Asian Diaspora Coalition Hosts Vigil

Asian Diaspora Coalition Hosts Vigil to Commemorate Atlanta Spa Shootings

Kush Bulmer News Editor Geri Mishra

The Asian Diaspora Coalition held a vigil on Wednesday in honor of the victims of the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, as well as for all people who have been subjected to sexualized anti-Asian discrimination. Co-sponsored by the Filipino American Students Association, the Multicultural Resource Center, Survivors of Sexual Harm and Allies, and the Sexual Information Center, the vigil marked the one-year anniversary of the shootings, which took the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian women. The vigil addressed sexual violence against Asian women amid an exponential rise in anti-Asian hate crimes since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vigil was organized by College third-years and ADC cochairs Maya Yin Fahrer and Haley Sablay and took place on the porch of Wilder Hall. Several speakers addressed the crowd from the top steps of Wilder, expressing their personal experiences and reactions to the shootings. A crowd of students gathered in solidarity and in grief, sitting on the ground below the steps as the speakers spoke intimately of their life experiences as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Following the event, students paid their respects before an altar adorned with oranges, flowers, and incense. Many wrote statements of solidarity and support on the sidewalk. As the stories and experiences elicited grief and memories of similar traumas, members of the congregation followed the main speaking event with a more intimate debrief conversation in a room in Wilder. “It’s 70 degrees out, [and] I think that was like a gift from the Earth saying like, ‘You know, everybody’s sitting out in Wilder, and we’re about to say a bunch of really intense s**t to them,’” Yin Fahrer said. “Maybe it’ll ruin their beautiful sunny day, but it’s ruined so many beautiful sunny days for all of us. And so I think I want them to sit in their discomfort knowing that they’re potentially — and honestly, I would say, are — perpetuating stereotypes that directly cause antiAsian sexualized violence.”

Yin Fahrer expressed that these hateful stereotypes are predicated on the erasure of the Asian experience and representation, especially at Oberlin.

“You get this feeling that either I’m a body or I’m a caricature,” Yin Fahrer said. “And I think that’s where it comes in most at Oberlin. I want people to realize that they are not as woke as they think they are. … I want people to hear what we say and realize that they have no idea that we were dealing with this, reckon with that, and realize that they’ve had no Asian-American or Asian global history education about U.S. imperialism, and know how that affects how they see us.”

College fourth-year Lea WatkinsChow felt empowered by the community surrounding her at the vigil, highlighting the intimacy, care, and support she received amid the debrief conversation following the emotionally-taxing event. According to Watkins-Chow, the vigil was rooted in Oberlin’s long history of multicultural solidarity and activism.

“I felt incredibly grateful to be in community with so many vulnerable, courageous people (specifically Asian women and queer Asians),” Watkins-Chow wrote in a message to the Review. “I also felt like we held space for so many people we don’t know or can’t name: all of the radical Asian Americans who have come before us at Oberlin. In particular, (my understanding is that) in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Asian Americans on campus knew the radical political nature of the identity of Asian American. They organized alongside Black and Brown students and created spaces like [Afrikan Heritage House], Third World House, Third World Co-op, and orgs like Asian American Alliance. Sitting in that room felt like a continuation of the history of activism, resistance, and care by Asian Americans on Oberlin’s campus.”

Photo by Abe Frato, Photo Editor

Ohio Supreme Court Decision Puts Primary in Limbo

Ella Moxley News Editor

In a 4–3 decision on Wednesday night, the Ohio Supreme Court announced that it was rejecting redrawn Ohio state house and senate maps for the third time. The decision puts the Ohio primary — currently slated for May 3 — in jeopardy and continues to leave candidates and voters in limbo.

The Ohio Supreme Court is requiring that the Ohio Redistricting Commission produce a new and fair map by March 28. With just over a week to produce the new maps, the court also recommended that lawmakers on the commission employ an independent mapmaker and include greater public comment in the map-making process.

“The evidence shows that the map-drawing process for all three districting plans we have reviewed has been controlled by the Republican Party,” the Court wrote in its majority opinion.

“The evidence shows that the individuals who controlled the mapdrawing process exercised that control with the overriding intent to maintain as much of an advantage as possible for members of their political party. … The commission has again adopted a plan in which a disproportionate number of tossup districts are labeled Democraticleaning.”

The decision severely damages the ability of election workers to hold a full primary in early May. Ballots for people voting overseas were meant to be sent out starting today, but uncertainty around the redistricting process makes it impossible for election officials to determine what district voters will be eligible to vote in when the new maps are finalized.

“There was a discussion of maybe having possibly two primaries this spring — I mean everything is up in the air except making sure you’re registered at least a month before that election,” said Zeb Page, associate professor of Geology and Oberlin College Votes member. “So I think that remains the important thing.”

The decision comes after months of contentious back and forth between commission members and the Ohio Supreme Court. Last month, commission members missed a deadline set by the Supreme Court to produce new maps which raised the possibility that members of the commission, including high profile Ohio politicians like Governor Mike DeWine, might be held in contempt of court for missing the deadline.

The Ohio Congressional Map is also being held up in state court. The commission approved the new map with 10 Republican, two Democratic, and two toss-up districts on March 2. Lorain County was moved out of Ohio District 4 and into District 5 in the new map. The Ohio Supreme Court has not yet spoken on whether it will approve this map.

Ohio is one of five states that has yet to complete the redistricting process.

Security Notebook

Thursday, March 10, 2022

12:35 p.m. A student reported that they received an iPhone notification that an Apple Airtag device had tracked their phone. The Oberlin Police Department was contacted and reported that they have received several complaints regarding the tracking messages. Apple was contacted and advised there was a glitch that occurs when an iPhone has Bluetooth activated. Apple said that this is an ongoing issue with such devices.

Friday, March 11, 2022

2:37 a.m. A resident of Talcott Hall reported a broken mirror in the secondfloor men’s bathroom. Campus Safety officers responded and found mirror fragments on top of the sink, counter, and floor. Fragments were cleaned up and disposed of; the remaining mirror was taped to prevent injury from the sharp edges. A work order was filed. 2:34 p.m. Officers responded to a report of a student stuck in their room on the second floor of Fairchild House. A USB cord was found stuck in the top of the door. Once removed, the door was opened. A second call was received at 7:47 p.m. from a student reporting they were stuck in the same room. A maintenance technician responded and opened the door. The door was propped open by a magnet which apparently got stuck inside the door jamb.

Saturday, March 12, 2022

3:28 p.m. A non-College individual reported a vehicle stuck in the grass at a College-owned property on Woodhaven Place. A tow truck responded and moved the vehicle. 8:09 p.m. Officers and Oberlin Fire Department members responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of Langston Hall. Smoke from burnt food in the microwave caused the alarm. The area was cleared of smoke and the alarm was reset.

Sunday, March 13, 2022

11:05 p.m. An officer responded to Talcott Hall upon receiving a student’s request for transport to the emergency room. The student reported their hand had hurt since the day before when they were out in the cold all day. The transport to Mercy Allen Hospital was completed.

Monday, March 14, 2022

9:50 a.m. DeCafé staff reported the theft of an item from the store by an individual. Management’s attempts to speak with the individual before they left the area were met with negative results. 10:58 a.m. Facilities staff reported the catalytic converter from a College-owned box truck was cut and removed while parked in the Willard Court lot. The Oberlin Police Department was notified and also responded. 3:46 p.m. Student Health staff requested transport to the emergency room for a student who was not feeling well. An officer responded and transported the student to Mercy Allen Hospital.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

12:20 p.m. Facilities staff reported a bagged smoke detector in an unoccupied room on the second floor of Firelands Apartments. An officer responded and the bag was removed.