December 3, 2021

The Oberlin Review December 3, 2021

Established 1874

Volume 151, Number 7

Oberlin Redistricted for Congressman Bob Latta Ella Moxley News Editor

down when Oberlin student employees left, because they didn’t have enough employees — and we hear that everywhere. Oberlin IGA is still about seven employees down from what they really need. And you can see signs for our industrial companies like Hydro Tube [Enterprises] and General Plug, and the companies in the industrial park — pretty much every one of them has a sign out saying ‘Help Wanted.’”

The labor shortages have also made it hard to open new businesses — restaurants in particular.

Two restaurant businesses, Black River Cafe and Oberlin Kitchen, have permanently closed due to the pandemic and remain unoccupied. According to Haar, this is partially a result of the labor shortages as well as the return to what she dubs the postCOVID-19 “now-normal.”

“Most restaurants are not even back to where they were before,” Haar said. “So the thought of opening another one right now, when it’s very hard to find help, is not great. We’re lucky that Bistro Bella Luna and The Arb [at Tappan Square] came into town and they both seem to be doing pretty well, but it’s a big decision … to start a restaurant, which generally do not have very high net profits.”

Businesses currently navigating these issues have had to make changes to their normal operations.

Owner of Slow Train Cafe and The Local Coffee & Tea Jessa New, OC ’01, had to change her business’ normal operating hours in order to make up for staff shortages even after students returned to Oberlin.

“When COVID-19 hit, it basically put a huge roadblock up in terms of that natural kind of in and out of old employees who are graduating and new employees coming in,” she said. “So I kind of lost that rhythm. When things came back this semester, … I didn’t have a full staff again right away. … It’s not just a case of having somebody in there with a pulse; it’s actually having someone in there who you take the time to train. They understand the shops and how

Governor Mike DeWine signed a new congressional district map into law on Nov. 20, after months of partisan debate and multiple lawsuits. The new map has already received criticism from Democrats and pro-democracy groups for being passed on party lines. The new map moves Oberlin out of Jim Jordan’s Ohio 4th District and into the Ohio 5th District, a seat currently held by the Republican Senator Bob Latta.

The previous map, originally adopted in 2012, was characterized by critics as an example of partisan gerrymandering. In response, nearly 75 percent of Ohioans voted in a 2018 ballot measure, Ohio Issue 1, that requires congressional maps receive bipartisan support in order to be passed. If the map fails to do so, it must be redrawn after four years rather than the standard 10.

“This [new map] is going to be even worse,” said Janet Garrett, former Democratic candidate for the Ohio 4th District in 2014, 2016, and 2018. “It’s going to be more like 80 percent Republican. The really disgusting thing about this is that the Republicans want to win by dirty tricks rather than by appealing to the population to get their support for their positions.

The more gerrymandered the districts are, the more extreme candidates we’re going to end up getting.”

Nonetheless, Republicans praised the map for keeping several of the state’s largest cities contained in one district. The new map also means there are now two competitive seats in the state, compared to only one previously.

“It’s actually an improvement over what was done 10 years ago,” said Executive Chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party David Arredondo. “If you were to look at district lines today and the new ones you’ll see a vast improvement. So we got whacked for what we did 10 years ago with good reason. Okay, fine. We don’t need that kind of distortion of districts, … so my answer to the folks who are challenging [the map] is, number one, if the Democrats were doing it, they do it to their benefit; number two, that we have considerations such as the Voting Rights Act that we can’t be splitting Black communities and depriving them of the opportunity of electing gay, Black representatives.”

However, Democrats argue that the map is more problematic than the one passed a decade ago. Since Ohio lost a congressional seat in the reapportionment process that occurred after the last census, Ohio Democratic Representative Tim Ryan’s seat is eliminated in the new map. Democrat Marcy Kaptur’s district is also broken up into several heavily Republican-leaning districts.

The new map also received criticism for dividing predominantly Black communities in Ohio into different districts, diluting these communities’ voices with white voters. For example, voters in Hamilton County, home to Cincinnati, were divided into three districts.

“One of the things you’re supposed to do when you redistrict is you’re supposed to take into account communities of interest and make sure that you’re doing the best you can of not dividing them,” said Jenny Garcia, assistant professor of Politics and

See Oberlin, page 3

See City, page 2

Nationwide labor shortages and supply chain disruptions have caused Oberlin businesses to alter their regular operations.

Photo by Gigi Ewing, Managing Editor

Labor Shortages, Supply Chain Disruptions Affect Oberlin Businesses

Kush Bulmer News Editor

Business owners around Oberlin are struggling to hire workers and acquire certain products as labor shortages and supply chain disruptions affect businesses across the nation. In town, shuttered properties, such as those previously housing restaurants that closed down during the pandemic, have remained closed as a result of these postCOVID-19 economic issues.

According to Executive Director of the Oberlin Business Partnership Janet Haar, fluctuations in business operations elicited by the pandemic have led to layoffs and high job-turnover rates.

“Restaurants, for instance, couldn’t keep people on when they didn’t have business, so they had to let people go,” Haar said. “But some of our local companies — General Plug — for instance, they have almost doubled their business during this time. But then they can’t find people to fill jobs.”

According to the most recent U.S. Census Small Business Pulse Survey, from Nov. 15–21, 33.7 percent of businesses have had difficulty hiring paid workers.

This issue is most prevalent in accommodation and food services, 61.5 percent of which report difficulty hiring paid workers.

Haar described the ways in which these nationwide economic issues have been affecting Oberlin’s small businesses and industry. Though the issue is prevalent in the accommodation and food service businesses located in downtown Oberlin, Haar stated that the issue is widespread across Oberlin’s economy.

“Oberlin is a small microcosm of what’s happening all over the United States and the world,” she said.

“You’ve seen restaurants like The Feve say, ‘We’re going to close on Mondays for a while, or we’re not gonna be able to offer tacos anymore because it takes too much to prepare them and we don’t have the people.’ Or Slow Train [Cafe], that had to close CONTENTS NEWS

OPINIONS

02 Local Resident Donates Winter 05 Career Development Falls Clothing to Oberlin City Schools Short 04 David Arredondo, Oberlin Admissions Director to Lorain County Republican Chairman

06 Pennsylvania’s Elections Matter — Yes, Even in Oberlin

The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

THIS WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

08–09 Tips to Warm Your Cockles this Winter

10 Virgil Abloh, Fashion Revolutionary, Dies at 41

15 Forth-Year Men’s Basketball Captain Wolf Moser

13 Boxed Whine Opens for Indie Band Slow Pulp

16 Rookie Athletes Shine in Oberlin Invitational

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Oberlin Moved Out of Jim Jordan’s Congressional District Continued from page 1

Comparative American Studies. “And one pushback I’ve heard is that there are some districts that include Appalachian counties and others. They’re combining them with more urban areas and it’s hard to see commonalities there between them. So the ideal is when you have a representative who can represent a fairly coherent district.”

There are already several lawsuits in response to the new map. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. and the National Redistricting Action Fund are suing in the Ohio Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters of Ohio, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute have also filed a lawsuit saying the map violates the Ohio Issue 1 amendment that voters passed three years ago.

“The Ohio Supreme Court is made up of five justices,” Garrett said. “One of them is the son of Mike DeWine. Some people have called for him to recuse himself, but of course, nobody can make him, so he’s not recusing himself. The chief justice is a Republican — however, she tends to not be in favor of these gerrymandering shenanigans. So there are some people who are saying there’s some hope out at the Supreme Court, but we’ll see.”

The lawsuits come after conflicts over

proposed maps escalated over the last few months. After failing to pass a map in the Ohio Legislature with a supermajority

by Sept. 30, responsibility for drawing the map was left to the bipartisan ​​sevenmember Ohio Redistricting Commission, which also failed to meet its Oct. 31 deadline. After that, what had been a relatively slow process was then sped through the Ohio legislature along party lines in a matter of days before it was signed by DeWine at the end of November. This new map received an F grade from the nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

The change means that Oberlin will now likely be represented by Republican Bob Latta, who has held the seat since 2007. While Latta is a conservative member of Congress, he is not nearly as extreme as Jordan. According to Garcia, Latta is considered more conservative than 52 percent of the GOP in Congress, while Jordan, who is more conservative than 91 percent of the GOP. For the City of Oberlin, the new map marks a significant shift from the last four years. Oberlin was previously represented

by Jordan, who is known as one of the creators of the House Freedom Caucus.

For the last several elections, many Oberlin students have worked on the campaigns

of Jordan’s opponents, including Garrett’s and Shannon Freshour’s. This election cycle, Jeffrey Sites, a veteran and warehouse manager who ran in the Democratic primary in 2020, is once again running against Jordan.

Sites is running on a platform of singlepayer healthcare, returning the supply chain to the United States, and addressing what he calls “climate chaos.” Although he started his campaign in January, before the new districts were drawn, his city, Lima, is still in the Ohio 4th District, so he will still be eligible to run against Jordan.

“It was an uphill battle before; it’s an extreme uphill battle now,” Sites said. “I would have preferred to keep the duck than what we have now. But again, I didn’t decide to run against Jim Jordan because I thought it would be easy. … We’ve planned and prepared for a district like this since the beginning. … It’s why we emphasized building a grassroots operation.”

Besides congressional races, Ohio will have several other competitive races in the 2022 midterms. Governor DeWine is up for reelection but will first face several Republican challengers. Senator Rob Portman has also announced his retirement, which has opened his seat up for a competitive race.

If the current map withstands the court

battles, the map will be redrawn for the 2026 elections. While Garrett and others are disappointed with the new map, she hopes that grassroots activism will ensure that the next map is fairer.

“We have to keep the pressure on … because we’re in a very dangerous place in history right now,” Garrett said. “We’re in danger of losing our democracy, and it’s a lot easier to fight to keep it than it is to try to get it back once we’ve lost it.”

The new Ohio Congressional Map was signed into law at the end of November and moves Oberlin from the 4th Congressional District to the 5th.

Courtesy of Columbus Dispatch

Local Resident Donates Winter Clothing to Oberlin City Schools

Staff from Oberlin City Schools sort through a recent donation of goods with an estimated value of over $12,000.

Photo Courtesy Of Oberlin City Schools Shannon Schulz Inspired by stories of need in local communities, Elyria Realtor Tammy Koleski donated over $12,000 worth of brand-new clothes, hats, shoes, and gloves to Oberlin City Schools last Monday. Koleski has been donating to school districts and sports teams across Lorain County for the past year and a half. These donations are a team effort; Koleski’s sister, Pam Richards, scouts out discounted items and buys in bulk so that they can make the biggest impact possible.

“I always have donated in some capacity, but [I’ve] just [been] in a position to,” Koleski said. “I mean, I didn’t win the lottery or anything. It’s just what I’m getting for the price tag that I’m getting it for. It seemed crazy not to just be a kind human and do it.”

The Oberlin R eview Dec. 3, 2021 Volume 151, Number 7 (ISSN 297–256) Published by the students of Oberlin College every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, except holidays and examination periods.

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While Koleski’s first donations started out as random acts of kindness, she soon realized the positive impact of her actions.

“It’s very interesting to see a grown man cry,” Koleski said. “The first coach that I took cleats to was my daughter’s former softball coach. And as he’s taking these out of my car, … I’m like, ‘Do you have any idea what 200 pairs of cleats look like?’ And he’s like, ‘Nope.’ And as we’re emptying my car with the 10th bag and the 11th bag, his wife comes out, helps us unload it. I mean, they’re just sitting there like this, with a tear on the side of their eye going, ‘Do you know how many people this is gonna help?’

I go, ‘Absolutely, and your face says it all.’ That was just the fuel [for] the next one.”

Oberlin City Schools officials were equally delighted when they found the district’s Central Office conference room filled wall to wall with donations. Oberlin City Schools Communications Consultant Melissa Linebrink expressed the district’s gratitude.

“I was really surprised,” Linebrink said. “I have talked to Tammy in the past, and I know the great work she has done, but to be on the receiving end of that and to just hear … how happy she was to help our students, especially... during COVID-19 [when] times are tough. And just to know that somebody cares about our students enough to donate more than $12,000 worth of goods is pretty phenomenal.”

The school district is currently working on a distribution plan with Oberlin City Schools Athletic Director John Carter and Oberlin City Schools Director of Student and Family Support Jay Nimene. Superintendent David Hall is optimistic about the donation’s community impact.

“We’ll probably give out most of everything,” Hall said.

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“Our bus drivers help give them out to students that get on the bus that may need a hat, or maybe just gloves. Our counselors may give them out to students. … We get phone calls from parents all the time at schools, asking, ‘Do you have these things available?’ A lot of times we have them available or we contact Oberlin Community Services for support.”

According to Linebrink, Koleski’s donation is projected to benefit a wide range of students and families.

“There’s always a need,” Linebrink said. “Through this donation, … we’re able to help not only the student athletes with some of the items that they provided like cleats, but we’re also able to help those students who, you know, might need a hat, gloves, who might need a belt, who can’t afford a belt. You know, it was just little things like that, that you might not think of as everyday needs that they were able to provide for us.”

Koleski plans to expand her efforts in 2022 with the help of Richards and family friend Mary Felton. Despite her successes, challenges remain.

“The lion’s share of it is personal funds,” Koleski said.

“I’m only one person. I can only do so much, so that’s why we’ve established a 501(c)3 called Wee Care Closet. … We hope to get more corporate donations and larger donations.”

Koleski is hopeful that the nonprofit will allow her to increase the number of people she can help. She also hopes to inspire others.

“The goal is to just keep it going, and maybe in our communities, people [will] see it and either make donations to us so we can continue it or go, ‘Hey, I’d like to do that at our school,’” she said.

To donate, contact Koleski at (440) 935-4910 or weecarecloset@gmail.com.

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Completion of Reservoir Project Estimated for Spring of 2022

Security Notebook

Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021

1:55 a.m. Campus Safety officers were requested to assist with a student at Harkness House who was ill from alcohol consumption. The student was coherent, able to answer all questions asked, and aware of their surroundings. The student declined medical treatment.

Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 12:17 a.m. A student reported that while streaming a game on YouTube, they were sent several messages containing pornography.

An officer met with the student, who was advised not to respond to the messages. The student was then transported to the Oberlin Police Department to file a report.

9:42 p.m. Officers responded to a report of a bat in the first floor lounge of Johnson House. The bat was located and removed from the area.

Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021 Photo by Khadijah Halliday, Photo Editor Kathleen Kelleher Senior Staff Writer Big Trees, Inc., the City contractor for the Morgan Street reservoirs’ remodel, has made substantial progress on the conversion to wetland and expects to finish the project in the spring of 2022. The contractor is currently working on the improvement of water outlet structures for both reservoirs. When construction begins again in the spring, native species of wildflowers and grasses will be introduced, along with new trees in the wetland area.

“Our community selected this option as the best balance of ecological, historical, recreation and economic considerations,” the City’s most recent construction update read.

The remodeling contract was awarded to Big Trees for a total cost of $535,885, exceeding the original estimate of $300,000. Construction fencing was erected at the site just before Labor Day. City Public Works Director Jeff Baumann described the steps Big Trees has taken in the

remodeling since then.

“They have substantially completed the recreation of the upper west reservoir as a wetland, so the finished grades are more or less established,” Baumann said. “The trails are set up, but they are not built.”

Big Trees will break for the winter due to prohibitive weather conditions and return in the spring to introduce new vegetation.

“Our contractor Big Trees is doing the work that they can effectively do this time of year given that it’s pushing freezing temperatures and somewhat wet with the occasional snow and cold rain,” Bauman said.

“Ultimately, in springtime, they’ll come in and put in the wildflower native grass mixes in the open areas, and plant all the trees that are a part of the wet woodland area, which is to the west and north of the new wetland.”

Associate Professor of Biology Roger Laushman, who works with students in protecting the Arboretum from invasive species, is particularly invested in the introduction of new

flora as part of the remodel.

“Our interest is keeping invasive species from taking over the wetland,” Laushman said. “One of the best ways to keep invasive species out is to [plant] native species [to occupy] the habitat.”

Although the most recent construction update from the City estimated completion in April 2022, Baumann believes it will continue into May as the construction is heavily reliant upon weather conditions. “[It will be completed] either towards the end of April or early May,” Baumann said. “There’s no telling what the weather’s going to be like in the spring, but typically it’s wet and cool into March and early April, which makes it hard to get onto the site and put down stone and accomplish the hardscape improvements.”

Until then, students and community members can continue to access the Arb through the Ladies Grove entrance south of the Prospect/Morgan Street intersection or through the South Professor Street entrance.

1:26 p.m. An officer was requested to assist an injured student at East Hall. First aid was applied to a bleeding toe. No other treatment was required, and the student declined transportation to the hospital.

Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 10:07 a.m. A student reported that when they returned from break to their Village Housing Unit on East College Street, they found their attic window open. The student noted that the only thing that appeared to be missing was candy, and there were no other indications that someone had been in the house.

Crime prevention tools were given to the resident.

10:51 a.m. A student reported the theft of their bicycle from the Willard Court area. The bicycle is an orange Trek, men’s frame, eightspeed, and is valued at approximately $800. The bicycle is registered with Campus Safety.

2:30 p.m. Officers were requested to transport a student with a knee injury from the Student Health Center to Mercy Allen Hospital’s emergency room. The transport was completed.

City Economy Faces Labor and Supply Shortage

Continued from page 1

they work and our expectations. It’s a good three-to-four week process to really get a new person acclimated.”

There are many businesses that cannot rely on a steady stream of College student applicants. Krista Long, owner of Ben Franklin and MindFair Books, stated that while she was able to easily find new clerks for her stores, finding longer-term skilled labor has proven difficult.

“I’m happy with the clerk and floor staff,” she said. “We have a good vibe here. Everyone works well together. I like the youthfulness of the staff. But I do need a database manager and another buyer and somebody who can manage all of the creative stuff, like the frame shop and the fabric and the yard. Those are the jobs I’m finding challenging.”

Another national-level challenge Oberlin business are facing is supply chain disruptions. As the economy The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

recovers from the pandemic, the logistics industry has struggled to keep up with soaring demand for products.

Supply chain bottlenecks — ranging from a shortage of truckers to a lack of space at ports and warehouses — have meant that businesses and consumers are facing empty shelves and long delays for items.

According to Long, whose businesses rely on an eclectic supply of products, it has been a challenge to keep certain products in stock as a result of supply chain issues.

“It’s been kind of interesting to watch how it evolves, because we carry such a breadth of merchandise,” she said. “First, during the pandemic, certain things were just gone. Those we can get fine now. Just one after another — one month, it’s microwave meals, and God knows why, but all brands: really low supply. Then, it’s tampons and menstrual products. …

When something has gone out of stock, it stays out of stock for a long time. I reach out around, try to find another source for it, or sometimes I just can’t find it, and that’s the way it is. And then it’s available again. So that’s been frustrating and difficult to deal with.”

However, both Long and New expressed their gratitude for the Oberlin community’s continued support of their businesses amid these problems, as well as their hope for more stability in the future. Yet, according to Long, these problems are a characteristic of the global economy and have only been highlighted by the pandemic.

“By and large, our customers are very understanding and continue to support us, so we’re hoping that evens out,” she said. “But to be honest I think we’re looking at the weaknesses of the supposedly global economy that we have.”

A storefront on Main St. has remained empty since Oberlin Kitchen closed last year.

Photo by Khadijah Halliday, Photo Editor

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Ne New wss OFF THE CUFF

David Arredondo

David Arredondo, Oberlin Admissions Director to Lorain County Republican Chairman

Courtesy of David Arredondo

David Arredondo is the executive chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party, and in September he was elected as the committeeperson for Senate District 13 in Columbus. He is a lifelong resident of Lorain and has served as vice chairman of the Republican Party as well as chairman of the Lorain Area Republican Central Committee. From 1988 to 2000, he worked in the Oberlin College Admissions Office in various leadership roles. He has also been elected a national convention delegate or alternate three times: Donald Trump, 2020; George Bush, 2004; and Democrat George McGovern, 1972. The Review sat down with Arredondo to discuss his journey from the Democratic Party of the 1970s to the Republican Party of today.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Walter Thomas-Patterson Senior Staff Writer Can you talk about how your identity was shaped during your earlier years?

I was born in 1950. My dad was a steel worker and an immigrant who left Mexico. My identity was certainly shaped by my Catholic religion and my dad’s socioeconomic status as a blue-collar worker. I went to Catholic school with people who were Hungarian, Polish, Italian, and so forth. It made a difference in my identity. I very much value other cultures, other languages. It gave me an international perspective from day one.

How did your work at Oberlin College, which began in the 1980s, impact your political ideology?

In 1988, I applied for a job here at Oberlin. I got hired in the Admissions Office, and I think part of my hiring was because I was Hispanic, and Oberlin didn’t have any on their staff, so they wanted to be diverse and all the good stuff. That is when I started seeing Oberlin is not Lorain. We have Democrats in Lorain, but you have left-wingers here at Oberlin.

And by no means was there any comparison with today’s Oberlin to the Oberlin of 1988. I got exposed to political correctness, people who claim to be victims. I don’t relate to that because I was never a victim or discriminated against. Oberlin pushed me further to the right. Oberlin was also the place where I finally had the balls to go to the polls and say, “I want a Republican ballot,” in the 1990s.

The funny thing, though, is here in Oberlin we started to identify people who were conservatives.

Back in the day, if you were gay, you would’ve “come out.” It was the so-called, “coming out of the closet.”

Well, here at Oberlin, as Republicans, we were in the closet.

You have had quite the political evolution over the decades. Could you describe your initial involvement in politics and your experience with the McGovern campaign in 1972?

I grew up interested in politics. In 1965, as a teenager, I had my first experience knocking on doors for the Lorain City mayoral campaign. My friend’s father was running for mayor of Lorain.

In my senior year of college at Miami University of Ohio in 1972, my advisor, who was my political science professor, asked me, “How’d you like to be a convention delegate? You’re a student, and you’re a Mexican.” On our convention ticket, we also had a Black woman and another woman. There were six of us.

And, son of a gun, we carried our congressional district and McGovern won the nomination. And in 1972, I went to the Democratic convention in Miami Beach. It was one hell of an experience.

I understand that later in the 1970s, your political beliefs began to change. Could you describe some of the converging sociopolitical factors that sparked your transformation?

You’ve heard the saying, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me.”

Well, the Democratic Party did leave me.

In the late 1970s, when I was working in a program for high school dropouts, a light bulb finally came on, and I realized the Republican values are the ones that I was born and raised with in the ’50s. This program I worked on came out of the Great Society, where they were giving money out to people for training and other types of things. I looked at all of this and said, “No that’s not right.”

By 1979, the U.S. was in a state almost like this past year. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, you were seeing high inflation. It was also shameful to lose Vietnam. It really affected the national psyche.

Carter was letting Third World countries push us around. They took the embassy in Iraq. I was pissed.

I like to say the last Democrat I voted for was George McGovern in 1972.

Also, in 1979, this guy, a Mexican-American businessman came along — Ben Fernandez. He had humble beginnings, born in a railway boxcar like Lincoln was born in a log cabin — son of Mexican immigrants. He rose to become an investment banker or something like that, and he made millions.

Ben Fernandez ran against Reagan in the 1980 Republican primary. He turned out to be a hell of a candidate — he was a great speaker and the women loved him. I knew him personally. He even came to Lorain, and my friend got all the Hispanic police officers to act as security — I can still see it to this day.

What specifically about Fernandez’ platform resonated with you?

When I looked at myself with people like Ben Fernandez — his platform was before Trump — he was talking about America first. “We are America. These are our values. We believe in our family.” And he was preaching to Hispanics. He says thatHispanics are more like Republicans because we value our religion.

We value our family. We value our country. We love these things.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I still would like to believe if we stop the divisiveness, name-calling, the demonization of people — that they’re racist or sexist or homophobes — we stop there being so much division. Because at that point, when we say those things, we’ve cut everything off.

COVID-19 Update Oberlin College Updates Between Nov. 8 – Nov. 23, the College’s internal testing documented two positive COVID-19 cases among students. Between Nov. 8 – Nov. 28, the College was notified of zero new COVID-19 cases from outside testing.

Earlier this week, the College announced they would begin reporting hospitalization data as another metric to monitor the spread and severity of COVID-19. There are no hospitalizations as of Dec. 2.

“If [vaccines] stop being effective, and people end up in the hospital, new protocols will have to be enforced,” wrote the ObieSafe team in a Dec. 1 Campus Digest email. “That is why the hospitalization numbers from campus are far more important than case totals or positivity rates, although that data is useful as well.”

As of Nov. 1, 98.8 percent of students, 96.6 percent of faculty, and 90.5 percent of staff have been fully vaccinated. The CDC is recommending that all those 18 and older who are six months past their original vaccine series of Moderna or Pfizer or two months past their Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a booster shot as soon as possible. Students who received their booster shot can reupload their vaccine card to the Student Health Portal, and faculty and staff can upload their card via the form on Oberview.

Ella Moxley News Editor Lorain County Updates

Lorain County’s COVID-19 caseload has been decreasing over the last month. From Nov. 2 – Dec. 2, the county reported 5,017 positive cases and 254 hospitalizations.

Northeast Ohio is currently experiencing some of the largest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state, according to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.

However, Oberlin’s zip code has some of the lowest numbers, with two cases per 1,000 people compared to just over four cases per 1,000 people in the county.

As of yesterday, 61.89 percent of Lorain County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 57.21 percent have been fully vaccinated.

Courtesy of ODH

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Ohio Updates After experiencing a decline in COVID-19 cases, Ohio is once again seeing a spike in cases. Between Nov. 2 – Dec. 2, the state of Ohio recorded 147,913 new cases and 5,563 hospitalizations. Numbers have now risen to near-peak levels from earlier this fall.

Vanderhoff predicts that cases will continue to rise, as holiday travel and gatherings contribute to the spread. Ohio is also experiencing the largest number of hospitalizations since January of this year.

Last week, South Africa announced the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant called the Omicron variant. Little is known about the severity and transmission rate of this new variant, but as of Thursday, eight cases have been identified in the United States: one case each in California, Colorado, and Minnesota; and five cases in New York.

Ohio public health officials assured the public in a press conference yesterday that they are monitoring cases for the Omicron variant, and have not seen any evidence that the vaccine has failed to provide protection from the variant.

Currently, 58.02 percent of Ohioans have received their first dose of a vaccine and 53.04 percent of residents have completed the series.

December 3, 2021

OPINIONS

LETTER TO THE EDITORS College Finances Lack Adequate Transparency If, as Board of Trustees Chair Chris Canavan claims, there is no problem with transparency regarding the endowment and finances, we ask that the trustees and administration respond to the following questions: 1) Does the College’s alternative investments portfolio include any investments in fossil fuels, for-profit prisons, or for-profit medical care? So far as we are aware, there is no statement of ethics or principles regarding these types of investments, despite ample evidence of the social damage they frequently cause.

2) Why is the College bent on imposing various austerity measures, including a subpar health care plan for its employees, if its endowment is evidently at a record high? For its size, after all, Oberlin is now an incredibly wealthy school.

3) How, exactly, did the administration and trustees calculate the $2.5 million annual savings they claimed would result from union busting and outsourcing the United Auto Workers dining and custodial staff?

4) Have there been conflicts of interest, and what are the exact terms by which the College has funneled around $180 million into trustee-controlled investment vehicles since 2008?

5) How much has Oberlin actually paid out in total costs (including fees) for its alternative investments annually since the 2008 financial crisis?

6) Have donor-designated funds ever been reassigned and, if so, under what circumstances?

7) Has the endowment received any significant — that is, greater than $1,500 — non-alumni contributions, specifically any from contractors, outsourcers, or any affiliated parties?

8) How much have Oberlin’s interest rate swaps cost the College since 2008?

9) What is the real — not internal — rate of return on Oberlin’s investments, particularly since 2008? We are concerned that Canavan’s own graphic evidently shows the endowment underperformed the S&P 500 by 29 percent in that period.

Without answers to these questions, it is hard to believe that Canavan’s notion of “transparency” amounts to anything more than a smokescreen.

Sincerely, Kelly Grotke, OC ’89 Les Leopold, OC ’69 Cassandra Ogren, OC ’02 Susan Phillips, OC ’76 Kris Raab, OC ’89 Members of the 1833 Just Transition Fund Board 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.

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The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

Established 1874

Volume 151, Number 7

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief

Anisa Curry Vietze

Kushagra Kar

Managing Editor Gigi Ewing

Opinions Editor Arman Luczkow

Career Development Falling Short We spend four years of college indulging in intellectual rigor and creative self-discovery, before finally being thrust into the real world. At times, however, it can feel like Oberlin wants us to evade the real world — successfully or not — by going into academia. But for students who have decided against graduate school in favor of getting a job after Commencement, resources can be a bit difficult to find and even tougher to utilize.

As the College homes in on a selection for the next executive director of the Career Development Center — and as three quarters of this Editorial Board look toward graduation in the spring — we’ve been reflecting on how Oberlin has prepared us for the next chapter of our lives. We have a few things that we hope the next executive director will address once they take on the role.

At Oberlin, institutional support for upperclassmen seeking careers is heavily centered on graduate school applications, research opportunities, and fellowships — essentially moving students from one academic institution to another. The job-related programs that do exist are often workshops about things like résumé building or creating a LinkedIn profile. While having strong interview skills and a well-written résumé are critical to job applications, they are not nearly enough to help Obies stand out in hyper-competitive job markets, and they’re certainly not a substitute for one-on-one interactions with potential employers.

Recent efforts made by the College to improve career development resources indicate that they have already identified this gap in their offerings.

Under former Executive Director Dana Hamdan’s leadership, Oberlin’s Career Center developed five flagship programs, including one for each class year with the goal of guiding students through career exploration at every step of their college journey.

These new programs include Peer Advising Leaders for first-year students, the Sophomore Opportunities and Academic Resources program for second-years, Junior Practicum for third-years, and the Senior Launch Series for graduating students. Several of these programs, along with the Career Communities program, which now exists in an altered form under the Junior Practicum, filled a crucial hole in Oberlin’s career preparation; they supplied students with real, hands-on work experiences through internship connections or funding. Even though some of these programs are still in their infancy at Oberlin, they have had clear impacts on recent graduates, and we hope they are cultivated and expanded in the years to come.

Most impressively, the College has introduced a summer internship scholarship for incoming students, with awards of up to $5,000. Not only does this provide students with the opportunity to undertake important pre-professional work, it also aids them in the most important part of securing a job: networking. So much of getting a job is about networking — an estimated 70 percent of jobs are not published to the public but are instead filled entirely through connections.

Presumably, attending a prestigious college such as Oberlin should give students access to an expansive alumni network. Yet, while Oberlin students have an

alumni directory available through Wisr, navigating the network and finding people who are best situated to help you is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We know that Oberlin alumni enjoy engaging with the College and supporting current students whenever they can, but establishing those connections presents a barrier to many students.

While SOAR and the Junior Practicum inform students on what the resources are and where to find them, beyond a general knowledge of the websites available to them, students have no guidance on how to forge the connections essential to building their careers.

Many colleges offer career fairs to mitigate this very issue. At these fairs, students are able to interact and network with recruiters from dozens of colleges.

While this is easier for larger schools, why doesn’t Oberlin leverage its alumni network to do our own version of a career fair? Oberlin already relies on this network for programs such as Ashby Business Scholars, where a select group of students have the chance to meet dozens of business professionals over the course of Winter Term. Why shouldn’t all Oberlin students have a similar opportunity? A career fair could invite alumni from all different career paths, such as nonprofit organizations, large corporations, freelance gigs, and research institutions.

The gaps in the College’s career preparation program were clear for this year’s graduating class, who were third-years during the College’s threesemester plan, and therefore in classes over the summer, while their peers in other schools utilized that time for internships. The summer after the third year of college is widely known in the U.S. as a great opportunity to secure a career-catapulting internship — these internships can often translate into full-time jobs post-graduation or at least expand networks that can become opportunities. The decision to keep third-years on campus over the summer so clearly jeopardized the post-graduate careers of students, and in so doing illuminates the larger issue of the College often being out of touch with the realities of post-graduate employment.

This dissonance can also be seen in the mentorship that students receive. Most students get the majority of their career advice from professors; while we appreciate their expertise and assistance, many of them have largely spent their careers in academia.

For students who don’t want to head immediately into research or graduate school, there need to be opportunities to receive advice from professionals in careers outside of academics and build relationships with them over time as students do with professors.

So, to the incumbent executive director of the Career Development Center we say this: we’re so excited to meet you. More than anything, we need you, because your support can change our futures.

Your imminent arrival on campus is laden with heavy expectations because honestly, anyone would have their work cut out trying to build on Hamdan’s brilliant work. We hope, however, that what we’ve written here can serve as a roadmap, both for what works and the potholes to avoid in your initial months.

Given time, we’re hopeful that the Career Center will find innovative ways to dramatically improve the career paths of Obies both current and to come.

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

SLAC Talk Addresses College’s Financial Situation

Comic: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tal Clower On Nov. 2, I attended a talk led by financial experts Kelly Grotke, OC ’89, and Kris Raab, OC ’89. They were invited by the Student Labor Action Coalition to discuss Oberlin’s financial investments. Learning about Oberlin’s investments shed light on a common pattern in Oberlin’s current budgeting plans: austerity. Austerity measures work to reduce spending, which to many appear to be prioritizing profits at the cost of student satisfaction, good working conditions, and accessibility.

Instead of acting as a college — whose goal should be redistributing excess earnings to make the school a more accessible learning environment for its students and a healthy workplace for faculty and staff — I believe that Oberlin is acting more as a company, with a goal of increasing wealth.

Alternative investments are investments that fall outside of the typical markets, such as stocks or cash. These investments are illiquid, meaning they are hard to back out of even if they’re performing badly.

Many alternative investments are also governed by private contracts, meaning they are subject to little oversight, and they are hard to value beforehand; they can often cost five times as much as what is disclosed on tax forms because of hidden fees. They do not legally have to be disclosed to the public, and they are a new attraction to colleges due to the possibility of a higher rate of return compared to traditional investments. Alternative investments typically go hand in hand with austerity measures; while they have the potential to raise a lot of money for an organization, they are associated with a lot of fees. These fees have to be covered somehow, which might result in other expenses being cut, such as low-level workers’ health benefits. Based on Grotke and Raab’s research, Oberlin currently has 64 percent of its money in alternative investments. This prioritizes business values over community values, because it means that we have no way of holding Oberlin College accountable for the investments they’re making, due to the secretive nature of alternative investments.

Most of the questions surrounding Oberlin’s alternative investments have only one answer: we don’t know, because the College won’t tell us. Is Oberlin investing in morally reprehensible companies? We don’t know, but they have a history of investing in companies that don’t align with the values of students, including investing during apartheid in South African companies, which they only divested from once students learned about it and protested. Are the trustees in charge of investing dealing in conflicts of interest or self-dealing, using our money to boost their own or their friends’ companies? How much money is Oberlin actually making from these investments? We don’t know, but since it’s relatively easy to hide alternative investment fees, it could be less than the College is telling us. It’s possible that the College would make more money by investing in more secure and public routes, but it might refuse to because the resulting loss of secrecy would reduce personal profits.

Oberlin’s reliance on alternative investments has very real impacts on the College itself. Grotke and Raab explained that when an organization embraces austerity and turns to alternative investments, it typically experiences low-level job loss, acceleration of work and deterioration of working conditions, declines in service quality, bankruptcies and loss of pensions due to opaque ownership structure that hinders accountability, maximization of “shareholder value” at the expense of other values, and increasing income inequality.

We can see most, if not all, of these happening at Oberlin. The College has fired dining and custodial staff unionized with the United Auto Workers, who had stable jobs amid Lorain County’s high unemployment rate. It has also renegotiated the rent contract with the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association and closed two co-ops, cut disability services and other student wellness programs, and signed a contract with AVI Foodsystems that arguably decreases the quality of dining services while exploiting already-overworked students. They have shut down several faculty lines and have drafted a more expensive health care plan for many faculty and students without health care. I believe that our school, which boasts a history of academic access for traditionally marginalized communities, is now following broader trends of restriction in the name of monetary gain. They might be doing this, in part, through the secrecy of alternative investments, which helps them move money around without us being able to know if all these cuts are necessary. Oberlin College needs to stop going down a path of austerity and return to a mindset of public service and accessibility.

There are many next steps that must be taken in order to ensure that Oberlin College does not continue down this path. Pressuring the College to allow an independent auditor to look over their investments would be a good place to start, so we can at least know what we’re working with, and so the College gets used to someone holding them accountable for the decisions they make. Go to oberlinslac.org to submit demands for anti-austerity measures and to get more involved with organizing. The slides from and recording of Grotke and Raab’s talk can be found there as well. We have the collective power to resist the College’s efforts to line the pockets of the most powerful stakeholders.

Join groups that help you channel that power.

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Holly Yelton, Staff Cartoonist

Pennsylvania’s Elections Matter — Yes, Even in Oberlin Emily Vaughan A few weeks ago I was sitting in my co-op’s dining room talking with two other students from Pennsylvania. I asked them what they thought about John Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and a Democratic candidate in the state’s 2022 Senate race. Admittedly, I’m a bit of a politics junkie and “lieutenant governor” isn’t the most well-known position, but I was still shocked that neither of the people I was speaking to knew of him.

Everyone from Pennsylvania should be at least keeping themselves informed on the Pennsylvania Senate race, but more importantly, this is an election that should be on every American’s radar.

Following Republican Pat Toomey’s announcement of his retirement in October 2020, CNN ranked Pennsylvania as the Senate seat most likely to flip partisan control in 2022. After the recent November 2021 election in which Republicans had a wave of success, even in places where Joe Biden won in 2020, the importance of the Pennsylvania 2022 Senate election cannot be overstated. The Senate is in a 50–50 deadlock between Democrats and Republicans. This election will have an impact on the entire country for years to come, determining whether our government will pass legislation with the power to change the lives of all Americans for the better, or if it will implement policies that result in little to no change. Or, worse, if it will change things for the benefit of those who are already in positions of power and privilege.

On the left, progressive politics are on the rise. John Fetterman is currently the frontrunner in a race against four other Democrats from Pennsylvania for the nomination, and his main challenger in the spring will be Congressman Conor Lamb. Should Fetterman become the next Senator for Pennsylvania, he has promised that he will “be that 51st vote” in support of progressive causes like a $15 national minimum wage, legalizing recreational marijuana, ensuring access to lifesaving health care by codifying Roe v. Wade, and abolishing the filibuster. Additionally, many of these issues have widespread bipartisan support. While I’m not saying that Republicans would be coming out in droves to support Fetterman in November 2022, I wouldn’t rule out his ability to flip at least a handful of voters.

Meanwhile, across the political aisle, Republicans are struggling to find a proper primary candidate. Former Republican frontrunner Sean Parnell dropped out of the race after losing a custody case when allegations of serious domestic abuse were made against him. Parnell had paved the way to winning

the nomination in the May primaries with an endorsement from Former President Donald Trump, leaving his opponents in much weaker positions. Despite having seven other candidates currently in the race, Republicans are scrambling. Their big-name, Trump-supported candidate is out of the picture, leaving behind a sea of lesser-known, less-funded candidates. It’s pretty clear that Trump is very important in this race. Running a candidate with fewer ties to Trump could alienate voters, and the last thing the Republican Party wants is to lose their Pennsylvania Senate seat. On the other hand, many Republicans are attempting to distance themselves from the former president. Toomey was a reliable Republican vote in the Senate who consistently voted in line with Trump policies despite publicly claiming to keep his distance from him — a quiet but key Republican presence. With Toomey out of the picture, Republicans are looking to fill the seat with someone who will always vote along party lines.

You should care about this election because its results will impact you no matter where you’re from. Setting specific policies and political candidates aside, it will serve as an indicator for the future of national politics. In recent years, Pennsylvania’s political parties have become a good representation of both the Republican and Democratic parties on a national scale. This election will indicate the directions that both parties are heading in, regardless of the results of this specific election.

Is supporting Trump a new must for Republicans seeking office? And for the Democrats, does the future of the party lie with moderates or progressives?

The unfortunate reality is that Democrats have everything to lose in 2022, with the exception of the presidency. As this shapes up to be the most important Senate race in 2022, we should all be paying close attention to the tactics that politicians and candidates on both sides of the aisle are using and how the votes eventually play out. If Oberlin students truly care about progressive causes as they claim, they should be invested in this election, as well as every other Senate election, no matter where they are from. We’re in for a nail-biting, stress-inducing rollercoaster year of watching Pennsylvania yet again, so catch up on what’s happening and enjoy the ride. If you’re so inclined, find a candidate you like and support their campaign by donating or phone banking.

If you have friends in Pennsylvania, remind them to vote.

Finally, remember: even if you’re not from Pennsylvania, keep your eyes open. Our future depends on this.

Evidence Suggests It’s Not Time to Panic About COVID-19 on Campus

Regaining Inspiration to Make Music

Malcolm Seymour-Jones

Reginald Goudeau Columnist

On Nov. 12, a Review front-page story titled “Uptick in COVID-19 Cases Prompts Student Frustration” cited student concerns about an increase in COVID-19 cases, while the editorial “27 COVID-19 Cases Indicates Insufficient Mitigation Strategy” called for mandatory routine testing. Neither of these articles provided sufficient contextual data about COVID-19.

While both articles were written before the World Health Organization announced a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, it is uncertain whether Omicron could be more or less severe, contagious, or vaccine resistant than other COVID-19 variants. Even so, the omissions from the two articles are misleading. If we take a more evidence-based approach to thinking about the virus, we can better understand what these cases mean and how we should respond to them.

First, we need to understand that the current state of COVID-19 may be the new normal for the foreseeable future. According to many epidemiologists, COVID-19 will soon become endemic, if it is not already. While getting more people vaccinated will boost herd immunity, progress will be limited by the almost 15 percent of the country that have been steadfastly refusing the vaccine for months with no indication of changing their mind. Policymakers can no longer pretend that we can “beat” COVID-19 if we implement sufficiently strict preventative measures for just long enough. COVID-19 is here to stay. If we acknowledge that, we can make more rational decisions about how we want to act for the foreseeable future.

Second, stricter preventative measures are not always better. For example, Oberlin’s choice to impose an outdoor mask mandate flew in the face of all available data on COVID-19 transmission and placed an unnecessary burden on students without offering any significant increase in protection. To avoid these mistakes, every public health policy Oberlin implements should pass a data-driven cost-benefit analysis.

Assessing the risk of COVID-19 requires a nuanced look at the data. Car accidents kill 1.3 million people every year. That raw total does not, by itself, justify every possible traffic regulation. Setting a maximum speed limit of 10 miles per hour on every road in America would undoubtedly prevent thousands of automobile deaths, but it would be a terrible policy. Using national CDC statistics, we can take a more precise look at the threat COVID-19 poses to Oberlin students. The weekly rate of breakthrough infections for vaccinated Americans ages 18-29 is around 79 cases per 100,000 people. 27 cases in the Oberlin community indicate that we are currently experiencing a higher rate of infection, but this is consistent with the fact that the virus spreads through outbreaks, and thus positivity rates will fluctuate above and below the average.

Contrary to sensationalist reporting by media publications like The New York Times, breakthrough infections are relatively rare. Regardless, positive cases are a natural result of the return to normal life, and evidence shows that vaccines protect against serious negative outcomes. While the weekly hospitalization rate for vaccinated Americans ages 18–49 has recently risen to around four per 100,000, for most of 2021 it hovered around 0.7 per 100,000.

The rate for 18–29-year-olds is likely to be significantly lower. For context, the weekly flu hospitalization rate for 18-49 year olds was roughly 1.9 per 100,000 during the relatively mild 2018–2019 season.

Furthermore, the weekly death rate for vaccinated 18–29-year-olds hovers between zero The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

and 0.03 deaths per 100,000 people. To put these exceedingly small numbers in perspective, in 2020 cars caused 0.25 weekly deaths per 100,000 people in the U.S. If you are a vaccinated American aged 18–29, you are over 61 times more likely to die in a car crash than you are to die of COVID-19. Since almost all of these deaths have occurred since August, when vaccine efficacy started showing signs of decline, getting a booster shot will lower your risk even more.

If you are worried about infecting others, vaccinated people ages 30–49 are still about two times more likely to die in a car accident than of COVID-19. Older people are less protected — vaccinated people ages 50–64, 65–79, and 80+ are 1.59, 6.4, and 26.6 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than in a car accident, respectively. These figures are concerning but, for reference, the flu in 2018–2019 was 1.2 to 4.8 times more deadly for seniors than COVID-19 is for vaccinated people ages 65–79. I don’t recall Oberlin students demanding mandatory weekly flu testing. Still, if you are going to be unmasked in close, indoor proximity to older adults, you should have a different risk calculus than if you are in a community of college students.

I use vehicle safety as a reference because billions of people drive every day without questioning their level of risk. People certainly do not shame others for putting lives in danger when they drive to work in the morning. Perhaps they should. Regardless, there is a risk of death in everything we do, and if we more accurately understand these risks, we can make better choices. If you are vaccinated, the risk of COVID-19 is still present, especially if you are older, but it is lower than many people may assume.

The CDC figures I used are national averages, but let’s look at Oberlin more specifically. While the national vaccination rate is just 59.3 percent, 97.4 percent of Oberlin College is fully vaccinated. Students have raised concerns that only 90.5 percent of Oberlin staff are vaccinated, or that non-College residents are less likely to be vaccinated. The most relevant figure, however, is that 99 percent of Oberlin students have uploaded proof of full vaccination, because COVID-19 is primarily transmitted socially, and Oberlin students mainly socialize with other students. The risk of COVID-19 transmission is highest during maskless indoor contact within six feet, for more than 15 minutes. Oberlin students typically only have this level of close contact with each other, and not with faculty, staff, or town residents.

Some students may spend time maskless in town establishments like The Feve or Slow Train Cafe, but even then they are mostly interacting with other vaccinated students. Students with higher risk tolerance can choose to be less socially cautious and still be unlikely to experience serious negative outcomes. Students who are especially concerned about contracting COVID-19 can limit their exposure to less risk-averse students by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

With full vaccination and these precautions, you are highly protected against the virus and may not need regular testing.

I do not know how expensive or effective it would be for Oberlin to institute a routine testing program. The benefits may outweigh the costs, but we should think carefully about whether mandatory testing is the most effective and sustainable use of Oberlin’s resources in the long term. If students who engage in riskier social behavior want mandatory testing, they should consider whether it is fair to make more cautious students pay for it in tuition increases. Additionally, money spent on testing is money not spent properly compensating workers, supporting low-income students, improving facilities, or properly staffing vital College offices. We should know these costs before demanding institutional testing.

For the longest time, I’ve struggled to create and release music consistently. This pattern is not due to me losing interest in rapping. If anything, I’ve only grown to respect the art form more as I’ve continued writing poetry and music. Instead, I blame something else for my lack of content and inspiration for several months: a distinct lack of time to create and develop my ideas. I overbooked myself again this semester, despite the many signs in my life to step back from excessive responsibilities.

Usually, this would be when I would mention how Oberlin has somehow taken up all of my time and capacity for mental exertion. Surprisingly enough, I do not blame most of this on the College.

I haven’t been doing any direct labor for the College recently, like participating in Student Senate or working as an Admissions Ambassador, as I did for many months. Initially, I planned out this semester with only two jobs and two other extracurriculars in mind.

However, I have an addiction to trying new things and an insatiable need to prove myself. This jack-of-all-trades tendency, combined with perfectionism, often leads me to undo all of my self-care work. I’ll start a semester with three or four obligations, but then I’ll see a play that looks cool, like Antigone, and audition. I then swear that this will be the last time I do this to myself, before repeating history in a matter of weeks. I follow the pattern so closely that my partner has become concerned about my well-being (while also acknowledging that they warned me about this possibility). You would think I’d learn after a certain point, but sadly I’m too ambitious for my own good. I admittedly get plenty out of my many activities, but new experiences do not always outweigh current stress. I’ve gotten slightly better at maintaining balance with more time at Oberlin, but I still have a lot to learn.

For example, I stepped back from the bowling team, but that was only because I did not have the time to attend practice. I enjoy bowling immensely, and the benefit of having one less thing on my plate has not outweighed the loss I feel from dropping bowling.

While having less time to create music and poetry has not been ideal, it has revealed a valuable lesson. Not all obligations do or should hold the same weight. As much as I would love to, I simply cannot be in a million places at once. Attempting to do so — and not understanding my limits — has stopped me from being at my full potential. I would rather be superb at a handful of activities with more room for fun than dipping a little into every trade. As such, I am documenting a promise to myself here that I’ll hopefully keep. I promise to have no more than two jobs and two other obligations at a time moving forward. Sometimes extenuating circumstances make it so I’ll need more money than usual, but I will also try to predict this whenever possible.

I’ll conclude this week’s article with a bit of encouragement for artists who have found themselves in a similar predicament to mine. If you truly love your craft and feel its healing presence whenever you create something, then no funk like this one should stop any of you. Despite my dwindling mental health and finite time and energy, this funk could not stop me. I released a new song I recorded within the past few months called “Recipes” just last week, and I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback. I’ll also be performing a few songs as an opening act for Solarity later this month. If you’re an artist worth listening to, I fully believe that people will wait as long as you need for the creative process to happen. After all, legends like Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean are intensely celebrated despite rarely dropping music. So whether you can’t find the time or motivation to create, I implore all of you not to give up. Holding out for the right opportunities is bound to pay off if you put in the time and hard work.

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Tips to Warm the Cockles of Your Heart this Winter Text and layout by Gigi Ewing, Managing Editor Illustrations by Anisa Curry Vietze, Editor-in-Chief

This week, we asked our Instagram followers to tell us what brings them comfort in the cold Ohio winter. But we only received a handful of responses, so we decided to open up the question to our staff.

Below is a compilation of various Obies’ favorite winter moments.

The Clichés “Hot chocolate. It’s warm and counterbalances the cold. It makes me feel like I’m skiing somewhere, even if I’m not.”

– Emma Benardete, Contributing Opinions Editor

The Questionables “Going out wrapped in my scarf and multiple sweaters, and drinking a hot chocolate spiked with bourbon.”

– Kushagra Kar, Editor-in-Chief

“Remembering that I don’t have to live in the Midwest for the rest of my life.”

– Anisa Curry Vietze, Editor-in-Chief “I appreciate that it’s culturally acceptable to make every meal a soup.”

– Eric Schank, Production Editor “I like the first snow, I like hot chocolate, I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”

– Claire Brinley, Production Editor

“Seasonal Starbucks drinks.”

– Isaac Kucher, Production Editor “Baking gingerbread cookies.”

– Sumner Wallace, Production Editor

The Snow Hoes “Nothing. I do like the snow, though.”

– Maeve Woltring, Arts & Culture Editor

“When you’re in class and it starts snowing and you can see it falling in Tappan Square.”

– Zoë Martin del Campo, Contributing Sports Editor

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“I don’t know. Maybe chili or something. It’s a good food.”

– John Elrod, Sports Editor ­ “A good bop.”

– Arman Luczkow, Opinions Editor “People slipping on the snow.”

– Nada Aggadi, College third-year “Chai sutta ONLY.” – Lyala Khan, OC ’21

The Genuine Appreciation “My co-op (Harkness) and the community, laughter, and delicious food it brings.”

– Annabelle Tolley, College third-year

“When it gets cold enough to switch from iced chais to hot chais at Slow Train. I made that switch last week.”

– Zoe Kuzbari, Sports Editor

“Thick blankets and a cup of tea really make me feel better when the wind is blowing outside. They make me feel warm on the inside and outside.”

– Fafa Nutor, College third-year

“The quietness of the snowfall. It dampens so much noise and it feels so peaceful!”

“Flannel pajama sets, Christmas shopping at Ginko’s — I love buying presents that are really good. The Pillsbury sugar cookies with the little Christmas images. I really like Christmas lights — I like the houses that go crazy with their lights.”

– Katie Kunka, Production Manager

– Danielle Workman, Area Coordinator for traditional halls and student organizations

“Hot apple cider, winter constellations, and knowing I’ll see my dogs again soon.”

– Illuin Darlington-Bai, College fourth-year

The S.A.D.s “Winter’s the time to sleep.”

– Kush Bulmer, News Editor

“Snow... but I prefer staying inside with the heater.”

– Grace Gao, News Layout Editor

“Going for depression walks in the snow.”

– Gigi Ewing, Managing Editor and News Editor Emeritus

“I just feel depressed. I have a sun lamp. That helps.”

– Ella Moxley, News Editor

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A r t s & C u ltu r e

December 3, 2021

ARTS & CULTURE Established 1874

Volume 151, Number 7

Virgil Abloh, Fashion Revolutionary, Dies at 41

Virgil Abloh, artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear collection and founder of the streetwear brand Off-White, died Sunday, Nov. 28.

Courtesy of Sebastian Kim. Milo Hume Artist, designer, and DJ Virgil Abloh died in Chicago last Sunday after privately battling a rare cardiac cancer. The 41-year-old was diagnosed in 2019, though he remained at the helm of his popular streetwear brand Off-White and served as the artistic creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear until his passing, all while releasing multiple collaborations with brands like Nike and Ikea.

Born out of the logo-crazed, internet-enthralled fashion of the early

2000s and inspired by his own extensive architectural education, the late designer’s work revolutionized streetwear. Since the launch of his first brand, Pyrex Vision, in 2012, Abloh spent his career crafting collections which emphasized the more formal, structural elements of design while also working to demystify the exclusivity of high-fashion culture and clothing. The absence of his youthful curiosity and penchant for humor is a gap that can never be replaced, and he has definitely set a standard for changemakers for years

to come.

Born in 1980 to Ghanaian immigrant parents, Abloh studied engineering and architecture in college and graduate school, equipping him with his notoriously nontraditional approach to clothing design. It was around this time that he met Ye (formerly Kanye West) while working at a Chicago print shop. They interned together at the Rome office of Fendi in 2009, which marked the start of a long, collaborative friendship.

In 2011, Abloh started his own gallery in Chicago. There, he served as

the artistic director for Jay-Z and Ye’s album Watch the Throne, and later founded Pyrex Vision. Here, Abloh’s design tendencies first started to take shape as he began printing Caravaggio paintings, the word Pyrex, and the number 23 — an homage to Michael Jordan, his childhood hero — onto deadstock Ralph Lauren hoodies he purchased for $40 each and selling them for $550 each. It was the start of streetwear being married to “high art,” hybridizing seemingly opposite worlds.

See Artistic, page 13

Campus Music Venues Face Booking Obstacles During Pandemic Raghav Raj In contrast to the empty stages that defined so much of Oberlin’s live music scene during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this fall semester has brought the tradition of live performances back to campus. Despite recent full-capacity concerts at beloved College venues like the Cat in the Cream and the ’Sco, the return of live music hasn’t been without obstacles.

For the students who work at and promote these venues, the process of bringing musical acts to Oberlin has been riddled with hurdles. Especially given the uptick in COVID-19 cases on campus in recent weeks, strict adherence to the College’s ObieSafe policies is a challenge that promoters have had to work through while reaching out to artists and their management.

One of those promoters is College third-year Tali Braun. Braun, who has been working at the ’Sco since June, describes her booking job as something that’s constantly changing in order to anticipate and respond to OberSee Going, page 12

10

As live music returns to Oberlin venues with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions, bookers at both the ’Sco and the Cat in the Cream struggle to bring musicians willing to comply with the College’s COVID-19 protocols.

Courtesy of Khadijah Halliday

Chabad at Oberlin Hosts First-Ever Dreidel Tournament Maeve Woltring Arts & Culture Editor This semester marks a rare alignment; all eight nights of Hanukkah will occur while school is in session.

On Nov. 28, Chabad at Oberlin Co-Director Rabbi Shlomo Elkan decided to kick off the holiday with something new: a March- Madness-style dreidel tournament. Around 75 students participated in the event, and President Carmen Twillie Ambar made an appearance as guest referee.

“Since President Ambar has been here, we’ve always celebrated the first night of Hanukkah together or with Chabad student group,” Rabbi Shlomo said. “It was a great turnout. I think it was perfect timing. …

We’ve been doing events every night for our Hanukkah, but that kicked us off in a really beautiful way.”

While the event was all in good fun, the tournament inevitably got competitive. College second-year Ruby Kopel entered the event with modest prospects and left the victorious underdog.

“I was pretty sure I was gonna lose in the first round,” Kopel said. “I just didn’t really think I would go anywhere. I just decided to do it ’cause I was like, ‘I’m here,’ but I didn’t think I was going to win. I had no major plans to win. It just happened.”

Looking forward, Rabbi Shlomo has a slew of Hanukkah activities

planned to round out the holiday.

Rabbi Shlomo and Devorah Elkan have been serving the Jewish community as co-directors of Chabad at Oberlin for 11 years, and created the tournament with the hopes of offering the Oberlin Jewish community a chance to celebrate Hanukkah and enjoy a night of fried food, fire dancing, and fun.

“Every night we’re doing something different,” Rabbi Shlomo said.

In the nights following the dreidel tournament, Chabad at Oberlin served homemade kosher Frosties and french fries; hosted a Hanukkah ‘around the world’ celebration with different Hanukkah treats from Morocco, Yemen, and France; brought people together to make their own donuts; and built lego dreidels. On Friday night, the community will have a typical Hanukkah celebration.

“Saturday night is Havdalah, which marks the end of our Sabbath,” Rabbi Shlomo said. “And then Sunday is our big main event, which is on Tappan Square. It’s called ‘Torches on Tappan,’ where we illuminate a large, nine-foot menorah. That’s being lit by the new Dean of Students and eight faculty members — each one lighting a candle. And then we have a fire juggler and latkes and donuts and a really good time.”

Photos by Hadassah Elkan

Oberlin Shansi Opens 2022 In-Asia Applications Erika Scharf Oberlin Shansi, a cultural exchange program between Oberlin College and universities and non-governmental organizations in Asia, has a rich history in the College. It has connected students with international research opportunities for over 100 years. The association, founded by an Oberlin graduate in 1908, aims to build cross-cultural understanding while providing various experiences for Oberlin graduates. After the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the program’s capacity to send students abroad, vaccinated Oberlin students can now look forward to the reinstated opportunity to apply for in-Asia grants. For current fourth-years, the reintroduction of the international aspect of the program offers inspiration for post-graduation plans.

Shansi offers a variety of different programs for its fellows, including volunteer-based work, teaching English language courses abroad, and designing programs uniquely tailored for each fellow.

Gavin Tritt, executive director of Oberlin Shansi since 2013, said that the program, at its core, is about cultural understanding and exchange.

“The mission from the beginning until now has been about mutual exchange,” Tritt said. “To me, and to many of our alums, Shansi is about trying to build bridges between the Oberlin campus and community and our partners in Asia, and produce enriching, mutually-exchanged experiences for both Oberlin students and recent graduates and our partner institutions and communities in Asia.”

Shansi’s current programs include on-campus program grants and in-Asia grants that aim to financially support undergraduate research in Asia, as well as the Visiting Scholars program and the Shansi Distinguished Lecture series. Most notable, however, is the popular two-year Shansi Fellowship in which Oberlin graduates live and work The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

in an Asian country partnered with the program.

The fellowship program is designed not only to enhance the student’s academic pursuits, career opportunities, and life experiences, but also to benefit the partners involved.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers, OC ’07, completed a postgraduate fellowship in China, an experience that informed a significant portion of their first book of poetry, Chord Box. “A two-year fellowship (unlike some fellowships, such as Fulbright, which usually last only a year) is enough time to get rooted in a place and build a community,” Rogers wrote in a message to the Review. “China is a very communal place, and I had a wonderful circle of people in Taigu, the university town where I was living. There was no larger expatriate culture in Taigu at that time, so my cultural experience was pretty immersive. My co-fellows and I were integrated into our larger community, living alongside the people we were working with and teaching. I made close Chinese friends, and the closeness and honesty in those friendships made real cultural exchange possible.”

For Rogers, the breadth of interpersonal growth they underwent during this time would’ve been ultimately inconceivable to them prior to their experience with Shansi.

“By the time I left China — having lived and been so deeply immersed there and also having traveled to a number of other countries in Asia during my fellowship — I also felt that my worldview had been forever altered, widened in ways I couldn’t have even imagined before,” Rogers wrote.

Former Shansi fellow Sydney Allen, OC ’19, now living and working in Bali, Indonesia, explained why the program is so important to her.

“Shansi really works with the partner sites to make sure everyone gets the most out of the relationship, makes sure needs are being met, and that

we are doing something important and tangible in the community,” Allen said. “It was a very dualistic relationship.”

Shansi is its own program, uniquely positioned as a separate entity from Oberlin College, and yet it is still intertwined with the College in terms of its mission and goals.

“We have a separate tax status with the IRS, we have our own Board of Trustees, but functionally and mission-wise we are closely integrated with the College,” Tritt said. “Shansi supports different initiatives on campus, like the Asian American Pacific Islander Experience Grant program, student groups, and departments.”

Shansi fellowships are not limited to only students with an Asian background, or even students who have a major or concentration in Asian studies. In fact, the program welcomes students of all majors and areas of study to participate in the program.

“Shansi has always been about the entire Oberlin community,” Tritt said. “We try to be really explicit and clear that the opportunities we provide are for any Oberlin College or Conservatory student.

We’ve had students from all sorts of majors from all sorts of backgrounds.”

“It’s important, especially now, to be able to work in an international workplace with various cultures,” Allen said. “Those skills of learning how to navigate the awkward culture or language differences and being able to adapt to a longstanding unknown can be incredible and useful for whatever career path you choose.”

Allen now works at the international news agency Global Voices and has become proficient in Indonesia’s official language, Bahasa.

Shansi is currently accepting applications from graduating students for the upcoming summer.

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A r t s & C u lt u r e

Reading Recommendations from Review Staff As students look ahead to a long-awaited and much-needed break, a few members of the Review staff have compiled a collection of their favorite books. We encourage you to get cozy with these five reads over the holidays.

The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move by Sonia Shah, OC ’90 The Next Great Migration, by science journalist and Oberlin alumna Sonia Shah, masterfully reframes the so-called current migration crisis as a potential solution to the ongoing and ever-worsening — not to mention aptly dubbed — climate crisis. From reverent descriptions of scientists who study the changing migrations

Published in April 2021, Michelle Zauner’s memoir, Crying in H Mart, offers insightful reflections on grief, identity, and belonging.

of checkerspot butterflies, to those of immigrants who heroically cross the dense and deadly jungle of the Darien Gap, to the classical thinkers who have shaped the discourse on nativity and invasion, Shah’s words flow beautifully and challenge our society’s conditioned assumptions about migration. (Disclaimer: Shah is my mother, but this book rules!)

–Kush Bulmer, News Editor Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner Released in the spring of 2021, Crying in H Mart is the debut memoir by songwriter, essayist, and Japanese Breakfast lead vocalist Michelle Zauner. Following the death of her mother, Zauner reflects on growing up in one of the few Asian-American families in Eugene, Oregon, in the 1980s and ’90s. The book examines her fraught relationship with her late mother and her disconnection from her Korean-American heritage as a result of her passing. In this deeply profound, insightful memoir, the reader sees Zauner reckon with selfhood as she sifts through hazy memories of painful adolescence, moments of vulnerability as her mother neared death, and formative family recipes.

Brimming with emotional resonance and humor, Crying in H Mart offers a radiantly honest meditation on living with loss.

–Lilyanna D’Amato, Arts Editor The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio In her novel The Undocumented Americans, writer and DACA recipient Karla Cornejo Villavicencio follows the lives of several undocumented Americans, from workers on the post-9/11 cleanup to residents dealing

with environmental racism in Flint, MI. Each story she tells is deeply intertwined with her own, as she balances her journalistic duties with her empathy toward and involvement in her subjects’ lives, which ultimately paints a more holistic picture of each person she features. Cornejo Villavicencio’s book captures a range of emotions, from joy to rage, that makes every page of this book worth reading.”

–Ella Moxley, News Editor Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man by Thomas Page McBee Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man is a memoir by Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, about his journey in training for a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden.

In this process, he struggles to find “what makes a man,” and explores the relationship between masculinity and violence. McBee speaks insightfully about the nuances of American masculinity and seeks to understand why men fight. In a society where men’s sports are often viewed as violent and as cultivating a culture where men cannot share their feelings, McBee offers a reflection on what it means to be a man and the broader dynamics of masculinity.

–Zoë Martin del Campo, Sports Editor The Monster Enters: COVID-19, Avian Flu and the Plagues of Capitalism

by Mike Davis Activist and author Mike Davis revisits his earlier book The Monster at Our Door to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in his 2020 book The Monster Enters. Davis writes an accessible and alarming account

Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man follows Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, as he struggles to answer the question, “What sort of man should I be?” of the incidents that lead up to the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the series of zoonotic influenza outbreaks that have occurred in the last 20 years. This read is not for the faint of heart; Davis shares an unspoken history of assisted disease evolution and sheds light on the disturbing and often lethal consequences of global capitalism, but his book offers some much-needed context on our current circumstances. This book is perfect for any Obie hoping to get angry, fit in with their friends, and spur their communist awakening.

–Katie Kunka, Production Manager

’Sco and Cat Staffers Talk Booking Artists During COVID-19 Continued from page 10 lin’s guidelines.

“Booking for the ’Sco is one of those things that’s evolved so much, even just from when I started working to now,” Braun said. “When I was first getting into my job, we didn’t even have much funding for bringing in artists. … When we reopened Splitchers somewhere around the third week of June, there wasn’t an indoor mask mandate. … By the time we held Angel Ultra Fest in the beginning of August, everyone was wearing masks inside again.”

This fluctuation in mask policies is an ordeal that College third-year Emelia Duserick, who has been working at the Cat in the Cream since July, has become accustomed to. And while these policies haven’t prevented Duserick from booking multiple shows this semester (including Squirrel Flower in October and Grace Ives, who will play at the Cat in the Cream this Friday at 8 p.m.), they are a source of discomfort in negotiations.

“Honestly, it does affect us in terms of having to let artists know that they do have to wear a mask,” Duserick said. “I don’t think we’ve lost anyone because of that, but it does impact the ways we’re communicating with artists and their management, because it’s not something you enjoy having to

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tell an artist, you know? When we’re trying to get them to perform here, they usually don’t really want to hear that stuff.”

At the ’Sco, frequent changes in mask policy have also created several challenges for promoters trying to book acts to perform. Braun described an instance where an Oberlin mask policy requiring all performers, including singers, to be masked at all times while playing indoors nearly jeopardized a potential gig that she had booked.

“We were moving along with the planning and the contracts, and at one point I had to mention the fact that, as of that moment, artists had to be performing with masks if they were indoors,” Braun said. “Originally, the concert didn’t work out because the manager was like, ‘Sorry, I don’t think that’s going to be possible; the artist doesn’t want to wear a mask while performing,’ which was really just a bummer.”

Despite this, the artist, Kari Faux, ended up performing at the ’Sco in early November, once Oberlin relaxed mask mandates for those performing in front of an audience, as long as they were vaccinated and at least six feet away from the audience.

Alongside the mask policies, something else that Duserick cited as an

obstacle with live shows is the limited ability to sell drinks and snacks to bring in revenue. The issue of finances, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has impacted live music at an immense scale, and it’s an issue that a lot of bookers at Oberlin are having to deal with as they attempt to revive the College’s live music scene.

One of those promoters is College fourth-year Shanthini Ode. Ode, who booked Shannon & The Clams in October, was hired by the ’Sco in 2019.

She has a firsthand understanding of the ways in which the pandemic has reshaped artists’ expectations.

“Artists these days are definitely asking for a lot more to play colleges — sometimes double the price,” Ode said. “It makes sense, since they basically couldn’t tour for over a year, but it means that it’s harder for us to negotiate down prices. Funding from the College has changed, too, since the [Student Finance Committee] has changed how they’re budgeting for live acts, so it’s essentially a lot that the ’Sco has to work around.”

For the Cat in the Cream, the biggest financial setback has been their inability to serve their signature ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies. For most of the fall semester, the Cat in the Cream hasn’t sold food or drinks during

shows. This change has been difficult for the venue. As Duserick explained, the Cat in the Cream hasn’t been able to earn the sort of money that it was earning in the pre-pandemic era, and that has also changed the experience of going to a show.

“One of the main things about the Cat, what makes it such a unique venue, is that it’s basically like a coffee shop during concerts,” Duserick said.

“I’ve had people come up while I’ve been working, and ask me if they can get a drink or a Cat cookie, and because we’re not selling anything we have to apologize and say no to them, which is kind of sad to me because that’s what the Cat is known for.”

Despite this, Duserick remains optimistic for the future.

“Even though we’re not selling food or drinks during the show, last night when we had Slow Pulp at the Cat, our workers spent the show baking cookies so that we could sell cookies while everyone was clearing out at the end of the concert,” Duserick said. “It just shows how everybody is so dedicated to the Cat and ensuring that it succeeds and that we keep those traditions alive, that I think the Cat is in really good hands. I think we will build back in a way that’s better than before.”

Student Band Boxed Whine Opens for Indie Group Slow Pulp

Cat in the Cream hosted indie rock band Slow Pulp and student band Boxed Whine on Monday, Nov. 29.

Courtesy of Khadijah Halliday Sydney Rosensaft Senior Staff Writer On Monday, Nov. 29, the Cat in the Cream hosted indie rock band Slow Pulp with an opening performance from Oberlin student band Boxed Whine.

Hoping to increase event turnout and revitalize the campus music scene, the Cat is making a concerted effort to showcase more student talent at their performances.

College third-year, Hillel Hinton-Williams is a manager and booker at the Cat. Over the summer, Hinton-Williams learned an effective strategy for boosting event attendance: use student bands as a magnet for additional friends and attendees. His method worked again on Monday, drawing around 160 concertgoers, nearly double the average usual turnout.

“I wanted to have a student opener so we could make sure we get a bigger crowd to come in,” Hinton-Williams said. “Everyone is aware of the student bands that are playing. They have friends and groups that they invite.”

This Monday’s matchup of Slow Pulp and Boxed Whine fell into place naturally. Months ago, Slow Pulp’s agent reached out to Hinton-Williams about playing at Oberlin. Hinton-Williams had seen Boxed Whine perform and was eager to bring them to the Cat, so he offered the group the opportunity to open for Slow Pulp. For most of the band’s mem-

bers, it was their first chance to share the stage with a professional band.

Jeanne Hill, College fourth-year and lead singer of Boxed Whine, was thrilled about this gig.

“I had never opened for a professional band before, so this was a pretty exciting opportunity, especially because I had already been a fan of their music,” Hill said.

Eamon McKeon, College fourth-year and lead guitarist of Boxed Whine, also excitedly anticipated the set. He especially appreciated meeting Slow Pulp’s band members — all musicians around his age who have dedicated their lives to their band.

At first, he was intimidated by the prospect of performing alongside a professional group, but felt comfortable as soon as the show began.

“It felt really cool to have that sense of a partnership with another band,” McKeon said. “It was very humanizing to be like, at the end of the day, we’re all just people.”

While the event was headlined by a professional band, the show equally highlighted the student group. After a year and a half of restrictions, excitement to see student performers again has grown around campus. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, McKeon has noticed a shift from his first year. Come graduation this June, there may be just a handful of bands remaining.

The Cat is working to avoid this predicted absence. As one of Oberlin’s key performance spaces,

it has a strong musical influence on campus. Managers are actively drawing in more student bands and helping to boost awareness of these bands around campus.

“There’s a conscious effort to get younger student performers inside the Cat in the Cream,” Hinton-Williams said.

In the hopes of promoting student bands, the Cat is hosting a “Battle of the Bands” from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 11. Students can register their band to compete in a campus-wide musical competition in front of a live audience.

Student bands gain traction by performing in student spaces and rely on peer support to get their names out. Hinton-Williams is fighting for the student music presence on campus to return, something he was only able to experience for one semester during his first year. Hill is focused on encouraging everyone to participate in campus music culture, bringing other students into rehearsal spaces and house shows in an effort to show them how welcoming and supportive the scene is.

By performing in student spaces, Boxed Whine hopes to act as a role model for younger students.

“I want to see more music on this campus,” Hill said. “I hope that after this show, first-, second- and third-years feel comfortable approaching us and talking about the Oberlin music scene — if I knew of any younger bands, I would totally hit them up to play at my house!”

Artistic Director and Designer Virgil Abloh Dies Sunday Continued from page 10 In 2013, Abloh founded his second and most recognizable brand, Off-White. Here, Abloh trademarked his signature aesthetics — the quotation marks, zip ties, and barricade tape. Irony was essential, executed through reworking the meaning of images or words by placing them next to contrasting ones or using quotation marks to imply self-awareness.

These aesthetic and ideological principles were made even more apparent in his 2017 collaboration with Nike, “The Ten,” where he was asked to rework the brand’s ten most iconic shoes. Some models were made inside out; holes were cut in random spots; the classic “Swoosh” logo was lowered so that it fell over the shoe’s rubber sole; and the sides of soles were labeled with a capitalized, quotation-

The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

marked, “AIR,” alluding to the alleged air bubbles inside the base of Air Jordans. The collection was probably the biggest drop in the 2010s and still has new iterations coming out today.

In 2018, Abloh was named artistic director of Louis Vuitton Menswear, becoming only the third Black man to lead a major French fashion house.

This was a major decision not only because it broke racial barriers, but also because it changed the meaning of luxury fashion itself. The appointment was the final step towards the complete marriage of streetwear and luxury — the man in charge of the most popular streetwear brand in the world was now also the head of the most popular luxury brand in the world. His subsequent collections brought a new modern take to the

heritage of the fashion house, bringing in cultural figures such as Kid Cudi, Dev Hynes, and Saul Willams as models. A year later, he had a collaboration with Ikea and opened his own exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Abloh’s work was not without controversy. His rejection of “original” ideas and emphasis on referencing others’ works led to many accusations of him stealing designs from younger artists who couldn’t protect themselves and shamelessly copying other famous designers. His comments on the lootings that occured at Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 and on his measly bail fund donation were surprisingly unaware for an artist so intent on introspection and reflection. Nev-

ertheless, the impact he made in such a short amount of time is undeniable.

His designs went beyond clothing — they were identity signifiers that recontextualized art, music, and philosophy, creating a new cultural currency. He made the fashion industry much more accessible by bringing his community with him into the exclusive halls of Paris Fashion Week. Louis Vuitton honored the late designer by carrying on with the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2022 Menswear show two days after his death this past Tuesday, ending it with a recording of Abloh himself saying, “There’s no limit. … Life is so short that you can’t waste even a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do versus knowing what you can do.”

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S p or t s

Local Soccer Culture Values Diversity, Passion for Sport

Oberlin High School soccer alumni team poses before their 2019 game.

John Elrod Contributing Sports Editor If you step on the field of a local youth, high school, or pickup soccer game in Oberlin, you will see unmatched passion and respect for the game. This would not have been the case 50 years ago, since soccer’s roots in Oberlin are fairly new compared to other sports’. Basketball, for example, has played a central role in Oberlin’s culture for a longer time, and there are unfading local traditions surrounding it. However, over the last few decades, Oberlin has embraced soccer and continues to form a rich culture around the sport through foreign influence, inclusivity, and passion for competition.

Meiraff Meshesha grew up in Oberlin in the ’70s and ’80s and says at that time, soccer was a second-tier sport compared to football, baseball, and basketball; there was little television coverage of the sport across the United States. However, it was around this time that kids in Oberlin began to explore the game.

Meshesha moved to Oberlin in 1978 when he was two years old with his parents, who immigrated from Ethiopia.

He was introduced to soccer through local recreational teams which were mostly coached by parents who had little soccer knowledge but cared about giving kids a chance to exercise and be a part of a team. To advance his soccer skills, Meshesha and his group of soccer-loving friends began playing at local fields with Oberlin College players who came from all parts of the world.

“Everything was there — the different styles of play, different attitudes about play,” Meshesha said. “And we learned all these different techniques to do different things. We completely fell in love with it. We were immersed in a ‘world soccer’ culture.”

Meshesha described playing informal games at Hales

Courtesy of John Carter

Gymnasium, Philips gym, and under the streetlights of Harkness Bowl during his childhood. When he was in high school, Meshesha and his friends’ dedication to soccer led to an opportunity to play on teams that traveled to Europe during summers after showing their skills at a local camp.

Meshesha believes the experience was essential to bringing a high level of soccer back to Oberlin, and the Oberlin High School team he played on benefited.

“People thought we were a little bit crazy, but they also saw that we were playing at a slightly different level, and it inspired some of the other players,” Meshesha said.

In addition to gaining experience playing at a high levels of competition, Meshesha believes access to watching the highest levels of soccer can help improve a player’s skills.

He mentioned the presence of YouTube and the televising of European professional leagues as tools for young soccer players.

Liam McMillin, OC ’17 who grew up in Oberlin and played on the OHS team, echoed Meshesha’s ideas about international soccer’s influence on Oberlin through popular media. McMillin recalled playing early versions of FIFA and how he and his friends would style their play from their favorite players in the video game in the early 2000s.

After graduating high school, McMillin found ways to stay connected to the soccer scene in Oberlin. He served briefly as an assistant coach when he was a student at the College and stayed connected in other ways. One of McMillin’s favorite Oberlin soccer traditions is the alumni game, a matchup between the OHS varsity team and OHS alumni from any year. McMillin and Meshesha both spoke about this annual event.

“Something I remember from my first time playing as an alum was the way the other alumni thought about the game and changed the game,” McMillin said. “For the most part, people were there to help the [OHS] team get better.”

McMillin recalled Meshesha’s participation in alumni games and how he would always take the opportunity to turn plays into teaching moments for the OHS players.

Meshesha remarked that the alumni have seen strong OHS teams at alumni games over the years since he graduated in 1994.

“We came back for alumni games where teams that we played were solid,” Meshesha said. “We saw players that played as a team — where everyone was developed enough to hold a quality of play and competitiveness.”

Members of Oberlin’s soccer community have also stayed connected through informal competitions.

Meshesha, who now coaches in Los Angeles, organized pick-up soccer for many years in Oberlin.

“I could never not organize ball,” Meshesha said. “I had to play. I have been doing that since 1994. Wherever I go, I advocate for some sort of pick-up.”

McMillin, who now studies law in Cincinnati, had also been a part of this pick-up group for several years.

“Close to 30 or 40 people would come out pretty regularly,” McMillin said. “It was a mix of young players and some older folks. It was a wide range of backgrounds.

Sometimes I played with people who I didn’t share any language with but could communicate with in soccer terms.”

This idea of inclusivity and diversity appears to be a central part of Oberlin’s soccer culture.

Janae Johnson, a second-year soccer player at Westminster College, had an illustrious career for the OHS girls’ varsity team and grew up playing soccer in the town on both girls’ and boys’ teams.

“Playing for Oberlin teams allowed me to build relationships with people that I could also spend time with outside of soccer,” Johnson said. “A lot of my teammates became more than just my teammates.”

She also noted the feeling of inclusivity in Oberlin’s soccer culture when she played on boys’ teams.

“Over about 10 years of playing with different boys’ teams in Oberlin, I never felt like I was treated any differently by my teammates or coaches,” Johnson said. “I also think that the inclusivity is unique because I don’t remember seeing many other girls playing with the boys’ teams we faced.”

In addition to a culture of gender inclusivity, there are shifts in racial and economic diversity within Oberlin’s soccer teams. McMillin, who said that he played on mostly white OHS teams a decade ago, feels he has seen these changes in the years since graduating.

“Soccer [at OHS] was generally a pretty white sport, and Oberlin is not all that white a town,” McMillin said.

“In terms of the city itself, it’s a very diverse place. Seeing guys come out to play recently who weren’t just College professors’ kids — College professors’ kids playing soccer is such a trope in my mind — is great to see.”

Upcoming Season Yeowomen Ready to Set More Records Looks Promising for Oberlin Track and Field Continued from page 16

Continued from page 15

with a top-50 finish in the conference championship and a top-100 finish in regionals, and will be competing with the distance squad in track.

Among the program’s exciting new faces is Coach Rocco Mitolo, who is replacing John Hepp as the throwing coach. He brings with him a fresh mentality and excellent résumé, which includes coaching a national champion in the women’s hammer throw, three NCAA All-Americans, and 18 University Athletic Association champions in his six-year tenure. Coach Appenheimer is optimistic about this new addition to the coaching staff, knowing Mitolo not only brings a winning attitude, but a persistent attitude.

“Rocco has been amazing,” he wrote. “I was lucky to see Rocco coach and mentor a national champion when he was at Case Western. This was an athlete who was coming back from a serious injury. The skill, patience, and determination Rocco demonstrated at Case Western was a perfect match for our program and he is doing a fantastic job with our throwers.”

With a new member of the coaching staff and huge influences from the first-years, Oberlin track and field looks excitedly toward its first meet of the season set to take place this Saturday.

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was not bad thanks to my teammates,” she wrote. “I will never forget the first time we all played a pick-up game. I remember calling my dad and telling him how excited I was because we were already gelling and we hadn’t even started practice yet.”

Even before the season started, the team was practicing four to five times a week. Second-year and starter on the team Gina Lombard also felt prepared for the season because of the intensity and seriousness of practices. Despite having only played six collegiate games, she was NCAC Player of the Week and was one of five players from across the nation to earn D3Hoops Team of the Week laurels.

“This season we’ve pushed each other every day, and we’re playing at a college level in practice every day,” Lombard said. “The pace is definitely faster in college games, but I was definitely prepared.”

Fourth-year Sammy Spanier added that the team’s on-court connection was translated off the court, even when the team was separated because of the College’s trimester plan.

“Our team has had Zoom meetings consistently to help us connect over the pandemic because not everyone was on campus at the same time last year,” Spanier wrote in an email to the Review. “Our preparation not only focused on connection, but it focused on on-court improvement as well. I think we looked at the pandemic not as time off, but as a unique opportunity to take advantage of and give ourselves an upper hand against our opponents.”

Looking to the rest of the season, the team is focused on becoming even better.

“Our main goal moving forward is to continue to get better every day in order to be the best team we can be by the end of the season,” Spanier wrote. “There are always things we can improve on and we’re making sure that we are focusing on those things within our practices each and every day. We are committed to the process and focused on our growth as a group.”

Woodard asserted that the team wants each game to be an improvement.

“We want to make sure that we don’t settle and push ourselves to keep getting better,” she wrote. “We want each game and practice to be better than the previous one.”

Dunmyer acknowledged that the road to success will not be easy, but the team’s ultimate goal is to compete for a North Coast Athletic Conference championship.

“We want to continue to push our team culture forward, focus on getting better and on being great teammates every day, and continue to do our best to control what we can control,” Dunmyer wrote. “Basketball season is a long one, and we know there will be bumps along the way. How we respond to adversity and how resilient we are will be determining factors in whether or not we are playing our best basketball at the right time of the year (tournament time). Ultimately, we want to continue to grow as a team and put ourselves in a position to compete for an NCAC championship.”

Fourth-Year Men’s Basketball Captain Wolf Moser IN THE LOCKER ROOM

On Nov. 23, College fourth-year and captain of the men’s basketball team Wolf Moser scored a career-high 27 points against Carnegie Mellon University. While on his gap year from 2020–21, he worked on basketball skills and better prepared for his future — securing a job at Cisco Systems.

Despite the fact that the team is currently 2–4, he believes they have the talent to do well this season and will sorely miss playing for the program after his last collegiate season comes to an end this year.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Zoe Kuzbari Sports Editor Congratulations on your game last week, when you scored your career-high of 27 points. Even though you guys lost that game, how did you feel?

It’s always a lot of fun to score, especially when you set a career high record for yourself. The game we played was in Pittsburgh, and that’s where I grew up, so I had a lot of friends and family in the crowd cheering me on.

It was really cool to score that many points and reach a personal best in front of the people who have supported me throughout my entire career. However, I would have much rather won the game, so it was bittersweet.

Fourth-year basketball player Wolf Moser competes on Oberlin’s home court.

I know that you took a gap year from 2020–21 — what did you do with your time off? Were you playing basketball? Was there anything specific you were working on?

During my time off last year, I had a lot of new experiences that were really rewarding. To start, I learned how to trade in the stock market. I also coached Junior Varsity high school basketball, which was fun, and I had an internship over the summer. Of course, while I was home I was also working on basketball. I mostly focused on getting faster and stronger in order to prepare myself for the intense pace of play and to be ready for when I’d return to school.

Your team is 2–4 right now and you’re just now entering conference play. What are some of your strategies going into these more competitive and important games?

These upcoming games are really important to us and to our success, but that doesn’t change much about our strategy. I remember someone once told me: “The bigger the game, the more everything should stay the same.”

The team understands the importance of these games, but it should not change how we play or approach the game. We’re a really good team with a lot of talent, and we definitely have the ability to beat everyone if we play the right way.

As captain of your team this year, what are some of your individual goals? What are your team goals?

I honestly don’t think I have any individual goals.

Because it’s most likely my last year playing basketball, I just want to enjoy the experience and soak it all in as much as possible, especially after not being here last year. Our goals are to win as a team and to win as much as possible. Obviously, a conference championship is the ultimate goal and what all of us want, but we’re taking it day by day.

During your time at Oberlin, have you been involved in any organizations or communities other than athletics?

While at Oberlin, I’ve been involved in Solarity, helping to organize some of its concerts and music events for the College. I also really love to paint and will definitely continue that hobby for as long as possible.

What does your future after college look like?

Last summer, I was an intern for Cisco Systems,

Courtesy of Amanda Phillips

a technology company, and I was recently fortunate enough to receive a job offer to continue working for them after my college career, which I’m excited about.

I would love to continue my basketball career, but as of now I’m going to focus on my job as I enter the corporate world.

What are some of the things that you’ll miss most after your last collegiate season? Who do you think the team will look to in the future for leadership?

I’m definitely going to miss spending time with my teammates. Whether it’s going out to breakfast, hanging out together on the weekends, or joking around on road trips, I’m really going to miss being a part of a family and being surrounded by people who would do anything to see me succeed. I understand I’ll continue to experience different types of teams in life, but nothing will compare to being a part of OC’s basketball program. In terms of future leadership, I think the team will turn to third-year Dorde Otasevic and second-year Dimitrije Radusinovic.

Their experience and their work ethic is truly a great example to follow. But overall, everyone on this team has proven they can be a leader when it’s needed, so there’s nothing to worry about in the upcoming years.

Preview of Oberlin Track and Field’s Upcoming Season River Schiff Senior Staff Writer On Dec. 4, the indoor track and field team will compete against Case Western Reserve University in its first meet of the season. After finishing in fifth place in the North Coast Athletic Conference cross country standings, the team looks to keep its upward momentum and reaffirm past successes as the track and field season approaches.

The Yeowomen have historically been a force to be reckoned with, having earned three NCAC titles in both indoor and outdoor track and field during the 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19 seasons. But with the team’s season put on pause due to COVID-19, only the fourth-years on the team have experienced an NCAC championship.

Director of Track and Field and cross country Ray Appenheimer spoke about the impact of fourth-years on the future of the program that once dominated the conference.

“I think our seniors do a great job of not only conveying the habits and mindset it takes to win on and off the track but living it every day as well,” he wrote in an email to the Review. “They are amazing examples to the younger members of the team of what being successful on the track, in the classroom, and throughout their lives at Oberlin can look like.”

Fourth-year Phoebe von Conta, one of the team members who was a part of the successes of the 2018–19 season, was recently awarded Second Team All-Conference Honors this past cross country season.

“Coming into this next season, I’m excited to see our team continue that legacy of strong competition and hard The Oberlin Review | December 3, 2021

work,” she wrote in an email to the Review. “[The energy of past champions] carries through us, and I can’t wait to see what we do with it. I’m looking forward to the opportunities to share that with the younger generations of the team.”

Although the track program has experienced the loss of powerhouses Adriano Atallah, OC ’21, who was an AllRegion select during their fourth-year spring semester in 2021, the program has a bright future ahead with successful younger members of the team. Five first-year athletes from both the men’s and women’s teams competed this past cross country season in the conference championship, and two competed in regionals.

“We’re going to be leaning heavily on our younger team members, folks who have never had a proper collegiate season,” Appenheimer wrote. “It was awesome to see these people rise to the challenge in cross country. There really seems to be an appetite for challenges with our firstand second-years. They have bought into who we are and what we are trying to accomplish so quickly, and seeing how they push, challenge, and support our upper class folks, makes me really excited for what’s to come.”

The first- and second-year classes bring a fresh perspective, with a tenacity to win at the next level. Second-year Eliza Medearis looks to her first track season with hope and drive, fueled by the support of her teammates.

“This team has pretty big shoes to fill, but I think everyone is hungry to compete after so long,” Medearis wrote.

“There’s so much positive energy on the team that I’m sure we’ll be able to secure a conference championship.”

Medearis had a strong cross country season, ending See Upcoming, page 14

Fourth-year Clare Tiedemann competes during the spring 2021 season.

Photo courtesy of GoYeo

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December 3, 2021

SPORTS Established 1874

Rookie Athletes Shine in Oberlin Invitational

Volume 151, Number 7

Women’s Basketball Dominates Season So Far

Second-year point guard Gina Lombard competes against Muskingum University on Nov. 23.

Courtesy of Amanda Phillips

Zoë Martin del Campo Contributing Sports Editor

A student dives during the Oberlin Swim Invitational.

Kayla Kim While most of campus was cramming for midterms and preparing for Thanksgiving break, the Oberlin swimming and diving team spent Nov. 18–20 competing against ten other colleges at the Oberlin Invitational.

The Yeowomen rose to the occasion with a first-place finish overall after a close loss to Ashland University two weeks before. First-year Bella Sites earned fourth place in the 200-yard backstroke, while clocking the ninth-fastest time in school history: 2:13.89.

Ava Peyton, a first-year specializing in backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle, was proud of her first-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:00:53.

“I had a close race with someone I tied with in [preliminaries],” Peyton said. “I was so nervous before the race, but cheering on my teammates and being in the positive atmosphere on deck helped me feel prepared and confident.”

After already securing a top-10 time in program history in the event, Peyton is hoping to break the school record of 58.29 seconds later this season.

Third-year and first-time diving competitor Lucas Draper took a fifth-place overall finish in diving. He originally swam for Oberlin as a first-year but began diving in the 2020–21 season, which was entirely virtual. Draper hopes to continue achieving personal goals.

“I want to be able to learn more dives on 1-meter before conference championships to score better,” Draper said. “Obviously, I want to keep improving my technique, … and I also want to learn dives on the 3-meter to begin to compete in another event.”

While the first-years have certainly contributed a lot to the team’s success, Aquatic Director and Head Swimming and Diving Coach Alex de la Peña knows they couldn’t do it without a strong set of values in training.

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Courtesy of Amanda Phillips

“Our core values as a program are cohesiveness, hard work, accountability, and resiliency, and they work hard each day to keep those in focus for themselves and their teammates,” de la Peña said.

In addition to their rigorous training, Peyton feels there is a strong team atmosphere that improves everyone’s performance.

“My teammates are some of my best friends on campus and I’m so grateful for them,” Peyton said.

“The first-year swimmers are super friendly, and I feel comfortable with them, especially because of the few weeks we spent together before classes started.

They’re great at checking in during practice and meets and supporting me if I’m having a hard day. It’s a fun, inclusive, and challenging environment.”

Coach de la Peña highlights the importance of the role the captains play on the team.

“With such a young team, their leadership is critically important to our success and we are very lucky to have [fourth-years] Rachel Maxwell, Kate Raphaely, Richard Ellis, and Jonathan Hupfeld in those positions,” de la Peña said. “They have been through the ups and downs of rebuilding this program and are happy to see their hard work paying off.”

For the rest of the season, Coach de la Peña hopes to win as many meets as possible before competing in the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships in February. Specifically, he hopes to win on the women’s squad and place in the top three on the men’s side. However, win or lose, de la Peña emphasizes the team’s culture and attitude above all else.

“The goal as a team was simple … have fun and swim fast,” de la Peña said. “We wanted 100 percent season-best times and as many lifetime-best swims as possible. We also continue to work hard sticking to our core values and strengthening the overall team culture.”

The team hopes to continue their momentum in the next meet against John Carroll University on Dec. 17.

With six wins under their belt, the Oberlin women’s basketball team has broken school records, starting the season 6–0 and 1–0 in conference play. It is no accident that the season is off to a fantastic start, as the team has worked tirelessly to build a competitive and supportive atmosphere since their last season in 2019–20. Before the season began, the women’s basketball team was expected to place fifth in the conference, an expectation they have surpassed as they are now seeded second.

“It feels great having that record, it is more than we could ever hope for,” wrote Alyson Jefferson, a second-year guard for the team, in an email to the Review.

“We were picked to be number five in the conference, and we are beating those odds, which is amazing for us.”

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Stephany Dunmyer attributes some of the success to the team’s sense of purpose. When the team competed against Alma College on Nov. 9, it had been 623 days since the Yeowomen had been in competition.

Dunmyer says that the team’s preparation and mindset last year was a little different without competitive games, but its sense of purpose was the same: to push the team culture forward and to be a truly connected group on and off the court.

“This season, we have focused on a lot of the same things, but our practices have been centered around team strategies and play and not as much on individual reps and skill development,” Dunmyer wrote in an email to the Review. “With games in the mix, we also place a big emphasis on learning and preparing by watching film — both on our team and our opponents during scouting reports.”

For first-year starter Bry Woodard, preparation began prior to when she was an inseason collegiate athlete with players focusing on how to come together as a young team.

“Preparation was crucial this season even before we stepped foot on campus,” Woodward wrote in an email to the Review. “Once we got here, our practices were learning-focused as we were a team of mostly underclassmen, so it was a lot of teaching and learning. Our mindset going in was to work. Still, to this day, our goal is to simply outwork whoever our opponent is for the time that we are playing.”

For more than half the team, this is their first collegiate season of basketball, making the team’s success even more impressive. Despite this, Woodard believes the transition to collegiate athletics was not difficult because of the support she received from her teammates. She fondly remembers her first pickup game with the team.

“The transition from high school ball to college ball See Yeowomen, page 14