April 19, 2019

The Oberlin Review April 19, 2019

established 1874

Volume 147, Number 20

First Church to Undergo Historic Renovations Anisa Curry Vietze News Editor

“AAPR is proposing new minors and integrated concentrations for Arts & Sciences and Conservatory students

Members of The First Church in Oberlin, United Church of Christ believe it’s time to renovate the historic building that was completed in 1844. The renovations, which include window replacements, more accessible entryways, repointing old bricks, and a new elevator, and will cost the church around $1.45 million.

First Church has already raised around $300,000 in grants and $500,000 in donations, as well as $350,000 that the church already had on hand. This means they only need to raise $300,000 more.

Co-chair of the fundraising campaign Laurel Price Jones says it is crucial that First Church is preserved.

“It is Oberlin’s most historic building,” said Price Jones. “There’s really no other building that you could say has the history of Oberlin so captured in one place.”

Bill Barlow, Price Jones’ co-chair, said the most important renovations will occur in the Meeting House, which will cost $800,000.

“The Meeting House has played a significant role in the history of the College and community,” Barlow wrote in an email to the Review. “In the 19th century it was the place that gatherings, performances, lectures, community meetings, etc. took place. It’s where many of the most important decisions impacting the town and College were debated for the first 80 years of Oberlin’s history, and it continues to fill the role of a community gathering place to this day.”

These renovations to the Meeting House include fixing the huge triplepaned windows, which were constructed by hand in 1842 and are now fixed shut and less energy-efficient than they could be. In addition, the church plans to replace the green velvet pew cushions, which have not been replaced since 1908, and to add an accessible ramp to the pulpit.

“When it was built, it was the largest auditorium west of the Alleghenies — imagine a town that’s less than 10 years old building the largest auditorium between New York and Chicago,” Price Jones said about the Meeting House.

“That’s why you end up in this Meeting House having people like Frederick Douglass come to speak. The list of people who’ve spoken in this Meeting House — it’s just huge.”

Other renovations outside of the Meeting House include repointing the bricks and mortar around the exterior of the church, adding a terrace

See Changes, page 4

See First, page 2

Conservatory sophomore Josephine Lee and double-degree junior Phoebe Pan practice together in Bibbins Hall.

Photo by Mallika Pandey, Photo Editor

AAPR Recommends Structural Changes to Con Jane Hobson Staff Writer One of the primary areas of recommendation to come out of the Academic and Administrative Program Review concerns structural changes to the Conservatory. Specifically, the steering committee has supported the creation of a revamped Musical Studies major and minor, and recommended that Oberlin increase College enrollment by 100 students while simultaneously decreasing the Conservatory enrollment by 100 students over the course of four years.

This recommendation was made partially in response to data showing that Arts & Sciences students bring in an average of $10,000 more in annual tuition revenue than students from the Conservatory.

Outside of financial motivations, the AAPR steering committee believes that this enrollment shift would benefit both Conservatory and College students by increasing the musical opportunities available to College students and allowing Conservatory students to get more individualized attention. The new flexibility is also intended to help Conservatory students develop skills they will need for the 21st century music landscape.

“The entire steering committee is excited to strengthen the connections between the College and the Conservatory; the pairing of an elite conservatory and an elite liberal arts college is a distinctive and prized feature [of Oberlin],” wrote Professor of Music Theory and member of the AAPR steering committee Brian Alegant in an email to the Review. “We are also excited

about the recent changes to the Musical Studies major, which will allow more Arts & Sciences students to have more meaningful musical experiences.”

The restructured Musical Studies major, available starting in fall 2019, is one way that connections between the College and Conservatory are already being strengthened. An April 15 email sent to the student body explained that the major will be made more accessible to College students through the elimination of the tedious application process and the creation of more manageable and flexible class requirements.

Alexa Still, a member of the AAPR steering committee and associate professor of Flute, expressed enthusiasm about these changes.

“The world definitely needs more musicians and people who love music!”

Still wrote in an email to the Review. “I anticipate there being a lot of excitement for [the new major] because so many of the College students I have met come to Oberlin with musical expertise. I really like the idea that we can appreciate making music at many different levels.”

Some Conservatory students, however, are wary of the changes to the Musical Studies major.

“I knew someone who is a [Musical Studies] major and it had some requirements that they got rid of,” Conservatory senior Ricardo Guerra said. “It’s going to be missing some key attributes. … It seems like they are making it less rigorous and I think that’s a detriment.”

Double-degree junior and Conservatory Council of Students Secretary Amber Scherer is hopeful the major and other new programs will help integrate the College and Conservatory,

but expressed some concern over bridging the two divisions.

“There are so many fantastic musicians in the College; they deserve the chance to access all the resources of the Conservatory,” she said. “To be frank, due to the cultural differences in the College and Conservatory as well as ideological differences — in my opinion, there is a higher proportion of conservative-leaning and Christian students in the Conservatory — I’m not sure whether the gap will ever be socially bridged. Musically, though, I definitely think the Conservatory and College can open up to each other more.”

The AAPR steering committee also believes a smaller Conservatory could further benefit Arts & Sciences students by increasing collaborative efforts between College and Conservatory faculty. With fewer students for Conservatory faculty to teach, musicallyinclined College students would have more access to classes, lessons, ensembles, and other opportunities. This shift could result in innovative academic pathways in subjects like arts and creative technologies, interdisciplinary performance, arts administration, and popular forms and practices. These concentrations could help support Oberlin’s artists in the competitive world of music.

Alegant also believes these recommendations will help faculty find ways to diversify Oberlin’s academic offerings.

CONTENTS NEWS

OPINIONS

THIS WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

02 Moody’s Affirms Oberlin’s Credit Rating, Outlook

05 Our Case For Oberlin

08 Pretty Fest

10 Nationally-Acclaimed FIELD Magazine Ends After 50 Years, 100 Issues

15 Woods’ Victory Is A Story of Fatherhood, Not Redemption

03 State Representative Speaks at Kendal at Oberlin

The Oberlin Review | April 19, 2019

06 Inadequate Facilities Unsafe, Inaccessible For Disabled Students

13 Ana la Habibi Explores Arab Identity in America

16 OB Jump Builds Life Skills for National-Caliber Young Athletes

oberlinreview.org facebook.com/oberlinreview TWITTER @oberlinreview INSTAGRAM @ocreview

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Ne w s

First Church Raises $800,000 for Historic Renovations

The First Church in Oberlin, United Church of Christ, in 1870, and the same building in 2019, almost 150 years later.

Left photo courtesy of Laurel Price Jones, right photo by Juliette Greene

Continued from page 1

with accessible ramps for entry to the church, recarpeting, redoing bathrooms, adding a small elevator, and adding a foundation for the exterior steps that are starting to sag.

“For me, it’s exciting to think about the new staging in the sanctuary and how that will hearken back to the original design of the Meeting House,” Barlow wrote. “I’m excited about the new patio being planned for the west side of the church, and I’m pleased with everything we are doing to make all the First Church facilities more accessible to our entire community.”

The plans for the renovations started several years ago and involved input from a lot of different places, according to architect David Thal of Weber Murphy Fox. “We were invited by the First Church in Oberlin to participate in a design charrette where we engaged with the congregation, Partners for Sacred Places, and the community to identify and develop ideas for a master plan,” Thal said. “There have been a lot of really exciting and thoughtful phases of this project.”

Beyond grants from the state of Ohio as well as the National Fund for Sacred Places, raising money for the

renovations was very communityoriented.

“A lot of individuals in Oberlin say, ‘Well yeah, I don’t go to that church, but I wouldn’t want anything to happen to that building,’” Price Jones said.

She added that this is reminiscent of the way that it was first built, almost 200 years ago.

“People gave everything — they gave the bricks, they gave the lumber, they were the workers, they gave money, somebody gave a top hat and it was sold, somebody gave a wagon,” Price Jones said. “The pews are made of black walnut. [The wood] was given

by one man [who was] saving it to build himself a house. And he said, ‘Well, church comes first.’ So he gave all the black walnut that he’d saved for his own house, and he went on living in a log cabin.”

In addition to church services, about a hundred other organizations use First Church’s building, according to Price Jones. This includes organizations like Oberlin Community Services, Mad Factory Drama School, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Oberlin Choristers. In addition, First Church has been involved in the Oberlin community since the beginning of the town.

“Oberlin was founded in 1833 and it was essentially a utopian community of Christians who wanted to ‘save the perishing world,’” Price Jones said.

“Within nine months, they started a college and they admitted men and women. The idea was that these men and women were going to be educated and then they were going to fan out around the United States and make the world a better place.”

First Church continues to be a place of community for many and the tradition of generosity and cooperative organization continues to this day.

“We are very pleased with the generosity of donors to this point, but [we] still need many more people to help us reach our final goal,” wrote Barlow.

Anyone interested in contributing can contact Price Jones or Barlow at (440) 775-1711.

Moody’s Affirms Oberlin’s Strong Credit Rating, Negative Outlook Nathan Carpenter Editor-in-Chief Moody’s Investors Service, a credit rating agency which ranks the creditworthiness of borrowers, released a report earlier this week that affirmed Oberlin College’s Aa3 credit rating with a negative outlook. The rating system is used by potential investors to estimate the probability that a loan will be paid back.

Oberlin was downgraded from an Aa2 rating in November 2015 and has maintained the Aa3 rating since. Aa3 is considered “high quality and very low credit risk,” and is the fourth highest rating that Moody’s assigns.

“Oberlin College’s Aa3 rating reflects its strong financial profile and nationally recognized brand,” the report reads. “Favorable student demand will continue to be supported by its highly regarded academic reputation for both its liberal arts programs and music conservatory. However, competitive challenges will continue to suppress pricing flexibility and net tuition revenue growth.”

Oberlin has had a negative outlook since October 2017, when it was downgraded from stable. This means that, without an institutional shift, Oberlin’s rating could decline further in the future.

“The negative outlook reflects our expectations

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of constrained revenue growth and continued market challenges,” Moody’s report reads. “A return to stable outlook could result from successful execution of the College’s articulated strategy to sustainably reduce expenses, coupled with achievement of enrollment and net tuition revenue targets for fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021.”

The report also mentioned Oberlin’s “sizable wealth” and “robust philanthropic support” as the rationale for the College’s relatively strong rating.

Moody’s highlighted “actions to reduce [Oberlin’s] endowment spend rate and improve the College’s operating performance through cost reductions,” referring in part to the ongoing Academic and Administrative Program Review, which will submit its recommendations to President Carmen Twillie Ambar at the conclusion of this semester.

Moody’s analysis echoes the message from both Ambar and the AAPR steering committee — if action is not taken now to address Oberlin’s budget challenges, the College could face a serious financial crisis in only a matter of years.

Vice President for Finance and Administration Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings generally agrees with the assessment.

“I believe Moody’s report gives proper acknowledgment of our current cash and investments balanced by discussion of recent

Editors-in-Chief

Sydney Allen Nathan Carpenter Managing Editor Ananya Gupta News Editors Anisa Curry Vietze

Jenna Gyimesi Opinions Editor Jackie Brant This Week Editor Mikaela Fishman Arts Editors Kate Fishman

Katherine MacPhail Sports Editors Jane Agler

Alexis Dill Photo Editors Mallika Pandey Meg Parker Senior Staff Writers Carson Dowhan Roman Broszkowski Julie Schreiber

Ella Moxley

Layout Editors

challenges with financial growth related to our reliance upon net student revenue,” VazquezSkillings wrote in an email to the Review. “They acknowledge that our challenges require action.”

Despite these challenges and the assigned negative outlook, Oberlin’s credit still stands out among its peers in the Great Lakes Colleges Association. For example, Denison University has been assigned Aa3, the same as Oberlin’s current status, since March 2004; The College of Wooster, Kenyon College, and DePauw University, among others, have lower ratings.

Vazquez-Skillings highlighted that Oberlin’s negative outlook is representative of larger concerns in higher education. She added that she expects the College’s outlook to improve in the future.

“Moody’s assigned a negative outlook for higher education as an industry a few years ago based on concerns of expenditure growth outpacing revenue growth and later revised Oberlin College’s outlook to negative in 2017,” Vazquez-Skillings wrote. “We do expect a return to a stable outlook following the implementation of a variety of cost reduction strategies to support financial sustainability and strategic investment in attractive programming for current and prospective students that will strengthen revenues.”

Parker Shatkin Jake Butcher Lila Michaels Lillian Jones Business Manager Jared Steinberg Ads Manager Jabree Hason Web Manager Sage Vouse Production Manager Giselle Glaspie Production Staff Christo Hays Olive Hwang Lior Krancer Devyn Malouf Madi Mettenburg Allison Schmitt Annie Schoonover Ivy Fernandez Smith

Corrections: In the April 12 article “Facing Uncertainty, Cavicchio Switches Fields, Finds Support,” the Review incorrectly cited College junior Maya English as a sprinter instead of a javelin thrower, and wrote that College senior Millie Cavicchio threw 100 meters, not 100 feet, in her first meet after spring break this semester.

In the April 12 article “Visiting Lecturer Manuel Parada López de Corselas Brings New Ideas to Allen Piece,” the Review wrote that the painting “The Fountain of Life,” featured in the Allen Memorial Art Museum, was created in 1432. The painting is actually a copy of the 1432 painting “The Fountain of Grace,” which was featured in the article.

State Representative Speaks at Kendal at Oberlin

Kendal at Oberlin hosts the Oberlin Chapter of the League of Women Voters’ monthly Legislative Luncheon, where Ohio State Representative Joe Miller discussed issues he dealt with in the opening months of his first term.

Photo by Ella Moxley, Senior Staff Writer

Ella Moxley, Senior Staff Writer Ohio State Representative Joe Miller came to Kendal at Oberlin on Friday, April 12 to discuss women’s rights, the so-called “heartbeat bill,” and the challenges he faced in the first four months of his first term.

Miller was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area at their monthly Legislative Luncheon. The audience included Kendal at Oberlin residents; members of the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area; Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group; and Lorain County Rising.

Miller started by acknowledging that on Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law which will ban all abortions after the first sign of a fetal heartbeat.

Critics of the law argue it will effectively ban abortions occurring six weeks after conception, which is before many people are even aware they are pregnant. The room was clearly opposed to the law.

“Why should nurses, doctors, engineers, lawyers, or anyone else we need to make this state thrive come [to Ohio] if this is that attitude the state adopts towards [pregnant people]?” asked Laurel Price Jones, a luncheon attendee.

Miller acknowledged the work of many of his female colleagues in the state house who pushed back against the bill. “[They] were willing to give the most personal, intimate details to educate [supporters] about the detriments of the heartbeat bill,” Miller said.

Before being elected into the state legislature in 2018, Miller taught psychology, government, and social studies at Firelands High School in

Oberlin. He ran for the state house on a platform of education reform.

Barry Richard, an audience member and member of the Oberlin School Board, agreed with Miller’s priorities. “[We need] more local control, less mandated testing, less unfunded mandates, additional funding for special needs, [and] increased funding for the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission,” said Richard.

Miller is currently working across the aisle on a bill to reform education across the state with Republican State Representative Don Jones. This legislation would address one of the top issues facing his Lorain County constituency: the state takeover of Lorain County Schools.

“Problems are solved closer to home,” Miller argued.

Miller also reflected on the challenges he has faced in his first months in office, both as a member of the minority party and as a political outsider. Miller also emphasized his willingness to work toward more bipartisanship in a state readily moving further right. “[I’m] hopeful about his efforts to reach across the aisle,” said Maureen Simen, who represented Lorain County Rising at the luncheon.

Miller also discussed gerrymandering and its negative impacts on the state house.

“Whenever you have a monopoly of power it’s never good — on either side,” Miller said.

The Oberlin Area League of Women Voters hosts several events throughout the year to educate the public about civic involvement. Linda Miller, the chapter president, wants to encourage student membership.

Sasamori Revisits Past in Hopes of Promoting Peace

Shigeko Sasamori and Professor of Japanese at Purdue University Kazumi Hatasa gave a lecture last week about Sasamori’s experience in Hiroshima in 1945.

Photo by Sydney Allen, Editor-in-Chief

Jenna Gyimesi, News Editor Keifer Ludwig, Staff Writer Shigeko Sasamori, 87, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, visited campus last Friday to share her experience and journey into peace advocacy with the Oberlin community.

Approximately 130 students, faculty, and community members attended Sasamori’s talk and many were moved by her honesty, courage, and powerful memories.

Japanese Language Instructor Sachiko Kondo was the driving force in bringing Sasamori to Oberlin. She worked in collaboration with a professor at Kenyon College and secured the funds to bring Sasamori to both Oberlin and Kenyon through the Andrew W. Mellon Language Foundation.

“We were fortunate enough to have a grant from Mellon Language,” Kondo explained. “They have a certain amount of money [for] inviting speakers that would benefit language students.”

Sasamori, who was 14 when the atomic bomb was dropped, emphasized that she is motivated to share her story because many people who have not experienced war firsthand are unaware of the intense suffering it can cause.

“More people, especially young people, don’t know about war, how hard it is,” Sasamori said. “There are some countries already fighting — look at the world. We [the U.S.] are not at war right now. But we are not happy. When I think about refugees, when I hear the news, I am not happy. War never should happen. That’s why people — especially young people with no experience in war — I like to tell them: Once war is started, everybody suffers.”

The Oberlin Review | April 19, 2019

Several students were grateful for the rare opportunity to hear Sasamori speak, and to learn about Hiroshima from a survivor.

“It gave us an opportunity that not a lot of people are going to have going forward,” College sophomore Sam Schuman said.

“Historical memory changes when people go through events.

I think it’s really important that we hear these voices while we can.”

Ann Sherif, professor of Japanese, added that Sasamori’s lessons are particularly powerful because many students often shy away from discussing subjects that are troublesome or difficult to fathom. “[She showed the] importance of studying history, even if it’s hard history,” Sherif said. “These horrific histories of violence have survivors who are committed to sharing their stories with younger generations. It’s our responsibility to listen to their stories, to try to learn, reflect, and then to act in ways that move the world away from inhumanity and injustice.”

Sherif noted that many students felt uncomfortable asking Sasamori questions that may bring back painful memories.

However, she also noted that Sasamori actively chose to share her memories, and that she overcame a difficult past for a grander purpose.

“Students expressed their admiration for her willingness to share her stories, even though it may be painful to relive those memories every time, and for her strong sense of mission,” Sherif said. “She was one of the 25 so-called Hiroshima Maidens who were selected and brought to the United States in the mid-1950s for medical procedures. For most, the surgery was successful and helped them to return to Japan and lead purposeful lives.

Ms. Sasamori shared with us that her hands, her fingers, had been fused in a certain position by the bomb blast. … Thanks to the surgery, she was able to pursue a career as a nurse’s assistant in the States.”

Sasamori noted that more and more people are becoming involved in peace movements. She advised that anyone can contribute to the cause, no matter who you are or where you live. “[People can promote peace with] very simple things,” she said. “What’s the most important thing in life? Life. Not just yourself. Life is very important. You die and there’s nothing.

Protect life — and not just yourself. War is unnecessary. As long as you’re living on this earth, everybody [has a] responsibility.”

Sasamori is a survivor of both stomach and intestinal cancer.

She moved to the United States shortly after the attack and was adopted by an American family but has visited the Hiroshima memorials in Japan multiple times. When she’s not traveling to universities across the nation, she lives in Los Angeles.

Security Notebook Thursday, April 11, 2019

12:15 p.m. A student reported the theft of money from their wallet on two separate occasions. The student did not know where the thefts took place.

5:18 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of Allencroft House. Smoke from cooking activated the alarm. The alarm was reset.

Friday, April 12, 2019

1:34 p.m. A staff member reported a bagged smoke detector in a room on the first floor of Lord House. An officer responded and removed the bag. A glass pipe, observed in plain view, was confiscated and turned over to the Oberlin Police Department.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

9:23 a.m. Officers responded to a report that a student was either sleeping or passed out in a stairwell of Asia House. When the student was awakened, they were incoherent and unaware of their surroundings. The student was transported to Mercy Allen Hospital for treatment.

7:55 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of the Firelands Apartment building. A slight haze was observed coming from under a door. Two jars and several bags containing a substance consistent with marijuana, glass smoking paraphernalia, and other similar items were found in plain view. All items were confiscated and turned over to the Oberlin Police Department.

11:13 p.m. Members of the Oberlin Police Department were advised that there were several complaints of yelling, fireworks, and noise coming from the Arboretum. Campus Safety officers responded and located approximately 70 students dancing, drinking, and singing loudly. All were advised to leave the area.

A keg of hard cider was confiscated.

11:53 p.m. Officers responded to the report of a vandalized exit sign on the third floor of Kahn Hall. The sign appeared to have been dismantled and was in pieces. A work order was filed.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

1:06 a.m. Officers responded to a strong odor of burnt marijuana and loud music on the third floor of East Hall.

Contact was made with occupants, and there were no smoking devices in plain view. The students were asked to turn down their music and were reminded of the no-smoking policy on campus.

Monday, April 15, 2019

12:28 p.m. Officers received a report of non-offensive graffiti on the exterior of Kahn Hall. A work order was filed for clean up.

3:08 p.m. Facilities staff reported three exit signs vandalized at South Hall.

Officers responded. A work order was filed for repair.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

9:51 a.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Police Department responded to an emergency call for assistance from an elevator in the Mudd Center. After investigating, it was determined that either someone pressed the emergency button and left the area, or there had been a malfunction. A work order was filed.

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Ne w s OFF THE CUFF

Anderson Flen and Major Joe Womack, Africatown, Alabama

Anderson Flen and retired Marine Major Joe Womack are both natives of Africatown, Alabama — a community with a rich and unique history dating back to the 1860 landing of the Clotilda, the last ship to illegally bring enslaved African people to the United States.

Since then, many historians, anthropologists, and journalists have chronicled Africatown’s story, including Zora Neale Hurston in the recently released Barracoon. Earlier this week, Flen and Womack visited Oberlin to present alongside a group of students who have participated in Oberlin’s partnership with Africatown, which began in 2014 under the leadership of Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Janet Fiskio. The presentation, titled “Environmental Justice and Community Knowledge in Africatown, Alabama” covered topics such as the disproportionate threat of industrial pollution that Africatown residents face, the history of Mobile County Training School, and the oral history work that Oberlin has done to help preserve the community’s history.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Sydney Allen, Editor-in-Chief Devyn Malouf, Production Editor For readers who aren’t familiar with the history of Africatown, could you give some background information?

Joe Womack: The big thing about Africatown is that it was the place where the last recorded shipment of slaves came into this country. ... The people that caused it to happen were brought to trial, but they were found innocent.

There were 110 slaves aboard that ship and after the Civil War, they wanted to go back home, but they couldn’t go.

They had no money and no one would take them, so they decided to make that area there “Africa in America.” ... They formed and incorporated the area they called Africatown.

They actually helped form a school, and that school still exists today. They formed it in the basement of a church around 1860. It got up to where it had about 1,200 students. ... I’ll let [Anderson] talk a little bit about the school, but that’s two things that they’re very proud of: They formed their own community, incorporated with their own government, and then they formed a school to educate the children.

Anderson Flen: The school had a really interesting history because the community, the church, and the school were all tied together. For a long time,

every student that went to the school on Monday morning had to bring to school a signed card from the superintendent of the Sunday Schools, that they were in good standing at the Sunday School in order to be in good standing at school. ... Even though the tradition does not exist, the essence of the relationship still exists with the church, the school, and the community.

How has that relationship and the legacy of the school impacted the community as it stands today?

AF: Well, I think if that relationship had not existed, the school and the community would have been totally destroyed by now. That relationship and [that] structure created a synergy that has held people together. ... The one entity that brings everybody together in that community and around that community is the school.

Major Joe, during your talk today you mentioned the environmental issues that you’ve been fighting with your organization Clean, Healthy, Educated, Safe, and Sustainable, or CHESS. Can you elaborate on that and the work you’ve been doing?

JW: Well fortunately, the community

Major Joe Womack (left) and Anderson Flen (right).

is located near water and that’s where it started; it’s surrounded on three sides by water. There was a saw mill that the plantation owner owned and that’s where a lot of guys — former slaves — worked. But as time went on and the country began to industrialize, two large paper companies moved in — International Paper [Company] and Scott’s Paper [Company] — and some other small, related industries moved in. And that sort of pushed the residents away from the water. ... International and Scott both had a big expansion around the ’40s.

That’s when the community grew, because you had people coming in from four or five hours away from the north, east, and west to find work. So the community swelled up to about 15,000 residents, because most of them worked in and around the mills. The paper mills had the pollution problem, the odor problems that had existed in the community for years and years.

Even though [International Paper and Scott’s Paper] left, the area they were physically located in is still zoned for heavy industry. The people that own that land made money off leasing

Photo by Meg Parker, Photo Editor

the land, and so it seems like the only businesses that they want to try to find, are what I consider to be dirty and toxic type industries — they’ll pay the most money to get by that water.

That’s what we’re fighting. Over the years and after International Paper and Scott’s left, a waste disposal unit tried to come over there and they were going to be dumping and treating waste from around the world. So the community fought against that. And then five, six, seven years ago, an oil company tried to come in there and put up these big storage tanks to store oil. A trucking company tried to come in, and warehouse people tried to come in, and a group tried to rezone the area so they could lease old military hardware — auction it off.

All of these things did not coincide with what the community wanted for itself. ... So we continue to fight that fight. The main thing that we’ve got to do is try to see if we can get some politicians on our side … to see if we could change some laws and get the people to do a better job of policing the existing laws. ... It’s an ongoing struggle and so we just fight for what we believe in.

Changes to Con Enrollment, Musical Studies Major Among AAPR Recs Continued from page 1

alike,” he wrote. “Ideally, we would like Conservatory students to be able to pursue a minor in the College, Arts & Sciences students to be able to pursue a minor in the Conservatory, and students of both divisions to have the opportunity to pursue integrated concentrations.”

Some Conservatory students are concerned that this academic integration may make it difficult to distinguish between those who are doing Musical Studies and those who are pursuing a Conservatory degree.

“I think the idea of more integration of the College and the Conservatory is really important, and it’s good that they aren’t so separate,” double-degree sophomore Julia Klein said. “[Conservatory] students audition to be here, and spend a lot of time on their instrument. It’s a different workload, it’s different from the College. I think we need to balance that distinction.”

However, other students expressed that the increase in individual attention may also help Conservatory

students develop stronger, longer-lasting relationships with their professors.

“There are a number of well-functioning prestigious conservatories with much smaller student bodies than we have,” Scherer said. “I think, hopefully, the school will use it as an opportunity to decrease the size of studios, therein decreasing the student to teacher ratio. Right now, there are multiple studios with more than 15 students to one teacher, making it difficult to form a really close or deep bond with our private teacher.”

Still added that the recommendation of a smaller Conservatory could represent a constructive step for professors like herself.

“We’re here because we love teaching. When I consider my colleagues’ ‘extra’ skills and specialties that they just don’t have the time to share with students currently, this change is really exciting,” she wrote. “For example, if I had fewer students, I could do the myriad of things I currently try to squeeze in as ‘overload,’ like extra chamber music coaching, sectionals for the ensembles,

Oberlin Community News Bulletin Workshops Unite Community Through Dance The Oberlin African-American Genealogy and History Group is working to build community through social dancing. The group will host workshops in various types of dancing on Saturday, April 27 in Hales gymnasium.

Internationally renowned dancer Darlene Dakos will be teaching introductory kizomba, and Lenin Guerrero Maldonado will lead salsa, bachata, and merengue. All workshops will be from 6–7:30 p.m. and will be followed by social dancing until 9:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door at $7 for adults and $5 for students.

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Seniors Celebrated at Women’s Lacrosse Game Cheer on Oberlin College’s varsity women’s lacrosse team as they face off against Hiram College on Saturday, April 20 at noon on Bailey Field. This game is the team’s last home game, and they will honor their five graduating seniors — Jenna Butler, Sabrina Deleonibus, Hayley Drapkin, Sydney Allen, and Siena Marcelle — for their years of dedication, athletic commitment, and contributions to the team. Senior players will be escorted across the field, accompanied by family members before the start of the game.

working with students outside of my own studio.”

Additionally, if Conservatory enrollment decreases, more competitive admissions rates could increase its prestige.

“Because we will be looking for fewer students, the word will be out that we are even more exclusive,” Still said. “This will probably make us even more attractive, and we’ll need to look carefully at our admissions process for ways to adapt.”

Other proposed Conservatory changes include scheduling adjustments and shifts to large ensemble structures. The proposals plan to increase flexibility in ensembles, and to move toward a “one pool model” where all players will be free at the same rehearsal time, making it easier for instrumentalists to participate in more groups. Along with shortening the rehearsal cycle for each concert, the College and Conservatory also plan to collaborate so that certain classes and labs do not conflict with ensemble rehearsals, allowing for greater institutional collaboration.

Oberlin Early Childhood Center Names New Executive Director Tricia Harrel was selected as the new executive director of the Oberlin Early Childhood Center by the organization’s board of trustees. She will begin her new position on April 23. Harrel currently serves as the coordinator of the Huron County Child Advocacy Center in Norwalk, and has approximately 20 years of experience in education.

The Oberlin Early Childhood Center has been serving the community since 1968 and partners with the City of Oberlin, Oberlin College, the Nord Family Foundation, the Nordson Corporation Foundation, and many more organizations.

April 19, 2019

OPINIONS

Letter to the Editors

Legion Field Garden Provides Vital Sense of Community On March 18, Oberlin City Council rejected Zion Community Development Corporation’s offer to donate garden tools, shed, and other materials used at Legion Field Community Garden to the City.

The gardeners of Legion Field were told that managing community gardens would not be feasible with current City staff capacity. We then formed a new partnership with Our F.A.M.I.L.Y., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which already sponsors three gardens in Lorain County.

We have also reached out to Madison Baker from the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Lorain County Community College to manage the garden.

This past week, Our F.A.M.I.L.Y. submitted a new draft of the user agreement to the City for council approval. The City has not responded to our draft agreement as of this writing. As a result, a group of Oberlin College student volunteers was not permitted to contribute over 40 hours of work on improvements to the garden this past weekend. The City has made no improvements to

established 1874

the site for more than two decades and now is blocking local residents from improving the site as they have done each season for nearly 10 years.

Beyond individual council members’ comments about the garden’s appearance and productivity, the body has not been forthcoming with reasons for the City’s inaction. Any concerns could be addressed in the user agreement with our new sponsor.

Legion Field gardeners would welcome a community dialogue on the criteria for success for community gardens. Abandoning nearly 10 years of community gardening at Legion Field without real community dialogue is not a fair or legitimate exercise of power by City Council.

It’s time City Council include the residents of South Oberlin in this dialogue through city-sponsored “listening sessions.” Come down to the neighborhood and ask the residents: What should be done with Legion Field? You will discover that the garden is valued as an asset by most residents, even when they are not actually gardening there. The success of a community garden is measured not only in pounds of produce but also how it creates a common purpose and sense of community for the whole neighborhood.

Peter Crowley Coordinator South West Oberlin Residents Association

Strange Acquisitions: How We Got The Carnegie Building Isabelle Smith Contributing Writer Many Oberlin students are aware of Oberlin’s rich history. Some even first heard about Oberlin in their high school history books. However, few students are aware of the captivating stories that Oberlin’s physical buildings themselves hold.

In a previous Review article, College senior Kameron Dunbar detailed the interesting history behind Langston Hall and urged readers to discover not only the stories of how Oberlin acquired these buildings, but also the reasoning behind the names of certain buildings (“Community Should Reflect Upon History of College Spaces,” March 9, 2018). Another example of a building with a very interesting, yet mostly forgotten history is the Carnegie Building at the corner of West Lorain and North Professor Streets.

See Carnegie, page 6 SUBMISSIONS POLICY

The Oberlin Review appreciates and welcomes letters to the editors and oped 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. 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 | April 19, 2019

Volume 147, Number 20

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief

Sydney Allen

Nathan Carpenter

Managing Editor Ananya Gupta

Opinions Editor Jackie Brant

Our Case For Oberlin Today marks the end of a three-week-long campaign of All Roads Lead to Oberlin events, meant to encourage admitted high school students to enroll in Oberlin’s class of 2023. So far this month, over 660 high school students have visited campus to see if Oberlin is the right fit for them, according to the Office of Admissions. Prospective students have stayed overnight with current students in dorms, visited classes, and asked their most pressing questions at the All Roads Academic Department Fair.

Although this Editorial Board has often been critical of decisions made by the administration and other campus leaders, we want to step back in this final week of admissions frenzy and make the case for attending Oberlin. We want to advocate for the Oberlin not shown in admissions brochures, but instead, the Oberlin that we, as students, experience everyday. While information like the student-faculty ratio, the high rate at which Obies go on to attain doctorates, and the quality of our academic facilities is certainly important, you’ll hear it all on your campus tour.

Instead, we want to make a pitch for this institution which comes with its fair share of challenges — but that we nonetheless care deeply about, and for which we have great hope.

If you’ve read the Review at all this academic year, you’ll know that Oberlin is experiencing financial hardship — the ongoing Academic and Administrative Program Review, launched in spring 2018, is proof enough of that. Tasked by the Board of Trustees to identify strategies to address Oberlin’s mounting budget shortfall, the AAPR steering committee just released its preliminary areas of recommendation in March. Committee members will now spend the rest of the semester collecting community feedback and input before presenting their final recommendations to President Carmen Twillie Ambar at the end of the semester.

While Oberlin’s stark financial realities could be viewed as a reason to go elsewhere, we believe this time of adjustment is an opportunity to shape Oberlin’s future like never before. Despite student complaints about the availability of AAPR data (which we echoed in our April 5 editorial “Students Need More Data”), the steering committee has made significant strides to address questions and incorporate student feedback into their work. This commitment was perhaps best exemplified in an April 11 email from Student Senate to the student body, in which 40 specific questions voiced by students were addressed in detail by the steering committee. Given this high level of student involvement, students who attend Oberlin over the next four years will have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the school in shaping what this financial change looks like.

Furthermore, Oberlin is only one of many liberal arts colleges across the nation facing budget challenges, but because Oberlin is pioneering in its approach to tackle these deficits head-on through a comprehensive program review, the Oberlin community, including students, will help shape the future of liberal arts colleges more generally. Other institutions will be looking to Oberlin’s example, as they have before at other pivotal moments in history. Right now, Oberlin is blazing the path for what a 21st-century liberal arts college could look like, and incoming students have the chance to be a part of that — to define what higher education could look like for decades to come.

None of this is to say that we agree with every proposal put forward by the steering committee, nor every short-term budget cut made by high-level administrators. A lot of what’s to come will be truly challenging, and no solution will be perfect for everyone. However, given what we’ve seen up to this point, we are confident that, even though there will undoubtedly be some hiccups, the changes we see in the coming years will be the result of collaboration between the administration, staff, and students — and that’s important.

The class of 2023 and classes to follow will have the opportunity to envision and shape Oberlin’s future. We can only honor Oberlin’s legacy of being a progressive institution at the forefront of higher education while adapting to the shifting realities of higher education if we have buy-in from an interested, committed, and creative student body. Interested in working toward making OSCA more inclusive and accessible? Want to help academic departments build unprecedented interdisciplinary connections through the proposed structure for academic divisions? Now is your chance.

Students come to Oberlin because they’re interested in learning how to make lasting change in the world — and there’s no better training ground than this moment. Our current student body has shown an incredible commitment to making their voices heard this year, and have collaborated in shaping innovative ideas for Oberlin’s future. Now, we need a new cohort of students to help carry that work forward.

That’s our case for Oberlin, beyond what you’ll hear at an All Roads panel. We have a lot of work ahead, but also a lot of opportunities. Help us seize them.

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.

5

Opi n ions

Inadequate Facilities Unsafe, Inaccessible For Disabled Students Zoë Luh Contributing Writer My most poignant memory from Orientation Week was calling my best friend crying because I thought I would have to leave this school. Classes hadn’t even started yet. There was no academic pressure, and there were many opportunities for social exploration. The reason I thought I had to leave Oberlin was because of its lack of accessibility.

On the third day of orientation, I remember entering Hall Auditorium for the mandatory play, The OC. Even though the building isn’t as old as others on campus, it wasn’t designed with the needs of people like me in mind.

As soon as I entered Hall Auditorium, I could smell mold. Mold is an environmental toxin that has especially adverse effects on people with chronic illnesses and suppressed immune systems. For me, extended exposure to toxins like mold triggers an inflammatory response, causing a relapse into my chronic illnesses and requiring a leave of absence. Staying for the entire production simply was not an option.

The stress and frustration of missing mandatory events because I could not physically be in the space were overwhelming. More frustrating than that was the sense of isolation I experienced when I realized how few of Oberlin’s dorms were environmentally safe for me. How could I help my newfound friends understand that it was unsafe for me to hang out in their dorms, especially when there is little awareness of, or nuance about, disabilities on this campus? These are situations that no student should have to navigate in the first place. Students should not be placed in unsafe situations or have to justify their needs in order to be safe.

The most recent issue threatening my ability to attend Oberlin was applying for housing next year. As stated on its website, the Office of Residential Education requires all students with less than six semesters in residence to live on campus. Exemptions are possible, but ResEd maintains that Obies “with physical or medical conditions and/or disability can usually be accommodated in college housing and dining.”

So what happens when the housing

options provided by the school aren’t safe? My first choice for housing would be somewhere on South Campus because that is where the majority of people of color are located. However, that isn’t an option for me because those buildings are generally not well-maintained enough to meet my health needs.

This difference in building maintenance seems intentionally racialized, since it is mostly POC-designated dorms that seem less maintained.

Because I am not able to live with my of-color community, I was placed in Langston Hall, which on paper did seem to fit my disability needs. However, upon walking into the space, I could smell mold and knew it would not be safe for me to live there. I was told by ResEd that there had not been recent complaints of mold — although I’ve since heard otherwise from people who transferred out of the dorm because of that exact problem.

Living with an administration that forces disabled students to put emotional labor, time, and often money into “proving” their disability is insulting and unbelievably painful. The actions and inactions of this school force dis-

abled students into uncomfortable and unsafe situations, often forcing us to re-examine and re-experience our trauma.

Whether intentional or not, Oberlin constantly sends the message that disabled students aren’t accepted, believed, or wanted. From the exclusive building designs to the racialization of space maintenance, to the lengthy process of obtaining accommodations, students with disabilities must use our energy — which is already quite limited for those of us with chronic illnesses — to constantly advocate for ourselves and prove our existence and validity.

We need to explore the idea that historically marginalized voices have not been believed or respected when they point out injustices and dangerous situations. There is a certain irony in the dismissal of voiced injustice on a campus that claims to be radically liberal and social justice-oriented. I have begun to document the buildings on Oberlin’s campus that violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. I understand that many of these buildings are permissible by legal standards See Mold, page 7

Carnegie Acquisition Story Reveals Power of Learning Oberlin History Continued from page 5

The story begins in Canada, with the birth of Cassie Chadwick — named Elizabeth “Betsy” Bigley at birth — in 1857. Born into a lower-middle-class farming family, she always had dreams of a more luxurious life. She would eventually help inadvertently endow an Oberlin College building through deception in both Canada and Ohio. Bigley’s early experiences in Canada were crucial in leading her to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Citizen’s National Bank of Oberlin in 1905, which left a forgotten but lasting impact on the College.

Bigley’s first brush with the law occurred when she was just 14. She managed to open a bank account in Woodstock, Ontario, using a fake inheritance check from an unknown uncle in England and a small amount of cash. After leaving the bank, she crossed the street and began using the checks as if she were an actual heiress. Along with the luxury clothes and goods that she purchased, she also picked up business cards from a local printer. They read: “Betsy Bigly: Heiress.”

Betsy spent much of her time attempting to understand the banking system and the ways of the elite.

Soon, she grew tired of Canada, and went to live with her previously estranged sister, who had just married a doctor and moved to Cleveland.

Days after she arrived in Cleveland, Betsy opened a shop down the street from her sister and residence, and then virtually cut all ties with her. She marketed herself as a clairvoyant by the name of Madame Lydia

Devrie. During her years of swindling in Canada, Betsy had developed an ability to read other people’s body language, so she was able to form a large clientele of customers from reputable backgrounds and ran a very profitable business. Eventually, she even seduced some of her more affluent widowed clients. From those men she was able to “borrow” money and continue growing her bank account and collection of expensive goods.

Betsy was married three times in this period, the first of which lasted only a few weeks. She changed her name often, but the routine stayed the same. Eventually, she was imprisoned for the first time in 1889 in a Toledo penitentiary, on counts of forgery and fraud. Ultimately, Betsy served only three years and six months of her nine year sentence before being released for good behavior.

Once released, Betsy realized she needed to be more cunning and careful. She joined a brothel for the second time in her life, climbing the ranks and becoming headmistress. When Mr. Leroy Chadwick — a wealthy man from Euclid Avenue — entered the brothel, she posed as an innocent girl in a tight spot.

They were married in 1897. As Betsy began to drain his bank account, she needed a new lie. She began to spread the rumor that she was the illigitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie — a billionaire steel tycoon.

This lie reached the community’s wealthy bankers and lawyers.

This scam proved to be her most profitable yet. She convinced a reputable lawyer to sign off on her forged endowment without any contact with Carnegie. She

took this note to banks in rural Ohio, her biggest profit coming from the Citizen’s National Bank of Oberlin, where she was able to withdraw $800,000 in 1904.

Once the money began to dry out, the bankers began demanding payment, at which point she was promptly arrested and sent to prison. The bank’s president lost all of his money, went bankrupt, and was forced to close the Bank of Oberlin.

Ultimately, Andrew Carnegie himself was made aware of this scandal in the small town of Oberlin, Ohio. Carnegie had a reputation for supporting higher education with his significant accumulated wealth, and the idea of helping broke college students weighed heavily on his mind. He acted quickly, reimbursing Oberlin students the money they were owed. Furthermore, when Oberlin’s sixth president, Henry Churchill King, traveled to New York to thank Carnegie in person, Carnegie agreed to endow a library to Oberlin.

Carnegie Building was completed in May of 1907, and still stands today, 112 years later.

Most institutions cannot claim, as Oberlin can, that the endowment of a large building on their campus came from a string of thefts ending at a small college town bank. Yet, many Oberlin students remain unaware of this history. Every day, Oberlin students file in and out of Carnegie, completely oblivious to the building’s history. Students should be more aware, interested, and appreciative of the rich history that Oberlin and its buildings hold. This is just the history for one building — imagine what future Oberlin students could uncover if they simply looked for it.

Clair Wang, Staff Cartoonist

6

Three Ways Every Student Can Students Must Address Contribute to the AAPR Process Entitlement, Be More Respectful, Appreciative of Hourly Employees

Patrick Powers Contributing Writer

This article is part of the Review’s Student Senate column.

In an effort to increase communication and transparency, student senators will provide personal perspectives on recent events on campus and in the community.

The ongoing Academic and Administrative Review process asks a great deal of Oberlin’s students. For a student body famous for its skepticism toward authority, President Carmen Twillie Ambar’s call to think institutionally is understandably difficult.

We have to strike a balance between our sometimes-idealistic values and the always-brutal financial realities in which we find ourselves. As we search for this balance, anxiety abounds.

The student body has a wealth of opportunities to contribute to this process, but I am concerned that the way we are currently approaching these opportunities is failing us. We are concerned for OSCA, and for the potential loss of union jobs. We see the areas proposed for reduction, and we perceive a betrayal of Oberlin’s values. I believe that these values are important, and that they’re worth fighting for. However, in informal conversations as well as in structured forums, conversations between students, faculty, and AAPR committee members have become worryingly circular. The steering committee and administration have asked us to engage with established governance bodies, to think institutionally, and to offer our feedback after informing ourselves as best we can. I believe that we can do a better job at all of these things. If we don’t, we run the risk of undermining the legitimacy of student feedback in the eyes of the steering committee and administration.

I worry that this could reduce the impact of student voices in the future, including the actual implementation processes that will come after the recommendations.

For student input to be effective in the AAPR process, we have to shift tactics and engage more effectively, and I think

there are three distinct ways to achieve that.

First: Come to office hours.

All student senators have office hours every week, usually in Azariah’s; I hold mine in the Conservatory Lounge. The expressed purpose of these office hours is to have casual conversations with students, and these are the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard. In Senate’s consultations with AAPR, steering committee members invariably ask us to shed light on students’ points of concern and on the general campus climate. While we can comment on these issues by virtue of being students and paying attention to what’s happening around us, none of us are perfectly intersectional, and there are identities, interests, and student groups with whom we are less familiar than others.

This makes student engagement even more vital. Come with a group of friends or colleagues and speak to the concerns and ideas your group has, or come alone and have a one-on-one conversation. Even if the senator in question can’t solve your problem directly, I feel confident that both you and your senator will benefit from your visit to office hours. What’s more, the in-person conversations we have in office hours stick with us, and they really influence our thoughts as we move forward.

Second: Propose solutions.

This is one is difficult, but it is essential. We all understand that there are components of AAPR that, frankly, suck. There are cuts and trade-offs, and every time we prioritize one thing, we have to emphasize something else less.

While feelings of anger around recommendations are valid, we have to stand for more than just opposition. If we want to have a strong student voice in addressing the problems identified by AAPR, we have to envision viable solutions.

I don’t think students should be deterred by the feeling that they have less information or time than the steering committee did.

While this may be true, they are asking for our input now, and are serious when they say they want our ideas. Even if a student’s proposed solution ends up not being

feasible for one reason or another, the fact that they thought beyond a grievance and kept solutions in mind will garner a lot of respect from the steering committee and the administration as a whole.

Holding ourselves accountable for solution-oriented feedback is also a valuable reality check. As a private institution in the capitalist world, Oberlin must make painful and morally challenging choices to survive in perpetuity.

We must do more than just point out flaws. We must also begin to articulate realistic visions for the future.

Third: Don’t miss the low-hanging fruit — read your emails. This is easy. This is important. Between Senate’s weekly emails, emails from the steering committee with links to the various documents they’ve tirelessly compiled, and other communications from administrators and Senate alike, a lot of crucial information is delivered straight to your inbox. Taking advantage of the information already available to you is the most immediate and tangible way you can engage.

By keeping up to date on emails and documents released publicly

by AAPR, you will find it much easier to contribute meaningfully to the discussion. Even if you haven’t been involved with student government or with the AAPR process yet, don’t worry. Just read your emails. You’ll be more informed and prepared to make an impact.

I remain optimistic about Oberlin. I believe deeply in this student body’s ability to contribute to institutional change, and I believe equally deeply in this institution’s ability to thrive for decades to come. In order for us to realize this potential, we must work together. We must engage with our leadership structures effectively, we must work with solutions in mind, and we must take it upon ourselves to stay informed. Just as the AAPR process is a decisive time for the institution, it is a decisive time for our voices as students. By holding ourselves to a high standard of input and advocacy, we have the opportunity to ensure that student voices remain respected and impactful at Oberlin for years to come.

Mold Poses Threat to Disabled Students

Continued from page 6

due to grandfather clauses. However, just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s moral. Laws need to change, and so does Oberlin.

I can’t help but notice the contrast between the rhetoric used to attract prospective students and the reality of student life. In actuality, a portion of Oberlin’s student population cannot live comfortably or safely in College housing. I have heard that students of color have a lower retention rate than white students at Oberlin. I bring this up to acknowledge that it’s more difficult for people of color to get official documentation for disabilities due to the racialization of the medical–industrial complex. For a socially conscious school, Oberlin fails to understand or act upon the nuances of disability and race, as well as the intersection of these identities.

The Oberlin Review | April 19, 2019

Our social justice legacy did not end with Oberlin’s racial integration. It also includes the continuous harm caused to disabled students of color who are put in potentially dangerous situations by our institution daily. Instead of carelessly throwing around the word “accessibility,” let’s work to educate ourselves on the nuances of disability and push for changes that make our campus safer.

I suggest the administration begin by providing safe housing, respecting the needs of disabled students, and taking universal design — as well as accessibility that includes a wider range of disabilities — into account when making long-term plans for Oberlin’s finances.

To students who claim allyship: Please, work to actively support your disabled friends. Educate yourself, so disabled peers don’t end up in dangerous or uncomfortable situations.

Marisa Kim Contributing Writer Dear Obies: I do not wake up at 6 a.m. every Wednesday to clean up your messes.

I have worked for Campus Dining Services in Wilder DeCafé since my second week on campus. During my first semester, I worked as a stocker, and this semester I work as a line clerk. In that time, I’ve witnessed a consistent trend at Oberlin, which can best be encompassed by a recent exchange.

The checkout line in DeCafé is always longest during the 10-minute transition periods between classes. Last Wednesday — with just a few minutes till 9 a.m. — the line wrapped around the store to the beverage fridges while I was manning the sole open register. Whilst trying to escape the line as quickly as possible, a student spilled his coffee all over the checkout area. After swiping his card for a board meal, I expected him to return with napkins.

When he didn’t, I asked him to clean up his mess so that I could take care of the rest of the long line. He came back, tersely dropped a handful of napkins on the pool of coffee, and swiftly exited the store.

He didn’t say a word, but it was clear he still expected me — or another CDS employee — to clean up the pile of soggy brown napkins.

This level of entitlement amongst Oberlin students is nothing new.

Way back in October 2018, I came across a post in the Oberlin 2022 Facebook group.

A Stevenson Dining Hall student manager detailed her and other student workers’ frustrations with having to stay late to clean up messes left by students.

She brings up a crucial point: “Many of your student workers in CDS come from marginalized backgrounds and work out of necessity,” she wrote. “Leaving your mess because ‘someone else will take care of it’ perpetuates the idea that women, people of color, low-income students, and other historically oppressed groups are obliged to work for you!”

Six months and more than 120 “likes” later, Obies still are not getting it.

Having worked in food service for the past two years, I’m used to the frequent curt exchanges and casual discourtesy that come with customer interactions. And certainly not all those who pass through the checkout line are rude or disrespectful — many

students are perfectly polite and kind. You could say, it’s just one spilled coffee. But it’s not just one spilled coffee. It’s a symptom of a larger issue on this campus: people taking up space when it’s simply not their place.

A mess not only takes up physical space, but it requires everyone in line behind or around you to avoid your mess. It requires a CDS employee to take time away from the task they are being paid to do in order to clean up something you could have more quickly cleaned yourself.

It’s the same way in a classroom. If you are in a place of privilege and you take extended time to weigh in, you don’t leave time for other students to speak and share their opinions. This pattern of thoughtlessness and entitlement carries from DeCafé and Stevie into the classroom and other prominent campus spaces.

However, the burden of this entitlement does not exclusively fall upon other students. In fact, it’s the local hourly employees on this campus that carry the brunt of the consequences. I work a mere six hours a week, and I’m incredibly privileged to have scholarships, financial aid, and my parents to cover tuition. For hourly employees who work late nights and come back before the sun is even up, long hours are necessary to pay the bills and support their families.

Furthermore, it’s not only students who lack the proper respect for hourly employees, but the administration atlarge. As has been highlighted by other recent Review opinion pieces, unionized workers are disenfranchised by the Academic and Administrative Program Review process, as there are no union representatives on the steering committee and not a single one of its 52 consultative outreach meetings has been with unions.

Both students and administrators need to understand that hourly employees are simply not our disposable, shadow servants meant to clean up our messes; they are our equals, and they play a necessary and immeasurably valuable role in our community. Every student must recognize their positionality on this campus and actively make an effort to not monopolize space. It’s not enough to just express support or feign empathy for CDS and other hourly employees — there must be tangible action from each and every student.

7

PRETTY FEST

LAYOUT BY MIKAELA FISHMAN, THIS WEEK EDITOR // ART BY OCTAVIA BÜRGEL, CONTRIBUTOR // TEXT BY PRETTY FEST ORGANIZERS

MISSION STATEMENT: Founded in 2017 by DJ and artist Sarah Snider, OC ’17, Pretty Fest is a multidisciplinary artist festival for women, transgender, and gender non-conforming folks at Oberlin College. We aim to put non-cis-dude artists at the forefront and to get them paid. We also want to promote intentional partying, wherein we understand the way power and privilege appears on the dancefloor, and we all agree to be actively conscious of these mechanisms.

rs e z i n a g r O t s e F y t t Pre

[BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT] Octavia Bürgel // Senior • Studio Art and Comparative Literature major • she/her Josie Owens // Senior • Gender Sexuality, and Feminist Studies major with a concentration in Transgender Studies • she/her/they/them Emma B.B. Doyle // Senior • Comparative Literature major • she/her/ they/them [FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT] Bridget Conway // Sophomore • Studio Art and Comparative Literature major • she/her

Cena Loffredo // Senior • Comparative American Studies and English major • they/them Daniella Brito // Senior • Art History major • they/them

Pretty Fest returns this year with your favorite local DJs, bands, artists, and performers with Pretty headliners Junglepussy and br0nz3_g0dd3ss. We’re collaborating with Drag Ball to serve you a week of queer litness. This year, our programming will span the week of April 20–28.

We will be selling wristbands for $15 for the whole week which will provide you with access to the events listed on the opposite page in blue boxes. If you cannot afford the ticket price, let us know at the purchasing booths and we will accommodate your need. Wristbands will be sold at TGIF and on Sunday nights at Mary Church Terrell Main Library, as well as at the door of the events. Proceeds from these wristbands will go toward paying the performers. The Junglepussy headliner event on April 27 is free with a wristband and $5 at the door.

Profits from door sales for the headliner event will go to Black and Pink, an organization supporting queer incarcerated people.

Because most of the Pretty Fest organizers are graduating at the end of this year, we’re looking for potential future organizers and volunteers! If you’d be interested in being part of this event for years to come, please reach out to us!

Non-student Performer Biographies DJ Jam On It: “Laurel Kirtz. Other creative pursuits include costuming, clothing construction, writing, oracle reading, and baton twirling performance art as Ms. Dominica K.” – Laurel Kirtz Photo courtesy of Discwoman

br0nz3_g0dd3ss: “br0nz3_g0dd3ss is an artist driven by work that uplifts marginalized folks like herself, work that challenges and questions everything, and the power of love. With her unexpected blends and hypnotizing beats, her sets are sure to transport you to a new world where ass-shaking is synonymous to breathing. Through her work in fashion, music and art, she aims to highlight the beauty-in-between that trans and non-binary folks represent in the hopes of emphasizing that which connects us all.”

– DiscWoman agency Photo by Jason Rodgers

Junglepussy: “Brooklyn rapper Junglepussy, known for her fiery lyrics that pack a punch and her unapologetic attitude, first started making music at the end of 2012. Since then she’s released two projects, Satisfaction Guaranteed and Pregnant with Success, given talks at Yale, Columbia, and NYU, licensed her music for Comedy Central’s Broad City, and walked in the DKNY fashion show. She’s been co-signed by everyone from Diddy and Erykah Badu to Action Bronson and Le1f, and played shows with Lil Kim, Nelly Furtado, Travis Scott, Solange, and Dev Hynes.” – ICM Partners agency

Schedule Blue = Requires wristband

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

DJ Night at The Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People 11 p.m.–2 a.m. Back2Back DJs Drowzee, Honey Brown, and Bebé Machete

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 Pretty Fest x Drag Ball Splitchers at The ’Sco 10–11 p.m. DJ CyberBB 11 p.m.–1 a.m. DJs JUANA TASTE and DJ KAMPAIGN MANAGER

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

The House Show at 74 Elmwood Place 8:30–8:50 p.m. Helen Hé 9–9:20 p.m. Martha Hoffman 9:30–9:50 p.m. Kopano & Eva 10–10:20 p.m. Bebé Machete 10:30–10:50 p.m. Salmon 11–11:20 p.m. Sweaty 11:30–11:50 p.m. Sad Dads 12–12:20 a.m. Dum 12:30–1 a.m. Little Bear

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

Extended TGIF DJs at Wilder Bowl 4:30–5:30 p.m. DJ Jam On It 5:30–6:50 p.m. Back2Back DJs Pretty 666 and algae bloom 6:50–8 p.m. Real Girl

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 Headliners at The ’Sco ($5 w/o wristband) 10–10:45 p.m. Back2Back DJs ND1K0 and Afrofatty 11–11:45 p.m. br0nz3_g0dd3ss 12–1 a.m. Junglepussy

SUNDAY, APRIL 28 WOBC Block Party at The Park Street Park 1–1:30 p.m. Heart Eyes 1:40–2:10 p.m. Walldogs 2:20–3 p.m. Fogata 3:10–4 p.m. OBBO

A r t s & C u ltu r e

April 19, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE established 1874

Volume 147, Number 20

Spring Quartet Wows in Highly Anticipated Celebratory Performance

Esperanza Spalding performs for a sold-out house in Finney Chapel Wednesday night.

Carson Dowhan Senior Staff Writer If you were on campus this week, chances are you heard the buzz about Esperanza Spalding’s Wednesday performance, which lasted over two hours in Finney Chapel. What you may not know, however, is that Spalding’s performance was part of a three-day festival marking the Conservatory Jazz Studies department’s 30th anniversary.

College junior George Hawk was ecstatic that a fellow member of the student acapella group ’Round Midnight ran into Spalding at the Hotel at Oberlin. “’Round Midnight does an arrangement of one [of ] her songs called ‘Judas,’ so it was great to see her perform,” he

Photo Courtesy of the Oberlin Office of Communications

said.

Tickets for the Spring Quartet became harder to secure as showtime approached — students scoured the Facebook pages trying to find their way into the event.

This is not surprising, considering the lineup featured Jack DeJohnette on drums, Joe Lovano on saxophone, Leo Genovese on piano, and Spalding on bass and vocals.

“It’s impossible to choose just one musician who I enjoyed the most, as they each brought something engaging and brilliant to the stage,” said College senior Nia Burger. “Sometimes when you see a show where several individually famous musicians collaborate, their styles don’t mix well, and you can see a dissonance between their musical personalities — that

was not the case for the Spring Quartet.

Their individual talents and styles were only amplified by one another, which is part of what made the concert so incredible.”

Jack DeJohnette is a multi-awardwinning collaborating artist. His ECM Records bio affirms he has an “unchallenged reputation as one of the greatest drummers of all time,” and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship in 2012 — the highest honor for jazz musicians.

DeJohnette’s career has spanned across decades, and he has performed with acts such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Chet Baker, Betty Carter, and many more. He sat onstage with his drum kit on a raised platform

— making his playing visible to all — and his masterful technique and skill established him as a powerhouse of the show.

DeJohnette controlled the floor, adding jaw-dropping depth and rhythmic dynamics to the original pieces.

Joe Lovano has been lauded by Jazz Times and the Jazz Journalists Association for the tenor saxophone. He’s been nominated for more than 14 Grammys, winning one for his 52nd Street Themes.

Lovano’s musical résumé includes performances with Woody Herman, John Scofield, Ravi Coltrane, and many others.

Throughout the performance, Lovano stood between Spalding and DeJohnette, producing lightning-speed solos. The saxophone was the quartet’s core melodic instrument — Lovano danced between thoughtful melodies and playful runs. He frequently disappeared to the side of the stage to listen to other solos, or shouted in excitement while leaning on the bass amp in the back.

Leo Genovese was turning heads on piano all night — audience members in the balcony found themselves peering over the side to get a better look. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Genovese has performed with accomplished musicians such as Hal Crook, Darren Barret, and Chris Creek. He and DeJohnette had phenomenal performative chemistry.

Genovese’s style on the piano played like a mouse running back and forth over the keys, while DeJohnette accentuated certain phrases and chords with crashes.

“I thought the pianist was particularly good,” double-degree sophomore Claudia Hinsdale wrote in an email to the Review.

“His playing was uninhibited but not in a way that felt chaotic.”

It was Spalding, however, who piqued the interest of most students at the perSee Concert, page 13

Nationally-Acclaimed FIELD Magazine Ends After 50 Years, 100 Issues Roman Broszkowski Senior Staff Writer With the release of its spring 2019 issue, FIELD: Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, an Oberlin College Press publication, concluded its 50-year run as one of the country’s most prestigious contemporary poetry reviews. The milestone was celebrated with several readings of past and present poems that had been part of the magazine’s long history as a staple of the American poetry scene.

Back in April 2018, FIELD editor and former Oberlin professor David Young announced that he would retire the following year and that as a result, FIELD would be publishing only two more issues. He and his co-editor, Oberlin Professor of English and Creative Writing David Walker, OC ’72 — who is planning on retiring from teaching soon as well — felt that continuing to edit the magazine would be burdensome. The magazine was never meant to be permanent, and they decided that the endeavor had run its course.

“Nobody thought, when the magazine began in 1969, that it would last this long and become such an institution,” Young wrote in a blog post on the literary news site NewPages.com shortly after announcing his retirement. “All good things eventually terminate, however, and 50 years and one hundred issues make for good round numbers.”

Young elaborated on their decision to end the magazine’s run in an email to the Review.

“Many people would say FIELD is the best poetry magazine around, with an international reputation,” Young wrote. “We managed to identify the best work being done, emphasizing excellence rather than schools or movements. [But] 50 years is a long run for a little

10

magazine. With David Walker retiring and me feeling a little burned out, it seemed wise to round out our run with 100 issues.”

FIELD grew from unlikely roots to become one of the most beloved poetry journals of post-war America.

FIELD’s Editor-at-Large and former Oberlin Professor of Creative Writing Martha Collins reflected on the magazine’s surprising origins in a speech at a celebratory poetry reading last Sunday.

“The origin of FIELD lies with Oberlin undergraduates, who in the spring of 1963 launched a magazine they called The Oberlin Quarterly,” Collins said. “They were very enterprising — as Oberlin students of course are — and solicited work [from] a number of nationally known poets, some of whose work they published in their first and only two issues. But at the end of the year, they left behind a huge number of submissions they hadn’t dealt with, and Stuart Friebert and David Young, their faculty advisors, began to get complaints from friends who hadn’t heard back about the poems they’d sent. In the fall, the students turned the submissions over to Stuart and David, who, joined by several others and funded by the College, eventually launched FIELD in 1969.”

Collins was one of those who joined up with FIELD after having interacted with the magazine as a poet for the better part of two decades.

“When I met Stuart Friebert at a poetry festival in 1979, he asked me to send work to FIELD,” she wrote in an email to the Review. “I’d published very few poems at the time and was thrilled when, on my second try, some poems were accepted. I published many poems in the magazine during the next 16 years, which led, indirectly, to my applying to join the Creative Writing faculty [at Oberlin College] and [becoming] an editor in 1997. I continued to serve as an editor for the next 10 years un-

til I retired in 2007; since then, I’ve continued to work as Editor-at-Large.”

Working with the magazine has had a profound effect on Collins’ development, a feeling shared by many of FIELD’s loyal participants.

“My experience as both contributor and editor was life-changing,” Collins wrote. “Publishing in the magazine made me … a part of a wonderful community of poets who were also published there.”

Oberlin Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program DeSales Harrison joined FIELD’s editorial board shortly after arriving in the early 2000s. Like Collins, he believes that working on the magazine has been a powerful, if not thankless, experience.

“It’s been a delight from the beginning,” he wrote in an email to the Review. “Exhausting, at times, to be sure, as it’s very difficult to find a place in an Oberlin teaching and writing and service schedule to sit down and read submissions, much less to meet and talk about them.”

As the celebrations wind down, those who worked on the magazine have been left to wonder what its legacy will be.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important FIELD has been for American poetry,” Collins wrote. “From the beginning, FIELD published nationally-known poets alongside people no one had ever heard of. Every issue brought a variety of poems, from the deftly plain-spoken to the knottily difficult, from the formally elegant to the elegantly simple. … Many poets — including me — came into their own through publication in the magazine; many were influenced by the poems they read there. To read through the 100 issues is to experience some of the best and most exciting poetry published in the United States in the last 50 years.”