April 11, 2019

The Oberlin Review April 12, 2019

established 1874

Volume 147, Number 19

Donations Raised

by CDS Protest Keifer Ludwig

Students working in the Science Center, where future global health classes could be offered for a proposed new academic concentration.

Photo by Mallika Pandey, Photo Editor

Global Health, Business Concentrations Proposed Anisa Curry Vietze News Editor An area of recommendation from the Academic and Administration Program Review steering committee has sparked a conversation about two potential new academic concentrations — one in Business and one in Global Health. The AAPR believes that adding these concentrations would both attract potential students to Oberlin and increase retention among current students.

The AAPR’s Summary of Work to Date document, made public to students March 29, claims that more than a third of prospective students rated their interest in business to be a four or five out of five. Additionally, 42 percent of returning Oberlin students said they were interested in a Global Health program.

Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Laura Baudot explained that the concentration model is unique in a number of ways.

“The model of the integrative concentration — roughly speaking five courses plus a co-curricular experience such as an internship is itself, in my opinion, an exciting curricular model,” Baudot wrote in an email to the Review.

“Concentrations are a great way for the institution to explore emerging fields and to respond to evolving student and faculty interests. I will also stress that ideas for concentrations tend to be grassroots efforts on the part of faculty, and, as such, expressions of the intellectual creativity and collaborative energy on campus.”

Ron Cheung, professor and chair of the Economics department and a member of the AAPR steering committee, said that the AAPR suggested that a concentration would be the most beneficial way of preparing students in business.

“We decided that a full-on major in business is not the way to go because it kind of doesn’t fit in well with the character of Oberlin,” Cheung said.

Cheung also mentioned that

Conservatory students might find a business concentration beneficial because many musicians are self-employed.

“Conservatory students are basically going to leave their Oberlin experience and become self-employed,” Chueng said. “Basically you’re trying to market yourself, and a lot of them are interested in things like entrepreneurship.”

Associate Dean of Students Dana Hamdan hopes the potential programs — both Global Health and Business — could offer students the chance to gain experience and learn both inside and outside of the classroom as well as better prepare them for life after graduation.

“If the faculty governance committees decide to move forward with the integrative concentrations proposed by AAPR, it will allow us to do something we have never done before, namely, to collaborate with curricular committees on how to be strategic in preparing our students to launch from Oberlin,” Hamdan wrote in an email to the Review.

“Our faculty do an exceptional job inside the classroom and preparing them for graduate schools, but what the integrative concentrations do is ask faculty to [help] our students transition from college to career.”

Associate Professor of Anthropology Cal Biruk, who does research in fields such as medical anthropology and global health studies, said she is hoping to see the proposed programs have an interdisciplinary approach to global health education.

“I am excited at the prospect of Oberlin building a Global Health program or concentration that has at its core a social justice and critical approach to the study and practice of global and public health,” Biruk wrote in an email to the Review.

“As an anthropologist, I hope to play a role in ensuring that any Global Health programming at Oberlin incorporates critical perspectives on health, healing, medicine, [and] the body and is attentive to the racialized, imperial, and sometimes

violent histories of research and medicine here in the U.S. and abroad.”

In addition to the Global Health concentration, the AAPR’s Summary of Work to Date mentioned that there is interest in an Oberlin-affiliated Master’s degree program, expressing that Oberlin students might find a program for them to earn both an undergraduate degree as well as a Master’s in Public Health in five years to be appealing.

College senior and pre-medical student Kirsten Mojziszek said she would have enjoyed the opportunity to experience a Global Health concentration and hopes younger students will take advantage of the program if it is offered.

“I think the people who are here who want to go to med school are thinking about medicine in terms of what can we do better in the future,” Mojziszek said.

The AAPR’s Summary of Work to Date document recommends adding one faculty line for the Business concentration, but doesn’t mention new hires for the Global Health concentration.

If the proposed concentrations become part of Oberlin’s curriculum, faculty governance committees will have to make crucial decisions about how to use existing resources as well as where new resources might be needed. “[The] Educational Plans and Policies Committee is currently in conversation with the AAPR steering committee about the two recommended Integrative Concentrations,” wrote Baudot. “In the next couple weeks, the AAPR steering committee will use the feedback from these discussions to craft recommendations regarding these Integrative Concentrations which will then come before EPPC. Most likely in the next academic year, EPPC will vet the particular concentration proposals, which will include all the key curricular elements of the concentration such as the specific courses and concentration requirements.”

On the heels of April 2’s 24-hour boycott of Campus Dining Services, Oberlin students are protesting the meal plan changes again this week by using extra meal swipes to donate to local safety net and food assistance organization, Oberlin Community Services.

In contrast to the CDS boycott last week — which was criticized by some because the unused meal swipes had already been paid for — the food drive has the potential to affect CDS financially as many claim that CDS relies on students not using all of their daily meal swipes.

“The swipes at the end of the day don’t carry over to the next day,” said event organizer and Conservatory first-year Emmy Hensley. “And I was thinking, ‘Well, what do I do with all of this extra food? Because I’m not eating it.’ So I’ve been donating to [Oberlin Community Services] every week. But once they sent out that email with the whole administrative error thing, I thought, ‘That’s enough. We’re just going to do this.’”

The email Hensley refers to was sent to students by Assistant Vice President Adrian Bautista on March 19. Bautista explained that due to an administrative error students were allowed to register for outdated meal plans which will not be offered in fall 2019. Instead, according to a follow-up email sent April 1 by Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo, first-year and secondyear students will participate in the GoYeo Plan: a plan that gives students unlimited meal swipes every semester and four Grab&-Go swipes a day, with an extra $200 in flex for the semester.

“I’m lucky if I even use three swipes a day,” Hensley said. “And I know they’re trying to emphasize food security, but four meals is really extensive. ... We’re just wasting our money essentially.”

However, Raimondo says that many students’ ideas that the current meal plans are wasteful is a misunderstanding of how CDS runs.

“These assumptions are built on a couple of misunderstandings: that Oberlin or CDS ‘profits’ off of plan pricing, which is simply not true — any revenue CDS generates beyond expenses supports the operating budget, including the academic program,” Raimondo wrote in an email to the Review.

“Many students also calculate a ‘per plate’ cost by dividing the cost by the number of meals and then compare those to costs to home cooking, fast food, or restaurant preparation — there is either no labor costs, or a reliance on part-time, minimum wage, no-benefit labor models. ... To call for smaller or less expensive meal plans would require further job eliminations — something that many students have said that they do not want to see occur.”

Still, many students like Hensley believe that some collective student action is needed.

Hensley set up three food donation boxes See Protest, page 4

CONTENTS NEWS

OPINIONS

THIS WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

02 AAPR Prompts Concern Among Union Supporters

05 Wind Farms Do Pose Health, Procedural Justice Concerns

08 Obie Traditions

10 MRC Colors of Rhythm Celebrates POC Creative Expression

14 ITLR: Devin Wilkins, Football Player, Ordained Minister

03 Library Showcases Student Publications

07 Reflections on Food and Eating Through the Lens of Julia Child

11 Dandelion Romp Dances into Oberlin for 20th Anniversary

16 Facing Uncertainty, Cavicchio Switches Fields, Finds Support

The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

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AAPR Prompts Concern Among Union Supporters

College plumber and United Auto Workers member Tom Wright works in Facilities Operations on campus.

Photo by Meg Parker, Photo Editor

Sydney Allen Editor-in-Chief Oberlin is considering eliminating over 50 staff lines — a decision which could impact up to 40 current employees — as part of the Academic and Administrative Program Review. This is part of just one of the AAPR steering committee’s areas of recommendation meant to address Oberlin’s structural budget deficit.

The steering committee referenced Oberlin’s exorbitant employee costs as a reason for the area of recommendation, claiming that 63 percent of Oberlin’s operating budget goes toward employee compensation.

The steering committee suggested that Oberlin’s ratio of 2,850 students to 1,100 employees is one of the factors contributing to the school’s unsustainable financial trajectory. In addition, the committee released data collected during the AAPR process indicating that

Oberlin’s hourly employees earn up to 34 percent higher wages than comparable positions at other colleges and universities in Northeast Ohio.

“Controlling employee costs will be critical for achieving financial sustainability and for conserving funds needed to support current and enhanced programming for students, which is key to Oberlin’s long-term success,” according to the AAPR Summary of Work to Date document, posted on the AAPR’s landing page on the Oberlin website March 29.

However, some critics argue that these statistics are misleading, as they do not take into account whether or not these peer institutions compensate their employees fairly.

“It’s important for students to care about the conditions of workers because our presents and futures are so intermingled and intertwined, and cutting compensation, benefits, and staff is so directly correlated with the quality of student experience,” said College junior Elsa Schlensker, a member of the Student Labor Action Coalition. “These cuts will impact people’s careers, livelihoods, families, and health care, and those are important enough to be worth considering on their own. I’m very concerned about the ‘34 percent over average’ figure, because it’s clear that the minimum wage in Ohio — $8.55 — is nowhere near living wages.”

The AAPR committee also noted that health benefits might be re-assessed after reporting significant disparities between benefits for faculty and staff and those of hourly employees. According to the AAPR report, hourly employees’ plans cost Oberlin around $17,000 per year, while administrative and professional staff and faculty have plans which cost an average of $9,800 per year.

Potential changes to compensation for hourly employees have proven particularly controversial as union representatives were one of the few groups not represented on the steering committee. Some of the union leadership feel it is unfair to lay off hourly employees as they were left out of the AAPR process.

“I can’t speak for the [United Auto Workers], but our

request to participate was denied by the College because we have a collective bargaining agreement,” said Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees Union Vice President and Interlibrary Loan Specialist Diane Lee. “When we asked to meet with the steering committee for additional information, as they offered during the presentations in March, Dean [and Chair of AAPR David] Kamitsuka referred us to [Human Resources] because OCOPE has a contractual relationship with the College that is subject to labor laws. In the past, we have asked the College for a greater engagement with OCOPE concerning strategic planning, and believe it reasonable for the College to afford OCOPE the same opportunity extended to other groups on campus — an inclusive voice through representation in these processes.”

In contrast, Vice President for Finance and Administration Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings, a member of the AAPR Steering Committee, said that hourly employees did not sit in on the steering committee because official “bargaining” between the College and collective bargaining units can only happen through negotiation processes involving the Department of Human Resources.

“College employees that are members of the college’s bargaining units did not participate as members of the AAPR steering committee out of respect for the bargaining process,” said Vazquez-Skillings wrote in an email to the Review. “Provisions of each collective bargaining agreement can only be considered and amended as part of the negotiation process. The Steering Committee was careful not to venture into conduct that might be considered negotiation.”

The steering committee will continue to gather feedback and information from community members in the coming weeks before it presents its final areas of recommendation to the faculty at the end of the academic year. The faculty will then choose whether to endorse the recommendations. Following, the recommendations will be presented to the Board of Trustees at their June board meeting. If the board approves, implementation could begin as soon as this summer.

Sociology Undergraduates Present at Symposium Jenna Gyimesi News Editor Oberlin is welcoming over 30 students from across the region to present and discuss their sociology research at the sixth annual Northeast Ohio Undergraduate Sociology Symposium on April 13.

Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Sociology and Comparative American Studies Daphne John, who was instrumental in coordinating the symposium, emphasized that this event is unique in its emphasis on undergraduate research and in its diversity of presenters.

“Undergraduates are spotlighted and it’s one of the few academic conferences like that in sociology and particularly in [Northeast Ohio],” she said.

Undergraduates will be presenting with posters, roundtable discussions, or independent presentations in the Science Center. Several Oberlin students will present posters, but

only four Oberlin students — College seniors Jahkeem Wheatley, Olivia Canning, Madison Fink, and Charles Sherman — will be delivering oral presentations. These four students are also in the midst of working on their Sociology Honors projects.

Wheatley’s project is called “It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know: Networking and Getting Into Law School and Beyond,” and is about networking and meritocracy regarding law school admittance.

Canning is focusing on how women navigate public spaces.

Fink is exploring “spaces of consumption — bars and restaurants mainly — and how they are emotionally felt and formed by consumers to feel hospitable,” she explained.

Finally, Sherman’s project is titled “Nightlife Utopias: Exploring the Symbolic and Material Economies of Politically-Oriented Nightlife.”

John pointed out that this symposium can be extremely beneficial for all students, and especially for

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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

those sharing their work, due to the multitude of participating institutions. “[Symposium attendees] will recognize [the students’] work as contributing to our knowledge in the field, and they get to meet other students who have done sociology at other schools,” she said. “The different schools that are represented may have a somewhat different approach in terms of what their specializations are. … I think the students get to hear the different ways that sociologists look at the world through the lens of research. They get to also learn what it’s like to do sociology. It’s not research done for the purposes of just sitting in isolation. We do it to share and to communicate.”

Oberlin student presenters also expect to learn from their peers through this experience.

“I want to learn more about their research process, and I am interested to learn more from them,” Wheatley said.

Canning was also excited to learn

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from the symposium.

“It’s cool that I can see what people are doing at other schools,” she added.

“It’s awesome that Oberlin hosts that.”

While Oberlin students can attend the symposium for free, tickets cost $42 for faculty, $20 for non-Oberlin students, and $27 for non-student guests. Tickets cover admission to all talks, as well as a lunch. All expenses not covered under these funds have been sponsored by the Oberlin College Sociology Department.

“Oberlin students can attend for free,” John explained. “We are sponsoring it. So there wouldn’t be any real reason for students to register, so students can come in and drop in.”

In addition to undergraduate presenters, the symposium is hosting keynote speaker Dr. Liz Piatt, who specializes in studying how race disparities impact both mental and physical health. Events kick off in the Science Center at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning and will continue until 3:30 p.m.

Corrections: In the article “Legion Community Garden Faces Uncertain Future,” April 5, 2019, the Review published an incorrect photograph of the Johnson House garden instead of Legion Community Garden. The photograph has been updated online.

To submit a correction, email managingeditor@ oberlinreview.org.

Library Showcases Student Publications

Security Notebook Thursday, April 4, 2019

11:10 a.m. Campus Safety officers were requested to assist a student with an injured ankle at the Professional Services Building. The student was transported to Mercy Allen Hospital for treatment.

3:15 p.m. Officers were requested to assist an ill student in the basement of Wilder Hall. The student was transported to Mercy Allen Hospital for treatment.

Friday, April 5, 2019

2:04 p.m. Dining staff reported a panini press missing from the Rathskellar in Wilder Hall.

The College Archives have introduced a new exhibit on the first floor of Mary Church Terrell Main Library in Mudd Center that showcases Oberlin student publications. The exhibit, which opened April 3 and will be up until April 15, displays campus publications dating back to 1858. There is also a permanent digital collection as a part of the exhibit that displays almost 200 different print titles. Archives Student Assistant and College senior Kira Zimmerman helped put together the online exhibit by assigning tags and genre terms, as well as researching and writing descriptions for each title displayed. An iPad is set up at the library so that students can observe both the physical and online exhibits at the same time.

Text by Anisa Curry Vietze, News Editor Photo by Meg Parker, Photo Editor

SHILs Offer Support, Advocate for Students

College sophomore Gio Donovan, College first-year Colby Fortin, and College sophomore Jojo Scott are OSCA’s three sexual harm information liaisons and hold office hours in Wilder Hall every week.

Photo by Devin Cowan, Staff Photographer

Miriam Khanukaev Editor’s Note: This article contains mentions of sexual misconduct and assault.

In recognition of Consent Month at Oberlin, a number of educational events for the community will be hosted throughout the month of April. This marks a collaborative effort by group of organizations including the student group Preventing and Responding to Sexual Misconduct, the Sexual Information Center, and the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Among those helping to put together programming are the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association’s sexual harm information liaisons, who work yearround as advocates for both OSCA members and the wider student body regarding matters of sexual misconduct on campus.

Three students — College sophomores Gio Donovan and Jojo Scott, and College first-year Colby Fortin — currently serve as SHILs. Donovan explains that SHILs work collaboratively with other resources on campus.

“Think of a [SHIL] as a point person between the student body and other resources related to … sexual harm and misconduct, both on campus and not,” Donovan said.

The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

Within OSCA, SHILs help train housing loose ends coordinators at the beginning of each fall semester, as well as work with the membership secretary to help with housing accommodations and changes.

SHILs also provide services outside of OSCA, including helping students process past events, providing support during emergencies, supporting students who are helping others process trauma, or even anonymously getting sexual health resources like Plan B from the SIC. There is always a SHIL on call and able to provide support 24/7, and all students are encouraged to reach out to them as needed.

“You are never an inconvenience [to] the SHILs,” Donovan said. “No matter what it is, we want to be here.”

Rebecca Mosely, Title IX coordinator and director of the Office Of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, also noted that the Title IX office and SHILs have a unique relationship with students and the administration.

“The SHILs work very closely with me,” Mosely wrote in an email to the Review. “We meet regularly throughout the year to talk through ideas and questions they have and just in general to build a strong working relationship.”

SHILs meet with Mosely monthly to ensure they can provide the best possible

support and advocacy on campus. They also develop working relationships with Campus Safety, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards Thom Julian, and the Nord Center, a local nonprofit that provides rape crisis training.

According to Scott, this range of relationships leads SHILs to have a multifaceted role on campus.

“We really are trained in the broad spectrum of support,” they said. “We can talk to people about relationships, for instance, and other subjects that fall under the umbrella of sexual justice.”

SHILs hold a special role in that they are both advocates and students. As such they are and are uniquely positioned to understand difficult situations from the level of a peer. SHILs both handle crisis situations and follow students throughout the process reporting process.

“There is a huge importance to having [first responders] being someone who you are comfortable with, someone who you live with or who you eat with, because they are part of a community that functions as a home for a lot of students,” Fortin said.

Many students on Oberlin’s campus are comforted by having SHILs as an available resource.

“They do a really good job of making themselves known by going to co-ops and making announcements [and] having posters with their faces on them,” College sophomore Eleanor Cannon remarked. “I feel safe knowing that the SHILs are always here to be a resource.”

Mosely emphasized that the role of a SHIL is unique and impactful, and that their dedication has continuously benefitted the Oberlin community.

“I have had the pleasure over my three years in this role to work with a number of different SHILs,” she wrote.

“I have found all of them to be caring and knowledgeable individuals who have a deep passion for supporting students who have experienced harm. It has been an utter pleasure to get to work with these students to support their peers. It is really exciting to see the skills they build through this role and the impact they make in their work with others.”

Saturday, April 6, 2019

10:34 a.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at Langston Hall. The alarm was activated by a roof duct detector. No fire or smoke was observed. An electrician was called for repair and the alarm was reset.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

1:37 a.m. Some students reported they were approached in Tappan Square by two non-College individuals who were making unwelcome comments. The students reported that the individuals were last seen on the second floor of East Hall. Officers responded and located the individuals at Forest Street and South Professor Street, where they were identified. Both denied making comments. The individuals were advised to leave the area.

11:57 p.m. Officers were requested to assist a student who was ill from alcohol consumption on the third floor of South Hall. The student was able to correctly answer all the questions, and it was determined that the individual was able to stay in their room for the night.

Monday, April 8, 2019

9:33 a.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the first floor of Kahn Hall. Smoke from cooking activated the alarm. No fire was observed, and the alarm was reset.

1:02 p.m. Staff reported a hole in the wall by the north entrance of Langston Hall. Officers responded and observed a wood pallet leaning up against the wall, which appeared to be the cause of the hole. A work order was filed for repair.

1:11 p.m. Staff at the Kohl Building reported vandalism to the elevator plate on the third floor. The elevator plate was struck with an unknown object and dented. The incident is currently under investigation.

7:31 p.m. A student reported the theft of their bicycle from outside of Fairchild House sometime over the last several days.

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

There were no reports on this date.

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Protest Uses Extra Meal Swipes to Donate Food Continued from page 1

around campus: one in the Conservatory lounge, another in the King Building lobby, and the last in Wilder Hall. To protest, students are encouraged to use their excess meal swipes to buy nonrefrigerated, packaged foods like granola bars or chips from DeCafé and leave these items in one of the three boxes.

Over 200 people responded to the food drive’s Facebook event, and posters have been put up around campus. Hensley also tallied 230 individual food products donated on Monday night alone, and 243 on Tuesday.

“I think the food drive is a good idea,” College sophomore Robert Stott wrote in an email to the Review. “The food isn’t being used so we might as well give it to people who need it more than us, and I hope that it causes the administration to consider not only how many swipes we waste a day but how that might affect different students with different social-economic backgrounds.”

Raimondo disagrees, saying that the meal plans are actually meant to help support lowincome students.

“The College plan represents a best practice in preventing food insecurity by ensuring that need-based financial aid covers access to at least three meals a day,” Raimondo wrote. “I hope that we can replace protest with collective problemsolving that brings our community’s creativity, intellectual rigor, and values to bear on identifying the best solution for everyone.”

Hensley hopes the food drive will be a practical form of collective student action to address these issues. “[The boycotts last week] had the right intentions, but at the same time, in some aspect it was privileged,” Hensley said. “We have all this extra food that we’re locked into paying for, we’ve already paid it. And alongside us, there are people in the Oberlin community who aren’t sure when they’re going to get their next meal.”

Many student organizers feel that it can be difficult to get the administration’s attention.

“They are only half-listening,” wrote Stott.

“Kinda nodding and saying, ‘yes uh huh sure,’ and then pushing out half-solutions that end up being more destructive than constructive; at the same time I totally need to acknowledge that it is hard to organize and make this kind of thing work and damn near impossible when there are so many factors and needs to be met. We need more responsibility both on the administration’s and the students’ side.”

Raimondo also feels there is an issue with communication.

“I am saddened that so many students still do not understand why the meal plans are constructed as they are, which means that Student Life needs to find more effective ways to help educate the community,” wrote Raimondo. “I continue to wish that students who are concerned with dining would engage with Student Senate’s dining working group or the CDS dining committee, which offer significant opportunities for student leadership in improving campus dining. I always hope that protest, which is an important strategy for institutional change, comes after other forms of direct engagement, not as the first form.”

The food donation boxes will be open until Saturday, April 13.

OFF THE CUFF

Susan Orlean, Author, Journalist

Susan Orlean is an award-winning, bestselling author and journalist. Orlean has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and has contributed to publications including The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and Esquire, among others. In October 2018, she published The Library Book, which tells the story of the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library Fire that destroyed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. She interweaves this story with the history of the American public library system, as well as the notorious characters and drama of the LA Library itself. Orlean will visit Oberlin on Monday, April 15, to deliver the 2019 Harold Jantz Memorial Lecture, discussing The Library Book, the importance of library systems, and her process as a journalist and author. The lecture will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Dye Lecture Hall and will be followed by a book signing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Sydney Allen, Editor-in-Chief What will you be discussing at the talk you’re going to give Monday?

Well, what I have found most interesting is talking about why I wrote the book. And it’s a matter of several different impulses that came together, which makes it kind of interesting. [The book] really is an effort to illuminate those themes that drew me to this story of the fire — and to writing in general about libraries — and my emotional context of what I was writing about.

What do you think is particularly resonant about libraries, and specifically the LA Library Fire of 1986?

We have a really emotional connection to books and to libraries that is much greater than our feelings about other public institutions. But there’s [also] a deep connection between people and books that is, in part, magical almost. I think that we feel that books have a kind of human vitality that a normal object wouldn’t contain.

And, of course, it’s because they convey a story of information, the work of a human mind. They’re really only one step removed from being human.

As a result, places like libraries that preserve all of these human voices become very meaningful to us. The fact that they are public places that invite community, that welcome the entire community. It’s a very special place that’s distinct from, say, a book store — of course, book stores are still wonderful. We go into a library and our feeling is that we own everything in it — it’s all there for us to have, and there is a really extraordinary, almost an enchanted, feeling about libraries because of that sense that they belong to us.

Obviously you spent a lot of time in the Los Angeles Public Library while researching your book. What was your favorite part of that experience?

Well, I absolutely loved the variety of people that I saw passing through. It just interests me to see this incredible array of humanity passing through day in, day out, and the feeling that this was a sort of town square.

How did this book change the way you think about libraries and communities?

I’m not sure that I would say it changed my ideas as much as it reaffirmed to me how important it is to have places that are open and available and welcoming to the public. And that as people trying to create community, you can’t stay at home and be online. I mean, there have to be places where we encounter one another and sort of look each other in the eye, and the library is one of those very few places where that’s the case.

You have a way of humanizing these larger-than-life protagonists in your story — Harry Peak, the person accused of setting the LA Library Fire, for example. Is it a challenge to encapsulate these big personalities?

It is a big challenge, particularly with people who are problematic. And obviously Harry was a problematic, simple, straightforward guy. He was somebody who was, in many ways, very maddening. And I don’t think he was somebody who ever intended anyone any wrong, but he was somebody who had trouble telling the truth, who had trouble really finding himself. And who was inordinately dazzled by the idea of celebrity, which is something that many people, including me, find sort of disappointing.

But everybody has a story. His humanity is who he is and what he is. He doesn’t need to match some template of a character to make him worth examining. And, in fact, part of what I found interesting and challenging is how contradictory he was. I’ve often been attracted to writing about people like that, although they’re very difficult to write about because they’re easy to write off. You can look at Harry and say, well, he was a fibber, you know, sort of a screwup. But there was something also very appealing about him. He had a very human quality of wanting to be bigger than he was and to be remembered. And since this book was so much about the phenomenon of being remembered, he’s appealed to me on that level very, very directly. This

Oberlin Community News Bulletin Kids Hunt for Easter Eggs in Tappan Bring your little ones to a free community egg hunt for Easter on April 20 in Tappan Square. The event is hosted

by OberlinKids and the eggs were prepared by the Oberlin Senior Center at Neighborhood Alliance. Over 4,000 eggs will be hidden and some will have tickets that can be redeemed for a special prize. The hunt will be separated by age group, starting with ages 0­–3 at 11 a.m., then ages 4–6 at 11:20 a.m., and finally ages 7–10 at 11:40 a.m. Questions about the event can be directed to Heather at (216) 319-2202 or hfraelich@oberlinkids.org.

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5k Race Celebrates the Environment The City of Oberlin’s 40th annual Earth Day 5k will take place on Saturday, April 20 starting at 10 a.m.

The mission of the 5k is to “endorse and promote the celebration of the environment, good health, and service to our community.” The race will both start and end in Tappan Square. The entry fee is $20 per person before April 18, and $25 the day of. The race is open to all ages, and prizes will be given out in every age division.

Susan Orlean Photo courtesy of Susan Orlean

was a guy who, for better or worse, just wanted to create a persona that would be special. That’s not that hard to understand.

Do you have a strategy that you use when you prepare for interviews?

My strategy, honestly, is to prepare very little — and I know that this will be the kind of thing that would give a journalism professor a heart attack — but I believe in going in with a really open mind. I want to learn from them.

And so I feel like the best way for me to be in that state of mind is to not over-prepare and not go into it feeling like they’re simply confirming what I already know.

What was the most surprising thing you learned while researching the library fire or libraries in general?

Well, the most surprising thing I learned is that there are more libraries than McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. To me, that was a wonderful fact and one that I savor — no pun intended.

About the fire, I think it was learning the complexity of investigating arson, how incredibly difficult it is, and how often it goes unsolved. To me, that was really fascinating.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers and journalists?

The two most important things for aspiring writers is to read and read and read. Read the work that you admire.

Imitate the work you admire and get practice. See how the work that means something to you is made. The second thing is just to write as much as you possibly can. And every opportunity you’ve got, use it. Whatever it is, the more you write, the better you get.

There’s no shortcut to that. It’s a really essential thing. So just practice, practice, practice. There’s no magic — the magic comes when you fall in love with being a writer and it begins to feel natural to you.

Workshop Offers Opportunity to Learn Haiku Writing Learn to craft your own contemporary haiku at the Oberlin Public Library’s Less is More: Haiku Workshop on Wednesday, April 17, from 7–8:30 p.m. The workshop will introduce Englishlanguage haikus, discuss the use of imagery and juxtapositions, and will incorporate activities like writing exercises. Come experiment with language and style alongside your fellow community members in a friendly and open environment. No previous experience is necessary.

April 12, 2019

OPINIONS established 1874

Wind Farms Do Pose Health, Procedural Justice Concerns Nathan Carpenter Editor-in-Chief At a recent Republican Party fundraiser, President Donald Trump made headlines for yet another bizarre, unprompted statement, remarking that the noise from wind turbines has the potential to cause cancer. As many scientists, journalists, and politicians on both sides of the aisle immediately pointed out, there is no evidence to corroborate this claim.

Several Democratic presidential candidates chimed in, mocking Trump’s ignorance. Iowa’s senators, both of whom are Republican, weighed in against the president, as representatives of a state significantly invested in wind energy. Even Kellyanne Conway’s husband, George, got a piece of the action, adding “Windmill cancer survivor” to his Twitter bio.

While the president’s statement was false, the idea behind it — that living near wind farms is unpleasant — is a little more complicated, and the resulting outrage has been frustratingly sensationalist and likely comes at the expense of productive dialogue.

The pushback has obscured a truth that politicians and major media outlets do not often discuss — that wind turbines are, in fact, linked to harmful health outcomes for communities that live near them, and often implemented without much, if any, resident input or oversight.

In 2013, Gwen Ottinger, now an associate professor of Politics at Drexel University, published an article entitled “The Winds of Change: Environmental Justice in Energy Transitions.” In it, she writes about Wind Turbine Syndrome, a condition experienced by many people who reside in close proximity to wind farms.

The symptoms of WTS — which result from the noise, shadow flicker, and low-frequency ground vibrations associated with wind turbines — include “nausea, vertigo, tinnitus, sleep disturbance, and headaches.”

According to Ottinger, complaints about these health impacts are largely brushed off by green energy supporters, both politicians and industry leaders alike. Residents have also expressed concern that previous studies have not accurately or fully assessed

the health impacts of wind farms.

Before I read Ottinger’s article last summer, I had never encountered the idea of WTS, or indeed any documentation of the potentially negative impacts that wind farms can have on the communities they are placed within. However, as I began to talk with people about this issue — particularly residents of Oberlin and other communities across the Midwest, where wind energy has exploded in recent decades — I discovered exactly what Ottinger contends: these harmful impacts are widely understood by those in rural areas who are directly affected, but not usually discussed or validated in the dominant literature or media narratives.

This denial of local knowledge and community testimony about the sometimes-detrimental impacts of wind farms is telling. It reveals that we have a lot of momentum behind the implementation of wind farms, to the point that even staunchly conservative Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa will go to bat against his own president to defend them. For Grassley and Joni Ernst, Iowa’s junior senator, wind energy represents a significant economic force across their state. If there’s one truth about modern America, it’s that politicians, businesspeople, and other leaders will stick their necks out for whatever is padding their bottom line.

The danger of this growing economic momentum behind wind energy is that we lose the opportunity for a nuanced approach to a green energy transition. This transition is a vitally important one to make, but also one that can reinforce existing racial and socioeconomic inequities if made poorly. It’s easily conceivable that the same communities marginalized by our current energy system — largely low-income communities and communities of color — will continue to bear disproportionate burdens if we don’t also make significant structural changes to how and where energy facilities are implemented.

In her article, Ottinger references “procedural justice” — the idea that residents should be involved in all stages of implementing technologies like wind farms in their communities, as well as the monitoring and reguSee Procedure, 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. 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 12, 2019

Volume 147, Number 19

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief

Sydney Allen

Nathan Carpenter

Managing Editor Ananya Gupta

Opinions Editor Jackie Brant

CDS Swipe Drive Represents Effective Community Activism After many weeks of heated back-and-forth debate over the future of Campus Dining Services meal plans, student organizers have found an effective way to both make their voices heard and support existing community efforts. The “Spare Swipes: An Oberlin CDS Food Drive” initiative urged firstyears and sophomores on the 300 meals-per-semester plan to use their spare swipes to purchase non-perishable items from Wilder DeCafé and donate them to Oberlin Community Services — a community organization dedicated to providing basic needs assistance to Lorain County residents. The drive, launched in response to the new meal plan options introduced April 1 by Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo, ran throughout this week.

For the last two years, dissatisfaction with shrinking meal plan options has had a prominent position in campus discourse. Although the 300-meal plan has been augmented with more flexible options, getting to this point has been confusing and frustrating for students. Some say the new GoYeo plan — which allows unlimited access to the dining halls and is required for all first-years and sophomores beginning fall 2019 — will still lead to a waste of both food and money, as not all students will eat enough to warrant the pricey $8,476 plan. Students were further upset by administrative errors which allowed students to register for less costly meal plans that will no longer be offered next year (“Students Organize CDS Boycott,” The Oberlin Review, April 5, 2019).

After all this, students had reasonable concerns regarding the financial flexibility of meal plans as well as administrative miscommunication.

However, this frustration was largely channeled into activism with low participation, including the recent CDS boycott which was to be followed by a protest in front of Raimondo’s office. The boycott itself did not stand to make much of a difference, as student meal swipes are already paid for, meaning that not using them would have no impact on Bon Appétit revenue.

Furthermore, if folks had actually participated, the boycott would have resulted in enormous quantities of food waste and created concerns about accessibility for students who depend on CDS food for financial reasons. As for the protest itself, almost nobody showed up and no cohesive statement on student frustration was made.

However, unlike the one-day CDS boycott, the Spare Swipes initiative has so far been an innovative and effective success. Not only does the drive allow students to use all their swipes rather than letting some go to waste, but it is also outward-facing in an important way. OCS does important work in Oberlin that is sometimes invisible to students who don’t directly benefit from it — using the drive to support their work is an important statement of recognition and support, which this Editorial Board has previously encouraged students to make. Creating greater solidarity in Oberlin can only serve to mend town-gown relationships that have fractured in recent years.

Further, the drive is — at its core — true to the principles of food security used by College administrators to justify the meal plan changes. Raimondo’s email specifies that the dining changes represent the College’s concerns regarding national food insecurity and hunger among college students, reading, “This decision means that no one on campus must choose less than three meals a day for financial reasons.”

The emphasis on this line of reasoning has raised many eyebrows among the student body, as the meal plan decisions appear to be a pretty clear revenue generator at a time when the College is strapped for cash. There are certainly financial realities that must be addressed, but couching them within the justification of increasing food security feels, in some ways, misleading — particularly when need-based financial aid already covers meal plans for full-need students, meaning that those students would be at liberty to select whichever plan best suits their needs regardless.

The student drive, however, seems to be an effective and genuine effort towards addressing food security concerns — not just in the College but also in the wider Oberlin community, where 20–25 percent of residents live at or below the poverty line as of 2016. Students are eating what they need and donating what they don’t, effectively countering plans that compel students to pay for meals they do not use.

We must applaud students for an unconventional yet innovative form of activism which is both effectively articulating their concerns and creating a tangible and positive change in our community.

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.

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Opi n ions

Heartbeat Bill Represents Skewed Priorities for Ohio Governor, State Legislature Jackie Brant Opinions Editor The infamous “heartbeat bill” passed the Ohio state legislature this Wednesday, and after several years of emotional debates, numerous vetoes, and amendments to the bill, Governor Mike DeWine officially signed the bill on Thursday night. The passage of this bill effectively hinders every woman’s ability to get an abortion in the state of Ohio.

Ohio now has the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The bill bans abortion after six weeks into a pregnancy and makes no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Furthermore, doctors who do not test for a heartbeat or proceed with abortion procedures if a heartbeat is detected will be charged with a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Unfortunately, heartbeat bills — named because a fetus’ heartbeat is first detectable six weeks into a typical pregnancy — are not new in the United States. Several other states have recently passed similar bills, including Mississippi, Kentucky, and Georgia.

Numerous other states have tried to pass similar bills unsuccessfully.

This bill will inevitably harm people physically, emotionally, and potentially financially. Not only does it violate people’s right to choose what to do with their own bodies, but it also will take an enormous toll on the women who will be forced to bear children that they cannot properly care for. While these concerns are valid and understandable, the underlying implications of the passage of the heartbeat bill in Ohio are even more concerning.

I cannot help but wonder why regulations on abortion — the literal policing of women’s bodies and choices — is the top priority of both Ohio’s governor and state legislature at a time when Ohio is facing so many other more pressing issues.

As I have cited previously in the Review, Ohio had the third highest number of opioid-related overdoses and the third highest overdose rate increase of any other state in 2017, culminating in 5,200 opioid-related deaths (“Ohio Residents Should Have Taken Chance on Issue 1,” Nov. 9, 2018). Montgomery County in southern Ohio had so many opioid-related deaths that the county had to expand its morgue to accommodate the death toll.

Of the 4,329 overdoses resulting in death in Ohio in 2017, 83 percent were due to opioid overdoses.

However, there has been little to no action by the Ohio state legislature to try to solve the opioid problem. While

6

former Governor John Kasich made several attempts — notably shutting down several “pill mills” and monitoring opioid prescriptions — the state legislature under Mike DeWine has made only half-hearted attempts. The most recent effort has been through Ohio Issue 1, which was on the midterm ballot.

Though it did not pass during the midterms, Issue 1 was a potential progressive amendment to the state constitution that — if passed — would have prohibited judges from sending people to jail for violating probation terms, reallocated money from inmate care to drug treatment and crime-victim programs, allowed people convicted of drug crimes to petition the court for re-sentencing, and cut prison time for individuals who complete vocational or rehabilitation programs (except those convicted of murder, rape, or child molestation). It would have brought about drastic changes to the Ohio justice system and had the potential to save thousands of lives.

After the failure of Issue 1, Republicans in the Ohio State Senate have used the bill as a template to create Senate Bill 3. Sponsors of the bill state that it “is aimed at providing better access to treatment for Ohioans struggling with drug addiction and helping low-level offenders successfully re-enter the workforce, while ensuring violent offenders and drug traffickers are put in prison.”

This bill was introduced in February, and members of the state legislature say that if the bill passes, it will likely only be voted upon right before the legislature takes their summer break. This means that the bill will ultimately take over four months to pass. Alternatively, the heartbeat bill took only a month and a half to pass after it the newest version was introduced.

Why is it that state lawmakers are more eager to put restrictions on women than save the lives of their own citizens?

The priorities of these lawmakers are extremely distorted. Every year, thousands of Ohioans die from accidental overdoses, and this number has been on the rise for years.

However, there have been no substantive policies enacted or adjustments made to the justice system. There is no time for month-long debates — Ohio has needed drastic, fast changes for years, and residents have yet to see this change. Instead, the only changes that Ohio is seeing are the enforcement of a heartbeat bill and the further protection of AR-15 guns, which are the only substantive bills that Governor DeWine has signed since coming into office.

See Politicians, page 7

We Need To Fix Course Registration — Here’s How David Mathisson Contributing Writer Course registration is obviously not the highlight of anybody’s college experience — and it’s especially bad at Oberlin. Course selection starts with a mess of overloaded but mandatory courses thanks to a large number of highly specific requirements.

Faculty replace prerequisites with consent barriers so that qualified students are held at the mercy of overworked professors’ ability to respond to emails.

Then, when students are unable to get into the courses they want because of consent barriers, they are forced to enroll in courses they aren’t actually going to take. That forces students with later registration times to enroll in classes they don’t plan to take, ultimately occupying spots in classes that other students actually want to be in. There’s so little actual registration going on that this disaster can’t even reasonably be called course registration.

Theoretically, the consent requirement is a perfectly decent idea. Using the system to let in otherwise qualified or passionate students who don’t meet prerequisites would allow students to challenge themselves in classes they’re excited about.

However, instead of serving this purpose, consent barriers are frequently used by professors to simply replace prerequisites. Now, instead of

a course being open only to qualified students who have put in the work, they’re closed to everyone, often until after registration has ended — leaving students in limbo until add/drop period.

Sorting out an entire schedule while classes are starting isn’t just extremely stressful — it’s also costing students of all income backgrounds every year, potentially up to hundreds of dollars. At colleges and universities across the country, the average student spends $1,200 on textbooks annually, and although Oberlin students can sometimes get support with buying textbooks through resources such as the Multicultural Resource Center and the Book Co-op, most of these costs are mostly directly incurred by students and their families.

Although that figure is astonishing, it should not catch anyone by surprise. Textbooks are priced according to demand, which is extremely high during Oberlin’s add/ drop period. Students could buy their books ahead of time for a fraction of the price — but only if they can secure spots in classes they’ll actually take without being locked out by consent barriers.

If we create a policy banning the use of consent barriers as a replacement for prerequisites and on courses with no prerequisites, students will get to register for courses they actually want to take during registration. With one

quick and easy policy change, we could potentially save students hundreds of dollars every year — an amount that makes a huge difference to low-income individuals.

To fully smooth out the registration process, however, we need to get to the root of the problem. Demand for many courses is just too high for everybody to get in, and graduation requirements and strict sets of requirements for many majors, minors, and concentrations are inflating demand for certain courses.

The Natural Science and Mathematics requirement is an example of this. Every student has to complete two courses in the area despite a shortage of STEM classes that are accessible to non-STEM majors. In essence, every nonSTEM major is trying to get into the same small number of classes.

In keeping with the nature of Oberlin’s liberal arts education, we need to broaden our definition of requirements like Natural Sciences and Mathematics and create more courses to fit our community’s needs instead of forcing students through a requirement bottleneck. Intermediate Microeconomics, for example, is a heavily mathematics-based class, but does not count for the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement, and other courses have a similar story.

Broadening our graduation requirements is an essential start, but there’s more that See Students, page 7

Reflections on Food and Eating Procedure Vital in Energy Policy Through the Lens of Julia Child Continued from page 5

Katie Lucey Contributing Writer Those who know me well know that I harbor an unfettered love for the legendary American chef Julia Child. I plowed through her memoir, My Life in France, and still occasionally watch old tapings of her television program, The French Chef. I paid tribute to her culinary greatness when I saw her legendary kitchen on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Though I did not offer a stick of butter at the altar of her extra-tall kitchen counter like Julie in Julie & Julia, I nevertheless stood in reverence of the undeniable uniqueness of one of America’s most famous culinary geniuses.

Child wrote with incredible levity — both in her cookbooks and her memoirs — and her TV show highlighted invaluable life lessons while serving up scrumptious recipes. Julia Child taught me and countless others that mistakes happen, and that the joy of doing often overpowers the accident itself. A great cook is confident in their abilities, but forthright in their errors. In her own words, “One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed.”

I find tremendous satisfaction in Child’s words and try to live by her wisdom in my everyday life. We celebrated Women’s History Month in March, but I still want to highlight Julia Child as someone whose culinary and cultural legacy deserves to be appreciated by all.

While there are many other women who also deserve to enter our cultural and intellectual lexicons — particularly women of color and others whose rich experiences have been erased by oppressive systems — Child’s distinguished contributions to media and American cuisine remain relevant and should still be acknowledged by 21st-century foodies.

Child demystified French cuisine for the American public with an air of vivaciousness and exuberance that should be applied to how we all think about food — even on a campus dominated by dining halls and fast-food culture. To Child, eating excellent food was an experience characterized by pleasure and joy. An excellent meal made with fresh, simple ingredients could transcend time and place. I don’t think that one could

possibly compare a mouthwatering meal constructed by a bona fide French chef with a boxed pizza from DeCafé.

However, I think there is something to be said for seeking intentionality and mindfulness when it comes to what we eat as college students.

Everyone eats differently — that is an undeniable fact. Rejecting this is the foundation of food policing, a phenomenon I’ve witnessed during my time in the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association in particular. We must make strides as a society to not judge what another individual eats or does not eat, and strive toward body acceptance and positivity. Still, there is merit to understanding what we are putting into our bodies, where it comes from, and how a dish we are eating was prepared.

The benefits of such intentionality are plentiful; by seeking out a connection between ourselves and food — and its underlying environmental, social, and political influences — we can become more in touch with the world around us. Julia Child encouraged her readers and audience to “savor [food], analyze it, and discuss with your companions, and then … compare it with other experiences.”

While she may have merely been ruminating on the importance of butter for a particular dish or describing a complex culinary technique, we may still draw conclusions about the relationship between cuisine and other aspects of society. Being informed about the food options available to us enables us to make more responsible — or at least more conscious — decisions.

I commend the work by the various environmental and food justice groups on campus that are fighting for a more equitable and ethical world through food. I respect and appreciate those on campus who feel connected to food in other ways — for example, those who serve as head cooks in their co-ops and dream up inventive meals, or people who study food in academic settings.

Perhaps unlike any other aspect of our existence, food connects us in permanent and far-reaching ways. For some, it is merely sustenance; for others, simply pleasure. In any case, Oberlin students should continue exploring their own relationships to food, and seek out deliciousness whenever possible and ethically permissible. As Julia Child would say, bon appétit!

lation of processes after they have been implemented. She advocates for “thinking on a community scale” to address the incidence of WTS and move toward a system that prioritizes both green energy and equity.

The uniform outrage about Trump’s cancer comment — while factually correct — suggests that we still have a long way to go in acknowledging the nuances of procedural injustices that have created environmental hardships for communities across the country, sometimes masked in the name of sustainable and renewable energy.

Fortunately, awareness is rising that climate change needs to be tack-

led through a people-focused lens that acknowledges how histories of marginalization and oppression have unequally distributed environmental benefits and hazards. However, this lens is most commonly applied to situations where a community has been polluted or otherwise injured in stark, visible ways — let’s take this moment to recognize that the same lens can, and must, be applied to progressive environmental policy as well.

Climate change is forcing us to redefine how we live, in so many ways.

Let’s view that as an opportunity, and use it to combat the structural inequities deeply imbedded in our current energy system.

Politicians Must Prioritize Ohioans Continued from page 6

Furthermore, the passage of the heartbeat bill will surely have economic implications for the state of Ohio.

Former Governor John Kasich vetoed several heartbeat bills during his term because he believed that their passage would lead to lawsuits that would take a severe toll on Ohio’s budget and finances. Since Governor DeWine signed the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio immediately announced that it would file a court challenge before it goes into effect as scheduled in 90 days.

This suit will inevitably cost taxpayers thousands of dollars over the course of the hearings — further evidence that the Ohio legislature prioritizes policing women over the financial well-being of its residents.

The situation in Ohio is only getting

worse for residents as time passes. Addiction rates and overdose deaths continue to increase. Major businesses are moving out of Ohio or cutting jobs that residents need, putting thousands out of jobs. The situation is so bad that Ohio Watchdog ranked Ohio at number six in the nation for people leaving the state.

As long as Ohio lawmakers continue to prioritize things like abortion bans over their citizens’ wellbeing, then the situation will only continue to worsen.

These are serious issues that affect the physical well-being and the livelihoods of Ohioans, and they are the issues that state lawmakers must begin to prioritize. If they can pass the most restrictive abortion bill in the United States in under two months, they should be able to pass a drug reform bill just as quickly.

Ohio lives depend on it.

Students Face Registration Barriers Continued from page 6

needs to be done. We need to eliminate course-specific major requirements, open up cross-listing between departments, and expand which courses can be applied to major and graduation requirements. Once we do that, students will be able to take the courses they’re passionate about instead of being crowded out by other students who were forced into extreme requirements. If we enact these reforms, far fewer students will be forced out of classes they can’t graduate without.

Taking steps towards fixing Oberlin’s course registration system would be relatively simple. One major step

we need to take is restricting the use of consent barriers where they detract from our community, and instead open up our course requirements to reflect the broad and multidisciplinary nature of a liberal arts education. Two policy changes combined have the potential to not only make the course registration process less stressful for everyone, but also save students hundreds of dollars.

We need to implement these reforms as soon as we can, or at least start the conversation around reforming registration. Course registration could become a time when students actually register for their courses that they want to be in.

Clair Wang, Staff Cartoonist The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

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Obie Trad

OBIEGAME

ObieGame is a massive scavenger hunt that has taken place at Oberlin each year since 2004. Over 300 students compete for prizes over the course of a couple weeks, usually in teams. According to their website, “ObieGame can be best described as a treasure hunt, interactive story, and puzzle game rolled together to form one delicious, spillingout-the-ends burrito.”

ObieGame 2019 is happening right now so registration is closed, but it’ll be back next year.

MARIMBA CHRISTMAS

Every December, many of the Conservatory’s marimba players dress in Christmas-themed clothing and play unique arrangements of Christmas music in the Conservatory lounge.

The lounge fills up with spectators, creating a pleasant holiday disruption.

LIQUOR TREAT

In some living spaces, students celebrate halloween by making spooky-themed alcoholic drinks and opening their doors for students in costume to come by and sample their beverages –– like adult trick-or-treating.

This event builds community within living spaces, but it’s run by students and is not school-sanctioned.

“NAKED” RUN

During midterms and finals week, students have traditionally stripped to various states of undress in Terrell Main Library and ran through the building in an effort to destress. The event is arranged by students and is not schoolsanctioned. According to campus rumors, library administrators have tried to shut down the beloved event, but since only the students know exactly when and where it takes place, the College’s efforts have been unsuccessful.

TANK PIG ROAST

Tank Co-op has traditionally held a pig roast every spring. Other co-ops are invited and generally contribute money and side dishes, while Tank hosts the event and pays for the butchering, roasting, and preparation of the pig. The pig roast did not happen in full last year as other co-ops took issue with the large amount of meat being purchased.

However, Tank is planning to bring back the event this spring.

EASTER KEGG HUNT

According to the anonymous organizer of this year’s Easter Kegg Hunt, “the fifth Easter Kegg Hunt haunts the Arboretum once more this Spring. Teams search for PBR scattered in the forest, interpret clues and challenges given by Hares, and eventually stumble upon the Kegg.

The first team there wins a prize, and everyone emerges at least a little muddier than when they started.”

ditions JELLYFISH PARADE

For the last two years, each month to celebrate the full moon students parade around campus holding large, glowing cloth jellyfish, softly singing and playing music. It generally begins at 11:15 p.m. at Harkness Bowl and is open to anyone who wants to join. You can bring your own jellyfish or carry one that’s already made. To be notified about when the next Jellyfish Parade will occur, email gepstein@oberlin.edu.

LAYOUT & TEXT BY MIKAELA FISHMAN THIS WEEK EDITOR THURS.–SAT. APRIL 11–13

Spring Back An evening of student- and faculty-choreographed dance pieces, directed by Professor of Dance Ann Cooper Albright.

Tickets are $5.

Warner Main Space • 8 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 15

Envisioning Equitable Approaches to Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Response In this session, Niah Grimes will explore ways to prevent campus sexual violence while centering marginalized communities. Grimes is a doctoral research award recipient at University of Georgia’s College of Education, where she studies experiences of Black women in higher education, campus sexual violence, dis/ability liberation, and intersectionality.

King Building, Room 106 • 7–8 p.m.

TOUR DE FRANZIA

Tour de Franzia is a student-organized team bike race that happens during Commencement week and involves drinking a lot of boxed wine. Students ride bikes to various locations around town and at each location the WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 whole team has to drink an entire box of Franzia. After Amazing Jazz Stories they drink they This panel on the fascinating musical experiences of Oberlin jazz faculty will commemorate the 30th continue on to anniversary of the Jazz Studies department. the next location, Stull Recital Hall • 3:30–5:30 p.m. where they drink more wine. The THURSDAY, APRIL 18 first team to make Aral Sea: Tragedy and Secrets it to all the locaThe Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the tions with their whole world, but the rivers that fed it have since been diverted team intact wins. for crop irrigation during the era of the Soviet Union, and

DISORIENTATION

the lake has almost completely disappeared. Nikita Makarenko, a journalist from Uzbekistan, will tell this story and discuss whether the lake’s waters will ever be replenished.

Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, Hallock Auditorium • 4:30–5:50 p.m.

Disorientation is a party crawl that happens during orientation most years.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Juniors and seniors who Illuminator Artist Collective Talk are on campus host parThe Illuminator is an art/activist collective based in New York City.

They project images and messages on buildings in public spaces ties and invite first-years to “transform the street from a space of passive consumption … via fliers that are passed into a site of engagement, conflict, and dialogue.” around first-year dorms.

Clarence Ward ’37 Art Building, Classroom 103 • 4:30 p.m.

The hosts of the parties generally charge money for drinks or entry.

Residential Education typically advises firstyear not to attend.

Calendar

A r t s & C u ltu r e

April 12, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE established 1874

Volume 147, Number 19

MRC Colors of Rhythm Celebrates POC Creative Expression

Students turned out in force this Wednesday for the 23rd annual Colors of Rhythm showcase. This year, the theme was “Freedom in this Village.”

Photo courtesy of Jules Greene

Imani Badillo Staff Writer The 23rd annual Colors of Rhythm showed loud and proud at Finney Chapel this past Wednesday, putting students of color and the organizations they represent center stage. The event invited all to come and share in the variety of art forms expressed, including dance, singing, spoken word, and storytelling.

The theme of this year’s Colors of Rhythm, “Freedom in this Village,” was chosen to honor E. Lynn Harris, who was a prominent figure in Black gay male literature for more than 25 years. In every act, individuals celebrated their freedom to express their culture in an inclusive and welcoming space.

Historically a showcase of student activism on campus, Colors of Rhythm celebrates performers of color who are usually disenfranchised from mainstream campus culture. The event foregrounds

cultural dance forms and expression that Oberlin classes do not regularly cover; attendees and performers participated in the ongoing construction of a cultural narrative through the many performances and their witnessing.

“This theme … is a call to the practices of perseverance, resilience, radical self love, hope, faith, resistance, self-determination, and intercommunal cooperation that we need and employ within our Oberlin POC community in order to heal, fight, remain, and build a better future for those that will come after us,” said Khalid Taylor, OC ’17, the student life program coordinator at the Multicultural Resource Center.

As a POC-centered event, all members of the audience were encouraged to cheer and respond to the various acts.

“I need noise, I need yelling, I need clapping,” said emcee and College junior Brian Smith as he prompted the crowd to support the artists who came on stage.

This statement was met with a huge chorus of applause and cheering, which was sustained throughout the event, keeping the energy in Finney high. This support was felt by the performers, the emcee, and those watching and appreciating the performances.

OCTaiko, African Students Association, dance company And What!?, Japanese Student Association, and South Asian Students Association all performed, among others. Double-degree sophomore Kopano Muhammad, who helped organize the ASA dance, articulated an intense appreciation for Colors of Rhythm and the space it provides for cultural expression.

“Colors of Rhythm is a fulfilling act of solidarity for me,” they said. “It is inspirational to share my culture with others as they share theirs. A productive cultural exchange and appreciation.”

Some students performed solo, too.

Among these were College sophomore Katie Kim, who performed a Japanese karaoke song about “the one that got away;” double-degree senior Daniella Hope, who invited the audience to sing in a song/ spoken word piece by her mother called L.I.F.E., short for Living in Faith Everyday; and College senior Nani Borges, who recently shared her personal narrative in her senior show Songs from My Mother’s Seashore, performed a cultural dance in a bright yellow dress and veil, gracing the stage in the same golden light she embodied in her previous show.

In addition to supporting performers of color on stage, the MRC also uplifted other campus voices through this event.

Upon entering Finney, students were encouraged to donate to the Undocumented Students’ Fund. Donations of business

and professional clothing for the MRC Free Store were also accepted.

College senior and MRC Student Associate Ti Ames performed twice throughout the evening — including a joint piece with Taylor that told the story of significant events in their friendship. Ames greatly appreciates the event and all the voices of support that ring out from the stage and in the audience.

“There is no ego or narcissism involved; it’s all about bringing communities, both POC and white allies, together and supporting all the gifts and talents folks have to offer with open arms,” they noted. “It’s always a good time when you put out a call on that Finney stage — in song, dance, poetry, etc. — and the entire chapel responds with, ‘YAS!’” For those who were unable to make it to Colors of Rhythm, here is a list of upcoming POC-centered performances and events on campus: The ASA Afropolitan Banquet is April 20 from 6–9 p.m. in the Root Room. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any ASA member. Individuals who attend the African in America student panel on April 17 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. in Wilder can get a $2 discount! This banquet is open to all Oberlin students.

ABUSUA’s Spring Formal is April 27 at 8 p.m. in the Root Room. Tickets are $5.

Drag Ball is April 26 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the ’Sco. To get priority ticket times, people can attend workshops which will be happening up until the event.

Pretty Fest 2019 is April 20–28. A wristband is $15 and will grant you admission into various events throughout the week, including the ’Sco event on April 27 featuring br0nz3_g0dd3ss, Junglepussy, ND1K0, and Afrofatty.

Jean Rohe Plays to Few, Captures Hearts in Midweek Performance

Artist Jean Rohe made her Oberlin debut with an intimate crowd at the Cat in the Cream this week.

Photo by Krysta Brayer

Carson Dowhan Senior Staff Writer Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Jean Rohe stopped

by Oberlin to give a songwriting workshop last Wednesday before her 8 p.m. show with her band at the Cat in the Cream. She is currently on tour to promote her new record, Sisterly, which was produced with her longtime collaborator Liam Robinson, with whom who she plays in a duo called Robinson & Rohe.

Rohe first caught attention with her 2012 single “National Anthem: Arise! Arise!,” which was inspired by American history and social movements. This song was followed by her 2014 full-length release, Jean Rohe & The End of the World Show. Her most recent release, Sisterly,

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took a different thematic turn from her previous works, with soulful ballads on themes ranging from migration to love to police violence.

Her press release on the album reads, “Whether mediated by devices, conducted across oceans, passed through prison bars, or directed at an inner critic, each song on Sisterly contains an urgent missive for this moment. Rohe’s strength is in binding these themes together with sharp language and her broad musical imagination, yielding an unexpected marriage of word, sound, and story: strands in the same braid.”

She’s caught the attention of major outlets since then.

The New York Times described her as “a sure-footed young singer-songwriter,” and No Depression, a quarterly roots music journal, called her music “thoughtful, reflective, and courageous.”

Rohe’s first stop at Oberlin was the Cat in the Cream where she gave a workshop on songwriting. A few students and a member of the community came together to talk about their experiences writing and analyzed her song “Wings.” The group pointed out particular parts of the song that caught their ears, such as its cohesive narrative and use of lyrical assonance. Rohe explained the inspiration behind the song.

“Songwriting is a craft you learn by doing,” she wrote in an email to the Review. “Write a lot. It’s simple but so true.

Follow the impulse – when you’ve got an idea that makes you excited, get that ball rolling. It’s important to get those ideas moving when they really feel alive.”

She said that she liked to keep editing out of the beginning of her creative process.

“You can always go back with your finely calibrated tools to refine and revise, or tear it all apart. But there’s no substitute for that initial impulse.”

Her workshop was followed by a performance later in the evening. The few people at the venue had no idea about the musical treat they were in for Wednesday night.

Jean Rohe borrows sounds from folk and roots music,

while pouring her heart out above flying jazz chords. This special twist makes her wandering and inquisitive melodies shine. These melodies come full circle and prove to be her biggest strength — and the band backing her played to that strength by filling the few cracks of silence.

At first, Rohe and the band were clearly disappointed with the lack of midweek turnout for their set. Their disappointment did not linger, nor did it impact the energy for the rest of the night. The live sound was wonderfully balanced, calling attention to the intricate arpeggios and rise-and-fall solos by guitarist Asher Kurtz.

Christopher Tordini played on a half-sized bass guitar that matched the color of his button-down, but still packed a punch through subtle tremolos. Devin Collins held his ground on the drum kit, adding a layer of energy to such songs as “Live.” He was a joy to talk to after the show, where he discussed his passion for music while breaking down his kit. Collins was joined onstage for a few songs by faculty member Jamey Haddad, who added an array of percussive instruments to the mix. During songs with a drum-filled groove, the stage was alive with the contagious smiles of Collins and Haddad as they played off one another. Rohe stood proudly at the helm of the stage with her Gibson acoustic guitar.

Rohe presented powerful and cohesive narratives in her lyrics, and her impressive group filled the space beneath her voice. The electric guitar sat nicely below a down-tuned acoustic guitar during songs like “Safety,” which featured impressive instrumental breakdowns that cushioned the verses. Rohe also used the instrumental aspects of her songs purposefully. Before playing her song “Wings,” she explained the instrumental motif of church bells, and how the church near her home would chime every 15 minutes.

“It was a matter of time before they found their way into a song,” she said on stage.

See Songwriter, page 13

Dandelion Romp Dances into Oberlin for 20th Anniversary

Oberlin’s annual Dandelion Romp celebrated its 20th anniversary last weekend, filling Hales Gym with an animated crowd of dancers. Dandelion Romp is a three-day contra dance event where community members come together and practice the folk dance. Contra is an American dance form with Scottish, French, and English origins and features lines of couples who intermingle throughout a dance, led by a caller who teaches the dance’s steps and rules.

Oberlin hosted the event from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, with supplemental workshops at the Cat in the Cream on Saturday and Sunday. The proceedings featured Dela Murphy and Alexandra Deis-Lauby, two touring callers, and touring bands Center Street and Sassafras Stomp. The event, which was organized by College seniors Mikaela Fishman and Caide Jackson, mid-year graduate Adam Work, College first-year Eliza Goodell, and double-degree senior Molly Tucker, drew a range of dancers — some Oberlin students but also many alumni, Oberlin residents, and contra dancers from various walks of life.

Swing by next year or come to the on-campus contra dances each month if you’d like to join in the fun!

Text by Kate Fishman, Arts Editor Photo by Mikaela Fishman, This Week Editor

Visiting Lecturer Manuel Parada López de Corselas Brings New Ideas to Allen Piece

The 1432 painting “The Fountain of Life” is currently on display at the Allen Memorial Art Museum and was the center of a talk by Manuel Parada López de Corselas.

Anna Farber

Editor’s Note: This piece discusses anti-Semitism and depictions of anti-Semitism.

Fulbright scholar Manuel Parada López de Corselas’ presentation on the 1432 painting “The Fountain of Life” illustrates key strengths in the way that Oberlin curricula engage with the Allen Memorial Art Museum, and introduces an essential new dimension to an important piece in the museum’s collection. Parada presented his groundbreaking research about the political ramifications of Oberlin’s copy of “The Fountain of Grace” in a lecture sponsored by Oberlin’s Baldwin Lecture Fund.

The original is housed in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The lecture is just one example of the many resources The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

that provide Oberlin students with access to influential scholarship in their fields.

Parada is one of the organizers of the Prado Museum in Madrid’s symposium on its own “The Fountain of Grace” composition by Jan van Eyck, a northern Renaissance master. Oberlin’s copy of the painting, which the Allen calls “The Fountain of Life,” came to the collection in 1952 and is one of Oberlin’s flagship works.

“This topic of Jan van Eyck in a broad European context is of central importance art historically, but it’s also especially interesting to the Allen, where the Eyckian ‘The Fountain of Life’ has been a pillar since its acquisition in 1952,” said Oberlin Professor of Medieval Art History Erik Inglis, who helped organize the talk.

While the work has always been seen as important evidence of Jan van Eyck’s influence on Spanish art, Parada’s research highlights a political dimension of the work that was previously unexamined in Oberlin-based scholarship, despite the work’s visual anti-Semitism.

In its bottom right corner, “The Fountain of Life” features images of Jews, depicted blindfolded and miserable. They’re falling down, turning away from the center of the image, and tearing their hair, showing how they have not accepted Christ’s grace. This group of Jews is juxtaposed with the beatific Catholic clergy, who stand on the other side of the Fountain with neutral faces.

While the anti-Semitism in this work is obvious and its presence has been noted by scholars, the motivation behind its composition has never been given the examination it deserves.

Dr. Laura Herron, associate dean for academic standing and assistant professor of Jewish Studies, teaches a class on Jews in the Ottoman Empire, many of whom were Sephardic Jews exiled because of the inquisition.

“You can read images like texts, and they’re important primary sources,” Herron said.

Parada’s talk contextualized the original “The Fountain of Grace” from 15th-century Spain, which was composed when the Roman Catholic Bishop Alfonso de Cartagena was writing defenses of conversos — Jews who had converted to Roman Catholicism. Cartagena himself was a converso. Parada used visual analysis and primary sources to contextualize this work as a political argument in favor of accepting and assimilating conversos into the Church. He identified 18 prophets of the Old Testament in the composition. Parada’s visual analysis of the piece found that the unflattering depiction of the Jews actually held within it the possibility for their re-

demption through conversion, something not previously mentioned in the wall text for the piece. While this is still anti-Semitic, in the political context of 15th-century Spain, anti-Semitism was a given while the fate of people who were Jewish was not. It was not a question of whether one was pro- or anti-Jewish, but instead whether one was in favor of forcibly converting versus murdering all of the Jews.

The wall text beside the painting reads: “[The presence of the Jews represents] the Old Testament being overthrown by the New.” This interpretation only leaves room for destructive anti-Semitism in the piece, without giving proper credence to the political context of the time, in which the desire for the destruction of Judaism as a concept was a given.

The Oberlin composition was created 100 years later, in the 16th century, in a different political context where the depiction of Jews opposite the Catholics meant something different. Parada focused particularly on the illegible Hebrew text on the banner that the Jews in the original composition were holding. In Oberlin’s version, their banner contains a fully legible psalm transcribed in Hebrew, which makes reference to bread and wine.

There is still room for comprehensive scholarship on Oberlin’s version of the composition.

This presentation was possible because of the coordination and dedication of several members of the Oberlin College community. The presenter, Manuel Parada López de Corselas, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the Spanish Research Council and is currently conducting a Fulbright research project at Harvard University about Jan van Eyck’s influence in Spain. His work caught the attention of Maryan Ainsworth, OC ’71, the curator of Northern Renaissance Painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, as well as a member of the visiting committee for the Allen. She noticed that Parada was in America, so she contacted Oberlin Professor of Medieval Art History Erik Inglis to work on allocating the Art History Baldwin Fund to bring him to Oberlin.

Oberlin’s practice of purposefully letting students directly engage with scholarship and objects exemplifies the hands-on learning that characterizes Oberlin as an institution. Parado’s talk brought new issues to light regarding the politics of an important piece in the Allen’s collection. His work changes the way this piece of art is viewed and presents a new avenue for research that an Oberlin student could pursue in the future with the Allen’s “The Fountain of Life.”

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A r t s & C u lt u r e ON THE RECORD

Jason Dorwart, Director of Body of Bourne Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater Jason Dorwart specializes in theater history, dramaturgy, disability studies, film theory, and improv.

He served on the Board of Directors and as an acting company member of the award-winning Phamaly Theatre Company in Denver, which exclusively features actors with disabilities. Dorwart earned his Ph.D. at UC San Diego, where he helped develop and perform in the Workplace Interactive Theatre, a touring diversity initiative which promotes discussions about hiring practices in higher education. He is the director of the upcoming Oberlin Theater Department production Body of Bourne, a play by John Belluso about Randolph Bourne, a progressive early 20th-century writer. The show runs April 11–13 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. in the new Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater.

Tickets are $8.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Katherine MacPhail, Arts & Culture Editor

Jason Dorwart Photo courtesy of Jason Dorwart

What would you say your focus is as a Theater professor?

I am really interested in how theater is a powerful cultural tool. For thousands of years, theater was our most powerful tool of communication and learning. But we don’t think of it that way anymore because people tend to think of it as entertainment in the same way that a film is.

Theater is inherently powerful and connects people and changes lives. So I like to focus on that and ask, “Why does theater still matter?” Because it absolutely does, but it kind of gets short shrift sometimes.

What is Body of Bourne about?

It’s a reconstructed biography of Randolph Bourne, who was a World War I era writer, pacifist, political activist, anti-fascist, and disability advocate. Being a disability advocate wasn’t really his main work because it kind of wasn’t a thing at the time, although one of his most famous essays is actually called “The Handicapped — by One of Them.” In the ’70s and ’80s, when scholars started to study disability as an academic discipline, this essay from the 1910s started being rediscovered and popping up again. He was 90 years ahead of his time. And every time there’s some kind of cultural shift or moment of war or protest or youth unrest, Randolph Bourne comes up again. In the late ’60s, people started to rediscover his pacifist work and his anti-nationalist work. But then these moments will pass and he gets forgotten for a while. There seem to be a lot of people who are rediscovering his work, but then it never goes anywhere.

In the 2000s, when John Belluso wrote this play, he was starting to think of Randlph Bourne as an important disability figure. He speaks to all these different communities and all these different action groups. He’s always kind of forgotten about, partially because he died so young, but he was so influential in the 30-odd years that he did have. I think that a lot of the questions that he was grappling with we’re still grappling with today, whether it’s xenophobia, sexual relations, disability perceptions, education reform and the extorting cost of education, pacifism, or nationalist fervor. All these ideas are embedded in this play. It brings up a lot of the same questions that we’re wrestling with today, and especially at Oberlin where a lot of students are interested in this, it seems like an ideal play.

What drew you to pick this play?

John Belluso was a major figure in playwriting and theater. He went to the same MFA program in playwriting at

12

New York University as Tony Kushner, and he was in this same group of playwrights, but a lot of his plays deal with disability, so he’s been reduced to his plays being performed mostly within disability circles. His work was a little inconsistent; some plays are better than others.

But he was a really strong advocate and activist who died several years ago at a fairly young age. I just felt like John Belluso is somebody that more people need to be exposed to. He actually was quite successful. He got a job as a writer on the show Deadwood on HBO. He was a pretty successful playwright and television writer. I just thought it was important to expose the world to both him and then also in this cultural moment, to Randolph Bourne.

I first read this play working on my dissertation in a Ph.D. program and didn’t much like it. Part of the reason is that, when you’re just reading a bunch of plays, you’re trying to get through them, and it’s hard to follow up the page. So I was like, “Oh, this is just Jason Bourne’s letters and I don’t know what this is about.” I read it and thought, “This isn’t his strongest play.” But I read it again for leisure as opposed to for study. When Oberlin’s Theater department asked me if there was a play I’d like to direct by him, I read it again and realized this would be quite a fun play to stage, it was just reading it under stress that I didn’t enjoy. It’s only been produced once before at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. So to be the second company that’s putting it on just feels really special.

How did you approach directing able-bodied actors who are playing disabled characters?

I had this experience with a show that I did in San Diego where all the characters in the show were disabled. We tried to find enough disabled actors to play all the characters, but we were like three people. So we decided, “OK, we’re just going to dip into the pool of able-bodied actors,” because unfortunately, there just aren’t enough disabled actors.

People always talk about that in terms of “Maybe disabled people aren’t talented enough.” I have this discussion all the time on Twitter when I post about disability and performance and theater. Usually, the response is “There are no talented disabled actors,” which is a really simplified understanding of the problem. The problem is there’s no incentive for training companies to train disabled actors and there’s no reward for disabled actors to go into theater because it’s so marginalized.

It’s not that people aren’t talented, it’s that there aren’t people getting training.

You’re always told that “Theater is the hardest profession to go into. Don’t do that.” So if you have something else like a disability, that’s compounding that. Then the message is “Don’t dream.”

I had this experience and realization directing these able-bodied actors, that they were all approaching disability from a perspective of tragedy. They were thinking of disability in terms of how they themselves would feel about disability,

not how disabled characters feel about their own disabilities. We tend to regard disability when we see somebody on the street, or wherever we see somebody, we start to think of like, “Oh, what’s the story? How did they become disabled? That’s so tragic.” If it’s congenital, it’s tragic for their parents; if it’s an acquired disability, it’s tragic for them because they can never fully experience real life.

But that’s not how disabled people think about themselves. Everybody I know with a disability just goes about their life, and there’s nothing tragic about it, it’s just another aspect of life. All the actors were playing the tragedy instead of playing the joy.

There’s this one character in that play that just wasn’t working. I finally realized it was because, throughout her performance, she was apologizing to all the other characters that she was a burden on them. And so finally I said, “No, you’re not a burden. You are proud of yourself.

When you ask other people to help, — she had an aid that would go get her water or help her put on her shoes — you’re not apologizing for those. You are proud that you managed to do these things and you appreciate the community and the connection that comes with that and you figured out the way to do things the way you need to do [them].”

It totally changed her performance.

I started thinking about a lot of performance in those terms. Whenever I would watch able-bodied people playing disabled characters, I noticed they were playing their attitude toward disability, not the character’s attitude toward disability. So I’ve worked on that with [College senior] Evan Board in this role. We have this really strong character and this really thick-headed, persistent, stubborn character, and it’s not the usual portrayal we see of disability. So I worked with Evan never to apologize for who Randolph Bourne is.

This play is performed “in the round,” which is a style of theater staging in which the audience is seated on all

sides. Why did you decide to direct the show this way?

My first thought was not doing this play as realism, but doing it as a group of actors coming together to re-enact a story, almost like they’re just improving for fun with each other. I wanted to put it in the corner, so that we could spill back behind the proscenium and spill out in the audience. But then once the actual theater was built, I saw that wasn’t going to work in the way we expected, we just couldn’t visualize it from the ground plans of the theater. So I started thinking, “OK, I know I want an immersive experience still, so what are we going to do with that?” And I started thinking about doing in the round.

It’s a lot of fun to direct and act in the round because there has to be so much movement. Oberlin hasn’t done a show in the round in a long, long time. I think this show works really well because of the number of transitions. Over the past 15 years, most of my theatrical experience has been in the round, so I’m really well versed in it. I only got to do one production in the round when I was in college, and it’s a completely different acting technique and movement technique. I wanted to be able to give the actors a different experience here. I think it’s important for their overall education. So when they go out into the real world after this, they can say, “Oh yeah, I know how to do the round.”

What do you hope that the audience walks away with after this show?

I hope that the audience can walk away and realize that historical figures, no matter how old or from what time, are wrestling with the same issues [that we are]. Part of the reason we have this perception of the past is because there were topics that you didn’t talk about on stage, so we started to think of these people as innocent, naive people. But that’s not true. A play like this, written from a modern perspective about the past, hopefully connects people. I hope everyone realizes that the issues we grapple with today have always been grappled with.

College senior Paige Baskin, College first-year Sophie Falvey, and College senior Evan Board perform in Body of Bourne.

Photo courtesy of OC Theater

DC Turns Out Delightful Superhero Songwriter Captivates Intimate Audience She neatly ties her narrative together Comedy With Shazam! at the end of the second bridge in “Wings” Kurtz personified the bells through Continued from page 10

Kabir Karamchandani Staff Writer

The latest Warner Bros.’ DC Comics film, Shazam!, is a pleasant deviation from their usual darker fare such as Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The cheerful, funny Shazam! is the first DC Extended Universe film to go beyond its role as a superhero action movie — it also serves as a coming-of-age story with strong family themes. While the action and visual effects are a little lacking at times, an excellent script with relatable characters, genuine emotional stakes, and spot-on humor more than makes up for it, making Shazam! my personal favorite of the DC films so far.

Stars Asher Angel and Zachary Levi do an excellent job playing the protagonist, Billy Batson, and his superhero alter-ego, Shazam, respectively. At its center, Shazam! is a story about a kid getting superpowers, and this is why I, personally, enjoyed it so much. Levi takes no small amount of delight in playing a child who becomes a superhero, and his performance of pure wish fulfillment is the film at its best. His story is an uplifting boy’s journey rather than an overwrought superhero’s struggle.

While Levi sells the coming-of-age story, it is Angel who provides the film’s heart.

His arc is genuinely heartwarming, and it helps Shazam! reach real emotional depth in a way that few superhero movies do.

While Levi represents our inner child, Angel’s Billy Batson speaks to the cynic in us.

He has seen too much and been let down too many times to expect anything but the worst. Angel does an excellent job bringing Billy to life, and seeing him grow and change is what keeps the movie grounded, in spite of the often surreal action.

Levi and Angel’s performances are further elevated by the supporting cast, particularly Billy’s foster family. Every member’s arc explores their relationship

with Billy and growth as a family. Freddy, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, is a particular standout. A superhero-obsessed nerd who stands with Billy for his entire journey, Freddy’s voice mimics the audience’s inner monologue in this film. Grazer perfectly portrays the child’s emotions, from excitement and joy to jealousy and judgment, right alongside the viewer.

Because Shazam! is primarily focused on its protagonists and their relationships, the villain, played by Mark Strong, is almost relegated to a footnote. While Dr. Sivana is a compellingly written character, Strong’s portrayal is a little dry, making his scenes a significant come-down from the rest of the film. The character itself is compelling; a self-made villain who is relatable, if not likable. Yet Strong never finds the depth the protagonists achieve, making a nuanced villain seem one-dimensional, particularly at the film’s end.

Shazam! breaks new ground for DC movies in terms of humor; it is the franchise’s first movie with jokes that land.

While comedy has so far seemed the sole purview of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shazam!’s jokes are up there with the best MCU gags, breaking the tension with laughter without cheapening the emotional beats. Indeed, this movie is closer stylistically to a Marvel film than it is to any previous DC film. Yet, while the film shines when focusing on Billy and those around him, a combination of bad CGI, a weak performance from Mark Strong, and overly long action sequences make the fight scenes almost boring to watch at times. All told, this is a small defect in an otherwise compelling movie and didn’t do much to hamper my enjoyment.

Quite simply, Shazam! is a good movie.

While it likely won’t be awarded any Oscars, it will win the favor of superhero fans and people who want to see a fun, family-themed movie.

CROSSWORD Alex Metz

ACROSS 1. Snatch 5. URL beginning 10. Small amount 14. Big name in jeans 15. Type of window 16. ____ Bear The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

harmonics on electric guitar, which gave the song a melancholy aura as she began the first verse with the lines: “They all stood out in the prison yard/And they build wings out of scrap wood and cardboard.” This moody atmosphere then transitioned into a soulful groove.

Rohe commented on intentionality in her songwriting in an email to the Review.

“I think I have an affinity for songs where the writer/composer/improviser is being really intentional with whatever they’re doing,” she wrote.

with the lines: “The hurt called caring, the lies called true/Before Icarus ascended to the sky/Before anybody told him not to try.”

Rohe has a powerful sound that proudly represents the Brooklyn songwriting scene. With hints of roots and folk mixing with jazzy grooves, there is plenty to listen to beyond Rohe’s curious lyrics. For all those that missed out on her captivating performance on Wednesday, it’s worth giving her new album Sisterly a listen or two.

17. Abbr. for unknown18 Fisher and Ury negotiation acronym 19. Second smallest of the Great Lakes 20. 1787 Mozart opera 23. The letter after ‘M’...

24. Ship that inspired Moby Dick 25. Principles or beliefs minus first letter 26. “___ kingdom come” 27. _____ as a rock 29. San ___, Venetian church 31. A dirty magazine, say 35. 9/11 building abbr.

36. Uncomfortable bowel protrusion 39. Member of fictional crime family 41. Subway musicians 42. Evaluate 43. London weather 44. Snaky noise 45. Precursor to EU 46. Lowest female vocal range, plural 48. College admissions test 50. Clause to suggest an alternative 52. Subject of “Pale Blue Dot” speech 57. Kook 58. 1853 Verdi opera 60. Dull, perhaps like anatomy 62. Tree resin native to Philippines 63. Water in Madrid 64. Old Italian currency, plural 65. What one might do at crunch time?

66. Bawdy desire 67. Western companion?

68. Door accessories, for a hinge 69. Allows DOWN 1. Grassy knoll 2. What comes after demolitions, abbr.

3. Stratford’s river and an Ohio town 4. What one might do with chocolate or TV 5. Vagrant 6. Words that might appear on a tourism poster 7. Ship captained by Edward Smith 8. What Shakespeare did to Hamlet 9. Tilt 10. What might be up one’s sleeve 11. Who’s on bass?

12. Like Colin Farrell and James Joyce 13. Oft preceder of tiny 21. Score roman judges might give 22. Rapa Nui and O’ahu 28. Possesses 30. Bothers 31. Gov. org. in charge of pensions 32. Android or iPhone software 33. Like the U.S. Men’s Hockey team at the 1980 Olympics 34. Like a Redwood or an Aspen 36. French author Victor 37. Tax man’s org.

38. Symbol of Democratic Party 40. Code system computers use to represent text 41. Position of a novice’s boat 43. Small flowers 46. Southern hemisphere constellation whose name is latin for “pump” 47. Follows Dead or Baltic 48. Measured in degrees 49. Body that governs a church in Catholicism 51. What Iago wants a pound of 53. “... under any circumstances” 54. Off the leash 55. A ___ fall among friends 56. Race prelims 59. Whales at a casino 61. Still

13

Sp ort s IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Devin Wilkins, Football Player, Ordained Minister

West Philadelphia native Devin “Dev” Wilkins is a senior Philosophy major at Oberlin College and a defensive back on the varsity football team. However, when he’s home in Philadelphia over the summer, Wilkins works as an ordained minister who legally marries couples at Philadelphia City Hall. After being introduced to the job through his mother’s friend, Wilkins has seen people from all walks of life pass through City Hall with one thing in common: They are in love, and wish to make it legal. Regardless of whether they are in love for the long-term or not, Wilkins is the person who first brings them into the world of matrimony.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Jane Agler, Sports Editor Tell me about yourself.

I’m a senior Philosophy major from West Philadelphia. Right now, I’m helping out with “spring ball,” which is basically 10 [football] practices in the springtime. It’s without pads but like regular practices, with as much [physical] contact as the players can take.

As a senior, your time is almost up at Oberlin. Do you have any plans for after graduation?

I definitely want to still be involved in football somehow, maybe with coaching or in any way that I can. That’s the plan right now. I’ve been applying everywhere. Right now, I wouldn’t consider [coming back to Oberlin], but a job is a job. I’ll always consider a job.

I’ve grown comfortable living around the college football schedule. You know, having that huge gap of time between seasons and having nothing to

do.

So, I’ve heard that you have a pretty unconventional summer job. Could you talk a bit about that?

I get people married at City Hall in Philadelphia.

My mom got married there and one of her friends was her [minister], so she suggested the job to me. I am an ordained minister in Pennsylvania, so people come in and I fill out their information on the computer and then they pick their wedding date. You can’t get married the day you come in, which kind of sucks.

You have to come in, get your certificate printed and filled out, and then you have to come back a week later to get married.

So, no shotgun weddings?

No shotgun weddings. It’s not illegal, but because it’s City Hall, you don’t really want to do a shotgun wedding there. I don’t know why, but

Photos courtesy of OC Athletics

Devin Wilkins

getting married at City Hall in Philly is a big deal.

Do you have any ridiculous stories from your job?

I got [Philadelphia Eagles quarterback] Carson Wentz married, I got [former Eagles and current San Francisco 49ers wide receiver] Jordan Matthews married, and my coworker just got [Los Angeles Angels center fielder] Mike Trout married. If you’re getting married in Philadelphia, you have to go to City Hall. I don’t know why, but City Hall might be the only place in the county where people can get their marriage certificate. You can’t be legally married at other courthouses in the county. Oh, and I don’t know if you want this

OCircus Welcomes Spring Season

on the record, but when my boss was around my age, he said he snorted a pile of cocaine with [former New York Giants linebacker] Lawrence Taylor when he got him married to one of his wives.

Wow. I don’t know if I would want my future spouse to be on drugs during our wedding.

Yeah, I really don’t know how that all went down, but it’s Lawrence Taylor, so I feel like he probably gets to do whatever he wants.

Do you have a speech that you go through when you marry these people?

Yeah, it’s literally written right on the wall. So, I read it off and I ask [the couple] the basic questions. Obviously, once you get all their information, I read a short verse from the Bible, then they exchange their vows, and then they’re married. And then we snap a picture. I only wear a collared shirt and slacks, but I have to put this robe on to get people married. So, they take a picture of me in a robe, and then I have to guide the people out.

Is this a particularly emotional job? I mean, it’s a job that is essentially reliant on human emotions.

The first summer going into junior year, I admit I shed a couple tears. But this past summer was less emotional.

College seniors Teague Harvey and Sol Lapiana, along with College junior Marika Mortimer-Latke and College sophomore Lydia Finke, practice the acrobatics that make OCircus one of the most memorable clubs on campus. In light of the recent rise in temperature, OCircus has ventured outside to practice their routines in grassy areas like Wilder Bowl, Tappan Square, and Harkness Bowl. For Oberlin students, OCircus is often a signifier that spring — with its warm weather and brighter, longer days — has finally arrived. On April 19 at 8 p.m., OCircus will be performing in Hales Gymnasium.

Text by Jane Agler, Sports Editor Photo by Meg Parker, Photo Editor

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You’ve married so many people. Does all of that work around marriage make you feel differently about marriage in general? Is it more exciting or disillusioning?

I guess I’ve never really thought about that, to be honest. I would say that it makes me take marriage more seriously. There have been people who have gotten married twice in one year. I know this dude who got married two summers ago, and then got married to a different person this past summer. Just seeing a lot of the stress that people are under, too. A lot of people wonder, “Oh, I don’t know if I

really want to do this now,” all of the sudden when they’re in City Hall. This one guy came in this past summer, and he was sitting with his soonto-be wife. There were four couples ahead of them, then three couples, and then two couples, and then she just got up and left. She just left.

She was gone. So, yeah, I take marriage pretty seriously now after seeing that. It’s not something you should rush, or you shouldn’t be like, “Oh, we’re in love so let’s just get married.” For me, I have to feel more [secure] about getting married.

Do you have to take care of the people who are left at the altar?

I’ve been the minister for three people left at the altar.

Yes, you do have to hold their hand and let them cry on your shoulder a little bit.

Wow, that’s a truly unique summer job you have. For the rest of the year, though, you’re a football player.

What are you going to miss most about playing football at Oberlin when you graduate?

Definitely my teammates. I would say that’s a unique relationship I’ve had, especially being up at six in the morning with all the same people most of the year. Obviously, not everyone is going to be best friends, but it’s always different than other relationships at Oberlin. Hanging out with my teammates is something I’m going to miss the most.

What are you going to miss about Oberlin, aside from football?

I guess generally being in college is always cool. [In the real world] you have the restrictions of a job. Honestly, at the end of the day, the college experience of just going to class everyday and then doing homework is really what I’m going to miss – especially when I’m home in the summer, and I’m in my office working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’ll miss the freedom of college.

All Things Must End: Jenkins Steps Down After 11 Seasons Leading Women’s Basketball Alexis Dill Sports Editor As his players arrived at the gym for practice one Monday afternoon in March 2018, Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kerry Jenkins devised a plan. The 2017–18 team was the first in program history to win the North Coast Athletic Conference title and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but Jenkins knew that the Yeowomen’s most daunting challenge of the season would be facing the Messiah College Falcons that Friday, March 2.

Messiah, which was ranked No. 15 in Division III at the time, is a private Christian college that, one could say, is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Oberlin. Jenkins decided to use this to ignite a fire in his players. Every practice, he harped on the fact that Messiah disapproved of his players’ lifestyles and ideologies — whether true or not.

“We showed up ready for a fight,” Jenkins said. “Our players were ready to stand up for what they believe in and stand up for Oberlin — and stand up for each other.”

The Yeowomen played their hearts out, outshooting the Falcons 46.8 percent to 37.5 percent, but the Falcons pulled away with a 64–54 win, ending Oberlin’s magical season.

Jenkins admitted that the players, coaches, and fans at Messiah were as accommodating and friendly as could be, but said he was proud of how his players responded to the extra motivation he gave them and embodied the Oberlin spirit by standing up for themselves. After the game, Jenkins felt a sense of closure as he realized he had accomplished what he came to Oberlin to do: transform the program’s culture.

On March 14, just over a year after the Yeowomen’s matchup with Messiah, Associate Vice President for Athletics Advancement and Delta Lodge Director of Athletics & Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos announced that Jenkins — the most successful women’s basketball coach in school history — was stepping down from the program after 11 years.

“It was just time,” he said. “I’ve assured people that nothing is wrong, and nothing happened. It’s just time to look in another direction. My wife has really supported my career throughout my time here at Oberlin, and now she has a great career of her own developing. Maybe it’s time for me to support her and see where her career goes.”

Jenkins’ arrival at Oberlin in 2008 was

a mere coincidence. He played basketball in high school but chose to pursue football at Amherst College. After graduating in 1996, he became a teacher as well as a high school football coach and a women’s basketball coach.

“I kept progressing in women’s basketball and not football, so I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to make a career out of this and stick with it,’” Jenkins said.

His coaching career took him all over the country. He spent one year coaching at Tallahassee Community College, four years at Yale University, and three years at the University of Vermont. While at Vermont, Jenkins received a phone call from a colleague he met at Yale — Isaiah Cavaco, who had just accepted the head coaching position for the Oberlin men’s basketball team. The women’s basketball team needed a new head coach, and Cavaco wondered if Jenkins was interested.

“I said ‘no’ three times,” Jenkins said. “I was on the [Division] I track. But I decided to just go through the process and see what [Oberlin] was like. When I interviewed, the team wasn’t very good. Then I stepped on campus, and was like, ‘Well, wait a minute.

This might work. I might be able to build something here.’ After I looked into Oberlin’s rich, progressive history, I decided to accept the job.”

When Jenkins first arrived on campus, the varsity teams were just a notch above intramurals in terms of commitment and investment. Over the years — and especially very recently — he has seen exponential improvement in coaching, intensification of offseason training, and a rise in the overall level of play.

“Now, even if Oberlin teams aren’t winning, they’re competitive,” he said. “It wasn’t like that my first few years here. If we didn’t win, we got drilled by 50. That’s not happening anymore. If we don’t win, it’s a close game. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

Throughout his career, Jenkins compiled 117 wins, was named the NCAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018, and mentored several of the best players to ever set foot in Philips gym, including alltime scoring and rebounding leader Christina Marquette, OC ’15.

However, one could say that Jenkins’ biggest accomplishment was recruiting College seniors Liv Canning and Alex Stipano.

“Essentially we have been good ever since they arrived on campus,” Jenkins said. “When they were first-years, I told my

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kerry Jenkins and his players share a laugh at the December ring ceremony celebrating their NCAC championship. Jenkins, who announced his plans to step away from the program a month ago, departs Oberlin as the winningest coach in program history.

Photos courtesy of OC Athletics

then-assistant that it didn’t matter what they did. They were both going to start, because I knew that in the future, they were going to be integral parts of our success.”

Canning, a three-time All-NCAC selection and two-time NCAC Defensive Player of the Year, holds school and conference records in blocks with 346 for her career.

During her senior campaign, she ranked fourth in the nation with 77 blocks.

Stipano, who has battled numerous injuries throughout her career, was a twotime All-NCAC selection, compiling a team-high 369 points as a junior and leading the team in scoring again this year with 11.4 points per game. Both break the top 10 on Oberlin’s all-time scoring leaders list.

However, above Canning’s defensive abilities and Stipano’s shooting skills, Jenkins said that what he values most about both players is their willingness to be coached.

“They were [each] willing to evolve as a player, learn new skill sets, and be uncomfortable in the hopes of becoming better in the future,” he said. “They exhibited these traits from the very beginning.”

Canning and Stipano said they admire what Jenkins did for them over the past four years, and will forever cherish the memories they shared.

“Coach Jenkins really taught me a lot of lessons that I was able to use both on the court and off,” Canning said. “He developed me as a player and a person.”

Stipano said that while Jenkins had strict expectations and valued winning,

he also frequently made an effort to put a smile on his players’ faces.

“He really does a lot of weird and funny things that you wouldn’t expect from him if you didn’t know him that well,” she said.

“Once, the team was in a hotel room and he got up and started bounding around on the bed for a teaching moment. Then in practice one day, he re-enacted a player dramatically flopping by falling back and doing a backwards somersault. No one was expecting that, partly because we didn’t know he was nimble enough to execute it.”

Winkelfoos also said she is grateful for Jenkins’ leadership. She’s currently in the process of searching for the next head coach, a position that has already received strong interest. “[Jenkins] and his assistant coaches have done a tremendous job of raising the profile of Oberlin College women’s basketball,” she said. “We are excited to add another quality leader who understands and values the role athletics plays within our high academic environment.”

Jenkins said that he’s going to miss his colleagues and being around the sport every day, but above all he’s going to miss his players.

“They opened my eyes up to ideologies and concepts that I would’ve never considered if I hadn’t worked here,” he said. “They’ve taught me as much as I’ve hopefully taught them, and I’m so proud of them. You look at a place like Oberlin, and people don’t think you can win here. We proved you can.”

Club Aikido Fosters Tight-Knit Community in Hales Gym Continued from page 16

College first-years Mars Quintero and Caroline Polito practice in Hales Gymnasium. The club has fostered a tight-knit community on campus for 45 years.

Photo by Meg Parker, Photo Editor The Oberlin Review | April 12, 2019

prefer the Taekwondo ExCo or join the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club, Aikido’s established presence on campus and peaceful philosophy make it easier for people who are new to martial arts to enter the fold. Students who participate in martial arts oftentimes have crossover between the organizations, including Hefta, who is also a member of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.

There is also a strong faculty and staff presence in the martial arts scene; the Aikido ExCo is regularly taught by Dr. Kevin Greenwood of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Aikido does not enter tournaments or competitions with other schools, but it nonetheless creates a space for teamwork, community, and self-improvement like any

other club sport would.

“While martial arts are rooted in violence, we try to build a space in which we can practice in a safe, peaceful manner and to teach people introspective techniques,” Bodger said. “There aren’t really Aikido competitions, so in place of that we bring in incredible world class teachers in senseis — usually two a semester — so we can learn from the best.”

This semester, renowned Aikido teacher Hiroshi Ikeda — who holds the rank of 7th dan from the Aikikai and has his own dojo in Boulder, CO — will visit Oberlin to conduct a seminar.

While the seminars offered cover advanced materials, students interested in learning Aikido at Oberlin are encouraged to sign up for the ExCo next semester or to go to club meetings.

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April 12, 2019

SPORTS established 1874

Volume 147, Number 19

Over Four Decades of Oberlin’s Club Aikido Alex McNicoll Contributing Writer

After three years as a member of the softball team, College senior Millie Cavicchio has found a new home with track and field and is shining in the javelin. Cavicchio has overcome many obstacles throughout her college experience, including thoracic outlet syndrome and ankle surgery.

Photo courtesy of OC Athletics

Facing Uncertainty, Cavicchio Switches Fields, Finds Support Julie Schreiber Senior Staff Writer In the second semester of her senior year at Oberlin, Millie Cavicchio is getting a fresh start. After three rocky years of attempting to manage her softball career amidst injuries, surgeries, and other setbacks, Cavicchio has found an unexpected home for herself on the Oberlin track and field team as one of two javelin throwers on the women’s side.

“I’ve been so happy this season,” Cavicchio said, “because I finally have a chance to compete — something I haven’t been able to do in years.”

Although Cavicchio is reaping great success on the field for her throwing accomplishments, she didn’t originally intend to acquire her varsity letter from the track and field team. Cavicchio entered her first year at Oberlin as a softball catcher with an athletic history almost entirely devoid of injury.

Aside from a water-skiing incident a few weeks before her first semester began — in which she yanked her left arm after falling off a water ski traveling 60 mph — she had never suffered a major injury or missed a game during her entire high school career. But as she began offseason practices in fall of 2015, she could tell right away that something was wrong.

“I was losing range of motion in my throwing arm, so [my coach] moved me from catcher to second base,” Cavicchio said.

But when that didn’t solve the problem, Cavicchio spent months visiting doctors in Cleveland and Boston, where she spent her first Winter Term. After months of appointments, Cavicchio learned she was suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome. The condition is characterized by pain due to compression

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of blood vessels between the collarbone and the uppermost rib. TOS is relatively uncommon for those under 40 years old, but it likely flared up for Cavicchio as a result of bodily predisposition, as well as her water-skiing accident.

Although devastated by the diagnosis, Cavicchio followed the necessary protocol. While her teammates traveled to Florida for a week of spring break doubleheaders, she spent her vacation time under the knife. At Massachusetts General Hospital, Cavicchio underwent her first of two major surgeries to treat her TOS. “I had so much physical therapy to do after the surgery,” Cavicchio said.

“The only thing that got me through the second half of that semester was the support from my teammates.”

Following the surgery, Cavicchio hoped that her body would heal so that she could become the Oberlin softball player she hoped to be. However, things didn’t go as planned. She managed to squeeze in some playing time in her sophomore year but ended up injuring her ankle running the bases.

Facing her third surgery in three years, Cavicchio made the difficult decision to leave the softball team.

But before she even had the chance to contemplate life at Oberlin without a team, College junior and runner Maya English reached out, expressing the track and field team’s need for a javelin thrower.

Cavicchio had never thrown the javelin before, but agreed to meet with Oberlin’s throwing coach, John Hepp.

“I told him, ‘I’ve never done this before, but I’ve been a student-athlete for three years and I work hard,’” she said. And he took her on.

Cavicchio brings as much to the track and field team as she herself gains from it. She enjoys training

alongside College first-year and fellow javeliner Maggie Allen because they always push each other to be better. Whenever they throw, they set goals for each other. During their first meet over spring break, Cavicchio and Allen challenged each other to throw over 100 meters and qualify for both All-Ohio and the NCAC Conference, and the two did exactly that.

This might be what Cavicchio values most about her new team — the sincerity with which teammates cheer each other on.

“In individual team sports, when your playing time and personal performance aren’t determined by how well other people do, you can truly cheer for and wish for the best for your teammates,” Cavicchio said.

Last weekend, Cavicchio was celebrated on her senior day — not with the team she expected to celebrate with, but with a team that has become her family. By no means, however, did her relationship with the softball team falter.

“Those girls are still my best friends,” Cavicchio reflected. “I go to all their games and cheer them on, and I live with a bunch of them.”

Additionally, she credits so much of the genuine happiness of her last semester of college to her newfound team and coaches who believe in her and encourage her to compete.

“I’ve just been so happy this year,” Cavicchio said. “No one has hard feelings, and everyone is super understanding.”

In just under two months, Cavicchio will graduate from Oberlin with a degree in Mathematics and Economics. She will move to New York City to work as a financial analyst for Bank of America. While many elements of her future are still to be determined, Cavicchio can enter the next chapter of her life with confidence in the face of uncertainty.

In the basement of Hales Gymnasium, just below the basketball court, Club Aikido members can be found rolling and falling on mats for a couple of hours every weekend. While most know only of its takedowns and classic all-white uniforms, Aikido — often translated as “the way of harmonious spirit” — is a Japanese martial art centered around conflict resolution. The club has fostered a tight-knit community at Oberlin for nearly 50 years.

“It tends to be a very all-inclusive martial art,” Club Aikido President and College junior Liam Hefta said. “It’s not intense in the same way you might find boxing or karate, where there is a lot of sparring. If you’re looking for more blending motions and harmonious actions, Aikido is just that. The day you get attacked by a clan of ninjas is a sad day indeed, but you’re probably tripping and falling once every week. It’s good to learn how to take care of yourself.”

Founded in 1974, Club Aikido is one of Oberlin’s oldest organizations and the oldest college-level Aikido club in the country. Sessions typically take place on weekend evenings, which makes scheduling tough but ensures that those who do show up are dedicated members.

“The club is a bit small, but it’s got a fun and safe learning environment so that anyone of any age or experience can join,” said College junior and Club Aikido member Sean Kuo. “I like to go mainly to enjoy the sport and have some fun with the friends I’ve made in the club.”

Each meeting begins with a bowin; then, after plenty of stretching and warming up, students practice holds and falls. Afterwards, students stretch again and then bow out. Unlike some other forms of martial arts, Aikido is based on balance and defense. It is not about size or physical strength, and it focuses as much on non-actions as it does actions.

Currently, the club draws anywhere between 10 and 20 members to its weekly meetings. Member experience ranges from none at all to years of martial arts practice, and most interested participants attend the Aikido ExCo or Winter Term Intensive before showing up to the club meetings.

“Most people come in through the ExCo,” said Club Aikido Treasurer and College sophomore Claire Bodger. “It’s fun and it’s active, and most people decide they want to continue it at club classes that are a little more advanced.

We’re trying to promote ourselves now.

I think if people see Aikido being practiced, they’ll think, ‘this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.’”

The ExCo, which usually attracts 12 to 13 participants, is one way students can gain entry to the world of martial arts at Oberlin. While some students See Club Aikido, page 15