecedented for an Oberlin president. “I know from my own personal experiences, and seen other leaders, that when times are tough and people are angry or upset, it’s very important not to retreat,” Krislov said. “There were times when things were very difficult, and I knew people were not happy and not happy with me, probably, because of that. And I just said, ‘I need to get out there. I need to walk the campus. I need to be available.’”

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Students participate in Monday’s Student Labor Action Coalition-led boycott of Bon Appétit Management Company. The dining halls served only a fraction of the students they normally do in light of demands that the College switch to in-house management. Photo by Rick Yu, Photo editor

Students, CDS Workers Protest Bon Appétit Melissa Harris News editor

Dining halls across campus were unusually empty Monday as hundreds boycotted Bon Appétit Management Company to stand in solidarity with Campus Dining Services staff. The protest, initiated by the Student Labor Action Coalition, aimed to push the College to separate from Bon Appétit and switch to a self-management food service model. According to United Auto Worker steward and CDS grill cook, counter cook and cashier Denise Capers, Stevenson and Dascomb Dining Halls normally serve 600–800 and 500 students, respectively, for lunch each day. Capers said that according to the dining hall registers, 175 people ate at Stevenson and 167 ate at Dascomb for lunch Monday. Stevenson, Dascomb and Lord-Saunders Dining Hall normally serve 600–800, 350 and 150 people for dinner, while the registers calculated that 275, 135 and 64 dined Monday evening, respectively. The boycott came out of a worker’s panel that SLAC held with various student employees and College union workers Friday, April 21. At the panel, worker concerns with Bon

Appétit’s management surfaced, according to SLAC CoChair and College senior Jeeva Muhil. SLAC members then decided to initiate the boycott to support CDS workers. “They were just very adamant about issues, and a lot of the issues about Bon Appétit came to light,” Muhil said. “We know that this is a really important time of financial transition for the College, so we talked about having an action to really raise awareness about Bon Appétit and really put getting rid of it on the table, in a broader sense.” SLAC asked students not to attend the campus dining halls for Monday lunch and provided an alternative in Wilder Hall instead. Harkness and Keep co-ops, as well as Agave Burrito Bar & Tequileria, donated food for the effort. The number of students who came to SLAC’s lunch exceeded the fire code limits of the building, so they moved to the underpass of Mudd library, where students followed and ate together, despite the rain. Capers expressed her appreciation for the students that mobilized for her and her colleagues. “I was really full of emotion, appreciation,” she said. “That

you kids, [approaching] finals, are being so socially aware of what’s going on and caring about the people who work here — so many times we’re made to feel that we’re the lowest of the low on the chain of Oberlin College staff, … so for these kids to pull together in such a short amount of time to show your support for us, really was just overwhelming in a good way.” SLAC and many UAW members want the College to switch to an in-house dining system, which would have the College hire its own dining managers and run the dining halls independently of a food management company. Muhil said that other colleges similar to Oberlin have adopted selfmanaged food service models. “[Other] schools have been able to self-manage their dining halls. Schools that Oberlin competes with — Occidental, Bowdoin, UCLA, Amherst and Middlebury — all compete with Oberlin for students, all have self-managed dining halls and all of them rank better in dining services,” Muhil said. “Getting rid of Bon Appétit is one of the ways that the College can save money without threatening Oberlin’s financial accessibility or its labor force.”

CONTENTS NEWS

OPINIONS

THIS WEEK

Grand Jury Ups Charges in Gibson’s Case

Editorial: Bon Voyage, Bon Appétit

Off the Cuff: Julio Reyes, MRC Coordinator 04

The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

Animals of Instagram: The Best Accounts to Get You Through Finals 07 Environmental Studies Program Structure Fails Students

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

On the Record with Artist and Activist Heather Marlowe

Old Barrows Closes Its Kitchen Doors

16 Tennis Makes Program

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End of an Era: Reflecting on Krislov’s Tenure Continued from page 1

Public perception of Krislov both on and off campus has certainly evolved over the years with internal issues gaining traction in the national media and often plaguing the institution’s reputation. Starting with the March 4 incident in 2013, in which a series of allegedly racist incidents and reported sighting of someone in Ku Klux Klan garb culminated in the cancellation of classes, a series of controversies have wracked campus. “Oberlin can be a really tough place and people can get very upset, and I understand that,” Krislov said. “It’s not always easy, but I think the president needs to set the tone that — and I’m sure I wasn’t perfect in this regard — ‘I’m here for you, and even if you are not very happy with me, I want to be connected.’ Sometimes that was not as fun, but I think that’s important to do.” More recent disputes include the defacing of the Black student union ABUSUA’s demands in December 2015, alleged cultural appropriation of dishes in the dining halls, the termination of former Professor of Rhetoric and Composition of Joy Karega and protests at Gibson’s bakery after an alleged racially charged altercation occurred between students and a store employee, sparking protests. “When problems have come up, and there’s been a number of problems that reached the campus-wide level of the president, [Krislov’s] a pretty calm, level-headed person,” Mathematics professor and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jeff Witmer said. “He cares a lot about what’s going on and how to do things. That’s both good and bad. The good is having calm leadership that looks at the long view, and the bad part is that there were times when the campus wants a response by 5 o’clock today, and Marvin doesn’t do that. … And that can be frustrating to the campus.” College sophomore Kameron Dunbar, who worked closely with Krislov in his capacity as a student senator and in class, echoed Witmer’s sentiments about the president’s

governing style being simultaneously level-headed yet infuriating at times. “[Krislov] was very non-confrontational, at least in faceto-face interaction, which I found frustrating at times,” Dunbar wrote in an email to the Review. “Conflict isn’t usually fun, but it often comes with progress. I also thought he was rather humble, choosing to humble himself in the face of others even with the pomp and circumstance of being a college president.” Dunbar’s comments on Krislov’s professorship also indicate how his administrative and teaching style could deeply differentiate. “He was honest, charming and really pushed us to be our best selves,” Dunbar added. “I wish more people could have experienced that side of him.” Aside from political conflicts on campus, the College has struggled with serious financial issues over the last decade. Outgoing Vice President of Finance and Administration Mike Frandsen has repeatedly called Oberlin’s current model unsustainable and costs have increased faster than revenue, leading to budget cuts and rising tuition. While the College is far from unique in having experienced significant tuition increases in recent years, the total cost of attendance has risen during Krislov’s tenure from $47,370 in 2007–2008 to $69,372 next academic year. With the changing landscape of higher education, however, the role of a college president has been increasingly geared toward fundraising — an area in which Krislov has found much success. His fundraising proved vital after the 2008 stock market crash when the College’s endowment fell by more than $260 million between 2007 and 2009. The endowment has only recently recovered from the crash, sitting at $744.4 million in 2008 and $753.5 million in June 2016. The Oberlin Illuminate fundraising campaign, which began in 2009 and concluded last summer, ultimately raised almost $318 million and became the most successful campaign in College history. In light of ups and downs over the course of his Oberlin

career, Krislov lists three milestones, including the Illuminate campaign’s success, as his proudest accomplishments here. The others are the completion of the College’s Strategic Plan and the construction of the Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center, one of several capital planning projects spearheaded by Krislov’s administration. The last decade also saw plans move forward to expand Philips gym and add an adaptable theater to Hall Annex, along with the completed construction of the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex. A significant amount of a recent $41-million loan, given to Oberlin by the Ohio Higher Educational Facility Commission, will go toward the Philips expansion, the renovation of Carr Pool, the Hall addition and other construction on campus. These projects have provoked mixed reactions, with some feeling that much of the construction has unnecessarily run the College into more debt and others calling the upgrades long overdue. Still, the buildings remain a notable and lasting aspect of Krislov’s legacy. On a personal level, many cite Krislov’s passion for higher education and quirky sense of humor as definitive features of his personality. Chief of Staff Ferdinand Protzman, OC ’75, calls him “one of the best bosses [he’s] ever worked for” and “very empowering.” “He is a boy scout,” Protzman added. “He doesn’t smoke. He doesn’t drink. His mind is always going. He likes to be active and go do things.” When asked what he will miss most about both working at and living in Oberlin, Krislov’s response underscored his efforts to involve himself in all corners of the community. “I love the quality of life here,” he said. “I love being able to bike to work, to go to five events in two hours. I can go drop by a dinner, go to an athletics event, go to an arts event, go to a reception, and it’s all good. But fundamentally, it’s the people. I love the students. I love the faculty and the staff, and just the dedication and devotion in the sense that we really are a community — sometimes not always in agreement with each other, but we are a community.”

Grandy Jury Produces Felony Charges in Gibson’s Case Louis Krauss News editor

The three students involved in November’s altercation at Gibson’s Bakery have received robbery felony charges in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s grand jury hearing. College sophomores Cecelia Whettstone and Endia Lawrence were originally charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly attacking Gibson’s employee Allyn Gibson, as he and College sophomore Elijah Aladin were involved in an initial altercation that spilled outside after Aladin allegedly attempted to shoplift two bottles of wine. However, all three students were charged with robbery after grand jury members concluded that evidence suggests Whettstone and Lawrence had prior knowledge that Aladin would attempt to steal from the store. “They are charged under a theory that they either acted in concert with a common scheme or plan or were complicit to events they are charged with,” Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will said. “The grand jury had to have found evidence implicating them in that fashion.” Will conducted a three-month inves-

tigation into the Gibson’s incident, during which he contacted store employees, College administrators and Oberlin police officers to assemble an extensive list of witnesses and others who had information pertaining to the altercation Nov. 9. Although most details of the grand jury hearings are confidential, Gibson’s employee Trey James said the large number of testimonies and deliberation caused the hearing to last through both Wednesday and Thursday, and featured a wide range of perspectives. “They had more witnesses than they had seen in a long time, including students, faculty, administration from the school, as well as police members and folks from our shop, presented to a panel of impartial citizens,” James said. “They came up with the charges.” Aside from Whettstone and Lawrence, who did not attend the hearing at the request of their attorney Jack Bradley that they use their Fifth Amendment right and not speak, Will said all who were contacted for the investigation attended the hearing, as is required by law. Even though James thought the hearing was successful in presenting all the evidence, he added that employees do not want the students to receive the

The Oberlin R eview P ublication of R ecord for Oberlin College May 4, 2017 Volume 145, Number 24 (ISSN 297–256) Published by the students of Oberlin College every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, except holidays and examination periods. Advertising rates: $18 per column inch. Second-class postage paid at Oberlin, Ohio. Entered as secondclass matter at the Oberlin, Ohio post office April 2, 1911. POSTMASTER SEND CHANGES TO: Wilder Box 90, Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1081. Office of Publication: Burton Basement, Oberlin, Ohio 44074. Phone: (440) 775-8123

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maximum penalty for robbery of three to five years in prison. “The maximum amount of time that can be ascribed to the charges brought is not something we’re interested in seeing the students serve,” James said. “There’s no way the kids should be in jail for three years based on those charges. That’s the maximum that can be allowed. We’re hoping the sentences won’t be as severe.” For some students, the upped charges for Lawrence and Whettstone came as a surprise. College junior Angie Vaaler, who witnessed part of the fighting between Gibson and the students, thought the new indictments were unfair. “It seemed like the fight was happening between the employee and [Aladin], and I remember one of the students on the sidewalk telling me that the two girls were trying to get the employee off of Elijah,” Vaaler wrote in an email to the Review. “I think the indictments are incredibly unfair.” Vaaler, who was not contacted about the grand jury hearing, said she was unsure if the increased charges were influenced by subsequent student protests that surrounded Gibson’s for over a day but thought those opposing the protests were missing the larger point. Tyler Sloan Oliver Bok Kiley Petersen Melissa Harris Louis Krauss Sami Mericle Izzy Rosenstein Daniel Markus Victoria Garber Jackie McDermott Darren Zaslau Abigail Carlstad Amanda Tennant Talia Rodwin Parker Shatkin Bryan Rubin Rick Yu

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“I understand the frustration that local, small business owners have with shoplifting, but I think the protests were addressing the treatment of Elijah and past experiences of discrimination at the hands of Gibson’s employees,” Vaaler said. Although grand jury hearings often consist of no more than one or two witness testimonies, Will said there was a need to bring in more voices, partly because the incident garnered a lot of media attention. “In instances like this when you have a multitude of opinions and you have a lot of public relations or press issues that have been put out there by other people, I think it’s important that the grand jury hear first-hand from everybody, and they can make their own determination,” Will said. College juniors Andy Goelzer and Andrés González, who witnessed the incident and were subsequently interviewed by police, declined to say whether they were brought in to testify or comment on the new indictments. Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo also declined to comment. Now, the three students’ attorneys will have to decide whether they want to hold one trial or separate ones for the burglary charges, after which a preliminary trial date will be decided.

Maureen Coffey Caley Watnick Hazel Galloway Ryanne Berry Victoria Albacete Sydney Allen Giselle Glaspie Auden Granger Courtney Loeb Emily Peterson Julia Peterson Kendall Mahavier Bryan Rubin Ben Steger Mason Boutis

Corrections: In “College to Expand Hall Annex” (April 28), Jesse Docter was mistakenly identified as a member of the Presidential Search Committee. Docter is a participant in the process. Jeremy Poe is the member of the Presidential Search Committee. To submit a correction, email managingeditor@oberlinreview.org.

Parents Question School Board’s Expenses Sydney Allen Production editor

The Oberlin City School Board will launch an investigation into potentially inflated school bus repair costs after local parents accused the board of spending an estimated excess of $1 million over the past 10 years. The revelation comes after the board’s February decision to end bussing to Lake Ridge Academy, a private school located in North Ridgeville, Ohio, about 30 miles from Oberlin. The decision was based on the board’s claim that they would save $30,000 a year with the cut — a claim many parents disputed, saying that there were more exorbitant costs in other parts of the budget that needed further examining. Jessa New, OC ’01 — who has children both at Lake Ridge and in the Oberlin public school system — and other parents pinpointed maintenance costs as a potential source of excess spending. “If there are things we are going to be cutting or things that are going to be pared down, I think it’s also important to look at things we may be spending too much money on unnecessarily,” New said. The ongoing conflict arose during an Oberlin Board of Education meeting on April 25, bringing local mechanic Matt Tipple, who services the city’s buses, and his company, Countryview Services in Wakeman, Ohio, also known as Countryview Farms, into the line of fire. Tipple said he has serviced Oberlin’s school buses since 2005, when none of the buses met the state’s safety requirements, bringing the dilapidated buses up to code. “There’s a few elements on busing that got misconstrued badly, to be honest with you,” Tipple said. “When I started doing the buses for the school they were in such disrepair they couldn’t pass an annual

Thursday, April 27 12:23 a.m. A Safety and Security officer putting away equipment after a fire call burned their hand on a hot exhaust fan. The officer was transported to Mercy Allen Hospital for treatment. 11:50 a.m. A student reported the possible misuse of their credit card. Members of the Oberlin Police Department also responded. The incident is under investigation. A bus parked outside of Langston Middle School. Local school parents accused the Oberlin School Board of spending an estimated excess of $1 million on school bus repairs over the past 10 years. Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo editor

inspection at all for the State Highway Patrol. It wasn’t even close, they weren’t going to pass. And I was hired … to bring the fleet up to speed, to keep them on the road. We had to do all of that within about three weeks’ time.” At the April meeting, New presented data she had collected from the Ohio Board of Education stating that Oberlin spent $145,976 in the 2015–2016 school year — almost $19,000 per bus. This figure more than triples the $3,000–$5,000 cost per bus that Wellington and other neighboring schools spend per year. “What really bothered a lot of us is that there were never any questions asked,” New said. “It’s not necessarily [Tipple] or his business that I’m upset with, its more the process that the school district has gone through every year — which is no process. When you’re using public money, you want to make sure you are getting what you’re paying for.”

Tipple said the high costs are a result of constant use and tough Oberlin winters, adding that many of the buses are on the roads all week and that the winter salt creates rust and destroys the exteriors and undersides of buses, particularly with the older models. Tipple also said that the comparison to Wellington is unfair, considering the advanced maintenance Oberlin’s buses require, with some being nearly 17 years old. He says the costs included in the data are far more general than the ones used in other school districts, and that they encompass services that might be found in other categories in different schools’ budgets. “We do everything,” Tipple said. “We help inspect the buses, clean the interiors, fix the seats, paint some stuff. … We do everything but put fuel in them and put the See School, page 4

Bon Appétit Managament Tactics Spark CDS Boycott Continued from page 1

hear, ‘I like this. I like that. I want this. I don’t want that.’ We hear that, and it’s clear, as people who take pride in our work, we want you to be happy because we care.” Capers said she felt disheartened by Bon Appétit’s management, adding that her efforts to serve the students to the best of her ability feel undermined by her inability to improve food quality. “We’re serving breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said. “It just shouldn’t be such a battle, such a struggle. It shouldn’t be them versus us. We should be working together for a common goal, which is putting out a good meal and having good things for you guys to eat — good things that you want to eat.” Muhil added that the dining management company has a history of controversy beyond Oberlin, including its involvement in the prison, oil and gas, mining and construction and defense industries. “In 2001, students held a boycott of the dining halls to get rid of Sodexho-Marriott, and they were inspired to do so by the ‘Not With Our Money’ campaign, which attacked Sodexho’s anti-union actions and Sodexho’s ties to the private prison industry; they were shareholders of the Corrections Corporation of America, one of the largest private prison firms,” Muhil said. “The original goal of the ‘Not With Our Money’ campaign was to go to self-management, and instead the College got rid of Sodexho, and instead brought in Bon Appétit. And Bon Appétit is also a shareholder in Trinity Services, which caters to the prison-industrial complex.” Moving forward, Muhil said that SLAC hopes to meet with Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo to begin negotiating changes over the dining management system. However, Raimondo said that the College has no current plans to change its relationship with Bon Appétit. “In choosing a management strategy for dining, the College considers a wide range of factors — cost-effectiveness, access to additional resources relevant to developing an excellent dining program, strategies to enhance professional development and the skill sets of dining managers, the quality of the program from the perspective of students, the ability to proThe Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

Security Notebook

vide effective management as defined by applicable policies and contracts, the ability to realize value commitments such as use of locally grown foods, the capacity to contribute to the educational aspect of the residential experience, to name some of the most important,” she wrote in an email to the Review. “The College’s partnership with Bon Appétit allows us to achieve a remarkable number of our priorities at a high level.” CDS grill cook, counter cook and cashier Matt Kubach said that he and other UAW members have been meeting with Raimondo this past semester to express their concerns and gain financial information about Bon Appétit to prove that selfmanagement would benefit the campus. However, the College has not made that information available. “When we report to somebody, we’re reporting to an organization that’s a for-profit,” Kubach said. “The rest of the campus is a non-profit, and obviously you’ve got to make money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got to make a ton of money. I kind of feel Bon Appétit wouldn’t be here if they weren’t making money. I don’t think they’re here for good will. I think for me, personally, … what I would like to see in the dining program is to just try to break even — provide the fair wages, try to lower the room and board cost. I think if you’re cutting out a large chunk of what you’re paying Bon Appétit, you can achieve that a little more easily.” Wyman explained how the UAW plans to continue mobilizing support for change. “We really appreciate the support from all of the students and the student groups,” Wyman said. “I think it really sends a strong message to management, even to the higher ups and the administration. We have four different unions on this campus, and if we stick together and if student coalitions stick together with us, we’re helping each other out. They have to listen. The next thing probably would be getting parents involved during the commencement period, and then next year we’ll have to set up with underclassmen if things haven’t gotten any better when the trustees get in at the beginning of the school year.” Bon Appétit managers at the College declined to comment for this article.

Friday, April 28 2:17 p.m. Officers responded to the report of a bicycle and motor vehicle accident at Lorain and Professor Streets. The cyclist rode in front of an oncoming vehicle and was struck. Members of the Oberlin Police Department, Oberlin Fire Department and an ambulance responded. The student stated that they were OK and declined medical transport at the time.

Saturday, April 29 2:13 p.m. A Campus Dining Services employee reported the theft of their bicycle from the bike rack on the west side of Stevenson Dining Hall.

Sunday, April 30 11:17 a.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the third floor of South Hall. Upon arrival, a strong odor of cigarette smoke was detected. An electrician responded to clean the detector and reset the alarm.

Monday, May 1 12:17 p.m. Officers, members of the Oberlin Fire Department and an Oberlin College electrician responded to assist an individual stuck in the elevator in the basement of Kohl Building. The individual was assisted out of the elevator. 2:44 p.m. A student reported the theft of Bose Soundsport Headphone earbuds, valued at approximately $200, from their study carrel on the third floor of Mudd library.

Wednesday, May 2 3:48 p.m. An officer on patrol heard an alarm at the Service Building and observed staff standing outside. Upon investigation, they discovered that the building’s fire alarm was not put on bypass and the work in progress had activated the alarm. An electrician made adjustments until servicing was completed. 5:30 p.m. Catering staff reported damage to a service vehicle, which was parked at the Stevenson Dining Hall dock. A dent was observed on the left rear gate. It is unknown when the damage occurred.

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trust me a lot, and I respect them a lot. Their needs, their values and their goals are really what drive the work that I do. I think without the strong relationships that I have with them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’ve done over the past three years.

Julio Reyes, Latinx Student Life Coordinator Julio Reyes is the Latinx Student Life Coordinator, assistant director of Student Outreach and Success and program director of the Undocumented Student Initiatives. Reyes graduated from Brown University in 2012 with degrees in Sociology and Portuguese & Brazilian Studies. Later employed at Brown, Reyes focused on social justice issues and Latinx community engagement as a Minority Peer Counselor Friend, Latino History Month Programmer and Latino Student Initiative programmer. At Oberlin, he has worked in the Multicultural Resource Center and helped create the Undocumented Students Initiatives program. After three years here, Reyes returns to Brown as the inaugural program director of the university’s First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center June 15. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Melissa Harris News editor

What drew you to Oberlin in the first place? I actually heard about Oberlin College as a high school student because I used to do music in high school, and my guidance counselor suggested that I apply to Oberlin for the Conservatory — I had no idea about the College at that time. But Oberlin after that, specifically when I was looking for jobs, I wanted to work at a place where I could enact all my social justice politics through the work that I was doing. It wasn’t a side project; I could actually be invested in the work of doing social justice in a professional capacity. I really thought that I could do that well here, given [the College’s] legacy and its history, and also for me to identify areas where I could see growth and where things kind of still needed to be changed or pushed. Also, I got along really well with students during my interviews, and I think that, in addition to being able to do what I wanted professionally, is also really great. Since coming here, what parts of the Oberlin community have been most meaningful to you? I think that the connections I’ve been able to build with the students. I feel like we have a very

mutual understanding of what our relationship is, so mutual trust, respect and I think love for one another. I think that’s what kept me here at Oberlin, even when I felt very challenged here and have thought about other professional opportunities or what I could do elsewhere. [Students] have kept me going, and I really appreciate them the most, especially the student leaders and the people I’ve been working with during my time. That’s what I’ll miss the most about Oberlin. It’s the very unique kind of student connections that I’ve been able to develop.

porting them, helping them grow and develop — understanding that how we think about social justice shifts and changes over time, and we need to make sure that we’re doing that work with younger students. I think those are some of the things I’ve been really proud of. Also being able to develop, grow out and create the Undocumented Students Initiatives program that didn’t necessarily exist before, but through that — again, collaboration with students — help build something really great that will continue to provide support for students moving forward.

What are some of the things you’re most proud of accomplishing as the Latinx Student Life Coordinator? I am most proud of being able to integrate leadership development and work with students in showing that we’re creating a constant community of support, thinking about care and wellness and how that drives the relationships I build with students and also the relationships that students build with each other. Also, understanding that as students get older, we have to make sure that we’re bringing new students into the community and working with them and sup-

How is the MRC important to you and to the students who use the space, from what you see? For me and for the students that I also work with, it’s a place where I come — and I think other students as well — to get re-centered. I think there’s a lot that happens outside the institution and within the institution that makes it challenging for the student communities that are supported by the MRC just in their daily lives but also while they’re navigating being college students. It’s challenging. But I see the center as a space for people to come together and build community with each other. They

Julio Reyes, Latinx Student Life Coordinator Photo courtesy of Julio Reyes

learn to love one another. They learn to get upset with each other but also just become re-centered and work with each other through the process of learning and growing and unlearning... . I see students coming with a lot of hurt and pain, given some of the experiences they have. But I also see students also coming in with a lot of joy. I think that the center serves as a balancing space for them. That’s what I mean when I say re-centered: where you can exist as a person that’s really hurt and upset but also have joy and happiness and want to celebrate all of that. I think that’s the beauty of the MRC, and that’s been one of the things that’s been helping me stay in Oberlin... . I never thought I’d live in Ohio, but that’s what the center’s done for me. Are the students sad to see you go? Yeah, they are. That was the toughest part for me in making the decision to leave Oberlin. Because again, what’s kept me here for so long are the relationships I’ve built with students, and I really trust them a lot. I think the students

How do you feel about your new position at Brown? Are you nervous, excited? Yeah, I’m really nervous. I’m scared. I’m excited. I think I have a lot of mixed emotions about leaving but also about starting something new. I’m most nervous about being in a very visible leadership position and making sure that I can incorporate the work that I’ve done here at Oberlin in a new setting. And that’ll be a challenge, but I think that I’ll have a good system of support. I’m going to mess up, that’s inevitable, but I hope that people will be patient with me and help me work through some of these nerves as well. How do you think your time at Oberlin has prepared you for your new position? Oh, God. It’s funny, I was talking to some faculty members yesterday, and I mentioned to them that I felt like Oberlin is like a boot camp for people who are interested in higher education because so much happens at Oberlin constantly. There’s so much happening in terms of student unrest, students wanting more and demanding more of the institution, which makes sense. But as a younger staff member, I think it really prepares people to take the next step and move professionally because they gain so much experience from working with such a tight-knit community but also learning from students a lot about how to affect change and institutions in a way that’ll make them more comfortable.

School Board to Investigate Transportation Costs Continued from page 3

driver in them. It’s a really unfair comparison to compare [Wellington’s] numbers because one is everything and one is partial.” The Ohio School Board Association says that as buses age, maintenance costs may begin approaching $5,000–6,000. New also used information from School Transportation News and SchoolBusFeet.com to raise questions about the high maintenance costs. “As a rule of thumb, you should place $1,800–$2,000 per bus in a parts budget line,” said Michael Dallessandro, Veteran Transportation director in New York, in an October 2015 posting on SchoolBusFeet.

com. “Your newer vehicles that are under warranty should consume very little of those funds, while your oldest units will consume more than their share. In most cases, this equals out.” Tipple said that this is a “no-win situation” for the schools, citing intense media backlash the board received when they bought a new bus in 2005 and the current unhappiness with the repair costs. A new bus typically costs around $80,000, according to The Chronicle-Telegram. “I’m an advocate for new equipment,” Tipple said. “I’ve told the school, ‘We need to buy new buses; this thing is too far gone to put money in it,’ and I don’t make the decisions as to who buys new buses, and I’m

sure the school has been hesitant because of the negative publicity of the new buses, but I have always promoted to buy new buses. I think in the end it would probably be cheaper to buy new buses, and I would always promote that. … I just present information and I do my job.” The board has since halted the rest of its agenda items until an investigation could ensue, which involves inquiries into the possible purchase of up to three new school buses and an $11,000 invoice for Tipple regarding engine repairs. The board will also accept bus-maintenance bids for the coming school year. “People need to ask questions,” New said. “I think it’s important that it doesn’t

Community News Bulletin

OCS Rescues Dorm Food

Title IX Office Moves to Carnegie

Oberlin Community Services will place cardboard collection boxes in the lobbies of every Residential Education and Oberlin Student Cooperative Association dorm at the end of the semester. These boxes will serve as food collection bins, aiming to deter students from throwing away food before they move out of their rooms and encourage them to donate instead. The boxes will be clearly labeled, indicating what donations will be accepted. The boxes will be in dorm lobbies from 9 a.m. May 8 through May 23.

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion moved from Cox Hall to Carnegie Building in Room 204 last week. The office recommends nondiscrimination policies reflecting campus culture and federal guidelines, responds to discrimination and harassment reports and provides support and resources pertaining to sexual misconduct, discrimination and harassment policies. Title IX Coordinator and Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Rebecca Mosely said the move was made in order to have a bigger space for the office.

just stop with bus maintenance. They should look at all of their large numbers and see ‘are we spending this money in the best way we can?’” Tipple also defended his business in light of the busing controversy, stating that this is the first time people questioned its credibility. “People are saying I’m lying about my company,” Tipple said. “We’ve never been in this position. Nobody’s ever said anything bad about us like this. It’s completely unnecessary because I have no opinion whether kids should be bused to Lake Ridge; it doesn’t affect me at all. … The bottom line is I got thrown into a firestorm when I was just hired to do a job.”

City Council Passes Resolution Supporting Medicinal Marijuana City Council unanimously voted to pass a resolution supporting medicinal marijuana businesses in the city’s industrial park at Monday’s council meeting. The resolution states that the industrial park is suitable for cultivation, testing and processing of marijuana for medicinal purposes and that the industrial park is the only location in the city zoned for such usage. The resolution also includes support for the state medicinal marijuana legislation, which was passed last fall, and encourages firms to establish the industry in the city.

OPINIONS May 5, 2017

established 1874

Letters to the editors

Government Regulation Allows Capitalism to Succeed To the Editors:

In regard to the columns that have appeared in the Review debating libertarian capitalism: While I am a proponent of capitalism, I believe libertarian capitalism would be a disaster. It would be far too easy for the wealthy and powerful to exploit markets in a system of libertarian capitalism. The production of goods and services would be governed by monopolies. An easy illustration for how this would transpire can be seen in the way professional football evolved into a monopoly. At one time there were two separate professional football leagues: the American Football League and the National Football League. The two leagues bid for the services of prospects coming out of college, resulting in an increase in the salaries of all players. Competition between the two leagues represented the best traits of capitalism. The AFL narrowed the width of the football leading to a more exciting style of football, salaries of players increased and the AFL was also more open to Black prospects coming out of college than the NFL. But the wealthy and powerful men who owned professional football teams, who had derived their wealth from the free-market capitalistic system, decided against free market capitalism when it came to professional football and persuaded Congress to grant them an exemption from the antitrust laws, allowing the merger of the two leagues into one entity. The merger resulted in a reduction in the salaries of players while teams began using the threat of moving to coerce cities to build them new stadiums using tax money.

If two competing professional leagues had still existed when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, there is no doubt that the competing league would have immediately placed another team in Cleveland, and the taxpayers of Cleveland would not have been coerced into building a new football stadium. Industries will always choose to form cartels and monopolies when there is no government regulation. It is just human nature to want to avoid competition when it is more profitable and more secure to organize a monopoly. That’s why libertarian capitalism would never work. Conversely, that’s why socialism doesn’t work. Like libertarian capitalism, a small group of powerful people place their interests above the interests of the individual members of the entire group. – Bob Gross Oberlin visitor

Review Fails to Live Up to Promise To the Editors: Since 1874, The Oberlin Review has been the sole campus publication to bear the label “Publication of Record of Oberlin College.” Every year, I read with great patience to see if you will live up to the solemn duty that title places on you, and every year I am left sorely disappointed. A publication of record should document, in a reasonably faithful way, the life of the College. By many measures, you have failed in that special responsibility. I note that the “Publication of Record” light has been flickering on your masthead marquis. It was absent in the mastheads to issues 8, 10, 14, 22 and 23 this year (Volume 145). While it makes me sad, I

recommend that you scrap that label altogether going forward. When you discard that line from your masthead, you will experience new freedom. When you discard that line, you will join the ranks of other campus publications with their well-known agendas and biases and become just another campus paper. When you scrap that title, I will no longer worry about fair and balanced coverage of campus goingson in your pages. No longer will I wonder why athletics gets three pages of automatic coverage in every issue, while campus visits by internationally renowned scientists get nothing. No longer will I wonder why students in the arts are given lavish coverage in your pages for a senior art show or a recital or a play production while public presentations of first-rate scholarship by students in laboratory- or field-based sciences are ignored wholesale. No longer will I wonder why my colleagues in mathematics or neuroscience or physics are never featured in the “Off the Cuff ” segment. No longer will I need to worry about a bone you will throw to readers like me with a token story about some science-related event on campus. All those pesky wishes will simply vanish. When you cease to be the publication of record of Oberlin College, no longer will I have to anticipate your defensive rebuttal to letters such as this that you have no reporters to cover that beat. I will not have to worry about the ignorant assumptions you make about your readership — that they are just not interested in that intellectual, geeky stuff that is all around us on this vibrant campus. I will no longer be concerned if future historians might faithfully reconstruct a picture of our campus based on See Letters, page 7

Submissions Policy

The Oberlin Review appreciates and welcomes letters to the editors and op-ed submissions. All submissions are printed at the discretion of the Editorial Board. All submissions must be received by Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at opinions@oberlinreview.org or Wilder Box 90 for inclusion in that week’s issue. Letters may not exceed 600 words and op-eds may not exceed 800 words, except with consent of the Editorial Board. All submissions must include contact information, with full names and any relevant titles, for all signers. All writers must individually confirm authorship on electronic submissions. Op-eds may not have more than two authors. The Review reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity, length, grammar, accuracy, strength of argument and in consultation with Review style. Editors will work with contributors to edit pieces and will clear major edits with the authors prior to publication. Editors will contact authors of letters to the editors in the event of edits for anything other than style and grammar. Headlines are printed at the discretion of the Editorial Board. Opinions expressed in editorials, letters, op-eds, columns, cartoons or other Opinions pieces do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of the Review. The Review will not print advertisements on its Opinions pages. The Review defines an advertisement as any submission that has the main intent of bringing direct monetary gain to a contributor. The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

Volume 145, Number 24

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Tyler Sloan

Oliver Bok

Managing Editor Kiley Petersen

Opinions Editor Sami Mericle

Bon Voyage, Bon Appétit Chronic understaffing, overworked staff members, disgruntled employees and complaints about mismanagement. These are some of the issues that Campus Dining Service workers decried more than two years ago, as covered in the Review at the time (“CDS Workers: We’re Overworked, Disrespected,” The Oberlin Review, Oct. 2, 2015). And yet seemingly nothing was fixed in the last two years, as the same set of issues were the central focus of a campus protest Monday. In collaboration with CDS employees, Student Labor Action Coalition coordinated a boycott of dining halls. Members of the organization took to social media and other platforms to encourage students to eat in co-ops or join a picnic in Wilder Hall for lunch Monday. Reiterating frustrations with the College’s thirdparty food management system, Bon Appétit Management Company, CDS employees sought to draw attention to the issue on May Day, historically International Workers’ Day. Among the most central concerns, employees said that Bon Appétit stifles culinary creativity, mismanages employee and contributes to food waste (See “Students, CDS Workers Protest Bon Appétit, page 1). CDS staffers have argued in favor of an in-house management system that would involve the College directly hiring managers, chefs and other positions and could ultimately save the College money. Eliminating Bon Appétit, which has been plagued by alleged sexual assault scandals and other serious complaints in recent years, would be the most productive move for the College. According to the company’s website, Bon Appétit “help[s] companies create great places to work, with healthy and productive employees. [It] help[s] universities make the grade when it comes to attracting students.” But this mission statement does not live up to reality, according to employees who are directly managed by the company’s managers. In 2015, CDS employee and United Auto Workers bargaining representative Robert Sullivan called out the company, saying, “Don’t tell the truth to anyone, don’t answer any questions, don’t look anyone in the eye — those are Bon Appétit core values.” In addition to the potential savings from eliminating the thirdparty management system, the College should consider making better use of current staff members who have years of experience under their belt. Many CDS employees have serious culinary chops and experience in the food-service industry. Yet those skills often go to waste, as the College’s talented employees feel like they have to follow Bon Appétit recipes that are frequently unpopular and subsequently thrown out. To use administrative parlance, why isn’t the College “leveraging” the “human capital” it already has? In-house management systems at peer institutions have found success both with students and employees. For example, Bowdoin College in Maine has similar standards to Oberlin regarding food sourcing and organic ingredients, but everything is managed internally. Bowdoin chefs make meals from scratch, source fruits and vegetables from their own gardens, have an in-house meat shop and create their own recipes. These are some of the same requirements Oberlin looks for in dining services. According to Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo, the College considers a wide range of factors, including cost-effectiveness, resources about developing effective college dining programs, training for professional development of managers and employees and student feedback, among others. It is then worth asking if these same standards can be achieved with in-house management. According to local United Auto Workers Chair Milton Wyman, Bon Appétit’s yearly contract with the College is up for renewal this summer, meaning it is time to consider a shift in light of ongoing complaints from the workers most intimately connected with Bon Appétit. Perhaps the College should ditch the controversial third-party contractor and follow the old proverb, “If you want a job done right, do it yourself.” Editorials are the responsibility of the Review Editorial Board — the Editors-in-Chief, Managing editor and Opinions editor — and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the Review.

Opi n ions

Finding Social Footing at College Takes Time, Effort Amber Scherer Contributing writer

It wasn’t until recently that I realized how fragile my friendships at Oberlin are. After a fairly solitary first semester, I was excited to develop a group of friends this spring. It was reassuring to have people I could geek out with over music or politics or just hang out with on weekends. That’s all I’ve ever wanted from friends: casual, easygoing relationships. In high school, at least, that’s all friends were for me. My real support came from my family, so I never sought it out at school. But now, away from my home and family, I’m realizing how much time it takes for people to get to know each other well enough to become the family we all need.

I feel unsettled away from home. I’ve been looking for friends to act as a support system, but I’ve just been attaching myself to people who make me feel happy momentarily. And a lot of the time, I just see what I want to see in people. There’s this hole in my chest, sometimes in my stomach, that aches constantly. I can distract myself from it when I socialize, when I’m practicing piano or running. I live for ways to distract myself from it. But the more I turn to temporary solutions, the more I ache when I am forced to acknowledge my loneliness. I asked a friend of mine about this. “How do you get through a feeling like that?” She just grimaced, “One day at a time.” Is that going to change? I feel like it has to, and we’re all gradually

getting to know each other. I hope so. There are a few people I’m starting to genuinely love at Oberlin, but only a few, the very few who seem to return it. I’ve known all of them since Orientation week, and for each, it took an awkward, semester-long relationship to figure out that we genuinely liked each other. Each relationship was a gamble, and my friendships that haven’t worked out far outnumber the ones that have. I might be a hypocrite in saying that I don’t feel connected to many people, because I myself prefer to hide my thoughts. I like seeming happy — it makes things easier. I started doing it in high school; it helps me get along with people superficially. I’m not saying I would prefer to express my dark feelings all the time, but I do wish I felt safe enough to be more “real.” I don’t trust

a lot of my friends, because I know they don’t actually know me. Many of them seem to think they do. They look at me, at my practice schedule, at my penchant for laughter, and they see a happy, diligent child. That’s always been how other people see me. But now that we’re all in this game of pretending to know each other so well — what else can we do? — I’m finding more and more that I resent it. I don’t think I fit into a character trope. I don’t think I’m even a clearly defined person yet. Looking for familiarity in a place where everyone is a stranger is a much harder and longer struggle than I imagined, and it doesn’t seem like people talk about this much. But I want to, because I’m hoping that it’ll help. If it’s something we share, then at least that makes us that much less isolated.

Tobacco Ban Underscores College’s Flawed Governance Jordan Ecker Contributing writer

Oberlin students received an email Monday from Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo urging “members of the Oberlin community” to please respect the campus’ “tobacco-free” policy. The message wasn’t that there was a ban on cigarettes and that we would be punished for smoking. The message was that we ought to act as respectful members of a democratic community and practice civic virtue by respecting the norms we had all agreed upon. It’s a darkly ironic message. The tobacco ban — and make no mistake, if you are prohibiting members of a community from doing something, it is a ban — is representative of how distinctly

undemocratic Oberlin’s campus governance is. As a member of Student Senate during 2014–15 and a member of the Tobacco Ban Implementation Committee, I bore witness to the undemocratic nature of the ban’s creation. The plan was concocted by a handful of elites: Machmud Makhmudov, OC ’16, who in 2014 held a brief monopoly of power in Student Senate, and administrators, notably President Marvin Krislov. There was no organic democratic demand for the ban. There was no grassroots organizing and no deliberation within the community that concluded a ban was necessary. Instead, the ban was drafted by a handful with their eye to the supposed wellbeing of the mass in mind, motivated by a perception that Oberlin was falling behind other progres-

sive colleges in upholding student health without a ban. At least three polls of the student body were taken when the ban was being drafted. None found a majority in favor. But elites working on the ban still insisted on using the self-satisfying rhetoric of democratic governance, portraying themselves as representatives of a democratic community organized around principles of self-governance. In reality, the principles behind the tobacco ban are the opposite of democratic: The primary actors all believed that they, not the masses, knew what was in the community’s self-interest. Students were portrayed as incapable of self-governance — a ban was necessary for their own good, whether they knew it or not. Before anything else, democ-

racy means self-rule. It means giving people and groups the right to determine who they are. Rather than adhere to democratic principles, the administration used rhetorical messaging to attempt to convince students that the ban is in our best interests, ignoring the negative poll results. Its advocates touted its supposed positive effects on the environment and public health, while in reality smoking has limited ecological effect, and the ban ignores the needs of those who rely on smoking as a way to regulate their mood or anxiety. The ban was hatched by elites for elite satisfaction. It was fueled by a technocratic ideal of governance, in which students and community members are treated as parts to be optimized rather than self-governing individuals

capable of making choices. It was justified with liberal rhetoric, but its enforcement can only be autocratic. Administrators say that students should not protest, disrupt or otherwise try to break the collegiate machine. Instead, we should behave like willing gears within it, using only the levers for change the administration supplies us with. When Oberlin students express their collective democratic will and attempt to pull the lever on carbon divestment or boycotting Israel, we are told our initiative is impractical or out of joint with Oberlin’s values. But when a handful of elites decide the masses are unclean and unhealthy, the masses’ behavior is regulated with a moralizing rhetoric and a police force slinking behind it, somewhere in the shadows.

College Should Prioritize Healthy Working Environment Over Free Speech Daniel Markus Arts and Culture editor

Imagine the following scenario: You work in an office. One day at work, the company brings in a speaker to give a presentation about business development. Midway through, the presenter starts making incredibly disparaging comments about women. What would you do? Most likely, you would file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, because the presenter’s actions are prohibited under federal law. According to the EEOC, “The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.” If you were a member of this workplace, you wouldn’t expect coworkers to go about their business as if the presentation weren’t happening, even if they weren’t necessarily in the room. Yet that seems to be the perverse standard to which college students are held these days. Last week, conservative firebrand Ann Coulter canceled a planned speech at the University of California, Berkeley, amid safety concerns and threats of massive protests, reigniting a vicious debate over free speech that has raged on college campuses across the country in recent years. In March, the same thing happened at Middle-

bury College when a planned speech by Charles Murray — author of the controversial 1994 book The Bell Curve — was targeted and eventually derailed by protests. Before Murray, there was former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopolous, whose speech at Berkeley was also canceled when protests became violent. The list goes on, and pundits continue to decry students at elite colleges for promoting censorship. These prophecies of the liberal censorship apocalypse are not only absurd at best, but seem fundamentally ignorant of this simple fact: We don’t have absolute free speech in the workplace. Why should we have it at colleges? In addition to the pursuit of knowledge, perhaps the most fundamental reason students attend college is to prepare themselves for entry into the workforce. While a college degree wasn’t necessarily always critically important to acquiring a good job, Georgetown University estimates that by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require post-secondary education. So, if the point of college really is to prepare students to enter the workforce, colleges should actually prepare them for the workplaces they are set to enter — ones that are bound by federal law. Instead of bemoaning student behavior, we could instead teach them the legal rights they’ll soon have and how to use them when faced with a hostile work environment.

Additionally, colleges are themselves workplaces for many students. Beyond the jobs students take on to help pay for school, the classroom, too, is a sort of workplace. Professors and institutions expect a certain amount of productivity out of their students, and our productivity — how much we get done and how well we do it — is just like employee productivity in the workplace. Speaking of workplace productivity, numerous studies and analyses over the years have shown that discrimination can lower worker productivity, even if subtle and unintentional. The same is true in college. When an Oberlin professor received anti-Semitic threats after President Donald Trump’s election, I found myself suddenly unable to focus. How could I finish my physics problem set when there were surely more important things to be done, like spending time with the Jewish community here? All I could think about was what this event meant for me as a young Jewish student; Newtonian mechanics was the least of my worries. The key difference between college and the workplace is that hostile work environments don’t follow you home. In addition to working and studying, college students also sleep, bathe, eat and socialize on their campuses. Many of us — especially at small schools like Oberlin — spend every

waking minute totally immersed in our campuses. And while critics will argue that students opposed to controversial speakers should simply not attend their events, going to college means it’s not that simple. After the vandalism, I recovered pretty quickly, but there’s no doubt it affected my grades, and it taught me just how pervasive and all-consuming issues of discrimination can be on campus. Even though I wasn’t the person targeted, it was impossible to avoid confronting and discussing anti-Semitism. That act of vandalism got everyone talking. Even though I felt physically safe on campus, every conversation in the following days served as a painful reminder of the hate directed at me and my Jewish peers by the outside world. The same thing happens when controversial speakers come to campus. Every aspect of student life is affected. Conversations in the dining hall become immediately politicized, as do statements by professors in classes, and everyone’s fuses get shorter, often spilling over into hostile arguments around privilege. Physically avoiding hateful speakers is easy; beyond that, it’s impossible. Critics argue that if such speakers don’t come to campus, students will suffer because they won’t be exposed to opposing viewpoints and that such restrictions pose an undue burden on See Campuses, page 7

Environmental Studies Fails in Interdisciplinary Approach Sami Mericle Opinions editor Kiley Petersen Managing editor

As graduating Environmental Studies majors, we want to address the elephant in the AJLC: Most majors are deeply dissatisfied with the Environmental Studies program. Environmental Studies is a huge draw to the College for potential Oberlin students who, like us, were wowed by the beauty and design of the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, the Living Machine and the Building Dashboard. We did not know that this is yet another example of the College investing more in buildings than the programs housed inside of them. We do not mean to critique the professors in the department or the classes they teach, but rather the structure of the program. We’ve had the privilege of being taught by many inspiring professors who work to find tangible, equitable solutions to environmental crises. Our advisors have admirably worked within the pathway system to craft a classroom experience that suits our interests. However, the program is flawed in ways that limit how effective Oberlin’s interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies can be. To begin, the program faces the same problem that plagues so many other departments at Oberlin: a lack of faculty and, consequently, course offerings. This is somewhat inevitable at a small school, particularly given our current financial crisis, and is especially problematic in such a popular major with 52 graduating majors this year. While the program website boasts of 23 faculty members, only six of those are exclusive ENVS professors, two of whom are currently on sabbatical. Ten others are appointed full time in other departments, including Chemistry, Religion and even TIMARA. These part-time appointees can serve as ENVS advisors as well as sit on the ENVS Program Committee. To make up for the dearth of courses, the program farms students out to other departments. To fulfill our majors, we completed courses in the Religion, Sociology, History, English, Chemistry, Geology and Biology departments. This makes sense to a point, as environmental studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field, and the College does not have the resources to hire more professors when we have biologists, geologists and environmental historians in other departments. But because these courses are not integrated with the core ENVS curriculum, it makes for a disjointed experience. This disjointedness is our main complaint about the ENVS department. Majors are required to take introductory chemistry and geology, plus either two introductory biology courses or Environmental Biology. In theory, this sounds useful and important; students studying the environment should understand earth systems, and those systems are grounded in science. But the learning gained in those classes is ultimately wasted for most students, since that knowledge is not incorporated into other courses. Very few students end up taking upper-level chemistry, geology and The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

CARTOON OF THE WEEK

biology classes that would apply this introductory information to the environment. This leaves many students with little scientific literacy but an extensive background in theories and philosophies. What use is a foundation in environmental thought without the scientific knowledge to back up your arguments? To us, an interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies does not mean taking a single class from each department. It means constructing courses that truly draw upon approaches from different fields to explore an environmental issue. In an attempt to add cohesion to the major, students are asked to design and complete a pathway that is supposed to center their classes around a theme. For us, those pathways were Environmental Chemistry and Global Environmental Issues and –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

What use is a foundation in environmental thought without the scientific knowledge to back up your arguments? ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Politics. However, the pathways are skewed in how applicable classes are — limited course offerings make it difficult to find classes that relate to Environmental Chemistry, for instance. However, Global Environmental Issues and Politics is so broad an area of study that practically any affiliated course could be convincingly applied to the pathway. Combine the pathway program with small upper-level class sizes and the major becomes extremely inaccessible, particularly for students who are double majors and have little freedom in their schedules. Environmental Studies may go through a program review next year, which could involve a redesign or tailoring of its internal structure. If the department decides to drastically reimagine itself, it needs to either narrow its interdisciplinary scope or expand course offerings by hiring more core faculty. The first option is regrettable, since one of the highlights of the program is that it is was designed to be interdisciplinary, with more of a social science and humanities focus than other environmental programs. While focusing only on the humanities, the natural sciences or the social sciences would certainly deter some students, it could help develop a focused, indepth curriculum. Hiring more faculty is dependent on both the Education Policies and Planning Committee and the College Faculty Council, bodies that rank departmental requests to add positions based on merit and overall institutional funding requirements. Previously, Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College on Sustainability and the Environment David Orr has independently raised funds to hire professors in order to work around these institutional rankings. As the ENVS program currently stands, the structure does a disservice to both students navigating the major and faculty workloads. To ensure its academic reputation, the program must hire more faculty or fundamentally rethink its focus.

Brian Tom

Campuses Do Not Need Absolute Free Speech Continued from page 6

free speech. But professors should and do introduce controversial topics and modes of thought in their courses, which is a far more effective method of actually learning them. Public lectures, especially ones with politically charged content, are tremendously stressful environments for students. During a speech, students don’t have the opportunity to ask intermittent questions. And at a time when violence at political events is increasingly prevalent, these speeches can even become physically dangerous for students who express different views than those of the speaker. Introducing controversial topics in the classroom removes real and perceived threats for students and gives them the opportunity to more fully analyze proposals from people with different political views. In other words, controlled exposure increases the probability that liberal students change their minds, which is exactly what conservatives should want. The solution, then, is for colleges to be more selective about the speakers they allow to come to campus. There will be no perfect way to do this, but a sensible one would be the creation of a speakers’ commit-

tee made up of students, faculty and staff with diverse political views. Students could petition the committee to block speakers who they felt would be harmful to the campus community. It could hear testimony from concerned students, faculty and staff on all sides and make decisions based on this testimony, its research into the speaker in question, impacts on campus safety and other factors. Almost inevitably, either liberals or conservatives would be unhappy with every decision such a committee would make, but that is almost the exact situation on college campuses now. At the very least, something like the above could formalize the process and give both sides the opportunity to have their voices heard. The mission of college is not free speech; it is to help its students succeed in their education. To do so, not only do students need to feel comfortable in the environments where they work, they also need to prepare to enter the workplace. That workplace is one where they will have recourse to address hostile work environments, and instead of demanding that they suppress real concerns, we should be teaching them how to stand up for their rights.

Letters to the editors, cont. Continued from page 5

coverage in your pages. You need not chronicle every event (that is not realistic), but your coverage needs to be representative of the campus crosssection, which it is decidedly not. What I am advocating are deep structural changes to your coverage of campus happenings, because I care about The Oberlin Review. However, I am ready to throw in the towel if you will own up. Once you drop the pretense and surrender the title “Publication of Record,” you are free to pursue your coverage as you see fit, and you will not have the likes of me to hold you to the very highest standards of student journalism. Might I suggest: The Oberlin Review: Publication of Arts, Politics, Controversy, Entertainment and Athletics at Oberlin College. – Manish A. Mehta Donald R. Longman ’32 Professor of Chemistry

Calendar Throwbacks: And What!? Spring Performance Warner Main Space Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, 8 p.m. Oberlin’s all-female, contemporary hip-hop dance company will take you back to the early 2000s with dances performed to classic throwbacks. Tickets are $2, on sale at 6:30 p.m. the day of the show with POC priority.

@bodegacatsofinstagram This account features cats of all ages and breeds making themselves at home in different grocery and convenience stores.

@this_girl_is_a_squirrel

@friendofbae

Jill the squirrel is a 4-year-old Hurricane Isaac rescue who loves to nap and cuddle with her owner. Jill may not be albino, but she is certainly cute enough to be Oberlin’s new mascot.

Are memes more your forte? Although this account is not exclusively animals, Friend of Bae contains a large quantity of funny memes featuring a variety of different animals.

Insta Animals

@thebabyanimals The name of this account speaks for itself. Just make sure to prepare yourself for an overwhelming dose of cuteness.

The end of the semester can be a very stressful time, and everyone has different ways of coping with it. If you are an animal lover, the internet is a treasure chest full of pictures that will put a smile on your face. Whether you are a dog person, cat person or prefer seeing a more diverse range of species, check out one of the following Instagram accounts. Layout and text by Izzy Rosenstein, This Week editor

Fantastic Mr. Fox Showing Apollo Theatre Friday, May 5, 11:59 p.m. Apollo Theatre will screen Wes Anderson’s beautiful stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox. This film follows a clever fox as he tries to outwit three farmers. Admission is $5.

Food Donation and Nail Painting Oberlin Public Library Saturday, May 6, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Bring a non-perishable food item or cash donation to the library to support the Oberlin Food Bank and get your nails painted by Lorain County JVS cosmetology students.

Opera Scenes I Finney Chapel Saturday, May 6, 4–6 p.m. Conservatory students in the Opera Theater and Vocal Studies majors will perform scenes from various operas, including Arabella, Wuthering Heights and Orlando Paladino.

CHALLaH Cappella Final Spring Concert David H. Stull Recital Hall Monday, May 8.,9:30 p.m. @estherthewonderpig If farm animals are more your speed, Esther the Wonder Pig is a great next stop. This happy pig can be observed dressing up and spending time with their canine best friend.

@juniperfoxx @weratedogs At first, I found the concept of rating dogs deeply disturbing, as all of them are angels sent from heaven. Luckily, this account only gives ratings 10 and above out of 10 and features puppers of a variety of shapes, sizes, ages and breeds.

@wolfgang2242 This motley crew of friends includes many rescue dogs in addition to a pig, a rabbit, a chicken and others. This animal family all coexists happily, despite their differences.

Juniper is a very smiley fox who likes to hang out with her best friend, Moose the dog, and paint with her paws. Juniper’s owner also uses this account to discuss fox rescue and the complications that come with owning a wild animal.

Oberlin’s only Jewish a cappella group, CHALLaH Cappella, will perform songs by great Jewish artists in their final concert of the school year.

Multicultural Resource Center Finals Study Break Multicultural Resource Center Monday, May 8, 4–6 p.m. If you are part of a historically disenfranchised community. come to the MRC to take a break from finals stress! Snacks, music, board games and other activities will be provided.

@bodegacatsofinstagram This account features cats of all ages and breeds making themselves at home in different grocery and convenience stores.

@this_girl_is_a_squirrel

@friendofbae

Jill the squirrel is a 4-year-old Hurricane Isaac rescue who loves to nap and cuddle with her owner. Jill may not be albino, but she is certainly cute enough to be Oberlin’s new mascot.

Are memes more your forte? Although this account is not exclusively animals, Friend of Bae contains a large quantity of funny memes featuring a variety of different animals.

Insta Animals

@thebabyanimals The name of this account speaks for itself. Just make sure to prepare yourself for an overwhelming dose of cuteness.

@wolfgang2242 This motley crew of friends includes many rescue dogs in addition to a pig, a rabbit, a chicken and others. This animal family all coexists happily, despite their differences.

Oberlin’s only Jewish a cappella group, CHALLaH Cappella, will perform songs by great Jewish artists in their final concert of the school year.

A rt s & C u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE May 5, 2017

established 1874

Volume 145, Number 24

ON THE RECORD

Heather Marlowe, Playwright Editor’s note: This article discusses sexual assault. Playwright, actor and activist Heather Marlowe graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 with a degree in art history before moving to San Francisco, where she dedicated much of her time to theater classes. Motivated by her own experiences with the criminal justice system after being raped, Marlowe has worked with the survivor-advocacy organization Police for the Enforcement of Rape Laws and produced a solo show, The Haze, which she performed at Oberlin this week. Speaking with The Review, Marlow reflects on art as a healing mechanism and the realities of rape culture in the United States. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Victoria Garber Arts and Culture editor

You described the “haze” your play is named for as a kind of dissociative state that helped you through childhood trauma. How would you characterize the role it’s played in your life, and what significance does it hold as the name of your play? As a child, I wasn’t aware that I was going into those states — I think when children experience trauma, that sort of response is more automatic — and it’s not something I became aware of until I was an adult because [at that point] it starts to interfere with your life. It played a really positive role in my life as a young child because it’s a protective mechanism, and as an adult I have come to understand that if I’m triggered or if I get in places where I’m under a lot of stress — or [after] what happened with the rape — I’ve found myself going back into that state again. I’ve had to learn to be accepting [of the fact] that that’s how I was conditioned to cope, but [I’ve] also done a lot of personal therapy work to make it so that I can bring myself out of that state a little bit better. I decided to call [the play The Haze] because it has a dual meaning I think. One is just about what I call this dissociative state, but I [also] felt like this whole experience … going through the criminal justice system … is almost like they put you through [a hazing experience]. More often than not, I read about this kind of treatment — this kind of indifference — and you’re put through all of these barriers in an attempt to reach an end goal. Your play pretty explicitly detailed your own assault several years ago, as well as the incredibly impersonal way that you and your case were treated by authorities. Can you go into some of what happened, and how your case was handled? I was a victim of being drugged and raped by … a stranger or somebody I’d known for all of five, 10 minutes and had barely interacted with. I feel in retrospect that I was targeted. When I reported, I surrendered my body to have a sexual assault kit done, which is where the State takes the evidence from your body to … test for a [DNA] match for the suspect. I was told that that evidence taken from my body would be tested within 14 to 60 days, and I didn’t hear back from law enforcement despite continuing to follow up. I got no answers … and to this day, I’m not really sure of the details of the evidence that I had taken from me [or] whether it was properly tested. In addition to my evidence not being tested, the San Francisco Police Department also mishandled my investigation by [basically] putting me in charge of the investigation myself. There

was a potential suspect, [and] in order for me to be considered a “credible victim,” they put me in a lot of dangerous situations. They made me go inside the house of a potential suspect without a warrant and with no assistance. I had to go in by myself to see if I could properly identify the house [where] this happened to me. They [made] me contact the potential suspect myself. I had to pretend to flirt with him. I had to make him think that I wanted to get together for “more fun,” and then they wanted me to go out on a date with him so I could ID him in person, all because they felt that that would strengthen their case. Those are just some of the myriad [reasons] I ended up filing a complaint with our city’s watchdog program after this happened. You employ a lot of pretty dark humor to underscore the absurdity of the responses you got from police and the people around you. Would you characterize that as more of a coping mechanism or a way to better convey how ridiculous and broken the system is? I think it’s always been both. At this point in my life, enough time has passed that I feel like it’s more of a way to enhance the absurdity of how this was dealt with. Also, as an artist [I know] that if you’re an audience member, it would be really intense to sit through something like this. I would need some levity. People just don’t want to think that this kind of thing is going on, so I use humor to give the audience a break, as an artistic choice. Also, as someone who’s been performing it over and over, it gives myself a break, and when the audience laughs it’s really helpful for me too. It helps convey the absurdity of the whole thing if you look at it in a meta way. From studies you’ve seen and from what other women have told you, how common are these sorts of experiences and responses to women who’ve been raped? So common. My story is “unique” in that it happened to me and I have my own response to it, but when I started performing about this and researching, getting more familiar with the [facts and] hearing from other women [about] this issue of police indifference to this crime, [I found it to be very] common. There’s nothing special about what happened to me. Even in terms of the standard operating practice of making the victim be in touch with [a known] perpetrator or a potential suspect, I’ve heard from victims in San Francisco that had to do the exact same thing. There’s got to be a better way to do this. You’ve indicated that institutions work

to minimize the number of assaults they have to report because those numbers look bad as part of the public record. Can you elaborate on that? The FBI Unified Crime Report [is] a glimpse into every city’s crime statistics, and you want to keep your numbers low across the board, but rape … for whatever reason … is somehow perceived in our culture as kind of the worst of the crimes that can happen [to you], so it’s advantageous for cities to keep that number low. There’s a great legal scholar, Corey Rayburn Yung, who has done some excellent work going in and looking at the number of rapes reported in a city and then comparing that with the city’s population and creating a statistical model that essentially proves that police are underreporting this crime. Can you describe the conditions that have led to the hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits nationwide? Testing a rape kit can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500. Untested rape kits don’t just happen in a vacuum. They are a symptom of this larger problem of police and law enforcement disappearing this crime. It really has a lot to do with this culture of not believing women who come forward. In the ’70s … there were laws passed so that criminals would be held accountable. That’s great, but then something has to be done about [enforcement], and when we [compare] the number of women who report all the way through the criminal justice system to the number of women whose rapists see a day in jail, it’s a funnel. I would argue that where the most change needs to happen is actually at the very beginning, which is a thorough [preliminary] investigation. Almost 40 years after [better rape laws were] passed, [a 2016 federal investigation concluded] that the [Baltimore] sex crimes unit unfound a large proportion of complaining victims, meaning they [ignored the case because they] didn’t believe the victims. From there, even if a woman has gone through the procedures of getting a rape kit done, the rape kit is in some cases thrown away [or] put in a warehouse, and resources are never spent on testing the kit. You can think of this as a public-safety crisis, because every time they unfound, the person who committed this crime is free, so they’re going out and — as the data is starting to show — recommitting these crimes. You also spoke against proposed legislation and efforts to crowdfund the processing of rape kits. Why? The organization I’m a part of [and I] … believe that [crowdfunding] sends a

Artist and activist Heather Marlowe came to campus Tuesday to perform her solo play, The Haze, and hold a discussion on the treatment of sexual assault survivors by the criminal justice system. Photo courtesy of Heather Marlowe

message [to] the criminal justice system, which includes law enforcement, and also to perpetrators, that our tax dollars, which we already pay … are not put toward prioritizing equal protection under the law for women [by taking the basic steps of ] investigating their case and testing their kits. Crowdfunding sends a message that in the future we don’t ever really need to put resources toward this because, “Look, all of these people are coming together with good intentions, and we can just get people to come together again … when necessary, and we’re off the hook.” … Do we crowdfund for murder? Are we crowdfunding for [other crimes]? No, we’re not, so it begs the questions of, “OK, is this really a crime, or a para-criminal offense?” Since it seems that a lot of these issues stem at least in part from a fear of the negative PR rape statistics generate, would you say that a potential way to turn that around would be to ensure worse PR for unfounding or mishandling sexual assault cases? There was a time — even as early as ten years ago — where the investigative journalism around this issue really did create a PR crisis for these law enforcement agencies, and it didn’t give law enforcement much … of an out for what they’d done. There are nonprofits that have [since] gotten involved, and [many of ] these nonprofits are hiring people who work in crisis management. What I’ve seen happen is, law enforcement has come forward with numbers, and then these nonprofits that are [ostensibly survivor advocacy organizations] have come in … in Detroit, in Memphis, in Cleveland and more, and [they’ve worked] with law enforcement to create a way for them to apologize … in a way that neutralizes the crisis that they’re in. These groups will be quoted in articles [saying things like], “It looks like Detroit is now going to be really focused on testing every kit,” and “In the past they were unable to do this is because of a lack of resources.” That is the number one reason [that is] cited for all of these cities. [These organizations] act like they’re survivor-focused, but they are apologizing for law enforcement failing survivors. It allows [law enforcement] to come forward with their numbers and not ever have to be that accountable … and [makes] the public think that if they just had more money, See On The Record, page 13

Old B Kitchen Closes Doors After 40 Years Jenna Gyimesi

A passerby can often find students sprawled across Old Barrows co-op’s front lawn with makeshift plates and homemade food on the days Oberlin’s erratic weather permits. But pizza night and special meals will soon be a thing of a past for this co-op’s members with the deteriorating kitchen shutting down for good at the end of this semester. Meetings and negotiations concerning Old Barrows, better known as Old B, began in spring 2015 and lasted throughout 2016. The decision to close Old B came about as a consensus between the College and the Rent Contract Negotiation Team, which was composed of OSCA President and College junior Tara Wells, OSCA Treasurer and College sophomore Emmanuel Navarro, OSCA Membership Secretary and double-degree sophomore Rory O’Donoghue, and a negotiator at large. “They would meet once a week with the College and give the OSCA Board updates,” said Bridget Menkis, OSCA Board chair and College senior. “Because it was a negotiation between the College and OSCA, the board wasn’t that involved in voting in the actual outcome, so ultimately it did come down to the contract negotiation team. The board definitely had a lot of influence in the proposals the contract negotiation team presented to the College.” Menkis added that Old B’s dining closure is bittersweet, but that the decided negotiations were ultimately for the best. “It seems a little bit sad,” she said. “This feels a little bit like we are taking that away from OSCA. It seems like the wrong direction to go in to some degree, but overall I think these negotiations were the best choice to make.”

The co-op will transition into a housing-only cooperative next semester. Although members of Old B are disappointed that the dining co-op is closing after a 40year lifespan, they expressed pride over the lasting reputation the coop will leave behind. Old B was founded as a co-ed dining co-op in 1972. It currently houses 14 students and has a dining capacity of 85 people. As a residential space, Old B has long been known as a safe space for women and trans people. According to Wells, Old B will undergo substantial renovations this summer, some of which will transform the dining space into more of a food-storage area rather than a kitchen. “The building will be renovated this summer 2017, adding seven housing spaces and remodeling the kitchen space so that it is no longer used for large-scale cooking as it is now, but will serve more as food storage — thus, the space will become the new home of our Brown Bag Co-op,” Wells said. Wells said that despite the dining co-op’s closure, the decision and new renovation will open new doors and benefits to the OSCA community. “There are quite a few benefits that come out of it for OSCA,” she explained. “The previously mentioned expansion of Old B housing, major increase for BBC membership [and] small increases for membership of all other dining co-ops,” Wells said. “I believe this was the big bargaining chip that earned OSCA a guarantee that Keep [Co-op] and Harkness [Co-op] will be renovated in the respective summers of 2018 and 2019 to become ADA[compliant].” Some co-opers from Old B said they were understanding of

Left to right: College sophomores Juna Keehn and Leora Swerdlow, College junior Luke Fortney and College senior Beth Minahan cook topless at Old Barrows co-op. The co-op’s kitchen will close this semester and the building will undergo renovations this summer. Photo by Hazel Galloway, Online editor

the decision to close the dining element of the co-op. “We know why it was closing,” Old B co-oper and College junior Sally Slade said. “Obviously we want OSCA to be as accessible for everyone as possible. The kitchen is in rough condition, and it’s falling apart. It’s kind of shitty that the option was to increase accessibility or close the co-op.” Other co-opers from Old B were nostalgic, but remained hopeful that the co-op would leave its mark in OSCA history for its unique dining experience. “[Old B] leaves a legacy of commitment to culinary experimentation and decadence,” said Michal Schorsch, Old B cooper and College junior. “I got the pleasure of attending a typical Old B dinner. I was welcomed onto the porch and was assured that what separates Old B from the rest of OSCA is a dedication to cooking

the most delicious and extravagant meals.” Slade and College junior Camille Pass, who are head cooks at Old B, will cook the last special meal for the dining co-op tomorrow at 6:20 pm. “It will be the last time I ever cook in a co-op,” Slade said. “There’s no pressure about it. I don’t think anyone is pressuring us to make it the best meal ever. Everyone is going to be happy to eat there and celebrate.” “The concept will be like a southwest Chipotle burrito bowl but also with lots of extras, including churros and mojitos,” Pass added. “Old B is known for going over the top. We are a gourmet co-op. You join Old B for the food; you do not join Old B for the discussion. … It feels like a family. It’s one of my favorite things to cook for people who love to eat.”

Many current members feel that they will have a difficult time transitioning into alternative dining options. Schorsch emphasized that Old B is known for its food, not its food policy. “I personally resent that so much of meal time is discussion,” Schorsch said. “That is not a pleasant way for me to enjoy my food. I think many people at Old B agree with me and appreciate the sacred silence and socializing that is prioritized at Old B.” Other Old B co-opers echoed similar sentiments. “I will be in BBC next year so I expect things to be a little more isolated/less social,” Old B member and College junior Isabel Boratav said. “Most seem to feel that that family and community is irreplaceable. … There will never be another Old B. Even if there is a mass exodus to another co-op, no other place can absorb what it is.”

Gear Co-op Combines Music, Fundraising in 4th Festival Daniel Markus Arts and Culture editor

In spring 2015, the Oberlin College Gear Co-op, then still a fledgling organization with little more than a few beatup drum sets and some old amps, hosted the first edition of Gear Fest, a mammoth day-long festival that featured 22 different acts at two different locations. The event has since been enshrined as a biannual staple of the Gear Co-op, which will host the fourth edition of Gear Fest tomorrow. “I think the first year it was in someone’s backyard, and was just a really great, fun way to close out the year,” College sophomore and Gear Co-op head Cena Loffredo wrote in an email to the Review. The Gear Co-op itself was formed as a solution to a common problem for musicians on campus — practice space for bands on campus is scarce, especially for musicians who are not in the Conservatory. “The space the Gear Co-op now occupies, Wilder 404, used to be a practice space that served a band or two a semester,” Loffredo wrote. “Students would have to line up at the beginning of the year with their band and if you were at The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

the front of the line, you could use the space, and that was it. I wasn’t at Oberlin yet during that period so I’m not totally sure who changed things up, but about two years ago some people worked with the Student Union to create the Gear Co-op, and the space was opened up to anyone that was trained, in increments of hour-long practice slots.” As opposed to the old first-come, firstserved system, students who are trained members of the co-op can sign up for a set number of practice slots in Wilder Hall, Room 404 each week, and students can easily become members by attending regular training sessions. When it began, the Gear Co-op relied almost entirely on gear loaned from members, and students who wanted to use the space often had to bring their own equipment or borrow it from others. Since then, however, the organization has increased its funding and been able to purchase several new pieces of equipment, including a PA system, microphones, amplifiers and instruments, allowing students with little to no experience or equipment to start their own bands and begin practicing. In addition to increased resources, Gear Co-op has also begun to expand its events beyond Gear Fest — this semester

alone, the Gear Co-op has held training sessions on drum maintenance and a mixer for student musicians to meet one another and form bands. The organization has become a hugely important piece of the Oberlin music scene, helping to fuel Oberlin’s house show circuit with gear loans and providing an environment that makes it easy for bands to form and practice. Loffredo’s band, Julia Julian, was originally formed in the Gear Co-op and will open for indie darling and Oberlin favorite Pinegrove at Mahall’s in Cleveland on Monday night. “The first time we all played together was in the Gear Co-op and we must’ve practiced there practically every week after that,” Loffredo wrote. “It was definitely super instrumental to writing music and getting tight.” College junior Sam Rueckert, whose band Sammy Sam will play at this year’s festival, also said that the Gear Co-op has been an important resource for his musical activity at Oberlin. “I got involved in the Gear Co-op as a freshman when I began playing drums for a band called change.org,” Rueckert wrote in an email to the Review. “I then discovered that it was a good place to practice with bands and I’ve practiced in the coop with multiple bands over the years.

I’ve been wanting to play my songs with a band backing me up for a long time, and it seemed like [Gear Fest] would be a good opportunity to get my songs out there.” Just as Gear Co-op has grown, so has Gear Fest. While this year’s lineup, which features 12 acts split across two separate stages, is smaller than some in years past, this year’s festival will have a focus that goes beyond simply promoting the music made by Co-op members. “Our goal for Gear Fest is to provide a space for bands that are involved in the Gear Co-Op to perform — whether in the daytime outdoor-show type setting, or the nighttime house show one — and for attendees to be able to rally around a specific cause and use music to give back to communities that could use financial and communal support,” Loffredo wrote. “In light of recent changes in administration, [Gear Fest] is currently being used to raise funds and awareness for specific causes. This spring, donations will be given to the Undocumented Student Scholarship Fund, and representatives from other student organizations will be speaking between each set.” Gear Fest will take place this Saturday, May 6, from 3–7 p.m. at the porch of Tank Hall and resume from 10 p.m.–1 a.m. at Outhaus. Festival admission is free.

A rt s & C u lt u r e

Solarity’s Atlantis Returns to All-Student Roots Victoria Garber Arts and Culture editor Julia Peterson Production editor

Solarity has thrown the largest student-run event on campus every semester and will be back tonight in the Heisman Club Field House. This semester’s Atlantis theme will offer a ship-furnished, aquatic feel, and organizers have brought the event back to its student-centered roots with an impressive string of student DJs as well as student music, dance and aerial performances. This semester’s event follows the decision to bring in big-name DJ and musician Metro Boomin for fall’s event, Illusion. Organizers hoped to bolster attendance after an entire year without a Solarity showcase. “Metro was an extenuating circumstance, due to some finance factors and timing issues that made it advantageous,” said College senior Dan Lev, who was formerly in charge of staging and sound for the event and has made time to help with organization this semester despite his busy schedule. “Because Solarity hadn’t had an event the previous year, we thought it would be prudent to make a big splash with a big name, but that was one of the only times that an outside act like that has been brought in. It’s usually exclusively student artists.” “We think that excitement [from Metro] is still carrying over, but Solarity is still about showcasing students,” said College junior and Promotion Director Daniel Shvarts. “We really want to go back to that. … I

College seniors (left to right) Abe Post-Hyatt, Kyle Tribble and Gabe Simon perform at Illusion, Solarity’s fall event that took place in Hales Gymnasium. The organization’s spring event, Atlantis, will be held tonight in the Heisman Club Field House. Photo by Yonce Hitt

think some of the student acts were way better than the big act, even though many people just came for that.” Solarity had been a longstanding feature of campus culture before its year-long hiatus. The event was canceled in fall 2015 due to organization complications, and again the following spring when a large contingent of the organizing body went abroad. “When I was an underclassman, Solarity was one of the biggest nights, if not the biggest night of the semester,” Lev said. “To now have first- and second-years not know what it is kind of hurts, as a four-year member of the club. It’s also worrying for the continuation of the enterprise.” Due to predictions of a wet, miserable, 45-degree-Fahrenheit weekend, the event has been moved from the Fa-

cilities Lot to the Heisman Club Field House, in part to preserve the sound and lights equipment. The wireless headphones, which would have allowed the revelry to continue well past midnight without causing a noise disturbance, will no longer be necessary. Organizers hope the change will also curb any dip in attendance that such inclement weather might cause. “It takes a lot [to throw an event of this scale], and usually [there’s] a lot of last-minute, ‘Oh, we don’t have this thing, we’ve got to figure it out,’” Shvarts said. “In the past few weeks [Production Director and double-degree junior Daniel Markus] had to find a tent, talk to different lights people, … [talk] to the headphone group [and cancel] the headphone group because we had weather problems.” The impressive turnout that Solar-

ity generates, as well as the utter lack of other similarly massive student events on campus, make the hard work worthwhile. “We aim for a crowd, this semester, of around a thousand,” Lev said. “That’s about a third of the student body. … We hope that Solarity serves as a kind of unifier to really showcase the best of what we have here. … There [were] tons of musicians and tons of artists and tons of talent that you could go see [in] a recital or you should go see a show, but there was not one aggregated platform where you could go see as many people as possible at one big venue. Solarity was born out of the idea that we should throw a huge party that as many people as possible can go to with as many student artists as possible.” Solarity’s sheer scale may not exactly conform to Oberlin’s depiction as a small campus with dozens of small venues constantly in use by student performers, but its traditional all-student roster gives it a distinctly Oberlin feel. “It’s definitely not what people think of [when they think about Oberlin], but I think it’s a nice thing that definitely people really want,” Shvartz said. “We usually sell out every single year. I think it fits in the culture. Oberlin is known for [being] ‘small,’ and we have these small events and the students go and it’s great, but I think we really also have this desire for something big — I think most of the student body has that. I think we have an incredibly diverse set of artists playing and people attending who can really show that most of the school does want something like this.”

Second-Person Prevails in Pagel’s Occult, Political Poetry Julia Peterson Production editor

There is something haunting about Caryl Pagel’s poetry — and it’s not just the gravestones that frequently appear in her work. Pagel’s writing is heavily steeped in the occult and references to Gothic literature, which she weaves into poetry that is both lyrical and feminist. In addition to having authored two collections of poetry, 2014’s Twice Told and 2012’s Experiments I Should Like Tried At My Own Death, Pagel is also the co-founder and editor of Rescue Press, a poetry editor at jubilat and an assistant professor of English at Cleveland State University, where she also serves as director and editor of the Cleveland State University Poetry Center. Pagel came to Oberlin Wednesday night and read five more recent poems along with three from her previous collections. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Shane McCrae, who was a driving force behind bringing Pagel to campus, expressed awe and respect for Pagel’s extensive accomplishments, both in terms of her own writing and her work in publication. “Caryl Pagel is a hero of mine,” he said. “She runs two presses, each of which is wonderful and each of which is increasingly a big deal. I could not do what

Poet, editor, and assistant professor of English at Cleveland State University Caryl Pagel reads to an audience in Wilder Hall. Pagel came to Oberlin Wednesday to give a poetry reading in which she debuted several new works. Photo by Rick Yu, Photo editor

she does, because I would actually die actual death if I tried. I would die, and so she’s my hero. And not only does she run the best presses, but she also writes the best poems.” “Red Sky,” which she read Wednesday, exemplifies how her work plays with colorful imagery and quick-moving language: “red wine like the red sky / the red slit of sky above / you with salmon edges its holes / a turquoise belt at the horizon / hiding the woods you lie in.”

“I consider [my work] formal,” Pagel said. “It’s not always apparent, but all the poems are in some sort of form or another. I try to write in a musical way. … I hope that [people engage] with [my poetry] on a sonic level. … I hope that it’s a sonic pleasure that leads one’s imagination.” Since Pagel published her first book five years ago, she has found that giving readings and performing her poetry has had a reciprocal effect on her writing. “After my first book came out,

… I realized that, for me, it’s really pleasurable to read long poems,” she said. “And so I started to write longer poems, with the idea that I can read them. It’s more fun to stay with a certain sonic stretch for a period of time.” Pagel opened her reading in Oberlin with “Old Wars,” which quickly established one of the distinctive features of her style — everything that Pagel read on Wednesday was in the second person, something she said helps

to create a ghostly effect and distance herself from her own work. The poem tells its tale, which vaguely recounts a life-saving act committed by an old woman during a time of war, as a sort of ghost of a story — the sequence of events has been repeated and passed down so many times that it is impossible to tell reality from surrealism. “The narrator you think met / the old woman on a train / She had been to war or / at least you think you recall / reading that she said she had,” she writes. For College junior Rachel Dan, this poem was particularly striking. “[Pagel] read a poem about a woman on a train who’d performed a heroic, life-saving act,” Dan wrote in an email to the Review. “The poem danced around the mysterious act without ever [describing] exactly what it was, leaving the [listener] free to wonder.” In addition to her signature detached style, the many explorations of gender in Pagel’s poetry reflect a nuanced understanding of womanhood, both Gothic and modern. In “Obey,” Pagel writes, “They won’t say won’t say won’t / smile once in a while—told / to all the time—a dispatch / illegible from the outside so many / women involved say for the story / so many more See Pagel, page 13

Sighted: Surprise Sword Dancing

Pagel Performs Haunting Poetry Continued from page 12

Students working in the Science Center’s Perlik Commons on Wednesday afternoon were treated to a surprise performance by Rust Belt Rappers, a student dance group on campus. The group performs Rapper Sword Dance, a traditional folk dance that originated in northern England. The group’s routines feature five members that each perform with flexible, double-handled swords and spin, duck and occasionally flip through the quintet’s different formations. In addition to several unannounced performances in spaces across campus this week, held in the hopes of recruiting new members for next year’s team, the group performs at the Student Dance Showcase and Dandelion Romp and has previously competed at tournaments.. Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo editor

On the Record with Heather Marlowe Continued from page 10

then this problem would have been solved. The funding thing is a total lie. The federal government, under the Violence Against Women Act, has an act within that called the Debbie Smith Act. They have created these block grants to the tune of a billion dollars and money has been flowing to law enforcement for the past ten years for the very purpose of testing DNA evidence … from these kits, and here we are, ten years later, and we’re still at [hundreds of thousands] of untested kits. Funding is a really appalling excuse, … and the issue of untested kits is … cultural indifference, but that’s the state of where PR is on this issue. Is there evidence that the money intended for investigating sex crimes and testing these backlogs is being used for things like the war on drugs or traffic enforcement that generate more revenue for these agencies?

I have yet to see investigative journalism that can [compare] how much they got [to] where it flowed to. [There’s] an overall lack of accountability and transparency about how the money was used in these grants. There was no tracking of how it was being used … and that just opens another can of worms, and you start to think, “Then what was it used for?” I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but when you don’t track things, you do leave yourself open to [people] wondering what the funding was actually used for. It’s actually one of these crisis groups that is managing the funding, and I have yet to see this group require any transparency and accountability in how that money is being spent. It’s a rinse and repeat with the block grants under the Debbie Smith Act. A decade later, why do we still have this volume of untested kits? We’re doing it again.

dissolved say for / the odds O love this isn’t / about us.” Pagel’s extensive research into Gothic tradition comes to the forefront in poems like this one, where she highlights the experiences of women in Gothic literature who were written out, killed off or locked away for the sake of the narrative. “I started to pay attention to the women’s roles in [these old Gothic novels], and how sometimes alarmingly dismissed they were, or condescended to, [in contrast to] the other characters who were really vibrant and funny,” Pagel said. The last poem that Pagel read, “Lakeview Cemetery,” used her facility with the language and rituals of death as well has her familiarity with the city of Cleveland to draw out larger political and social events. “A sign in the crypt / keeper’s window reads FREE CLEAN FILL / DIRT Rockefeller’s buried here where’s Tamir,” she writes. “I think that all poets are political,” Pagel said. “I think you can’t help but to be. I think that if you are writing about your contemporary life or experience in any way, the political is going to show up.” For McCrae, poetry readings like Pagel’s are critical to raising political consciousness, even when the work does not specifically address topics such as police violence, global warming and feminism as Pagel’s does. “Even not explicitly political art helps you become engaged in what is happening around you in a political sense, simply because it helps you think better, heightens your perceptions, and it helps the mind to be more curious,” McCrae said. “I think, especially in times when it is more than usually important for one to pay attention to politics and to what is going on in the world … poetry readings are a good facilitator of awareness.”

Black and White Fury Road Re-Release Highlights Action, Scenery Christian Bolles Columnist

When beloved director George Miller first released the much-awaited follow-up to his cult classic Mad Max series, he teased that he had watched the new film in black and white and found it a superior experience. Now, after much fan buzz, the “Black and Chrome” edition of Mad Max: Fury Road has hit the big screen for a single day, as part of an ad campaign for its inclusion in the movie’s Blu-ray set. After all of the hype Miller generated around the remaster, one might question whether the film could possibly be that much better with a change as seemingly minimal as a rebalanced colour palette. Yet, when rendered in such contrast, the aesthetic brilliance of Miller’s mayhem-ridden masterpiece shines all the more for it, showcasing its impeccable craft while assuming a timeless quality that places it among some of the very best action flicks cinema has to offer. Originally released in early 2015, Fury Road caught the world off guard, and for good reason. After the CGIheavy spectacle of The Matrix — a fine film in its own regard — its action-centered successors sought to imitate that winning formula but failed to capture the artistry that made it so successful. By contrast, practical effects were simply an inextricable feature of cinema when Miller made his first Mad Max movies, so of all people to bring back that engineer’s touch, he would be the one. Sure enough, after a strange stint directing the Happy Feet movies — yes, the ones with the dancing penguins — Miller found himself at the helm of a proper action The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

romp once again, returning to his dream world of twisting metal and searing heat. With his Fury Road budget, another director might have used CGI to execute their vision with the maximum degree of control possible. Instead, Miller used the money to stage a visceral automotive epic with real cars and stunts. With more than 80 percent of the onscreen action free of computer effects, the only noticeably fabricated bits are the villain’s towering desert Citadel and a massive sandstorm. These generated scenes are easy to spot in the original version, but leeching the image of color has a welcome way of blending real and unreal, just as black-and-white movies of the 20th century had an easier time selling painted backdrops as actual locations. Gifted with a highlighted contrast between light and dark, Fury Road’s artistry shines. Slapping a color filter on most movies wouldn’t yield great results, but Miller’s mastering team took pains to play with saturation and sharpness to ensure that the final version would look like the film’s original format. Their efforts paid off. Where flesh once blended in with the arid landscape, characters’ faces now pop out crisply from the rest of the frame. Miller famously made his cinematographer uncomfortable during the original version’s production by demanding that they place the most important action directly in the center of the frame. In full color, parsing out the periphery beyond that central focus required additional viewings; now, sharp white accents mark all pieces of action in a single frame, allowing viewers to marvel at the visual consistency of Miller’s set pieces. Many of its action scenes unfold on wide stretches of road, stringing

together disparate mini-fights into one cohesive whole. Now, it’s easy to notice how these smaller pieces fit into one another — if a foe is thrown from a caravan in one frame, for example, he might be seen falling in the distant background of the next. The bloodlessness of Fury Road’s frantic violence translates well to “Black and Chrome.” Though little damage beyond the odd arrow to the head is displayed in full view, it’s the gut-wrenching power of its punches — from bullets pounding into sand to bodies hitting metal — punctuating every sequence that contribute to a constant sense of visceral danger. With the torrents of soil and sand, oil and cleverly blurred out viscera that adorn the action set in black, the characters are almost the stars of the show. Almost. For even the least avid car fan, Miller’s gasolinechugging mayhem machines should be awe-inspiring. Miller’s words to his automotive specialist for the film — “Make it cool or I’ll kill you” — went straight to these war beasts’ engines, resulting in an opera of singing pipes and steaming metal. As white smoke billows from the backs of caravans and long black shadows stretch over their studded metal, one gains a sense of appreciation for them as existing in spite of Max’s desert world. These cars, not the desert, act as the film’s ever-moving set, both products and enablers of the raging battle for the wasteland. In the gleaming heat of the day, the sight of them racing across emptiness straddled by warring figures hoping for a finish line can’t be beat for thrill. And black and white is the perfect vehicle for the technical ingenuity of Fury Road.

Sp ort s IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Sports Editors This week, the Review’s Sports editors, Jackie McDermott and Darren Zaslau, sat down with each other to reflect on a year of covering Oberlin athletics, favorite memories of the Review and the best and most challenging parts of the job. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Jackie McDermott and Darren Zaslau Sports editors

DZ: What’s been the most rewarding part of being a Sports editor for The Oberlin Review? JM: It’s been really nice when we’ve gotten positive feedback from our stories, from different people than I expected. I’ve gotten a card in the mail from a townsperson and emails from professors about my editorials. My coaches read my editorials. It’s nice to know that people respond to what we’re writing because the whole point is to explore complex sports issues, share our insights with interested readers and hopefully change the way they see things. So that’s been really rewarding. JM: Who or what inspired you to be Sports editor? DZ: My interest in sports journalism and becoming a sports broadcaster inspired me because to become a broadcaster, you need to be versatile. You can’t just be good at talking. You can’t just be good at play by play. You can’t just be good at color commentary. Writing is the building block to talking and communicating. I absolutely think after working here for The Oberlin Review … my communications skills have improved significantly.

DZ: What was it like balancing tennis and working here at the Review? JM: I think it helped me be more efficient in the way that I do things. My ability to work on deadline, write more quickly and understand some pretty complex issues quickly has improved a lot. Also, my ability to go with the flow — learning to deal with things as they come and manage a lot of tasks. I was juggling a lot of things, but I tried to just stay positive and do my best. JM: What was your favorite topic you wrote about this year? DZ: Honestly I think this week’s — baseball’s potential expansion outside of the United States. … As a baseball player, it’s really interesting to see where this sport could go with a first-hand experience of actually playing it and understanding the roots of the game. Tying this topic into my Honors project that I did about race in baseball is interesting, and it’s something that needs to be talked about among the baseball community. DZ: What advice do you have for future Sports editors?

JM: Don’t be afraid to lean in to topics that feel really complex and hard to address but are important to you. I’ve spent a lot of this year writing about women in sports. At times, it felt like I couldn’t answer the questions I had. Like, why don’t women watch sports more? Why aren’t women’s sports covered as much? But even just researching those questions has been really rewarding to me as a woman athlete. One of my favorite things that happened this year was when [Production editor] Julia [Peterson] said to me, “I’ve learned so much about women in sports just from reading your editorials.” That was really rewarding to me. JM: What was one memorable moment from this year? DZ: I would say it was that first issue that we did, that was extremely memorable. It marks how far I think our newspaper has improved from that first issue, and how much the Sports section has improved. For me, it’s extremely memorable because it’s the first time that I met my new family that I never expected to have. The people here are incredible and I’ve loved working with all of them. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the writing process from this experience. DZ: What are you going to miss most about working for the Review? JM: I think I’m going to miss your eternal optimism, Darren. You were always there with a joke, always kept it light and helped me figure things out for our section.

Darren Zaslau and Jackie McDermott

… Also, I’m going to miss the reactions we get from people about our work, especially the reaction I get from my dad. He’s a huge sports fan and is so knowledgeable, so I think he’s enjoyed helping me brainstorm ideas for editorials. He is always really proud of everything I write, so I’m going to miss making him proud. JM: Describe the Review office vibe. DZ: Everyone here is fantastic. It’s that familial feeling you get between the person to your left, the person to your right, the production editors, layout. … The people here are very caring about the product that we put out every week. They work ridiculous hours of the night to put out something for other people to read and enjoy. There’s something to be said for providing news to a community. It’s not easy to do, but for us it’s something that we love, so it doesn’t always feel like work.

Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo editor

DZ: What was the funniest moment in the Review office this year? JM: We always have some fun office banter going. It’s what’s brought us together . It’s really nice to have a whole new set of friends to joke around with, so there have been a lot of fun moments. JM: What are your final thoughts leaving the Review office? DZ: First of all, I’d like to thank [Editor-in-Chief ] Tyler [Sloan] for hiring me and giving me this opportunity. I’d like to thank my mom, my dad, my little chiweenie. I’d like to thank you, Jackie. I think we worked really well together. I’ve definitely grown from the experience. Most importantly, I hope this newspaper continues to get better each year. I hope that this isn’t the culmination of the paper’s success in distributing news to our community. I hope that everyone continues to read The Oberlin Review. This is just the start.

Cool or Drool: Lynch Joins Oakland Raiders Editorial: MLB Dan Bisno Columnist

The 2016–2017 season was a tough one for the NFL, as viewership dropped sharply. While many fans, including Donald Trump, attributed the mid-season slump to Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the national anthem, there is reasonable suspicion that the startling decline in popularity was also impacted by the retirement of Marshawn Lynch, the NFL’s most popular combatant to controversial commissioner Roger Goodell. Despite delivering five consecutive 1,200-plus rushing yard and double-digit touchdown seasons from 2010–2014, then enduring a season-ending injury in 2015, the Seattle Seahawks’ beloved number 24 hung up his cleats in 2016. After 10 years, four with the Buffalo Bills and six with the Seahawks, Lynch broke the hearts of NFL fans who had just begun to adore him for his 2014 tirade against stringent NFL media policies. Indulging in a little “Cool or Drool” history, my dear friend College senior Henry Weissberg and I debuted this column four semesters ago by covering Lynch’s boycott of the NFL media and his famous phrase, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” Some speculated Lynch’s anger about the NFL’s fines and regulations triggered his retirement. Others suggested he feared chronic traumatic encephalopathy from the hard hits and concussions he sustained throughout his career, but the reasons for his premature exit from the game were never made clear. But after a year of retirement at 31 years old and still in prime physical shape, it seems Lynch knew he had to do something about the NFL’s TV ratings. It was time for Skittles and crotch-grabbing touchdown celebrations… in Oakland. On April 26, the Seahawks traded the

rights to Lynch and a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Raiders for a 2018 fifth-round pick. Lynch later took to Twitter: “Yes Lawd 12th man I’m thankful but s--- just got REAL I had hella fun in Seattle... But I’m really from Oakland doe like really really really from Oakland doe... town bizzness breath on me.” Despite his excitement, Lynch didn’t leave Seattle without showing the city some love. He paid for a full-page Seattle Times advertisement thanking Seahawks owner Paul Allen. While this statement confirmed that Lynch will be playing in Oakland this season, he will soon be Las Vegas bound. The Raiders are set to move to Sin City after the 2018 season, where they will move into a new $1.9-billion stadium in 2020. Lynch has been known for his frequent trips to Dave and Buster’s, but trips to casinos are a whole new level. While Lynch’s contract with the Raiders is approximately $9 million over two years, he is set to earn another $2 million if he can top 1,000 yards, among other incentives. For all anyone knows, a Skittles endorsement may be in Lynch’s future, although technically his BEAST MODE chocolate bars sold locally in Oakland are bay area competitors. Extra cash will help Lynch offset any financial burdens Goodell plans to impose on him. After all, Goodell fined Lynch $100,000 in 2014 for avoiding media interviews that typically unfairly portrayed the veteran running back. Lynch’s move to Oakland is representative of the push by many franchises to take chances on older running backs. Thirtyyear-old Jamaal Charles was recently signed to the Denver Broncos coming off of his second ACL tear. Adrian Peterson, 32, is the only player with more yards after contact than Lynch since 2010. Peterson will play

for the New Orleans Saints in 2017. Lynch is probably poised for the biggest breakout of the three older running backs given the amount of rest he’s had. Experienced players like Lynch can bust out 14 carries per game, and his efficiency is so unparalleled that he is worth millions of dollars if he can stay healthy. While a year of rest surely alleviated any pestering injuries Lynch has been fighting, there are certainly questions about his athleticism following a year without football and a hernia surgery in 2015. Despite his successful past, Lynch’s first game on September 10 against the Tennessee Titans has a lot of question looming over it. Another athlete who emerged from retirement, Larry Sanders, floundered this year. Sanders retired from basketball in his mid-twenties in 2015 as one of the rising young stars in the league. He then returned to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games this season. He was waived because taking time away from the game took a visible toll on his basketball abilities — he wasn’t the same dominant center. Hopefully Lynch will have better luck. He should be bolstered by the mostly positive reception of his announcement. Not only do NFL fans love having Lynch back on the field, but the return to his hometown is a fitting way to resume his career. As “Cool or Drool” comes to a historic end after five mostly cool semesters, Lynch maintains his “Cool” status. Having Lynch back in the league is sure to be an entertaining start to the 2017 season and should make the AFC West one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Taking out an ad to thank his former team owner was a classy move. Lynch is bound to have a bright future on the Raiders — and, hopefully, my fantasy team roster.

Goes Global Continued from page 16

ly,” Manfred said to ESPN baseball writer and analyst Jayson Stark. Additional benefits of the MLB adding a team in Mexico City include opening a Mexican television market that would help strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Mexican Leagues. With a better relationship between the two countries, there could be an improved flow of Mexican players into the majors. Thus, media relations between the countries would improve, as would broadcast coverage of games. Manfred cited all of these factors as reasons to expand to Mexico. “That would in turn help us improve the flow of Mexican players into Major League Baseball. The combination of those two factors, that is the media in Mexico and the flow of players, I believe would help us in the Hispanic market in the United States,” Manfred said. There are currently 20 Mexican players in the MLB, and this number could increase with an MLB team locating to the country. Mexico’s proximity to the U.S. is also a plus, as teams located in states such as Texas, Arizona and California wouldn’t travel far to get there. With 63.7 percent of players in the MLB being white, the opportunity for baseball to be inclusive of more racial groups in the future is also bright. Since 1990, the percentage of Latinos in the MLB has skyrocketed from 14.8 percent to 27.4 percent. Should the MLB expand to Mexico City, this number will continue to rise. While the move may not occur in the near future, the numerous benefits are impossible to ignore.

Yeowomen Battle Past Gators in Conference Semis James Cato

Hosting their first playoff game since a playoff reformatting in 2003, the Yewomen defeated the Allegheny College Gators 13–8 in the North Coast Athletic Conference semifinals Wednesday. With the win, Oberlin punched a ticket to its second conference championship in three years, where they will face the No. 1 seeded Denison University Big Red. The Big Red are responsible for the Yeowomen’s only loss this season. “Our coach has this favorite saying, which is ‘any given day,’” said first-year Eliza Amber, who has had a breakout rookie season. “She’s a strong believer that [on] any day one team will show up and another won’t. So at this point we’re going to focus in because we know we have the ability to beat this team. We’ve beaten them before, but we need to align ourselves together on game day.” Amber broke the ice early in a tightly contested first half, scoring her first of four goals with 26 minutes, 12 seconds left on the clock. Only four minutes later, the Gators bounced back, quickly tying the game at two a piece. With 21:41 remaining, the Gators’ Shelby Piper put her team ahead 3–2, and the Yeowomen saw themselves trailing in the first half for the first time all season. Still, Oberlin managed to find its footing and head to the locker room with a 7–4 lead.

After intermission, the Yeowomen returned to form as senior Sara Phister scored her second goal of the day two minutes into the half to boost their lead to 8–4. The Gators were able to narrow the deficit to as little as 9–7, but ultimately the Yeowomen mustered a 13–8 win. Natalie Rauchle, who led the NCAC in goals this season with 60, also finished with three on the day. “Come tournament time, all that really matters is that we get the win,” Head Coach Lynda McCandlish said. “That was exciting for us this Wednesday, to get the win the first time hosting a tournament game.” McCandlish, who is in the midst of her fourth season as head coach, has completely revitalized the women’s lacrosse program since taking the reins. In addition to winning 2015 NCAC Coach of the year, she has mentored multiple All-NCAC athletes, including 2015 Defensive Player of the Year Alexa L’Insalata, and led the Yeowomen to their first NCAC tournament since 2000. Despite her individual success, McCandlish credits her players for the program’s transformation. “It’s been a really cool season because the seniors started the same time I started,” McCandlish said. “The senior class has turned the program around and deserves tons of credit for the season we’ve had this year. It’s been really cool to see the

Sophomore midfielder Jenna Butler wards off a defender in the NCAC Semifinal game against Allegheny Wednesday. With a 13–8 victory, the Yeowomen head to the NCAC Championship and will face Denison tomorrow. Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo editor

growth.” Last Saturday, the Yeowomen honored all seven seniors in a 19–8 Senior Day victory against the DePauw University Tigers. “It’s going to be a whole new dynamic next year,” Amber said. “The seniors left us with a very strong base, they built this team. Because of them, the team is getting a name and drawing people in.” Now, all that’s left for the Yeowomen is their NCAC Championship

game against Denison. It will be the first time the Yeowomen see the Big Red since having their perfect season spoiled in a 15–12 loss on April 8. The championship game will take place in Granville, Ohio, tomorrow at 1 p.m. “We’re going to look at a lot of film,” junior Sydney Garvis said. “We watch film and can hone in on their weaknesses and our strengths and work with this when we’re playing with them.”

Heptathletes Score in NCAC Multi-Event Championships

Junior James Tanford sprints through the finish line at the NCAC Indoor Championships in March. The track and field teams are participating in the NCAC Outdoor Championships in Greencastle, IN, today and tomorrow. Photo courtesy of NCAC Jackie McDermott Sports editor Micheala Puterbaugh

Scattered around the state this past weekend, portions of the track and field team competed in meets at Ashland University, Denison University and right here at home, where Oberlin hosted the North Coast Athletic Conference Multi-Event Championships. In the multi-events, Oberlin was represented in the heptathlon by experienced junior Lisa Carle and first-time heptathletes, first-years Jasmine Keegan and Christine Impara. The trio fought through fatigue to deliver strong performances that earned the Yeowomen points toward their NCAC championship pursuit. The remaining NCAC Outdoor Championships events will The Oberlin Review | May 5, 2017

be held today and tomorrow at DePauw University, where the defending NCAC Indoor Champion Yeowomen will look to repeat their success outdoors. Head Coach Ray Appenheimer said the performance by the trio of Oberlin heptathletes bodes well for this weekend’s meet. “The multi-events are kind of our touchstone,” Appenheimer said. “They can be very telling of how we’re going to compete on Friday and Saturday of this week, at the conference meet. And [the heptathletes] were so tough and so resilient. … After two days and seven events, you’re tired. But to step up and be that aggressive, that assertive, that resilient, so resolute — it was great.” The heptathlon, which requires athletes to compete in seven events over two days, is

notoriously mentally and physically exhausting. It also demands versatility, as it combines hurdling, jumping, throwing, sprinting and middle distance events. The grueling contest closes with the 800 meters, where the Yeowomen were able to deliver one final push. Carle, Keegan and Impara all posted lifetime bests in that race. Impara finished second with a time of 2:30.90. Bolstered by a second-place finish in the javelin throw, with a mark of 29.05 meters, Keegan personally finished fourth overall and contributed 3,537 points. Carle and Impara added 3,215 points and 3,008 points respectively. After the conclusion of the Multi-Event Championship Sunday, the Yeowomen sit in third place in the conference ahead of this weekend’s competition. Some athletes that will not compete this weekend closed out their seasons at an NCAC meet at Ashland University. At Ashland, athletes braved on-and-off thunderstorms to try one last time to qualify for conference or simply to run personal bests before they end their season or graduate. Senior distance runner Alyssa Hemler made good use of her last hoorah, logging a personal best and breaking 19 minutes in the 5 kilometer. Appenheimer said Hemler’s performance showed impressive will power. “She was determined,” Appenheimer said. “She said, ‘I’m not graduating until I break 19 minutes.’ … No one would have faulted her for running a 19:05. But for her, it wasn’t good enough. To see things like that, it speaks so well not only of her, but of the team

and the program.” In the 400-meter dash, sophomore sprinter Ify Ezimora led the Yeowomen by finishing 15th with a time of 1:02.99. Ezimora expressed disappointment at being unable to crack a minute but said she was fueled by the experience. “Going into Ashland, my coach wanted me to run a 60 [second] for the 400 so that’s what I was aiming for,” she said. “However, post-thunderstorms and with the combination of groggy weather, poor running conditions, and having not run the week before, I was unfortunately unable to achieve this. It sucked, but it also showed me how much more I need to push myself.” On the men’s side, senior Bradley Hamilton notched a 16th-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:01.36. Junior Owen Mittenthal also broke the top 20, finishing the 1,500-meter race in 4:14.25 just ahead of firstyear David Brubacher. Downstate in Granville, Ohio, the Oberlin pole vaulters competed in the Big Red Invitational at Denison University. Senior Ave Spencer regained the school record for pole vault and bested her previous mark by six inches. Spencer’s 11 feet, 5 3/4 inches mark ranks first in the conference and 40th in the nation. Appenheimer said he was proud of Spencer’s performance and expects big things from the defending pole vault indoor conference champion this weekend. “Ave Spencer will be huge for us,” Appenheimer said. “She’s ranked No. 1 going into the conference meet this weekend. … She’s the greatest vaulter in [Oberlin]

College history. No one’s ever vaulted higher. To see her go out hopefully at a really high level will be really great for us.” Right behind Spencer was Oberlin’s own first-year Grace Finney. Finney recorded a mark of 10 –11 3/4, several inches below her performance at the All-Ohio Championship on April 15, where she had bested Spencer’s previous school record by clearing 11–2 1/2. The Yeomen vaulters also recorded impressive performances, as sophomore Daniel Mukasa placed second with a 12 feet, 11 1/2 clearance and junior Jahkeem Wheatley registered 12–5 1/2 to earn third. Reflecting on the weekend, Spencer said she admired the dedication of her teammates. “This team has worked so hard this year and we have competed really well,” Spencer said. “We are really hoping that we might earn the chance to win our first outdoor conference title.” As the Yeowomen look to make history in Greencastle, IN, Appenheimer said his squad will maintain a consistent mindset and look to make the most of each day of competition. “What we talked about in December was being the best team today that we can be,” he said. “We talk about that every single day, being the best team today that we can be. And if you do those things and you focus on the process, the product takes care of itself. … We are well-prepared. If we do the things that we have been prepared to do, then we have a really good chance of winning.”

SPORTS May 5, 2017

established 1874

Volume 145, Number 24

Baseball Should Embrace Growth Darren Zaslau Sports editor

Junior Manickam Manickam follows through on his forehand. The Yeomen completed their season with a 5–2 victory over Denison University in the third-place match of the NCAC Tournament. Photo courtesy of OC Athletics

Tennis Downs Denison at NCACs Julie Schreiber Staff writer

Oberlin tennis earned exhilarating back-to-back victories over rival Denison University Big Red, as both the men’s and women’s teams won their Sunday matches to finish third in the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships. The Yeomen made program history with their 5–2 win, beating the Big Red for the first time in 43 years, while the Yeowomen finished their season on a win for the first time since 2014 with a 5–4 victory. Oberlin’s men’s team was led by its seniors, who demonstrated a team transformation by finishing third after having been the lowest-ranked team in the NCAC during their first years. Senior captain Ian Paik fittingly sealed the victory with his 6–7, 7–6, 6–4 come-frombehind win at No. 1 singles. “Ian really outplayed his opponent with the team match on the line,” said Head Coach Eric Ishida. “I was proud to see Ian and the rest of the team play some of the best tennis of their careers in the NCAC tournament.” Paik earned the first and last wins of the day, as he and junior Michael Drougas kicked off doubles with an 8–3 win at the No. 2 spot. The veteran team lasted through long rallies, used a two-back formation to their advantage and got the Yeomen momentum going. At No. 1, the hard-hitting team of first-year Stephen Gruppuso and senior Jeremy Lichtmacher stayed fired up and delivered an 8–6 victory. Denison soon fought back, however, as the Big Red’s No. 3 pair beat senior Abe Davis and junior Levi Kimmel. Paik said the team felt the pressure after doubles as the match score sat at 2–1. “The match had the potential to be very close,” he said. “But [we knew] if we could get a doubles lead the rest of our day would be a lot easier. I think that we felt pretty confident as a team. Stephen had been playing well all weekend, Michael was prepared to play against [Denison’s] Jamie [McDonald], and Abe had been playing as well as he had all year.” Denison rocked Oberlin’s confidence

at the start of singles, however, earning the first point,as Oberlin’s junior Manickam Manickam fell in the 5 spot 6–3, 6–0. With the match tied 2–2, Oberlin needed three more wins. First-year Stephen Grupposo soon delivered, earning a convincing 6–3, 6–1 victory. Grupposo finished the season unbeaten at 2–0 in NCAC singles play and posted an impressive 21–5 singles record for the season. Next, junior Robert Gittings followed suit, pulling out a key 2–6, 6–3, 6–0 win. The stage was set for a victory, and Paik delivered the final point. Ishida said he was proud to see Paik and the other seniors go out on top. “We will miss our seniors very much,” he said. “Ian, Jeremy, Abe, Paul [Farah] and Billy [Lennon] are all awesome guys and contributed so much to Oberlin Athletics. They have been the foundation of this program for four years.” The Yeomen finished the season at a program-best 16–10 overall and 2–1 in the NCAC. As of the end of the season, Oberlin was ranked No. 11 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region. Earlier in the day, the Yeowomen took to the courts looking to avenge Saturday’s tough loss, in which the Yeowomen were blanked 5–0 by No. 1 seed DePauw University in the NCAC Semifinals. The team’s desire to turn its luck was compounded by its rivalry with the Big Red. “We’ve had a lot of close matches with Denison over the years,” senior captain Olivia Hay said. “But we didn’t play them this year during the regular season, so I think walking on court on Sunday, everyone was really excited to be there and ready to compete.” The Yeowomen took early leads in all three doubles matches. At No. 2, the net-rushing pair of senior Olivia Hay and first-year Delaney Black notched a decisive 8–2 win. Hay said the pair’s chemistry was at an all-time high in this battle. “Delaney and I have improved a lot this season as a doubles team,” she said. “It was really great to see everything come together in this match.” Meanwhile, on court 3, first-year Lena Rich used her lofty lob to push back her

Denison opponents as junior Mayada Audeh closed off the net for consistent put-aways. The pair’s smart play propelled them to an 8–3 win. All eyes then turned to the No. 1 match, where Oberlin’s leading pair of senior Emma Brezel and junior Sarah Hughes had lost their lead. The duo, ranked No. 4 in the ITA Central Region, eventually fell 8–5 to the region’s second-ranked pair, Denison’s Lauren Hawley and Emma Alsup. Despite ending on a loss, Hughes and Brezel put together one of the winningest No. 1 doubles seasons in program history. The pair’s 19–9 season included a mid-season 12-match win streak. In singles play, Oberlin achieved the first win as Audeh earned a quick 6–2, 6–1 victory at No. 3. But the tide then started to turn, as Brezel and Rich both fell in straight sets at the two and four spots, respectively. A point from Hughes allowed the Yeowomen to recover. At No. 1, Hughes delivered a straight set 6–2, 6–4 smack down. With Oberlin up 4–3, junior Jackie McDermott was unable to deliver the decisive point. After falling in the first set, McDermott seemed poised for a comeback in the second, but lost a second-set lead. She eventually fell 6–3, 7–5. With the match at 4–4, all eyes then turned to court 6, where first-year Rainie Heck was locked in a third-set battle to decide the match. Heck and her Denison opponent, Carol Vitellas, grounded out long points, mixing deep high balls with sliced short balls. Heck eventually earned a momentous 6–4 win in the third, as her teammates rushed on court to celebrate. “Running to Rainie to congratulate her and celebrate her when she won was the best moment of the weekend,” Rich said. “I felt so proud to huddle up with her and the rest of the team right after our third place win.” The Yeowomen complete their season at 13–12 overall and 2–1 in conference play. Battling 10 nationally ranked teams throughout the 2017 campaign, the squad concludes the year with a No. 36 rank among Division III participants and No. 8 rank in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region.

Baseball will always remain entrenched in American culture. Its roots in the United States can be traced back to the 1700s, but the sport hasn’t gained as much global traction as others. With recent murmurings about Major League Baseball expanding to countries outside of the U.S. though, the game now has potential to engrain itself in sports cultures around the world. Last year, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with Associated Press Sports editors and expressed interest in the league expanding from 30 to 32 teams. Manfred mentioned that international expansion is a likely option as Montreal and Mexico City headline the list of cities to land one of the two new teams. If the MLB adds teams outside of the U.S., baseball’s future will be brighter than ever before. With the sport spreading to other countries, it could better foster talent outside of the U.S. and generate more international interest. With the move’s many benefits, Manfred says that expansion is a necessary step the league will inevitably take. “Baseball’s a growth sport, a growth business [and] sooner or later, growth businesses expand,” he said. “I do see expansion as a longer term proposition.” In Montreal, the MLB already made an impact over 40 years ago. From 1969–2004, the Montreal Expos were the first MLB team located outside of the U.S. Playing in the National League East Division, the Expos often struggled to compete for postseason contention. 1981 was the only year the team won the division. As a result, it could never sustain fan interest, drawing only 642,748 fans to all of its games in 2001, one of the lowest seasonattendance totals in MLB history. Though the Expos generally weren’t a successful team in the NL East standings, if the MLB moves back to Montreal, baseball’s bond with Canadians will strengthen. Montreal’s team would join the other Canadian teams: the Toronto Blue Jays and the Vancouver Canadians, a Short Season A Affiliate of the Blue Jays. With 23 current players in the MLB hailing from Canada, adding another team could help create an additional bridge for Canadian players to make it to the majors. Since the Expos’ departure, Montreal has been craving baseball. Former Expos outfielder Warren Cromartie created the Montreal Baseball Project in 2012 to help bring a team back to the city. With new ownership, a stronger Canadian dollar, which has been exchanged closer to the U.S. dollar in recent years, and an upgraded stadium, Montreal could build a successful franchise the second time around. Manfred also mentioned Mexico City as a potential landing spot for a future expansion team, which would be groundbreaking for the MLB. Mexico City has hosted MLB exhibition games in the past for its Mexico City Series, which featured the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. This city is also home to the Mexico City Red Devils, a Mexican Baseball League team. Given the prominent Hispanic culture within the MLB, fan interest would likely thrive. “I think making a full-time commitment in Mexico would be very important. It would help us improve our relationship professionalSee Editorial, page 14