The Oberlin Review
DECEMBER 6, 2013 VOLUME 142, NUMBER 11
Outside the Bubble News highlights from the past week First Woman Appointed to Twitter’s Board of Directors: In an effort to shed its male-centric reputation, Twitter appointed the first female member to its board of directors on Thursday. The company announced that Marjorie M. Scardino, former chief executive officer of Pearson Media, will join the eight-member board, which has endured criticism for its male-only composition. Before her appointment, Scardino had yet to tweet publicly using her own name. Amsterdam Makes New Deal for Alcoholics: The new governmentfunded program for alcoholics in Amsterdam does not restrict consumption, but instead tops off its participants. Sponsored by the Rainbow Foundation, the program pays the homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics a salary of alcohol for their cleaning services. The cleaning teams are not permitted to drink in the streets, but consume their compensation at lunchtime and during breaks. Individuals are also compensated with a packet of rolling tobacco, free lunch and 10 euros a day. Scientists Find Oldest Human DNA : Scientists announced Wednesday that ancient human DNA has been extracted from a fossil in Spain. The fossil dates back 400,000 years, which far surpasses the previous record of 100,000-year-old evidence. The DNA bears a resemblance to a line of humans known as the Denisovans. In past years, the Denisovans were traced to 80,000-year-old DNA located in Siberia. Scientists anticipate discovering more DNA and insight with the newfound Spanish fossil. Sources: The New York Times, Nature
Recital Hall Boasts Form at Expense of Function Kristopher Fraser The newly constructed David H. Stull Recital Hall in the Conservatory received the Honor Award this November, the highest accolade of Cleveland-area chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Interior Designers. But despite its aesthetic accolades, the space might not serve its intended purpose. Many Conservatory students have complained about the acoustics, which have proved an inconvenience for both the students rehearsing and performing in the space, and those below, on the second floor of Bibbins Hall. “The things I’ve heard are [that the sound] bleeds into the second floor; you can hear it depending on what instrument is playing, [and] it bleeds into the rooms right next to it,” said Conservatory senior Ethan Updike. Officially completed on Oct.1, the hall was named in honor of former Dean of the Conservatory David H. Stull, OC ’89, who served at Oberlin for nine years. Sitting atop Bibbins hall and
financed as part of the $2 million renovations slated for the entire wing of the Conservatory, the recital space was expected to boast exceptional acoustics. The Bibbins renovations are a part of a larger campus plan to upgrade aging campus facilities.
The Conservatory’s main buildings are almost 50 years old and have some deferred maintenance issues as a result. In response, the administration began a multi-year process to address these problems and update the primary teaching facilities.
The administration decided to combine two classrooms on the third floor in order to create the new performance space, which is utilized for studio classes, recitals, chamber music coachings See New, page 4
College junior Karlyn Gehring enjoys both the acoustics and the architecture of the Conservatory’s newest addition, the David H. Stull Hall. While many see the space as a qualified expenditure, some are still uncertain regarding the space’s true musical value. Rachel Grossman
Proposed Tobacco Ban Would Only Apply to Student Smokers Willa Rubin Staff Writer The prospect of a tobacco-free campus, which has polarized the student body since its proposal in November, is under intense deliberation. For the ban to take effect in 2016, Student Senate must vote in favor of the proposal this March, and it must gain approval by the administration in the fall of 2014. Student Senate has conceded the complexity of the issue; several senators even ran on platforms in support of such a ban. Although the Senate is heavily involved in the proposal, a newly created student task force will draft the legislation. Inclusion of the word “student” in the task force’s title, however, is somewhat deceptive. Unlike working groups, the task force
is not exclusive; students, senators, faculty, other members of the administration and community members are all permitted to participate. Task forces, College sophomore and Senator Ziya Smallens explains, “are kind of like working groups, but are formed in the wake of certain pertinent issues. For example, there were a couple of task forces formed after the incidents of bias on March 4.” The task force is currently in the midst of drafting the proposal. The task force enjoys a great deal of independence, as Senate neither regulates the drafting process, nor does it necessarily endorse the task force’s recommendations. According to Dean Eric Estes, it is imperative that Oberlin addresses the issue of smoking in some manner. “Oberlin College has become an environ-
ment that actively encourages smoking. A troubling number of students report starting smoking or smoking more at Oberlin at statistically higher rates.” The purpose of this policy, then, would be to “create an environment that encourages and provides resources for healthy alternatives to tobacco use,” he said. Even terming this policy “tobacco-free,” as opposed to a “ban,” indicates a lack of accord in the intentions of this policy. According to Dean Estes, “the idea of a tobacco-free campus is to focus on education, outreach and supportive resources for cessation efforts.” President Krislov adds that this policy would not just be “regulation, but it’s education as well, and because we’re an educational institution, I think that’s something we focus on.”
In its current draft, the dure most often results in policy specifies repercus- students either receiving sions for students caught a citation from Safety and smoking cigarettes or Security or paying a small other tobacco products fine. that would be more lenient Perhaps the most nothan if a student were table aspect of the policaught drinking. College cy’s apparent leniency is sophomore and Senator that no punitive action Machmud Makhmudov will be taken toward nonelaborates on this point. students. If the ban is in“For the first few infrac- stated, there will be no tions, there’s no punitive repercussions for faculty, action taken. Instead, you administration, staff or sit down with a counselor, other community memtalk about it and what kind bers who are caught smokof options are available ... ing on College property. basically telling people it’s Some concern has been not bad, but we as a cam- expressed over how Oberpus are making a commit- lin College chooses to dement to further x, y and z fine campus boundaries. priorities, and so if you’d Oberlin’s campus extends like to quit, we have these approximately from Johnresources available.” son House to Philips gymAfter approximately nasium. However, Oberlin five infractions, the stu- College owns around 47 dent undergoes a judicial percent of land used by process similar to the one the Oberlin community, typically reserved for stu- including Tappan Square, dents who violate the alcohol policy. Such a proce- See Enforcement, page 4
Wet ’n‘ Wild
Conservatory Dean Finalist Acting Dean Andrea Kalyn is the sole finalist to for the position of Conservatory Dean. See page 2
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Band of Brothers Bluegrass band Punch Brothers began their residency with a series of events in the Conservatory. See page 11
INDEX:
Opinions 5
This Week in Oberlin 8
Swimmers muse about eating presidents, singing and staying dry in the offseason. See page 15
Arts 10
Sports 16
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