Insufficient College COVID Testing Causes Students to Turn to Community Resources

Continued from page 1 and she invited me to her house and she spoke about what it would mean to work here. It was very important to hear from her because she was, at that point, the only woman of color in the English department and she herself had come here the year before. She had come on a visiting professor position and the students petitioned the College and they got her hired on a tenure track position.”

Novelist Zoe Zolbrod, OC ’90, commemorated hooks’ death in a Facebook post in which she described her experiences with hooks during her time at Oberlin.

“[I] took Black Woman Writers with bell hooks at Oberlin in 1989,” she wrote. “She lit the room with a crackling light. … We read Morrison, Larsen, Shange. Over the years, moments from that class have returned to me repeatedly. What a profound impact she has had and will continue to have.”

Needham explained that, along with prolific and groundbreaking writing — which was her main pursuit — hooks was also an engaging public speaker, a good friend, and an attentive teacher.

“If you look at obituaries and look at the superlatives — well, all obituaries use them,” Needham said. “But I would never say that about Gloria, because it seems like each one of those superlatives belongs with her work. And with how she spoke, how she interacted. I remember her at talks where she would interrupt her talk if she saw someone putting up a hand or expressing something. She had this incredible sort of ability to constantly engage with her audience. … She was teaching people — not just teaching them in terms of knowledge production, but in order to live their lives.”

Johns related her latest experience with hooks’ moving and insightful writing, after expressing gratitude that hooks was able to create the bell hooks Institute at Berea College before her death.

“I’ve just finished reading Belonging: A Culture of Place, which is partly about her return to Kentucky to teach at Berea College and reconnect with her family home, and I was moved again by her unique gift to communicate intimately with readers about complex and meaningful theoretical and social questions,” Johns wrote. “She wrote in the preface: ‘The idea of place, where we belong, is a constant subject for many of us. We want to know whether it is possible to live on the earth peacefully. Is it possible to sustain life? Can we embrace an ethos of sustainability that is not solely about the appropriate care of the world’s resources, but is also about the creation of meaning — the making of lives that we feel are worth living?’”

bell hooks, renowned writer, cultural critic, and former associate professor of English at Oberlin, died this week at the age of 69.

Courtesy of Karjean Levine

Insufficient College COVID-19 Testing Causes Students to Turn to Community Resources

Lauren Krainess Staff Writer

This semester, some students have turned to COVID-19 testing resources offered by Oberlin community providers rather than the College. As a result, community providers such as the Oberlin Public Library have struggled with the increased demand. However, the College maintains that its testing protocols and facilities are adequate and meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Currently, students who are unvaccinated receive weekly tests from Student Health Services. Students who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to COVID-19 are assessed by Student Health to determine if they meet the CDC criteria for a test. Many students who wanted a test due to exposure or other symptoms were told by Student Health they do not qualify, prompting them to seek tests from other sources.

The OPL provides self-administered COVID-19 rapid tests for anyone who requests one on a first-come, first-served basis. Adult Services Team Leader Rebecca Wedge said that the library typically runs out of rapid tests between shipments and cannot provide rapid tests for every person who requests one.

“We run out of them as soon as we get them,” she said. “We can’t keep up.”

Wedge said that the library’s test distribution doubled between September and October and has probably doubled again since then. Though the library does not track whether test recipients are students, Wedge has noticed an increased number of younger individuals she believes to be students receiving tests.

“I don’t think it’s more students than community members, but I definitely noticed an uptick in the number of students accessing them,” Wedge said.

College second-year Aidan Sweney sought out a COVID-19 test from Student Health after an individual in his dining co-op, with whom he had dined in the same room, tested positive for COVID-19. However, according to Sweney, Student Health did not fulfill his request because he had no COVID-19 symptoms and had not spent an extended time unmasked within six feet of the individual who tested positive.

“Everyone’s eating together and cleaning together,” he said. “I would have expected the College to be more concerned.”

Sweney took a self-administered rapid test he received from another coop member that he said he believed had been purchased online. Although he did not attempt to access Oberlin community COVID-19 resources, he heard from other co-op members in similar situations that the OPL and Oberlin CVS were out of COVID-19 rapid tests. Although he said that contacting Student Health had been his first choice to receive a test in this situation, he said that he might be more averse to utilizing Student Health’s COVID-19 resources in the future.

“It’s a lot less likely that I would go straight to the College,” he said.

According to Campus Health Coordinator Katie Gravens, students who are not symptomatic, have not been officially contact-traced by the College, and do not meet CDC definitions of close contact with a COVID-positive individual will not always have access to a Collegeprovided COVID-19 test. Gravens believes these testing protocols fulfill the needs of the College’s current COVID-19 situation.

“There is adequate symptomatic testing,” she said. “I have not gotten reports of any student being tested offcampus. If they are, they must be testing negative because we’re not hearing about it.”

According to Gravens, Oberlin College Chief of Staff David Hertz speaks with the Oberlin City Manager, Rob Hillard, every week and has not received any complaints about Oberlin students accessing community testing resources. However, in October, concerns regarding COVID-19 prompted 12 students to request COVID-19 tests from Mercy Allen Hospital, after which the hospital requested a meeting with Gravens. According to Gravens, Student Health could not handle increased demand for COVID-19 tests, so the College reinstituted Mercy Allen Hospital into Hales Gymnasium to meet demand and alleviate their concerns. Gravens has since confirmed with the hospital that the College has resolved the issue.

“We had a quick meeting,” she said. “I told them how we were addressing [it], and they’ve had no complaints.”

Gravens also said that students might believe they had close contact with an individual who tested positive even if they did not have close contact per CDC guidelines. Although these students may request COVID-19 tests from the College, Gravens said she wants to reserve resources for symptomatic students or for those who meet the CDC definition of close contact.

“The supply is limited, which again is where we say, ‘Let’s keep our resources for students who truly need it,’ because they are identified as symptomatic or a true close contact, as opposed to it being based on fear,” she said.

Gravens emphasized that the College monitors relevant data, maintains contact with public health officials, and follows public health guidelines. So, she wishes that more students would trust the College’s testing protocol.

“I think you have people at Oberlin who truly care about the health and safety of the campus, but we want you to focus on enjoying the experience and we will look at keeping you safe,” she said.

According to Gravens, the College is prepared to adjust testing protocol if it encounters a change in its current COVID-19 situation. However, she says that there is no need for a policy shift right now.

The Oberlin review

Dec. 17, 2021 Volume 151, Number 9 (ISSN 297–256)

Published by the students of Oberlin College every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, except holidays and examination periods. Advertising rates: $18 per column inch. Second-class postage paid at Oberlin, Ohio. Entered as second-class matter at the Oberlin, Ohio post office April 2, 1911. POSTMASTER SEND CHANGES TO: Wilder Box 90, Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1081. Office of Publication: Burton Basement, Oberlin, Ohio 44074. Phone: (440) 775-8123

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Replanting of 126 Trees Underway

Catherine Lee

The College has begun the process of planting 126 trees to replace those that were cut down this summer. This is the final step in the first phase of the $140-million Sustainable Infrastructure Program. In June, 97 trees were removed to allow for the construction of underground distribution pipes.

Campus Energy & Resource Manager for the Office of Environmental Sustainability Joel Baetens says that Oberlin consulted an arborist to help select species of trees that would withstand the Ohio elements and beautify Oberlin’s campus over the next several decades.

“We want a diverse selection of trees resistant to climate change, disease, and pests, and that also have structural integrity and complement campus activity,” Baetens said.

Right now, the roster includes the American larch, bigleaf magnolia, hackberry, Kentucky coffeetree, and basswood. The planting of these trees will likely take several weeks but is currently underway.

College fourth-year and TreeCo instructor Max Bauders looks forward to the introduction of the new trees.

“I think replanting trees will relieve the temporary eyesore of not having any planted there,” Bauders said. “I find them extremely soothing and comforting during periods of high stress.” Photo by Mads Olsen, Photo Editor

Outsourcing Affects Student Health Accessibility

Walter Thomas-Patterson Senior Staff Writer

Since the College’s decision to outsource Student Health Services to University Hospitals Health System, many students have complained about long wait times and a lack of available appointments at Student Health Services. This summer, when the College announced the outsourcing, the College said they would be able to offer expanded hours using the UH resources.

The shift to UH, made in order to meet the increased demand for services due to the pandemic, has led to some students to waiting multiple days to obtain tests and appointments for COVID-19 and other health issues. Student Health is currently searching for an additional registered nurse to help address the large influx of students seeking health care and COVID-19 tests.

“As Oberlin entered a second academic year under the threat of this pandemic, leadership felt that students would be best served and the health and safety of our fully occupied campus best maintained if Student Health was closely affiliated with a major local health care system,” Chief of Staff David Hertz wrote in an email to the Review. “Implementing this transition and meeting the medical needs of our students in the midst of the pandemic has been challenging. … We are discussing the most effective approach to bringing specialists on campus on an intermittent basis, even as we consider how Student Health will play an even larger role in the campus’ response to both the Delta and Omicron variants.”

University Hospitals Administrator Gene Hartman replaced former Medical Director Cristal Tomblin, who was not asked to reapply after her position was terminated during the switch. According to Hartman, the shift has created challenges for UH as they adapt to providing services to the College and an increased student population this fall. Additionally, Hartman stated that the Student Health Center is different from many of the other institutions he serves in his role.

“This is a unique situation for me,” Hartman said. “Most of my offices are physician offices where you have three or four or five doctors with a full staff — they see patients every day. Here, there is a lot unknown because of the nature of the campus, … the school, and the students. … It’s a learning process, and we’re a few months in.”

For College second-year Becca Galbraith, the long wait time for an appointment meant that she was unable to use Student Health Services to get a prescription and instead had to have a roommate pick up generic, overthe-counter medication from a pharmacy.

“I was hoping to schedule an appointment for an ointment prescription, but they said they were all booked,” Galbraith said. “This was on a Friday, and they said their next available appointment was on a Wednesday. What I ended up doing is having my roommate go to CVS and pick up the ointment.”

Galbraith also said that she struggled to get an appointment with the Counseling Center for a psychiatrist, which interfered with her ability to receive adequate health care.

“At the end of October, I went to the front desk and asked how soon I could schedule an appointment,” Galbraith said. “I was told the next available appointment was not until December. I had to wait [over] a month to see a psychiatrist.”

Similarly, College second-year Ben Reider encountered scheduling issues when he was trying to receive COVID-19 testing. Despite multiple requests, he was unable to obtain a COVID-19 test from Student Health even after reporting his symptoms.

“I remember, this was a Tuesday night,” Reider said. “I’m feeling really sick. On Wednesday, I didn’t go to class and went to the Student Health Center and told them I wasn’t feeling well. I asked for a COVID test, but they said they didn’t have any time slots until Friday. Later on Wednesday, in the afternoon, I go to Hales to try to get a COVID test, but they said, ‘No, you’re vaccinated.’”

After unsuccessfully trying to obtain an at-home test from CVS and Walmart, Reider went back to Student Health one last time, but they were still unable to test him. Finally, Reider went to Mercy Allen Hospital, where he tested positive for the flu.

Despite many students reaching out to community resources like Mercy Allen Hospital or the Oberlin Public Library for COVID-19 tests, Hartman emphasized that it was not common for students to be referred outside of the College for testing.

“Without knowing the specifics of that case, I don’t think it’s standard practice for students to be referred to Mercy,” Hartman said.

The limited staff available at Student Health along with the influx of students seeking care has prompted the search for an additional registered nurse.

“We could probably use an additional RN to support our providers here, and they can function at a higher level than a medical assistant,” Hartman said.

Hartman also reiterated that regardless of staffing needs, the Student Health Center is committed to helping students who come in without appointments, even though they do not advertise walk-ins. He emphasized that Student Health employees remain devoted to serving students despite the challenges they’ve been facing.

“I can tell you that [the employees’] compassion for the students on this campus is enormous,” he said.

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021

11:06 a.m. An unknown caller stated that two paper towel holders in a Barrows Hall bathroom had been knocked off the walls and were on the floor. A photograph was taken and custodial staff picked up the broken pieces.

Monday, Dec. 13, 2021

9:08 a.m. Officers and the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at Talcott Hall. Upon entry, they observed a puddle of water on the floor and water dripping from around the smoke detector. Plumbers were on scene working on a leak on the second floor. The alarm was reset when repairs were completed. 3:52 p.m. Facilities staff reported an unauthorized structure built in the rear of an Elmwood Village Housing Unit. The wooden structure had two compartments and there were several items found in one compartment. It is unknown who was responsible for the construction.

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021

8:36 p.m. Officers and Oberlin Fire Department members responded to a fire alarm at a Union Street Housing Unit. The parents of a student resident were cooking steaks. The oil heated too fast, creating a haze and activating the alarm. The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

Faculty Calls for Competitive Pay

Continued from page 1 rectify this, certainly by next year. … If we can’t literally change the policy for a year, [I] personally would hope that in this coming year that the administration would set up some kind of emergency fund for people who are gonna be pushed into tough financial circumstances by the new high deductible plan.”

Still, President Ambar says given the timeline for the change in health care plans, it is unlikely that there will be a change in policy any time soon, especially since discussions about the motion won’t happen until the Board meets several months from now.

“I would never speak for the Board — I think that they will have their own consideration,” President Ambar said. “But what is true is that the transition to the CDHP happens on Jan. 1. And so, that will go forward because that is the timing of that change. And as you could imagine with an organization and an institution that’s large and complex like Oberlin, you wouldn’t be able to totally reshape a new health care framework in less than two weeks. So that will happen on Jan. 1, as was planned.”

Although the Board will be unable to address the specifics of the faculty’s concerns until March, Chair of the Board of Trustees Chris Canavan is aware of the motion and says he shares many of the faculty’s desires.

“I appreciate the concerns raised by the faculty, and I know that the Board shares the goals implicit in this motion, which is to make sure that Oberlin can provide faculty and staff with good health insurance and competitive salaries well into the future,” Canavan wrote in an email to the Review. “The One Oberlin report calls on us to find ways to address ballooning health care costs.”

Despite these commitments to faculty’s wellbeing, some professors point out that the change comes after a particularly difficult few years in the midst of a pandemic and financial uncertainty at Oberlin. Witmer specifically points out that over the last five semesters, faculty members have gone above and beyond to adapt to the difficulties of the three-semester plan, remote teaching, and other challenges generated by the pandemic.

“When the pandemic set in and we had to scramble in the spring of 2020, and then we had to adopt a new academic calendar and people teaching extra courses, people rolled up sleeves and did that because it had to be done,” Witmer said. “We had our retirement contributions suspended for a year, [which] took money out of the pockets of faculty and staff. … We pitched in and did a bunch of extraordinary things to get through a very difficult time. … I think [the Board] is in dangerous territory of going too far in that direction when faculty morale is as low as it is right now.”