Pennsylvania’s Elections Matter — Yes, Even in Oberlin

SLAC Talk Addresses College’s Financial Situation

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.

Comic: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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

Malcolm Seymour-Jones

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 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.

Regaining Inspiration to Make Music

Reginald Goudeau Columnist

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.

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 like the first snow, I like hot chocolate, I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.” – Claire Brinley, Production Editor “I appreciate that it’s culturally acceptable to make every meal a soup.” – Eric Schank, 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 “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

The Genuine Appreciation

“My co-op (Harkness) and the community, laughter, and delicious food it brings.” – Annabelle Tolley, College third-year

“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

The S.A.D.s

“Winter’s the time to sleep.” “When it gets cold enough to switch from iced chais to hot chais at Slow Train. I made that switch last week.”

– 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 – 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!” – 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

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

– Ella Moxley, News Editor