Community Reflects on Likely Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Continued from page 10 would do well toiling in an obscure field. You’re an extroverted person. You write really well in layperson language.” I think that they knew that I was going to suck at being an academic, basically.

I didn’t listen to them, of course, and I enrolled in a literature master’s program at University College London. I had gone on the Oberlin-in-London program and I chose this master’s program largely because I wanted to move back to London. While I was in the program, I began to realize that I didn’t want to write academic papers. I don’t want to say it wasn’t fun, because writing a novel is not necessarily fun either, but it just wasn’t interesting to me. I was writing short stories and poetry, and I realized that I wanted to write my own work rather than analyze other writers’ work.

One thing I don’t talk about in My Salinger Year is that I transferred to a doctoral program in New York. While I was working at that agency, I was taking classes at night. I had a full fellowship and the program was wonderful and the professors were hugely supportive, but I hated it. It just wasn’t right for me. I wanted to be part of the cultural conversation, and in academica there are the few people who are, but most are not.

I didn’t want to be in the trenches writing papers that no one was ever going to read. I wanted to write things that were relevant to people’s lives. After two semesters, I dropped out and enrolled in Columbia’s M.F.A. writing program. While I was there, I had two professors who were at The New Yorker and they both independently said to me, “You should write for magazines.” Coincidentally, at the same time, one of my best friends from Oberlin began working at The Atlantic and he also said, “You should write for us.” I thought, “All these people are telling me to do this; I should do it.” So while I was at Columbia, I started writing for magazines. And I loved it.

Once you started doing journalism, did it give you that sense of having your finger on the cultural pulse that you lacked in academia?

Yes, it really, really did. I did a whole bunch of different things in the journalistic realm. There was a period where I was a stringer for a section of The New York Times, and I wrote about all different things. One time, I wrote about a crime wave in which women were being mugged and how it tied into the popularity of Sex and the City, I wrote about the way women’s lives were effected by September 11, and lots of other subjects. I edited an arts and culture tablet for a while. I wrote hundreds of book reviews for anyone that would let me. I wrote pieces on postpartum depression and suchlike for women’s magazines. I loved doing interviews. I really loved writing profiles. I loved shaping stories, and figuring out the difference between an idea and a story was really fun for me. I would have an idea and I would think, “What is the story there? How do I make this into an actual story?” All of that really, really helped me when I actually got the courage to write a novel.

On the topic of writing your memoir My Salinger Year, in an interview with The Guardian you mention the painful nature of revisiting that time in your life. How long did it take you to access that framework of memory and piece together the narrative?

My third book is due very soon. I’m very behind on it because of the pandemic, and because of this film coming out and the constant publicity, this is on my mind, too. It can be very difficult to allow yourself to sink into a work when you know that the subject is going to be kind of painful. My Salinger Year came out of a long essay I published in 2002 about answering Salinger’s fan mail, which got some attention and I began receiving calls from editors and agents asking me to expand it into a book. I said no to all of them, but over the years this idea of turning the essay into a memoir kept popping up: I would meet an editor at a party and he would say, “Oh! I read your Salinger essay. Have you ever thought about turning it into a book?” But I kept saying no. I just didn’t feel like there was enough story there. In 2010, after Salinger died, I wrote another essay for Slate, which the BBC asked me to turn into a radio documentary. When the documentary aired, editors started asking, again, and this time I said yes. Putting together the documentary led me to see that the story was larger than I’d originally thought. But after I signed the contract with my publisher, I became terrified that I’d made a terrible mistake. I then basically spent a year putting off writing it and doing research as a way of procrastinating.

Now, I see that I needed that research year to gather the courage to face the past and also to figure out, as I was saying about magazine articles, “What is the actual story here?” When I actually sat down and wrote the book, it came together very quickly.

It was a very different experience than writing my novel A Fortunate Age, on which I worked for six years. That novel came out of my thinking about the ways in which nothing had changed in like 50 or 60 years for women, and I wanted to write a novel that addressed that, but not in a pedantic sort of way. So I spent a whole year thinking, “Who are my characters? What are their life situations?” Literally just thinking — I didn’t even write anything down. Then I spent a full year writing the first hundred pages. I’m a person who needs a lot of time to think things through; the internal process takes longer than the writing.

AtGN Begins Four-Day Run at Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater

Continued from page 10 als and staying involved throughout the process.

“There’s something really exciting about integrating Black culture into classic texts unapologetically,” Emeka said. “Just imagining a world through a Black cultural experience, that’s what Zora Howard has done by essentially placing her story in a Black church.”

At its core, the tragedy of AtGN explores the balance between laws of man and laws of God. Each version emphasizes a unique theme. Howard wanted to tell the tale through the lens of Blackness, modernizing an ancient narrative that may initially seem irrelevant to our time or unrelated to current social issues. Through the adapted story, she highlights Black culture and its legacy.

“These old issues don’t go away, and every generation has to confront these ancient struggles in the context of their own society,” Emeka said.

The contemporary aspect of an ancient show is something that Emeka values in any classical text.

“I think the goal of [classical theater] is to help the audience really connect viscerally and see themselves inside of this ancient story, in these ancient dilemmas,” he said.

The Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater, where AtGN is performed, is conducive to this intention. The audience sits directly on the stage, surrounding performers. Actors make eye-level contact with audience members and physically involve viewers in the show.

Many students involved in AtGN had previous experiences with Antigone’s story, but the opportunity to perform in a modern adaptation of the Theban play was a unique experience.

College second-year Vera Grace Menafee, who plays Ismene, Antigone’s sister, has acted in a rendition of Antigone before but had a very different cast experience.

“My senior year of high school, I was in a production of Antigone, but was the only Black cast member of the show, which is the complete opposite for this show,” they said.

Menafee is honored to be a part of this project at Oberlin.

“What Zora Howard has created is more than just an adaptation — it is a reimagining of Black stories that have existed and will continue to exist … and we have the honor of sharing [them] in the theater,” they said.

While helping current cast members grow into the roles, Emeka kept in mind the broader context of theater at Oberlin.

“Oberlin College has a unique legacy and commitment to Black people and Black culture through music, through education, and through theater,” Emeka said. “We at Oberlin College have a very exciting legacy with Black theater that extends well before I got here, so to contribute to that legacy is always exciting.” Zora Howard’s AtGN sets Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragedy in a Black church with a majority Black cast. Courtesy of Maeve Hogan

Unfortunately, the lingering presence of COVID-19 has impacted the production of AtGN. Rehearsals were masked, and so is the majority of the show, with the exception of some tense, emotional moments.

Despite this initial challenge and the impact on rehearsals, the cast is thrilled to be back on stage.

“COVID has definitely affected theater, but theater is resilient,” College fourth-year and AtGN cast member Cyril Amanfo said. “We are affected, of course, but we are big, we are back, and we will be sticking around.”

Emeka has grown to appreciate the masks as he thinks they lend themselves to the show’s modernity.

“I’ve been trying to incorporate the masks into the world of the play in a way that I think the audience is familiar with, given that we’re in a world that demands masks,” Emeka said. “And so, making the world of the play an extension or an abstraction of the world that we’re in now [is important].”

Menafee acknowledged Emeka’s conscious effort to dissolve the feeling of a mask barrier.

“Justin Emeka has been really intentional about staging us distanced, but he has simultaneously been helping us find ways to bridge the physical distance on stage and maintain closeness and connection with each other,” they said.

Emeka has also found that masks enhance the way viewers absorb the script.

“You do find that [masks] tend to go away after a little bit, and everybody in the room kind of forgets about them and … starts paying more attention to the language and … listening closer to the language,” he said.

Howard’s AtGN is a unique play, and Oberlin students have the privilege of seeing its stage debut. The show is running through Sunday, Dec. 12.

The Plague Returns to Ice, Restoring College Hockey Tradition

John Elrod

Contributing Sports Editor

Oberlin’s club hockey team, The Plague, returned to the ice for the first time in nearly two years this past Sunday, restarting a tradition of Oberlin College ice hockey. The Plague, which plays with non-checking rules, competed against a men’s team consisting of players mostly from the Cleveland metro area at North Park Ice Arena in Elyria. There was no official score due to referee shortages across local hockey leagues, but there were several standouts for The Plague on both offense and defense.

Fourth-year Kiernan Stone and second-year Joe Strabley led the team on offense while fourth-year Colin Regan shined on defense. Conservatory graduate student Nick Schrantz was strong in goal. Defensive player Cortland Hill, OC ’77, was impressed with the first-time players, although he was anxious about how they would do against the competitive squad they were facing.

“I was concerned about how the game was going to go with our brand new players out there, but it went beautifully,” Hill said. “The game was a lot of fun — very competitive — and I think everyone had a good time. I was so pleased with how good the new players were.”

Regan, who has an extensive background in playing and coaching hockey, was also impressed with the less experienced players whom he taught prior to their first game.

“The thing I was proudest of the new players for was their eagerness to embrace failure,” Regan said. “None of them got discouraged when they made mistakes or fell down. They just got back up and tried again. I would say they all worked really hard and pushed themselves.”

For first-year Ember Carerra, Sunday’s competition was her first ice hockey game ever, though she is not new to ice sports. Carerra competed as a figure skater from third grade through high school and was a part of a gold medal team at the Open Juvenile division at the 2020 Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championships. Still, the transition to hockey presented some challenges.

“When I first stepped on the ice with my hockey skates, I was so disoriented,” Carerra said. “Hockey skates support the foot differently than figure skates, and the distance between the inside and outside edges is larger. However on the whole, the skating aspect is very similar. The most difficult transition has been incorporating stick handling. Being aware of the puck and the stick have been quite challenging, but the challenge is what makes this experience so exciting.”

Carerra also noticed some non-skating similarities between hockey and figure skating during Sunday’s game.

“Learning the logistical aspects of what it means to be on defense was interesting for me, who came from a highly choreographed discipline,” Carerra said. “I am just so glad I get to keep skating.”

Carerra is not the first member of The Plague to switch from a different ice sport to hockey while playing for Oberlin. Laurence Ducker, OC ’13, competed in the 2010 speed skating Olympic Trials but turned to hockey once he realized that attending college while training for Olympic-level speed skating was not sustainable. Ducker wrote to The Plague alumni about the cross-over and challenges between speed skating and hockey while he was on the team.

“It has been fun to struggle alongside other new players, learning to turn right and to brave trying to go backwards sometimes,” Ducker wrote. “The challenge of rounding out my skating has kept me coming back for more hockey.”

It is not just other skating sports that have similarities to ice hockey. Regan, who plays on Oberlin’s lacrosse team, recognizes some crossover between his two sports.

“The biggest thing that carries over is the handeye coordination,” Regan said. “I also feel like my instincts and anticipation skills are very reciprocal between the two sports. The physicality also definitely carries over.”

Sunday’s game was key to restoring the culture of the team, which tries to advocate for anyone who wants to play the game. Historically, all different types of students and faculty have played on the team.

Hill is an example of someone with a unique background, having played for Oberlin’s short-lived varsity ice hockey team in the ’70s before coming back to play with The Plague in 2003 when he became the faculty advisor for the team. Schrantz went to Florida State University for his undergraduate degree but came to Oberlin to work on two graduate degrees from the Conservatory.

The Plague has also featured guest players. Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk played a game for the team in 2017 during a brief stay with Hill when his son attended the College.

The 2021–22 Plague squad looks to continue to unify the Oberlin community through ice hockey. In the spring, The Plague will host the team’s alumni weekend from March 4–6 with the alumni game set for March 5.

Track and Field Finds Success at Season Opener

Third-year Iyanna Lewis competes for Oberlin track and field.

Courtesy of Iyanna Lewis

Zoe Kuzbari Sports Editor

Last weekend, the track and field team celebrated a number of accomplishments at their first meet of the season at Case Western Reserve University.

Third-year thrower Iyanna Lewis placed second in weight throwing, with her teammate, second-year Abby Cannon, placing just behind her in third place. Lewis believes this meet went better than expected and is very proud of the successes of her teammates.

“I think it went really well,” she said. “We had really great performances from many members of the team, which was really exciting to witness and be a part of.”

The team has undergone many changes since Lewis’ last competition, which was before COVID-19 began and under different coaching staff.

“The last time many of us competed was in February 2020, so it feels great to be back,” Lewis said. “I look forward to seeing what my teammates have in store for the rest of the season.”

Fourth-year captain Zac Ntia also finished second in the weight throw event and shares similar sentiments to Lewis.

“This last weekend was fantastic,” he said. “Half the people had never had an indoor meet, and the other half hadn’t had one in two years, and everyone came out and did unbelievable. The support and energy the whole team had throughout the meet was awesome.”

Ntia highlights the accomplishments of the players on the team and said being able to witness all of the team’s great performances solidified why he’s been so excited for this year.

“It’s exciting for the team to be in a good spot knowing we have a lot of room to still grow. I didn’t realize how much I missed getting to walk around and interact with the different groups on the team everyday.”

The team also had many other athletes place well in their respective events. Fourth-year Aesha Mokashi placed first in long jump and almost beat her personal best while fourth-year Sarah Voit placed first in the pole vault. Third-year Zack Lee placed second in the long jump, and fourth-year cross country runners Phoebe von Conta and Anna Scott secured first and second place, respectively, in the mile run.

Fourth-year Anna Scott is extremely pleased with their performance at this past meet and says this year has been incredibly special for them.

“[This year] I’ve found a running partner and trusted companion in Phoebe von Conta,” they said. “We have been stride for stride since mid-season cross country, and we have pushed each other in a loving and supportive way so that we are not only the best athletes that we can be, but also the best versions of ourselves.

Scott says the two runners finished .07 seconds apart from each other last Saturday, taking 1st and 2nd place and immediately embraced after crossing the finish line.

“It was so joyous! And we both came within seconds of our PR times. I think this is the first time in my running career where I have actually trusted myself to compete at the highest level. I am no longer wondering ‘what am I capable of?’ And now just thinking ‘I can do anything.’”

The team will compete again this weekend on Friday, December 10th at Tiffin University.