September 1, 2017

The Oberlin Review September 1, 2017

established 1874

Volume 146 Number 1

OFF THE CUFF

Carmen Ambar, President of Oberlin College Today, Carmen Ambar became the 15th President of Oberlin College. With a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a law degree from Columbia University, Ambar was previously the 13th President of Cedar Crest College. Yesterday, President Ambar sat down with the Review to discuss her connection to Oberlin, thoughts on the College’s financial situation, and hopes for the future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Melissa Harris and Christian Bolles Editors-in-Chief

What does it mean for you personally to become the president of Oberlin College?

It’s been an interesting process. Obviously, I’ve known of Oberlin and its distinctiveness ... in this higher education landscape. So in some ways, becoming president of Oberlin is personally important to me because of Oberlin’s history, and because of its openness to African Americans in particular, and its openness to women early on in its history. ... There’s certainly a part of getting this role that resonates with me at a personal level because I’m a woman of color, but I also think that Oberlin’s sort of distinctiveness as … a selective liberal arts college [with] its commitment to these issues of social justice and equity and academic excellence are so important to higher education. ... And then the other piece is that one of the things that I have always done in my spare time is play the piano, and it’s an important part of how I manage my life and balance my life. But I’ve never had the opportunity to have a conservatory as part of the work that I’ve done when I’ve been a part of leading institutions. ... And then … when you go through the interview process, … you start to connect with people, you start to get a little bit of a feel for the alumni base and their passion for the institution, and you start to feel that same way about it. It’s all the way through that process that I started to have more and more affection for Oberlin that was beyond just “outside looking in.”

What contact have you had with the larger Oberlin community, and how do you intend on fostering a positive relationship between the city and the College?

Not as much as I want to. It’s interesting the way these searches are done now; they’re very closed. ... My goal this year is to do as much as I can to interact, both on-campus and off campus. ... Under campus engagement, my goal is to try to meet with every academic department on campus, to try to meet with as many administrative units as I can. I’m [also] gonna have open office hours for students.

My goal is to try to get out to various student organizations’ events and things to try to see if I can get connected in that way. I want to open up the house a bit ... and try to have events in the residence. … And then I’m gonna go visit classes. I’m really excited about doing that. ... What I really am doing is trying to understand what the academic experience is for students here, because I don’t think I can talk about it very effectively to people who care about Oberlin if I don’t get a sense of what that looks like.

One of the things I’m gonna do is ask students to make some suggestions about what you think the president should do to get to know Oberlin, and so I’m going to get some interesting suggestions from students about what I should do. The goal this year on that front is to try to understand the cultures and the values of this institution, so it’s going to take a lot of work.

On the outside group, I’m going to nine of the cities with the largest number of Oberlin alumni, so I’ll be go-

ing all over the place to do that. And of course I have on my schedule meeting with all sorts of community members, which I’ve done a little bit of before I came, but not enough.

Oberlin has had a lot of tension in the past couple of years. Was this division a consideration for you when you accepted the position here, and how would you like to deal with ethically controversial situations on campus?

It’s certainly something that I took note of as I was thinking about this position. I will say — and this is not to diminish what happened at Oberlin — but it is true that campuses across the country are having all sorts of challenges, ... whether it’s racial tensions, whether it’s towngown tensions, I think that that’s happening on college campuses. ... Now, when you’re in the midst of it at your own campus, it’s very personal and it’s very difficult and it’s really challenging, so I don’t want to dismiss it. … To me, when I was looking at the situation at Oberlin from afar, it didn’t seem so atypical to what I know is happening on college campuses. ... I think it’s tough for all of us who are in these leadership roles to try to think about how to manage through them. They’re all distinctive and unique.

What I hope I can do and one of the big things on my list of six things this year, diversity and inclusion, is to try to see if I can help us have the dialogues in a way that allows us to come together during times of challenge. One of the things that I think can happen when these incidents rise, whether they have racial undertones or all sorts of undertones, is that people go to their corners and start to dig in on their perspectives as opposed to trying to have dialogue first. ... We have a sustained dialogue pilot project that we hope to have where we bring a variety of faculty and staff together, a variety of students together from different perspectives, [and] try to talk about some key issues. … We want to … bring someone in that can have a larger dialogue — maybe more of a named person that can talk about some of these issues. We want to ultimately think about ... our words and their impact, and sometimes we’re engaging in ways that we don’t intend to create harm, but we are. So that’s a long-term goal. ... One of the things I said to our student leadership team of the value system that I hope that they will reflect and I will reflect — and I go through about six or seven of them — but one of them is a willingness to admit mistakes and a willingness to accept mistakes in others. I think we’ve become not really willing to do that much with each other, as people are struggling through some of these issues in their minds. ... I’m just finding this time complicated — for me, too — and I can imagine what it is for students.

You have a history of getting institutions out of tight financial spots. How aware are you of the financial situation at Oberlin, and what approaches will you take to address it?

I think I’m pretty aware. I didn’t come to this position not understanding the depth of the challenge. What I’ve been saying to everyone about it ... is that we’re all gonna have to be willing to remember that we’re in the same canoe together as we try to work through this. The difficult part for me — I’ll give you an analogy. When I had the triplets, I hadn’t had children before, so I was blissfully ignorant of what it meant to have children. And that was probably a beautiful thing, because if I had known, I would’ve just been, “Oh my god,” you know, “Triplets!” For good or for bad, I’m not blissfully ignorant of what it means to try to work through these challenges. ... It’s difficult to make choices, prioritize and decide to let go of some things so that you can assure your sustainability.

President Carmen Ambar.

Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones

Here’s what I know is true — that some group of people at Oberlin has to decide to be good stewards of this institution’s resources. When I say good stewards, I mean deciding that we’re gonna make the difficult decisions that we have to make to ensure its long-term sustainability. And when I say “long-term,” I’m talking about how ... we make sure it’s here for 400 years, not tomorrow. Oberlin’s gonna be fine. ... But we do have a long-term projection that says if we don’t make some changes, then we’re gonna have to start making some choices that we really don’t want to make. And so, better to make some of those difficult choices now than to get down the line and constrain people’s choices in the future, because then they don’t have a way to solve it. Some of that work is going to be working with the Board of Trustees. There’s a sustainability task force that’s been working for a while, so I certainly want to do that sort of work.

In the past, some of the things that I’ve done is to work with faculty and staff to think about what program review looks like ... to try to see what’s the optimum mix of all the programs we can have. And it’s a difficult choice, because you have to decide, “Oh, this may be an interesting thing, but maybe that’s not the best way to devote our resources given constrained resources.” So it’s gonna be challenging. ... What I’m hoping for is a willingness for the community to do this difficult work together.

And I guess the last thing I would say is that the most important thing for everyone in the community to do ... is to be willing to put your institutional hat on. … Some decisions we’re going to have to make may not be perfect for that academic department, but will be the best for the institution. It may not be perfect for this particular group of students, but it will be best for the institution. It’s hard to do that if you’re in the group [that] it’s not best for, but if the institution is going to do what it needs to do, then everyone has to be willing to put the institutional hat on and say, “OK, let me think about the institution.” It’s hard to do. But I am a realist, I am a practical person, but I am also an optimist. And I don’t believe there’s any better institution to do it than Oberlin. I also think that Oberlin is a bellwether college. So goes Oberlin, so goes the rest of higher education. And if we don’t figure out how to do it, then it will be detrimental to the entire landscape of higher education. We have to be able to do it.

Oberlin is getting more expensive, and our current freshman class is smaller than past ones. In the future, how can the school both prosper and maintain economic viability for incoming students, especially those from a low-income background [who have come to expect a certain level of financial aid]?

It’s the conundrum of our industry, right: How do you do all those things at once? I think the truth of the matter

See Ambar, page 3

Contents 07 First-Years Find Support Editorial: In Ambar, An Op- Through PAL Program portunity for Change THIS WEEK

NEWS

OPINIONS

ARTS & CULTURE

Gibson’s Trial Ends After Ten Month Legal Battle

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Oberlin Professor Tim Hall 06 Student Senate Must Work Passes Away at Age 48 Together

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The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2016

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Back to School Tips

SPORTS

AMAM Celebrates Centen- 14 In the Locker Room: Women’s Cross Country nial Season 16 Yeomen Soccer Set to Score 12 On the Record: Guillermo Again Arriaga and Liz Schultz

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Oberlin Brings in New Administrators, Departments Sydney Allen News Editor

Changes in many of the top administrative positions and advising and academic servicing centers hint at the transitory nature of this school year, as community members old and new begin to get their bearings in a new Oberlin.

The school’s administrative transitions began with former President Marvin Krislov’s announcement to depart Oberlin last fall. The presidency has since passed to Carmen Twillie Ambar, Oberlin’s first African American and second female president. However, some of the lesser known departures could have an equally important effect on students’ daily lives and Oberlin’s future.

Four other top administrators departed last semester as Krislov left to helm Pace University; Vice President of Finance Mike Frandsen is becoming president of Wittenberg University; Oberlin’s General Counsel Sandhya Subramanian is moving to Dartmouth University for a similar position; and the Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Debra Chermonte is also departing.

Additionally, Clyde McGregor stepped down after six years as chair of the Board of Trustees, leaving Chris Canavan, OC ’84, to fill his position.

In the wake of these departures, Oberlin has welcomed Alan Norton as interim vice president of finance, Donica Varner as interim general counsel, and Manuel Carballo as vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid.

This appointment marks the third time Norton has stepped out of retirement to take on an interim chief financial officer position. He says that he hopes he can serve as a transitional buffer as Oberlin searches for a permanent vice president of finance who can guide the College through this period of financial austerity.

“I have no intention of settling in Oberlin, as nice as it is,” Norton said. “I will only be here for as long as it takes for them to complete a search and get somebody in place.”

A search committee for Norton’s full-time replacement has yet to be fully formed. Although Norton hopes to return to Missouri with his wife by next semester, he is prepared to remain for the entire school year if need be.

“When they interviewed me, I said, ‘My highest priority is to do no harm,’” Norton said. “I’m here to help facilitate a transition. I’m not here to decide where the school should go or what it should be, or fundamentally to change anything.”

While Norton will serve in the interim period, Carballo will officially head the

Admissions and Financial Aid Office.

“I am looking to continue with the strong work and leadership that my predecessor, Debra Chermonte, brought to Admissions and Financial Aid during her long and successful tenure at Oberlin,” he said. “We hope to continue to recruit bright and creative students to Oberlin and be able to share the story of what makes Oberlin such a special place.”

Many of the new arrivals are finding their bearings and waiting to hear what Ambar and other top administrators have in store for the year.

“I’ve been here just two weeks and will be spending much of this year observing and learning more about the Oberlin community,” Carballo said.

“There are always opportunities to try new things, but it’s still early to be talking about those.”

Along with the addition of new administrators, previous administrative positions faced shake-ups largely because of the restructuring of Oberlin’s advising and academic servicing centers and the elimination of the Dean of Studies Office.

Matthew Hayden, a former class dean, is now the associate dean of the newly formed Center for Student Success, an office that consolidates the roles of the former Office of Disability Services, Student Academic Services and various wellness

programs on campus.

Oberlin also revamped its academic advising program, creating the Academic Advising Resource Center in consortium with the Registrar’s Office, housed in the former Admissions office building. The new program renovated the outdated advising system in an attempt to make it more effective for students, particularly first-years, according to Associate Dean of Academic Advising Elizabeth Clerkin.

“Last year was a year of change,” Clerkin said. “We’ve been working very hard this spring and summer to think ahead about what kinds of issues might come up, how we can assign staff to be the most responsive. But no one is perfect.

We hope students will give us feedback about how we can do things differently when challenges arise.”

Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo sees the many changes as potential for new opportunities across the College.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to see Oberlin through fresh eyes and learn from colleagues with different kinds of experiences and achievements,” Raimondo said. “I believe there will be opportunities to find practical strategies to ensure the College’s success within a framework of shared values and commitments.”

Gibson’s Trial Ends After 10-Month Legal Battle

Sydney Allen News Editor Jack Rockwell

Three Oberlin College students who had been locked in a legal battle with Allyn and David Gibson of Gibson’s Bakery and Food Market since November 2016 reached a plea deal with Elyria prosecutors Aug. 14. All three students, junior Elijah Aladin and sophmores Endia Lawrence and Cecelia Whettstone, pleaded guilty at the trial and received misdemeanor charges and a fine.

Aladin pleaded guilty to attempted theft, aggravated trespassing, and underage purchase of alcohol. Lawrence and Whettstone each pleaded guilty to attempted theft and aggravated trespassing.

Throughout the case, Aladin maintained that he was innocent of theft and robbery, stating that the fake ID he was charged for possessing was explicit proof that he intended to purchase alcohol, an offense with far less serious potential consequences.

“The reason I was trying to avoid trial at all costs is because robbery in Ohio is a crime that has a preference for prison ... that has jail time of 2–11 years,” Aladin said.

The trio, represented throughout the case by a lawyer paid for anonymously by an alumnum of the College, was sentenced to incarceration. Aladin was initially sentenced to 300 days, while Lawrence and Whettstone were to serve 270 days each.

The sentences were suspended in the final plea deal, however, which came with the condition of one year of good behavior, a fine, and an allocution by the students.

The students must pay a restitution of $334 each to Allyn Gibson to cover his medical insurance deductible and pay off any remaining court costs, which have amounted to around $540 each.

The allocution read during the final hearing released the Gibson’s employees of any wrongdoing.

“I believe the employees of Gibson’s actions were not racially motivated,” the students read.

“They were merely trying to prevent an underage sale.”

If these conditions are met, the students’ records will be sealed after a year.

According to Oberlin City Prosecutor Frank Carlson, the two female students’ cases were originally charged as misdemeanors, but Aladin was charged with robbery, a second-degree felony that could have resulted in 2 to

The Oberlin R eview September 1, 2017 Volume 146, Number 1 (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 secondclass 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

11 years in prison. In December, Carlson, defendants, and proprietors of Gibson’s all agreed to a plea bargain that reduced the charges to misdemeanors.

However, in a controversial turn of events, Judge Januzzi of the Municipal Court rejected their proposal, citing the severity of the charge and the court’s unwillingness to bend to possible political and economic pressures from the students and College.

“A conclusion may be drawn that the [alleged] victims of the robbery have little choice but to assent in this proposal under penalty of a permanent economic sanction,” wrote Januzzi in the trial journal, insinuating that Gibson’s was being pressured to settle the case because of economic influence wielded by the College and students.

Carlson explained that despite the rejection, the students received the same misdemeanor charges at the County Court that they had originally agreed to at Oberlin Municipal.

“I think the court felt that [Aladin] was charged with a felony, and the plea tender we made to the court was for a second-degree misdemeanor, and the judge felt that that was too much of a reduction,” Carson said.

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Melissa Harris Christian Bolles Daniel Markus Sydney Allen Alexis Dill Jackie Brant Nathan Carpenter Lucy Martin Julia Peterson Ananya Gupta Alex McNicoll Julie Schreiber Anya Spector Amanda Tennant Parker Shatkin Elena Hartley Bryan Rubin Hugh Newcomb

A photo of Gibson’s Bakery, where controversy erupted last year after Allyn Gibson was accused of racially profiling a student. Students then launched a campus-wide boycott of the store and held an eighteen-hour protest outside its doors.

Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo editor

After the event, students quickly mobilized to form a large protest outside Gibson’s and to push for a campus-wide boycott.

Soon after the incident, signs were hung across campus encouraging fellow students to join in the movement.

For Aladin, this ending was a somber relief to a difficult year.

“Right now, I’m treasurer of the school,” he said. “I’m helping run the [Student Finance Committee]. The whole time I was

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thinking I could be doing this for the next two years, or I could be behind bars for the next two years. Every decision had to reflect that.”

Aladin expressed his gratitude for the support the student body showed.

“It may have made it more difficult legally — but that’s not to say I don’t appreciate it, that I don’t love it,” he said.

Allyn Gibson could not be reached for comment.

Corrections: The Review is not aware of any corrections this week.

To submit a correction, email managingeditor@oberlinreview.org.

Oberlin Congregates in Mourning Charlottesville Jenna Gyimesi

Millions of people around the country and world experienced utter shock Aug. 12 as hundreds of white nationalists marching and rallying in Charlottesville, VA, dominated social media and news stations.

The protesters carried torches, shouted racist and antiSemitic remarks, and sparked violence and terror across the University of Virginia’s campus.

The events in Charlottesville affected Oberlin community members, students, and faculty alike. A small group partook in a vigil in Tappan Square Aug. 13.

Attendees voiced their frustrations, shared each other’s sorrows, and addressed concerns about the nation’s future.

Although the College didn’t organize the vigil, affiliates of the Oberlin Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and several professors in the Religion department offered words to those in attendance.

“It was amazing that in less than 12 hours notice so many people got together,” said Steve Hammond, an affiliate of Oberlin Religion and Spiritual Life. “It’s a testament that people felt the need to get together—that people want to deal with it as a community. There are general concerns in this community and throughout Cleveland.”

David Dorsey, director and multifaith chaplain, said that those who gathered had a desire to stand in solidarity against hate and for communities that choose to address their contentious histories.

“Charlottesville landed here because, by majority vote, they elected to own their history, more completely and exactly, and to usher in a future more honest than their past,” Dorsey said. “That is worthy of our attention in Oberlin.

The vigil was designed to allow the community to grieve, to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville, and to invite Oberlin to continue the hard work of honesty about Oberlin history — all of it — and to take courage from Charlottesville. This kind of courage, this kind of honesty, comes at a cost.”

Oberlin’s response to Charlottesville continued into this week as Chair of the History department Renee Romano, Chair of the Africana Studies department Pam Brooks, and Associate Professor of History Annmarie Sammartino held a panel yesterday titled History Behind the News: Charlottesville. It touched on various issues relating to the Charlottesville protests, including the meaning behind Confederate memorials and monuments, neo-Nazism within the United States, and Black resistance to white supremacy.

The Charlottesville panel is a continuation of a series in the History department entitled History Behind the News, which aims to analyze current events and attempt to provide historical context.

Romano said that the panel intended to “use the historical knowledge that we have to give students tools to ask questions and engage in conversation about this event.”

Romano added that she hopes the panel better equipped students to tackle the questions many of them were already grappling with, such as how to approach the sale of confederate flags at the Lorain County Fair and how to combat white supremacy both locally and nationally.

Like Dorsey, Romano emphasized that students should not distance themselves from events of this sort.

Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017

Chair of the History Department Renee Romano discusses the July 14 protests in Charlottesville, VA, at the panel History Behind the News: Charlottesville.

Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo Editor

“On the liberal side we see a lot of statements that these are aberrations,” Romano said. “This is not who we are.

This is who we are. This is who white people are. This is a history of saying this is a white man’s country. There is a history of putting in policies that promote that idea and privilege certain people over others. If we can’t face that history and put ourselves in it, and see why it’s wrong, we will never fully overcome it.”

The vigil was organized by Lorain County Rising, a group formed in response to Donald Trump’s election. According to Hammond, members pledge to commit themselves to educating themselves and others, promoting positive change, and engaging in their communities.

“It’s about helping people who need a voice right now to find a voice. Also, it helps connect people,” he said. “It is easy at Oberlin for people to find each other, but in other parts of the county that can be hard. It is designed to be a support system throughout the county.”

Moving forward, Romano pointed to how students can continue dialogue on events like those in Charlottesville with the surrounding community. “Students should find spaces where they can go to listen,” Romano said. “From the community perspective, students come and go. They are not perceived as the best partners. If you hear about community discussion, go listen. Be present. There is a whole history here that I may not be aware of. I should sit back and get a lay of the land if I want to be helpful.”

Dorsey echoed her thoughts regarding the importance of being dedicated to positive change.

“Student commitment over the long haul, not just for a moment, but for sustained attention to wrongdoing, injustice, and suffering is incredibly inspiring,” he said.

“Take your sustained commitment with you wherever you go,” Dorsey added. “Step into spaces in the community where good work is already at hand, like Lorain County Rising or El Centro, and find a way to join the effort of those having arrived before us and who live and work beyond the bounds of this campus.”

Dorsey said, “Students seeking additional support can visit the Office of Spiritual Life or the Multicultural Resource Center or speak with class deans and other staff members.”

Ambar Provides Look Into Her Presidency Plans Continued from page 1

is you have to do some of those things, and you have to have some competing interest there, that sometimes you do a little bit more of one or the other. Some of the first things we need to do though is to do some recovery of our enrollment numbers. We need to do a little bit stronger job of helping the right students choose Oberlin. And when I say, “the right students,” I mean the students who have the academic ability to be successful here and all the other things that are part of the criteria of being selective for this institution. But we need to get back to at least that core number.

Then, honestly, I think we’re going to have to think about what growth looks like, what it means to reduce our expenditures, how do we do both of those things? It’s hard to see our way through without some combination of those things. So it’s going to be complicated for us to do.

I think we’re going to have to be willing to make some tradeoffs. What my hope is is that in those tradeoffs, we can still hold onto the core of who we are. One of the things I said to the faculty — and I think it’s true — it’s one of the mysteries of life: How do you stay true to oneself, but also be prepared for change? It’s one of the mysteries of life, right? That’s what we’re going to have to work through here at Oberlin. ... Oberlin’s relevance as an institution is more important today than it’s ever been. ... When I was talking to the faculty about this, I was talking about Charlottesville. I The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

Security Notebook

haven’t had a chance to make comments about Charlottesville here at Oberlin because I haven’t officially started, but ... when I was watching what was happening at Charlottesville, what struck me was not the discourse. ... What struck me was how young those kids were. ... And when I watched them, ... I thought to myself, “Those kids could be Oberlin students,” in terms of age. Oberlin is relevant because the types of students that I think we are sending out into the world are the types of students who are going to be changing the world for good and responding to the message that they were trying to deliver at Charlottesville. We are more relevant today than we’ve ever been. Our willingness to make the tough decisions so that we can sustain ourselves for the future is important not just for Oberlin, not just for higher ed, but for the nation, and that’s the reason why I think we will have the will to do it. And we will have disagreements, and we will be frustrated with each other about it, but we will always come back to that fundamental principle that we are more relevant today than we’ve ever been.

To ensure that we’re here for years to come, we’re gonna have to make these difficult choices. That’s what I’m believing and hoping, because that’s why I came to Oberlin — because I believe this institution is important. I believe it has resonance, I believe it shapes the discourse around issues I deeply believe in, and I want to make sure that this institution is here for years to come. That’s the work we have to do together.

8:28 a.m. Staff reported non-offensive graffiti on the southeast corner of the exterior sandstone wall of the Science Center. A work order was filed for removal.

2:24 p.m. Grounds staff reported a student on the roof of South Hall. Safety and Security officers located the student. The student came down from the roof and was advised of the safety hazards. A work order was filed for repair of a screen and window.

Friday, Aug. 25, 2017 10:46 a.m. A student reported that they lost their brown snakeskin wallet sometime Thursday, Aug. 24 in an unknown area. The wallet contained cash, an ID, and a credit card.

3:43 p.m. Safety and Security officers and the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the third floor of South Hall.

A malfunctioning smoke detector was the cause. The detector was replaced and the alarm reset.

7:05 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at an Elm Street Village Housing Unit. The cause of the alarm was smoke from burnt food. The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017 8:50 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at a Union Street Housing Unit. The cause of the alarm was smoke from cooking.

The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 7:54 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at a Union Street Housing Unit. The cause of the alarm was smoke from cooking.

The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

6:30 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on the second floor of Dascomb Hall.

The cause of the alarm was burnt food. The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

Monday, Aug. 28, 2017 12:00 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at an Elm Street Village Housing Unit.

The cause of alarm was smoke from cooking.

The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

1:30 p.m. Officers responded to a report of students on the roof of Barrows Hall. The students were located between the third and second floors and acknowledged being on the roof. The students were advised of the safety hazards and that building roofs are off limits. The students left the area.

6:18 p.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in the basement of Asia House. The cause of the alarm was burnt food. The area was cleared and the alarm reset.

10:10 p.m. Officers were requested to assist a student who was ill from smoking marijuana. The student was transported from outside of Burton Hall to Mercy Allen Hospital.

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 2:07 p.m. Staff reported that a delivery truck pulling out of South Hall lot hit another car, damaging the driver’s side tail light.

The individuals exchanged information and will handle repairs on their own.

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City Council Unanimously Overturns Columbus Day Alexis Dill News Editor

Oberlin City Council unanimously voted to stop recognizing Columbus Day, replacing the federal holiday with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Aug. 21 decision, which culminated after months of collaboration between the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee and City Council, made Oberlin the first city in Ohio to make the transition.

The committee is made up of Oberlin residents looking to celebrate indigenous resistance and fight current injustices. One way to do this is to recognize truths about Christopher Columbus, a controversial figure, whom historians often link to the transatlantic slave trade and genocide of the Hispaniola natives.

The resolution encourages businesses, organizations, and programs in the city, within the Oberlin school district and at Oberlin College to embrace Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Oberlin district’s curriculum will now include the history of indigenous peoples.

According to Councilmember Sharon Pearson, members of the committee approached City Council over a year ago and briefly mentioned the resolution.

The resolution became a real possibility a few months ago, when the first City Council meeting on the subject was held at the beginning of the summer.

A total of three meetings were held before the final vote was conducted. Pearson said the results of the final vote were unsurprising, as the holiday change proposal had passed at the first two meetings as well.

Pearson added that only those in favor of the resolution attended the first two meetings. However, at the final conference, the council chambers were full, with community members and various representatives from across Northeastern Ohio both in favor and in opposition to the decision pouring out into the hall. Most of the attendees — even at the most intense gathering — encouraged the change, said Pearson.

“It’s taken a long time to make this change — a whole year or two here in Oberlin,” Pearson said. “A lot of it comes from the residents and the indigenous people we have in our city. No one said they didn’t want to see the change happen until our third meeting, and most of the opposition came from people outside of Oberlin.”

The movement to abolish Columbus Day began in 1977 at a United Nationssponsored conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Fourteen years later, Berkeley, CA,

became the first American city to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Pearson said the perspectives of Oberlin’s residents were what City Council considered most when coming to a decision.

“These are the people paying taxes and living here,” Pearson said. “They have the most important say.”

Some Italian-Americans in the area expressed how offended they were by council’s decision at the Aug. 21 meeting.

They voiced that they weren’t opposed to the creation of the new holiday, but were insulted that a holiday celebrating a historical figure who shared their background would to be abolished.

Basil Russo, national president of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and chairman of the Cleveland Columbus Day Parade Committee, referred to the resolution as “a subtle form of bigotry,” The Chronicle Telegram reported.

“In its misguided effort to portray Oberlin as a city of inclusion, all this city council will accomplish is to characterize Oberlin as a city of intolerance and exclusion,” Russo said. “That perception will remain firmly entrenched in the minds and hearts of Italian-Americans, as well as people who truly embrace diversity.”

Pearson admitted she wasn’t aware that the Italian-American community viewed Columbus Day in celebration of their Italian heritage.

Pearson said she believes the resolution says a lot about the city and the students and faculty at the college.

“A lot of people are liberal and openminded,” Pearson said. “They’re the ones to speak out the most. Some residents were offended by the action we took, but the opposing side was mostly quiet throughout the process.”

While Oberlin is a pioneer in Ohio for abolishing Columbus Day, Pearson emphasized the importance of not forgetting the meaning of the new holiday. “I think we tend to overemphasize being ‘the first,’” she said. “I just hope that fact doesn’t take away from what this holiday is truly about.

It’s not just about being the first.”

Neighboring cities are moving in the same direction. According to Fox 8, Akron is on its way to becoming the second city in Ohio to implement the holiday change.

It is expected that legislation will be introduced later this month.

In other parts of the country, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day Aug. 30.

Oberlin Philosophy Professor Tim Hall Dies Unexpectedly Jackie Brant Opinions Editor

Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of suicide.

Oberlin community members, family, and friends suffered the unexpected loss of Associate Professor of Philosophy Timothy Hall, 48. Hall passed away at 6 a.m. July 23.

Coroners suspect suicide. Students were informed of his death in an email sent by Dean of Arts and Sciences Tim Elgren July 24.

After earning an undergraduate philosophy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and receiving his doctorate in philosophy from UCLA, Hall taught at the University of Vermont and Yale University.

He then taught at Oberlin for 16 years, specializing in political philosophy and ethics.

He was tenured at Oberlin in 2007.

Hall is remembered for his commitment to challenging students’ preconceived notions around politics and philosophy, and for his passion for animal rights and freedom of speech.

“He was praised by his students for his demanding courses, creating an engaging learning environment, and an enduring interest in them and their development,” wrote Elgren in the email announcing Hall’s death. “He will be remembered by his students and colleagues as one who was deeply committed to the importance of exploring diverse perspectives on society’s most challenging issues, a core value of the liberal arts.”

As a proud and outspoken member of the Libertarian Party, Hall taught a seminar

called Libertarianism and its Critics which challenged students about topics concerning “gun prohibition, socialized health care, and state paternalism.”

Hall served as the faculty advisor for Oberlin College Republicans and Libertarians and also as the faculty advisor to the Oberlin Animal Rights group. He supervised the Ronald Reagan Political Lectureship Series and was an Oberlin Debate Series committee member.

The news of Hall’s death jarred many students who were close to him and had planned to take courses with him this fall.

“I’m still in shock,” said Christian Daahir, OC ’17, a former member of the OCRL. “He was a mentor and dear friend. I will never forget the occasions in which we discussed politics and philosophy. He seemed to get a kick out of my humor. Seeing him laugh at my jokes was always a pleasure. He will not be forgotten.”

Current and former students expressed that Hall was charismatic in the classroom and that his teaching style of challenging Oberlin students’ perspectives of the world is one of the things that made him so beloved by those he taught.

“Professor Hall made sure that every student knew that their thoughts and opinions had value, even if he did not agree with them,” said College sophomore Jenna Gyimesi. “He dedicated himself to understanding and developing the ideas of his students regardless.”

“Tim was my model for intellectual diligence, philosophical precision, and broad, learned scholarship,” said Adam Vogel, OC

’06, in a post on the Oberlin Philosophy Department’s Facebook page. “His erudition on so many subjects inspired me. Ten years after graduating, I still reflect on and continue to learn from our conversations.”

Students and alumni took to social media to share memories of Hall. Some of the most common memories relayed on these sites include Professor Hall bringing in his pet parrot to classes for the day and his passionate defense of animal rights and veganism.

Many former students were worried about what would happen to his parrot, Maddie, as she was “like his baby girl,” according to Stephanie Malik, OC ’09.

Taylor Reiners, a friend of the Hall family, reached out through a memorial Facebook group to reassure friends that Maddie has found a loving home. “[Maddie’s new owner] said that she would be honored to have Maddie in the family and would treat her as Tim [Hall] did,” said Reiners, who was quoting Hall’s brother. “She has known Maddie her whole life and has cared for her that entire time. It seems like the right option.”

Both alumni and current students came together to organize a memorial symposium in Hall’s honor through the Tim Hall Memorial Symposium group on Facebook.

In this group, members have compiled a folder on Google Drive to share memories of Hall, including photos, writings, and syllabi for classes he taught. The symposium is projected to occur in March, though specific dates have not yet been determined.

Symposium attendees will include both former students and colleagues. The din-

Community News Bulletin

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City Gas Line Replacement Begins

Lorain County Celebrates County Fair

Columbus Gas of Ohio will be replacing old gas lines throughout Oberlin. The work is being done on the northern half of the city and is slated for completion in late September. The gas line replacement in its entirety will be done in stages throughout the year, and its expected completion will be next year at the earliest.

Lorain County held its 173rd annual Lorain County Fair in Wellington, Ohio, Aug. 19–27. The fair featured a hay bale contest, a gun show, horse and pony pulls, a tractor pull, and a demolition derby. The event was also a popular wedding location as a variety of couples chose to tie the knot in one of the fairgrounds reception rooms. Local 4-H’ers competed against other 4-H’ers from across the county in events like the swine contest and arts and crafts competition.

Associate Professor of Philosophy Tim Hall, 48, who died July 23. Photo Courtesy of the Oberlin Philosophy Department

ner served at the event will be vegan in his memory. Organizers also plan to collect funds to pay for Hall’s parents’ and brother’s transportation to attend the event.

In addition to the symposium, there will also be a memorial service for Professor Hall Sept. 20 at noon in the Root Room in the Carnegie Building. Professor Katherine Thomson-Jones will be emailing alumni and former students with a request for tributes for the service.

Hall is survived by his parents, John and Maureen Hall; his brother, Brian Hall; and his parrot Maddie.

New City Police Chief Declared Elyria Officer Clarence “Ryan” Warfield has been selected as Oberlin’s new police chief. Oberlin City Manager Robert Hillard made the announcement Wednesday, nine months after former Police Chief Juan Torres abruptly departed last December. Lieutenant Mike McCloskey has been serving as chief in the interim. Warfield had been with the Elyria department since 1994 and was promoted to a supervisory sergeant role in 2003. He has served on the road patrol unit, the community impact unit, and the investigative unit.

OPINIONS September 1, 2017

established 1874

Letters to the editors Community Must Come Together in Difficult Times To the Editors: Here are some ways the Oberlin community of students, faculty, administrators, and alumni might function as a special social resource in these terrible times.

Oberlin must always nourish and celebrate the arts. The Allen Memorial Art Museum could exhibit the works of refugee artists, the Conservatory could put on concerts where refugee musicians would perform, and art students could make and sell posters to publicize local job fairs and donate the proceeds to programs that support residents of Lorain County facing hard times.

Students and faculty members must always meet the highest academic standards. A topic can be relevant to both scholarly debates and social, political, or economic controversies. Such a topic can be studied as rigorously as any other, and the results can be presented with proper documentation, clarity, and order. For example, take a white unemployed male factory worker who is racist, sexist, and homophobic in his feelings and jokes. He regularly listens to right-wing talk shows and votes for right-wing candidates. He even occasionally attends rallies for them, though at those rallies he only stands and cheers, nothing violent. Are there moral rights that this “deplorable” doesn’t have because of his attitudes and conduct? If so, which ones and why?

Alumni must help maintain Oberlin’s traditions. One tradition is outreach beyond the campus, and one way alumni could continue this work would be to organize conferences on campus and in places where there are resource-rich Alumni Association chapters. At these conferences, relevant topics would be treated in intellectually responsible ways by experts including, as appropriate, some of the many alumni who have become professors. Presentations would be geared to educated non-specialists and sessions would be open to non-Oberliners and, if possible, posted online. One topic might be physical, economic, and legal obstacles facing ho-

meowners trying to reduce their personal dependence on fossil fuels. Another might be doing more to protect workers from harmful impacts of globalization and technological change.

Too many of those in power today do not care whether the poor have health care, think it is better to win than to have allies, and all but boast of their invincible ignorance regarding global warming. Decent people should respond to the harm they do by threatening anger and more. Members of the Oberlin community should go beyond protest and use the resources they share to limit or offset the harm.

– Charles Newman OC ’65

Alum Demands Respect for Dye To the Editors: I am enraged, and The Oberlin Review should be ashamed! The May 5 edition with its front page lead-in on Marvin Krislov’s legacy is an abomination! While I was never a Nancy Dye cheerleader, the article demonstrates the cloudy presuppositions and misinformed arrogant assumptions posturing as reporting while a love-fest for Krislov is mirrored against a less than compassionate understanding of Dye’s progressive illness, which she chose not to parade in the manner that seems to be Oberlin’s motto these days; essentially, “I am a victim!” She chose to do the best she could with what she had. I and others may not always have agreed with her thinking or manner, but I can only hope to have some of her determination, fortitude, and unencumbered sense of identity for all she held sacred.

Don’t try to promote the legacy of one by cutting down the service of someone else — especially when they can no longer defend themselves. She died! Oberlin Review, you owe an apology to her family, friends, and supporters, if not an entire retraction of the damned article.

You can do better than that, can’t you?

– Michael H. Lubas OC ’69

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. Op-eds may not have more than two authors.

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. Editors will contact authors of letters to the editors in the event of edits for anything other than style and grammar. Headlines are printed at the discretion of the Editorial Board. Opinions expressed in editorials, letters, op-eds, columns, cartoons or other Opinions pieces do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of the Review. The Review will not print advertisements on its Opinions pages. The Review defines an advertisement as any submission that has the main intent of bringing direct monetary gain to a contributor.

The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

Volume 146, Number 1

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Melissa Harris

Christian Bolles

Managing Editor Daniel Markus

Opinions Editors

Nathan Carpenter

Jackie Brant

Ambar Provides Opportunity for Needed Change Each new academic year offers an opportunity to turn a new leaf.

With the end of former President Marvin Krislov’s decade-long tenure this summer, that opportunity has perhaps never been greater at Oberlin. Simultaneously, however, the institution has never seemed to be in a more precarious position in recent memory than it does now.

Just within the last year, Oberlin has seen cuts to administrative assistant and custodial positions, threats to eliminate programs like faculty research status, yet another tuition increase accompanied by an overhaul in room and board requirements, and the resumption of business with Gibson’s Bakery after controversy that sparked massive student protests. Together, these choices along with many others painted a picture of an untrustworthy, austere, and aloof bureaucracy unwilling to take action based on student concerns — a palpable sentiment that can still be felt today in discussions about the administration.

While Krislov’s administration was by no means ill-intentioned and ultimately provided some explanation for each decision made, it had a major perception problem. A consistent failure to establish transparency on multiple fronts fostered misunderstanding and a lack of faith in the relationship between the campus community and its administrative leaders. After the administration’s actions last year, many students left campus at the end of the semester feeling anxious for the next sudden pivot in this institution’s next direction.

But with a new administration, led by President Carmen Ambar, we have hope for change.

After meeting with Ambar this week, we were impressed. She was sharp, energized, and passionate about heightening the qualities that make Oberlin a unique, progressive institution. At the same time, she was proactive in expressing her desire to tackle Oberlin’s financial struggles, involve the broader community in decision-making, and understand what Oberlin means to all of us while leading this institution with that sentiment in mind.

The principal difficulty of Krislov’s administration was its closeddoor approach to governance, and while Ambar’s promise is clear, her success will depend on the entirety of her administration following the example she sets in the hope of cultivating trust between the student body, staff, and Oberlin community.

The Review’s previous Editorial Board has repeatedly advocated for student representation on the Board of Trustees in the past, and we continue to stand by that cause as one of the first and most critical steps the administration must support to rekindle trust with students. While we understand that tough decisions have to be made to ensure Oberlin’s future, those changes must be balanced with an effort to lessen the brunt on those impacted most in the near term — including current and future students, staff, and community members. That cannot happen without student voices and accountability on Oberlin’s highest governing body, something that the new administration must prioritize if it truly hopes to promote student inclusion.

Additionally, the Ambar administration must go beyond the confines of campus and seek out input from community members, on whom the impact of our institution is often less visible yet equally powerful.

Change can be daunting, and the task at hand is massive. However, we believe that President Ambar and her administration are capable of realizing an Oberlin that better serves students, staff, and community members while also remaining financially viable in the long term. If that vision of Oberlin is one we hope to achieve, it will come about precisely because of an approach that is transparent and inclusive, not in spite of it.

We challenge the new administration to surprise us. Students are hungry for change and even hungrier to roll up their sleeves and get to work to make those changes happen — we’re just waiting for a seat at the table.

Editorials are the responsibility of the Review Editorial Board — the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Opinions Editors — and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the Review.

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Opi n ions

Charlottesville Highlights Need for Bystander Intervention Kira Findling Contributing Writer

I went to high school with a girl who talked a lot about her interest in Hitler. Most of my friends thought it was weird; when she started talking about the Third Reich, we would try to change the subject.

It wasn’t until I saw her reading Mein Kampf that I understood that it was not interest she felt, but admiration.

As a Jew and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, the situation made me uncomfortable. I remember feeling awkward and upset whenever she mentioned Hitler or made anti-Semitic jokes. But one of her best friends was Jewish, so it seemed impossible that she actually felt hatred towards Jews. I was fifteen and scared to draw attention to myself. I didn’t know what to do. Then she suddenly announced that she was moving away, and that was that.

I’ve thought of her occasionally since then, wondering what she’s doing these days. Then the white supremacist march in Charlottesville happened. I looked at the photographs from that day and realized that I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in that terrifying crowd, holding a torch, mouth open in a scream.

Because white supremacists seem like monsters to me, I forget that they are real people who could be sitting next to me in math class. I understand that the United States has been built on white supremacy from its beginnings, but it’s emotionally difficult for me to wrap my head around how individuals can be so hateful. I keep clicking through photo after photo of the awful mob in Charlottesville wondering who allowed these people to become that way.

I realize now that it’s people like me — people who let jokes slide because the person who’s saying the hateful things doesn’t seem like a monster.

It’s easier to ignore those everyday moments than to be the person who says, “That’s not OK.” It never seemed like the girl reading Mein Kampf in my drama class would actually support white supremacists or would march alongside them. I thought that if I said anything, it would look like an overreaction.

On Aug. 12, James Alex Fields Jr. went to Charlottesville and drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring at least 19 others. For the past year, he’d been living in Maumee, Ohio — about an hour and a half away from Oberlin. He graduated high school in 2015, just as my classmate and I did.

Fields’ history teacher recently said that his stu-

dent had idolized Hitler to the point that it worried his classmates. But one of Fields’ peers said that he wasn’t a scary outcast — he had friends. He was a “normal dude” who sometimes made weird jokes, including ones about the Holocaust. Sounds familiar to me. All the uneasiness others felt about Fields’ behavior never transformed into preventative action.

No one ever stepped in to halt the process that culminated in a car plowing through a crowd, ending Heather Heyer’s life.

People like me — well-intentioned people — let violence happen when we don’t speak up. My classmate wasn’t harmless, though as far as I know, she has never marched in a white supremacist rally or physically hurt anyone. Last November, she voted for Donald Trump.

Don’t excuse people like her when they make racist, anti-Semitic, or anti-Muslim comments. Fields spread hatred for years before he drove to Charlottesville. Someone could have — should have — stopped him. If you don’t know how to do that, find a friend who feels the same way and tackle it together, or ask someone you trust for advice. Don’t let people who tell hateful jokes off the hook. Because white supremacists aren’t hidden monsters. They’re people we know.

New Administration Gives Students Hope Students, Senate Must Work Together Miyah Byers Contributing Writer

Life led me to Oberlin through an old and beat-up language composition book.

I remember the very day I was wandering through the dog-eared pages of “The Bird and the Machine,” an essay written by a former Obie professor, Loren Eiseley, when I came across the name of the college for the first time.

I was in the 11th grade then, and growing restless from the monotony and institutional red tape sometimes present in high school settings that can hinder students from pursuing social justice in their own hallways.

As one of the few Black girls in my school, I was in serious need of a supportive community that was not tone-deaf to the struggles that people of color face on a daily basis; of an institution that would see my color and my people and give us the room to be, not just funnel us through corridors and pipelines and leave us to the snares of systemic racism that await us all. These needs meant that I had to be very careful and intentional about choosing a college to attend.

When the time came to start submitting applications, Oberlin was the first place that I thought of.

Oberlin’s history impressed me. The first college to admit women and Black people? A strong record of pursuing social justice? And only three hours away from home? I was all in. I submitted my application and didn’t look back.

Once I became a student here, it didn’t take long for me to learn that it is us, the students, that make Oberlin the remarkable institution that it is. Without us, all of the slogans on the pamphlets that the college markets to incoming students would be

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empty words.

Under former College President Marvin Krislov, those slogans did indeed feel empty. From his denial of ABUSUA’s 14-page list of demands to the administration’s poor handling of the racial profiling incident at Gibson’s — which let many students down — it began to feel as though he was nothing more than Oberlin’s fundraising mouthpiece. Upon his exit, a strong divide between the higher levels of the administration and the students became abundantly clear, and the divide was there for good reason.

One could argue that Oberlin has been experiencing an identity crisis since its founding. The College’s seedy history with former student Edmonia Lewis, for example, demonstrates what seems to be a long-standing disconnect between the college’s supposed values and its actions. Are we, as an institution, really about social justice, or are we just saying that we are because it sounds good?

Though every college has its problems, Oberlin happens to hold a very unique and very public position in history. It is a place of radical firsts, a small campus filled with people hailing from all walks of life.

Essentially, Oberlin is a social experiment. It is an organism that is living and breathing and growing. This is a place where we not only push the limits of frontiers, but establish new ones.

Now, we are entering a new era on this campus — a new chapter in this social experiment. Our newly appointed president, Carmen Twillie Ambar, is an extremely accomplished Black woman.

When I first came to Oberlin, I underestimated the power of representation. And

yet, when I saw President Ambar speak for the first time this past Saturday at the opening of the annual Social Justice Institute, I was in awe. Being able to see yourself and your ancestors reflected in someone that holds a position of power changes the way you think about your own ability. When she entered the Knowlton Athletics Complex, her presence shifted the room in a way that reminded me of the powerful and grounded intention of other Black and Brown leaders that have gone on to change the world. I see my mother, godmother, grandmother, aunts, older cousins — and so many other remarkable women of color that I have had the honor of knowing in my life — in her.

But most importantly, I see myself and who I aspire to be in her: someone with passion, poise, intent, a willingness to learn and to give, an acute understanding of all that came before, all that is, all that could be, and the courage to act upon that understanding and uphold truth and integrity no matter the cost.

I am not saying all of this just because President Ambar is a Black woman. Sharing a likeness with someone does not mean they will have your best interest in mind.

Her Blackness is not a free pass, and I suspect other students of color here will feel the same. In fact, we are likely to have even higher expectations of her. The world is moving and shaking, and we have come into this year hitting the ground running.

There is much to be done.

President Ambar seems to be more than up to the challenge, and I have faith that she will be, because this world has seen people like her move mountains, split seas, and do the undoable.

Only time will tell, but I am in her corner.

Meg Parker Contributing Writer

This week at my hall meeting, my RA asked what mattered to us. My response was, “Change, and the ability of people to make change together.”

I’m currently a member of Oberlin’s interim Student Senate. As I shared during my hall meeting, I thought about how collaboration is an integral part of Senate’s work. As Vice Chair, I spent the past two semesters learning about Oberlin through my work, and I want to share reflections with you from my first term on Senate. Collective change is not explicitly in Senate’s by-laws, but it is a fundamental principle of our unwritten mission and what makes us effective. And while it’s true that one person can change the world, institutional change often needs a wide support network.

Working collaboratively, strategically, and intentionally as a political body has given Senate new agency. Senators may disagree, but our ability to debate, delegate, and solve problems with different approaches makes us successful.

Some of those recent successes include the establishment of the bystander intervention program, the creation of a program to provide break meals, and a task force of senators and trustees to explore student representation on Oberlin’s board. Some conversations may be more difficult than others, but we function because we continue to work together and support each other after difficult discussions and decisions.

Last spring, the protests demanding student representation on the Board of Trustees took preparation from all 15 members of Senate and the labor of dedicated students without titles.

Senate will continue to demand transparent communication from the administration.

We will continue to ask for clear

messaging and respectful forms of communication when changes are made. A three-line email to the student body regarding a policy change is far from respectful or transparent.

This year, Senate will remain a staunch supporter of increasing student voice in strategic decision making. We have put forth a proposal for student inclusion in budgeting and continue to be champions of student representation on the Board of Trustees.

We know collaboration must be at the forefront of our organization and that, with every senator committed, change is possible.

Oberlin is at a turning point.

We are welcoming President Ambar to campus, we’re one year into a controversial strategic plan, and our finances are not balanced. All of this means that our work this semester is crucial, and the way we work together is paramount to our success.

The first opportunity for collaboration and student input is through our September election. This fall, seven Senate seats are open. Our last election saw both a record number of candidates and a record voting turnout from students. We should maintain that vigor and excitement, and vote in seven senators who are passionate and ready to collaborate to fulfill the mandate presented by the student body.

Senate is thrilled at the possibility of working together with students to effect change, but we are only 15 members of a student body of 3,000. Our work is more effective when you get involved. It’s powerful when 15 people stand in solidarity, but more impactful when 1,500 gather together.

We are capable of so much more when we come together.

We are capable of making positive changes and resisting those changes that are detrimental to our institution. Let’s make this a year of effective collaboration between students, Senate, and the greater Oberlin community.

First Years Find Support Through PAL Program Nathan Carpenter Opinions Editor

Many Obies remember their firstyear orientation experiences well.

Mine was hot, sweaty, and overwhelming — most people who I’ve spoken to can relate. There was a lot of information thrown at me in a short amount of time, and most of it didn’t stick. Nearly all of the valuable learning experiences during my first semester came as a result of relationships with older students that I was lucky enough to develop. However, that support system was not guaranteed to me, and I cannot imagine what it would have been like to navigate Oberlin and living away from home for the first time without it.

Clearly, there was a leadership void that needed to be filled, particularly at a time when Oberlin’s finances are on shaky ground. Thus, the school needs to increase its retention rate by providing support and resources for first-year students to help them acclimate to college.

To alleviate some of the stresses of orientation and create an institutionalized support system to help first-years navigate the various complexities of life at Oberlin, Associate Dean of Students Dana Hamdan has developed a new program called Peer Advising Leaders, or PALs. PALs are Oberlin students who are invested in making the orientation experience an enjoyable one for first year students. Each PAL was assigned a cohort of 15 first-years, with whom they met several times during orientation to cover Oberlin basics like PRESTO, registration, and Blackboard.

PALs will also continue to meet with their cohorts throughout the fall semester. Each PAL is tasked with teaching six classes that have been designed to help first-years navigate the moments of first semester that can prove challenging or confusing, from midterms to planning for Winter Term. Each lesson has been planned meticulously by Hamdan and the PALs coordinators — students whom Hamdan has selected to be leaders in the program.

When PALs training began on the Sunday before orientation, I was excited to see what the program was going to look like. I understood that the job meant that I was going to be working with first-year students, but beyond that I wasn’t terribly clear on the responsibilities of the role that I was stepping into.

I was also a little apprehensive. As with any new program, I feared that, to put it simply, the program wasn’t going to work. I wasn’t sure what kind of buy-in I was going to get from my cohort. I didn’t know if the curriculum was going to be meaningful and productive or if it was going to be a bland study skills program that would leave students in the dark about the confusing elements of Oberlin’s unique academic and social culture.

I was immediately impressed by the program Hamdan had assembled.

Not only is the curriculum built in a way that is responsive to the needs that first-years will have at specific times throughout this semester, but it is built in a way that is intensely personal. During my own orientation last fall, I felt detached from the people who were presenting me with important information — I certainly

CARTOON OF THE WEEK

wasn’t going to be the one to raise my hand and ask a clarifying question, even if I had one.

In my experience so far, that dynamic has been challenged in a really powerful way by the PAL program’s structure. The first-year students in my cohort have approached me with questions, both during and outside of our sessions, regarding everything from how to register for classes to how to buy textbooks.

I think that their willingness to engage with me as a PAL has less to do with any characteristics of my own and more to do with the unique chances that the program has given us to interact with one another — opportunities that I would have been overjoyed to have last fall. Hamdan has been deliberate in providing us with those opportunities in comfortable settings, maintaining that it is up to us to make the most out of our interactions.

While Hamdan is the PALs program’s visionary — and I’m sure that

Melissa Harris

she feels acutely responsible for its efficacy — she has made clear from the very beginning that the PALs experience is ultimately ours to design and build. She has given us ownership of the program that she spent the last several months toiling over.

That is one of the most profound and meaningful acts of trust that I have ever experienced in my life.

That trust illustrates how Hamdan has let the program grow and why the program is one that I believe in strongly.

It’s still too early to label PAL as a success or a failure, or as something in-between. What it is not too early to say, however, is that the program is a reminder — to me and hopefully others — that Oberlin as an institution is capable of making decisions that prioritize students, even when under duress of financial troubles and significant administrative turnover. The PAL program feels like a step in the right direction to me, and I hope that it is the first of many.

Amazon Threatens Future of Service Workers Jordan Joseph Contributing Writer

On Monday, Amazon finalized its acquisition of Whole Foods Market. Based on your viewpoint, you are now doing one of two things: you’re either excited about the new possibilities an automated future has to offer, or you’re worried about how service workers will fit into an automated model of business. I am currently doing both.

Amazon’s new ownership of Whole Foods is certainly a step forward for consumer convenience, as well as a bold move toward Amazon’s quest to diversify its business portfolio. Since 1998, Amazon has acquired over 77 different companies through mergers, cash buyouts, and stock.

In the age of a consumerist capitalistic culture, is it better to have one company that does not specialize in a certain field, but provides a multitude of services? Or is it better to have a myriad of small companies that focus on a singular service and perform that service well?

The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

There is no doubt that Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods will benefit consumers’ pockets a great deal, at least temporarily. The prices of basic staples like eggs, avocados, and butter have already been slashed, in some cases up to 43 percent. Although price decreases help the average citizen in the short-term, Amazon’s business strategy could possibly harm the economy in the long run.

The company has already started to automate what most of us consider to be basic human labor through its Amazon Go initiative. In late 2016, Amazon announced a flagship grocery store in Seattle, WA called Amazon Go. As you enter the store, you pass through a futuristic-looking turnstile and are asked to scan a unique QR code on your smartphone in the Amazon Go app. This code links all of your shopping for the day to your Amazon account. The store then utilizes pressure sensors, similar to those a vending machine uses to calculate its stock, to determine which products you pick up after you enter the store.

After you’ve put the products in your shopping bag, you simply walk out of the store, products in hand. This concept is both ingenious and scary.

These Amazon Go stores, as Amazon states on its website, have “No lines, no checkout,” which results in an elimination of almost all human labor, anticipating a prospective future where these stores are completely automated, filled with robot workers to assist buyers with basic queries and to help restock the store. To me, that future is terrifying.

Currently, workers with wages below the generally accepted livable wage of $15 per hour comprise about 43 percent of the American workforce. As of 2015, Whole Foods has 91,000 employees and the majority of those people make less than a livable wage. If Amazon chose to flip the switch and automate its Whole Foods stores, akin to its Amazon Go model, then thousands could lose their jobs. This might inspire other retailers to automate as well.

Not too far down the road, we

could see automated clothing stores, hardware stores, and even entire automated malls.

Some argue that these sorts of technological advancements may further progress in other fields and that displaced workers will find other jobs in these fields. It’s possible that, in this future, formerly salaried jobs may become minimum-wage jobs. Previouslysalaried workers might earn less money and benefits, and the top echelon of specialized workers could earn even more.

The problem with this model is that it’s unsustainable with our current education system and grasp of wages, and the displacement of almost half of America’s workforce is frankly unethical. Furthermore, we cannot expect people to receive college degrees in order to work those minimum wage jobs that were previously salaried.

People are working jobs that pay below a livable wage not because they don’t have the requisite skills, but because in America, we inherently undervalue workers. While two

workers might work the same number of hours each week and expend the same amount of energy, one inevitably ends up making more money for their trouble. This imbalanced manner in which we view workers, coupled with the lack of publicly funded higher education, makes for a workforce that simply cannot advance to a more economically viable position as technology advances.

Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods foreshadows a potential disaster for the future of the workforce. As large corporations like Amazon continue to expand, they will look to “cut labor costs” — a euphemism for firing people — for the sake of increasing their already high profits. Rather than looking to increase profit, these corporations must prioritize American workers because without our workers, we wouldn’t have livelihoods.

As Derek Thompson said in The Atlantic, “the paradox of work is that many people hate their jobs, but they are considerably more miserable doing nothing.”

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A r t s & C u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE established 1874

September 1, 2017

Volume 146, Number 1

AMAM Celebrates Hundredth Anniversary Kirsten Heuring

Since 1917, generations of students and scores of community members have walked through the doors of the Allen Memorial Art Museum for class, special programming, or simply for the pleasure of enjoying the extraordinary collection. Today, the museum is well known for its collection of early works by many famous artists, including Picasso, Monet, Cézzane, and Mondrian. The museum is also known for the Art Rental Program and the Weltzheimer/ Johnson House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This academic year, the AMAM is celebrating its centennial year and reflecting on its past as it looks forward to the next hundred years and more.

The museum was unofficially founded in 1904, after Charles F. Olney, vice president of the Cleveland School of Art, left 8,000 pieces of art to the College upon his death.

Dr. Dudley Peter Allen, OC 1875, and his wife, Elisabeth Severance Allen Prentiss, commissioned the construction of the AMAM so that Olney’s donated artwork could be displayed to the public. As Allen died before construction was completed in 1917, the museum was named in his memory.

Soon after the museum’s opening, the Studio Art and Art History classes offered there became so popular that the museum had to expand to fit the demands. In 1937, Prentiss donated funds for a teaching wing to be built.

Today, this wing is home to the Art department and the Fisher Gallery, a student exhibition space. When Prentiss passed away in 1944, she left a large endowment and some of her own art collection to the museum.

Over the years, the museum has continued to evolve. In 1977, an addition was built which now houses the Clarence Ward Art Library, a gallery for modern and contemporary art, studio space, and more classroom

Architect Cass Gilbert’s illustration of the exterior of the Allen Memorial Art Museum as it appeared in 1917. The museum celebrates its centennial this year.

Photo courtesy of the AMAM

space. The building was renovated in 2011 to make it more energy efficient and accessible and in 2015, a conservation project to preserve paintings on the ceiling and above the windows was approved.

While the museum’s building is magnificent, the AMAM’s life is, of course, its collections. The rotating exhibitions of Asian art often draw on the donation of Mary A. Ainsworth, OC 1889, who donated over 300 volumes of Japanese artists’ books and 7 wood blocks for printing after traveling to Japan. Other alumni, such as R.T. Miller Jr., OC 1891, and Ruth Coates, OC ’34, have made financial donations to support the museum’s acquisition of new art.

The museum is celebrating its centennial by featuring gallery exhibits such as A Century of Women in Prints, 1917–2017; A Century of Asian Art at Oberlin; and This is Your Art: The Legacy of Ellen Johnson.

Curator of European and American Art Andaleeb Banta is responsible for A Century of Women in Prints, which showcases works from a diverse

group of women.

“Artists in this exhibition explore a number of subjects, including questions about history, identity, race, gender, spirituality, concepts of beauty, and our systems of knowledge, and portray them in a variety of media,” Banta said. “I think displaying this exhibition in Oberlin is an exceptional opportunity to present a portion of the collection … that is strong, but has not been highlighted in this specific way. I could not do this exhibition anywhere else.”

The AMAM’s print collection is not exhibited often since, according to Banta, the prints must remain in storage to preserve them. This display offers a rare chance for visitors to enjoy these unique and thought provoking works, and only lasts until December.

A Century of Asian Art at Oberlin features pottery, paintings, and sculpture from Japan, China, and Persia, including the first piece of art acquired by Oberlin’s collection: a Chinese vase donated by Dalzell Bunker in 1894, according to the Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian

Art Kevin Greenwood. Bunker was a missionary in Korea, and later contributed other works of art to the College. In the Ripin Gallery upstairs, three walls display Chinese art, and one has Persian and South Asian art.

The Chinese art is mostly paintings of flowers, birds, landscapes, and figures, while the Persian and South Asian works include prayer rugs and pages from the Quran.

“It was tough to narrow the collection down to things that touched on the history of the museum and the relationship between Oberlin and Asia,” Greenwood said. In the spring, the upstairs gallery will display Japanese prints. Greenwood called these prints the “strength of the Asian collection.”

The final centennial exhibition currently on display is This is Your Art: The Legacy of Ellen Johnson. For this collection the Ellen Johnson ’33 Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Andrea Gyorody, assisted by Emma Laube, OC ’17, researched Johnson’s life, her contributions to the AMAM, and her involvement in the art department as a whole. Johnson, an alumna who also taught at Oberlin and curated some AMAM exhibitions, was instrumental in acquiring works from artists including Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, and Eva Hesse. The collection features pieces that Johnson helped to acquire, including a Cézzane painting, a Warhol soup can bag, and a Picasso still life.

According to Gyorody, the collection is like a snapshot of modern art history.

“Walking … into this collection is like walking into your textbook and getting to see these things manifest on the wall which normally you just see in a PowerPoint in your class,” she said.

All the exhibits illustrate the museum’s history and what artists, curators, donors and the Oberlin community have done to make it what it is today.

ExCo Fair Showcases Diverse Community Interests Emily Peterson

You might expect to find some of the ExCo classes on offer this fall semester at any liberal arts college in America: “Understanding the Contemporary Politics of Palestine,” “Alternative Schools of Economic Thought,” “Debate and Public Speaking,” and a variety of language and dance classes. And then there is “DisCo: A Disney History ExCo,” “Spongebobology,” and, of course, “Beginning Dungeons and Dragons.”

All these courses and more were on offer Wednesday night, when a steady stream of students milled around tables set up around the perimeter of the Root Room, talking to teachers and signing up for classes about everything from longboarding to Cyberbunk to representations of oppression in science fiction and fantasy. Even during the opening half hour of quiet time, which was implemented last semester to make the fair more accessible, the space was humming with activity.

As opposed to the somewhat stressful online process of regular course registration, the ExCo Fair emphasizes the Experimental College’s commitment to gathering and fostering community. Officially chartered in 1968, the Experimental College gives students, faculty, and community members the opportunity to learn from each other and engage in subjects that fall outside the purview 10

of the College curriculum. Students can take or teach these courses for credit.

Still, ExCos are about more than getting class credit in non-traditional ways. Senior Alex Menninger, chair of the ExCo Committee, said that only about half of students taking ExCos are getting credit for them. Though separate from regular College classes, ExCo is an academic department, and as such, adheres to the values of a liberal arts education — learning for the sake of learning.

“It’s really exciting for people to have a chance to teach something they’re passionate about and get other people excited about it,” said Liz Yearsley, a sophomore on the ExCo committee.

Reverend Derek Kubilus of First United Methodist Church in Oberlin, who will be teaching an ExCo this semester, agrees.

“Both students and community members who teach these things have been really excited, seeing them at the couple of meetings that we’ve had, seeing how much time and energy they put in,” he said. “It opens up people to experiences they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise.”

Although ExCo classes do follow the traditional teacher and student model, education plays a much more reciprocal role here than in other college courses.

“I think a lot of people think about the [ExCo] instructors and how it’s important to have students who

are able to teach what they are interested in … to their peers,” Menninger said. “I think it’s also important for the students who get to see their peers as instructors and … navigating that relationship between student and instructor without having this huge decade-wide age difference that we’re used to. I think it’s really fun to see faculty members both as instructors and also as students in ExCo courses, and definitely community members [participating in these roles as well]. And I think for the committee members, the people who run ExCo, it’s really challenging work but also really important for us to learn some of what goes into running an organization and how to be professional in many different aspects.”

Rev. Kubilus, who is teaching an ExCo called “The Christian Anarchist Tradition” this semester, drew inspiration for the class from the history of the town and the college.

“What drew me to Oberlin in the first place was its history of social justice. ... It’s considered — rightly or wrongly — sort of a nursery of radical thought, radical thinkers. My course that I’m teaching is on the Christian anarchist tradition, so I thought that this would be a fertile ground to talk about that and share those ideas with people that would be interested.”

Beyond the specific content of the courses, the ExCo See Students, page 11

Abdu Ali Delivers Genre-Bending ’Sco Performance

Abdu Ali played the first ’Sco show of the semester on last Saturday, energizing the crowd with original style and call-and-response performance.

Photo by Hugh Newcomb, Photo Editor

Russell Jaffe Contributing Writer

Newly arrived students were in for a treat when the ’Sco opened with an exceptionally strong orientation show Satuday night. Baltimore emcee, poet, rapper, and activist Abdu Ali and his crew brought a mix of highly energetic Afro Rave songs that left the audience physically shaken by the performance’s sheer volume. For the first-years who formed their first impressions of the ’Sco that night, the standard for future performances will be set unusually high, while for returning students, this concert

heralded an excellent beginning to the new school year.

Even before the ’Sco had opened for the night, the crowds gathering in Wilder Hall’s basement had already lined up halfway to the mailroom. Most of these people departed after receiving a bracelet for entry and returned later that night once the performance had begun. Nevertheless, a sizable number of students waited in the ’Sco for Ali’s arrival. He came through the crowd unnoticed until suddenly, with a rhythm bursting out from the drumset on stage, he called out, “Oberlin, what’s good?” He was greeted by cheers from around the

room.

Ali and his crew’s music defied any standard sort of classification. It shared many characteristics of rap, hip-hop, and, at times, even a touch of soul. But at the same time, it could not be reduced to a specific formula of any kind. As a Black, queer, genre-bending artist, Ali describes himself as “cosmic,” “post-apocalyptic,” and “life-affirming,” and his performance at the ’Sco delivered all that and more. He has truly created a voice of his own, unlike anything else that can be found in the mainstream today. His most recent album, Mongo, which debuted in 2016, was described by The Fader as “a pitch-perfect black self-care mixtape,” full of references to Nina Simone, Alice Coltrane, and other Black artists past and present.

The performance reached its peak about halfway through the evening, when the people who had left after receiving their entry bracelets began to trickle back in. The crowd’s excitement fueled Ali’s energy, and he fueled their excitement in turn. As the room became increasingly crowded, various circles of friends that were scattered throughout the room soon merged into a single mass. It was at this point that I realized that Ali’s performance was dependent upon the audience as much as it was upon Ali himself. Ultimately, it was this relationship, more than anything else, which made Ali’s performance worth remembering.

What binds Ali’s songs into a singular,

cohesive style is the energy that he and his crew bring to them. Throughout the group’s set, there wasn’t a moment when Ali was onstage without his full enthusiasm. He danced with a beaming grin, hopping around and swinging his arms in sharp, fast movements.

Naturally, Ali’s songs reflected his energy, as he used purposeful repetitiveness and a call-andresponse style to rally the whole room.

Occasionally, he even paused to check in with the crowd, asking, “How are you doing?” only to be answered with cheers.

While it was often a bit of a challenge to make out specific lyrics from the songs, there was a heavy beat and rhythm that saturated the music with so much power that everybody present could literally feel the vibration in their bones. But it was the passion of the music, not its specific lyricism that mattered most for this performance. It’s fitting that Ali describes his artistic goal as “delivering a message so people can feel motivated, alive, and awake.”

The high level of enthusiasm that Ali brought to this performance is especially important at the start of the new school year. After a summer spent at internships, extra classes, or in simple relaxation, it can be difficult to find the energy to adjust to the rigor that a new school year brings. But if anyone is looking for some new music to rile themselves up for the first few weeks of classes, Abdu Ali might just be exactly what they need.

Students Introduce Unique Multiplicity of Classes at Fair

Continued from page 10

program itself has had a noticeable impact on the wider Oberlin community.

“I think ExCos are actually one of the few ways that Oberlin gets it right as far as involving the community more in college relations,” said College senior Tré Quarles, an Africana Studies major who is teaching “Contemporary Black Queer Film and Culture.”

Although community and college relations are often a hot-button issue, the ExCo committee has concrete ideas about how to strengthen town-gown ties. Yearsley said that what drew her to ExCo in the first place was the possibility for heightened community involvement.

“Last fall I was thinking a lot about how the College can get more involved with Oberlin’s community. … I’m from a pretty small college town, and as a townie it can be frustrating not really benefiting as much as I could from the [college]. … I wanted high school students to be able to

take ExCos. … Usually our catalogue is just online, but high school students won’t see that. So maybe finding a way to have the fair take place in a more friendly place for them or [having] physical copies at the school that they could page through and their teachers could give to them [would help].”

Before joining the committee, Yearsley took ExCos in rock climbing, taught by students, and puppet making, taught by a community member.

“They approached the whole ExCo thing differently,” Yearsley said. “The community member was very into the midterm and final; she wanted us to do it right, which is cool because I think it could have been something that I didn’t really take seriously, but I really put a lot of work into it. And I also think she really put a lot of work into it … and made super structured, cool lessons, and would have tons of extra time to give to us, whereas obviously a student, by teaching an ExCo, they are already doing something extra.”

Quarles, who taught this ExCo last semester as well,

said the work was worth it because of the opportunities it afforded them. “To be able to get this kind of teaching experience in undergrad — that’s something that’s pretty unprecedented unless you’re a TA.” Quarles was inspired to teach their ExCo in part because the content of their course is not covered in other College classes.

“I wanted to teach this ExCo specifically because there aren’t any Black queer courses offered by the Africana Studies department, and so I just wanted to put my hat into the ring and maybe influence them into thinking about what’s missing in the department,” Quarles said.

More information on the Experimental College, as well as on specific courses available this semester, is available at its website. Students who are interested in taking an ExCo for credit this semester can register until the end of the Add/ Drop period on Monday, Sept. 7.

Nanjiani’s Big Sick Defies Genre Conventions

Jordan Joseph Contributing Writer

The Big Sick, which trailers present as a sickly-sweet romantic comedy with a Pakistani-American protagonist, is currently one of the highest grossing independent films of the year — and for good reason. While the trailer might draw viewers into the theater, beneath its tightlypackaged exterior, The Big Sick is so much more.

The film, a mostly autobiographical narrative written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon, follows Kumail (played by Nanjiani) as he reconciles budding comedic fame with getting older.

Kumail comes from a traditional Pakistani family that expects him to marry a Pakistani woman, so Kumail’s mother sets off to find a wife for her son in her own way. Much to Kumail’s chagrin, this involves inviting Pakistani women who “just happened to be in the neighborhood” to every family dinner.

Despite his familial turmoil, Kumail still manages to meet Emily (Zoe Kazan), a The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

spunky heckler at one of his shows. She and Kumail hit it off immediately.

After the show, Emily casts aside her heckler facade, and she and Kumail hook up. While Emily believes afterward that they’ll part ways forever, Kumail reacts — as he does throughout the film to tense situations — with humor, asking: “Can we have an awkward hug before we part forever?” But as Emily tries to take her leave and call an Uber, Kumail’s phone dings. He is her driver.

As their relationship deepens, Kumail and Emily finally cast off their disdain for labels and begin dating. Of course, before long, Emily discovers Kumail’s secret.

One night, after Kumail leaves the room, she decides to peek inside a mysterious object that’s puzzled her throughout their relationship: Kumail’s cigar box. Expecting romantic pictures of the two of them, Emily is woefully disappointed when she finds the box contains nothing of the sort. Instead, it’s chock-full of headshots of parent-approved Pakistani “dates.” Emily, furious, asks him whether he can “even imagine a world in See The Big Sick, page 13 11

A r t s & C u lt u r e ON THE RECORD

On the Record with Guillermo Arriaga and Liz Schultz

Guillermo Arriaga is the President and Curator of the Museum of Hispanic and Latino Cultures of Lorain, the only Hispanic and Latino museum in Ohio. Currently a traveling museum, the MHLC preserves artifacts and hosts exhibits in communities throughout the state. Liz Schultz is the Executive Director of the Oberlin Heritage Center. Founded in 1903, the OHC preserves and shares Oberlin’s unique heritage with the community.

Throughout September, the OHC and the MHLC will host a collaborative exhibition in Monroe House, one of the OHC’s historical buildings, showcasing artifacts from 19 different countries that the MHLC represents. Visitors will be able to take guided tours in English or in English and Spanish, or can take a self-guided tour.

This week, Arriaga and Schultz spoke to the Review about the upcoming collaborative exhibition and Fiesta in la Biblioteca, a party the will be held on the 23rd of September.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Liz Schultz (left), executive director of the Oberlin Heritage Center, and Guillermo Arriaga, president and director of the Museum of Hispanic and Latino Cultures of Lorain, have collaboratively curated an exhibition on Hispanic and Latino culture. that will be open to the public in Monroe House through September.

Photo by Hugh Newcomb, Photo Editor Interview by Julia Peterson Arts and Culture Editor

What is the importance of heritage and history?

Guillermo Arriaga: I think it’s important to know where we come from in order to know where we’re going. … This is the world’s problem today — we don’t know the history of the past, and we’re repeating a lot of the worst things.

Liz Schultz: I always like to see history, heritage, and culture as something that you can learn from, especially for comparison. So many times, you are locked into what you’re doing because that’s what everyone else around you does, or that’s what you’ve always seen, but I always think it’s wonderful for people to step outside what they’re used to so they ... appreciate diversity and new things, but also so they can understand themselves better.

GA: For the most part, when you talk about Hispanics or Latinos, you look at — “Well, they’re just one group of people.” But we represent almost 22 different Hispanic countries, and although some of them were colonized by the same ancient civilizations, they’re all different countries now. That’s what makes diversity so important — to know the richness of a specific country and see how it influences another country, or to notice the civilization that is still there intertwined into other cultures. And the United States is a melting pot of all of these cultures. We’re in there — all of these cultures. If they’re not already established here, they’re coming in, more and more.

What sort of work does the Museum of Hispanic and Latino Cultures of Lorain do?

GA: We are the only Hispanic museum in the whole state of Ohio … and we educate. That’s one of our main priorities. Our goal is to educate everyone — even Hispanics.

We educate Hispanics because a lot of them don’t know about their culture. They’re [in] an assimilated country. … So we’re here to establish the past for the future of these people.

What should people expect from 12

this September’s collaboration between your two museums?

LS: It’s going to be taking place within [Monroe House], the historic home at Oberlin, so it’s kind of a mixture of cultures in a way. It’s going to be art and artifacts from 19 different countries. People can come on a guided tour in English [or] English and Spanish, or walk through on their own, so I think that everyone is going to see something a little bit different. … I’m fascinated with the musical instruments scattered throughout. Other people, who are of Hispanic or Latino heritage, will probably gravitate towards the country that they might identify with, so I think … everyone is going to find something that they enjoy, or relate to, or want to learn more about.

What has the process of putting this exhibit together been like?

GA: An exhibit like this — you’re selective as to what you’re bringing out, and the atmosphere that you want to put out. … We have artifacts that are from all these different countries, and a variety [of them].

We have wooden things, brass things, pottery. We even have gourds in here. So [we’re showcasing] a variety of things which make up these cultures that we represent.

But it’s about the unity and how it fits — and I think it does fit well in these rooms in Monroe House.

What are some of your favorite elements in this exhibition?

LS: I like the musical instruments.

So I’ve looked up all the instruments and … I’ve been listening to more music. And the clothing that is on display is also just wonderful to see.

GA: One of the most wonderful things is the Argentinian gaucho man that we acquired a few years ago. And the expression on his face — hand-carved — to me is wonderful.

Plus, [from] Peru, I like the gourds and how they carved them out.

LS: I also really like the Mexican kitchen. I’ve been watching videos about how to make hot chocolate and how [a] metate is used. Food is always very interesting to me.

GA: We always get asked the question, “Are these things real?”

Yes. You can go to these countries today and see 99 percent of these things being used in everyday life.

How do you think that this community setting in Oberlin has impacted what you’ve done for the exhibition, and how do you think that the exhibition being here might have an impact on the community?

GA: Well, we’re hoping that [people] are going to see what’s going on in the world — if we just look, accept, and see that we’re the same — yet we’re different in what we bring to the table. Acceptance is a very big part of the world that we live

in. … Look and see that [these nineteen countries we represent] are here to stay.

We’re not going away. They’re still in existence and have been for thousands of years.

LS: As the Heritage Center, we recognize, we interpret a lot of Civil War history and early history, and this can seem like more recent history in some ways, but it also goes way back. Doing this exhibit is a good way for us to say, “We need to understand this better and start preserving it for future generations.”

This is a part of our history now that we need to look at and be talking with people [about] and documenting as well.

[This exhibit] was a good reason to look in a new direction and say, “How can we preserve this for future generations, in collaboration?”

What is Fiesta in la Biblioteca going to be all about?

GA: It’s going to be about introducing the city of Oberlin to the different foods that our culture has. … It’s about giving [people] a little flavor on their palate about these countries. Because most people [think about] Hispanic food as “Mexican.” … It’s about giving [people] an authentic taste of these cultures. They’re not just clothing, wood carvings, and textiles. We want that added feature [of the food].

LS: I think it’s good to have something to draw the community together and introduce people to new people. We have the art and artifacts here, but those personal connections are very important as well.

GA: We can’t very well be socializing while giving the tours, because we have a job to do. A lot of times, with our exhibits, people want to sit there and talk to you one-on-one while you have an exhibit going on, but you have a lot of people that hopefully will be coming and seeing these things.

And when we do the Fiesta, we hope they all come back and say, “Oh, I was very impressed with this table or these artifacts, and we’d like to see more.”

One of the questions on the sign by the comment cards in the Monroe House was asking, “Did this remind you of anything?”

What was the inspiration for asking that?

LS: That’s kind of an open-ended question so that people who have heritage or who have emigrated from some of these countries can say, “Oh, we have this in our kitchen,” or, “My grandmother had this.” For other people, who may not come from that heritage, they can say “I’ve seen this here,” or “I’ve always wanted to try that.”

Hopefully it’s a question where everyone can find how they relate to the artifacts here.

Is there something that you wish everyone knew about this exhibition?

GA: Look, we’re bringing different cultures into a specific “still time” — [Monroe House], a building that is from a period. And we’re still able to exhibit other things in there that don’t pertain to that surrounding, but still make it inviting for people to come into.

We’re hoping that we can do other things with Liz down the road. We have so much in our collection, and the public hasn’t seen most of it. …

I think this [exhibition] is unique in the way that the past and now are working together, hand in hand.

Museums don’t have to just stay put, locked in time. This is something different.

After this exhibition, what are your respective museums doing next?

GA: We have several [events] already planned. On the third of October, we’re doing toys from Hispanic countries at the public library in south Lorain. … Then we’re [exhibiting] at the Lorain Historical Society for a whole week, which will be a totally different exhibit from what we’ve got here.

And then we’re going to be doing another [exhibit] … it’s called “African Influence on the Hispanic Cultures.”

Is there anything you would like to add?

LS: I think [it’s so important] to get people involved. Both of us are small non-profits, so if students have an interest in this kind of history or getting experience with museums, … we both have plenty of volunteer opportunities for people to be involved.

GA: A lot of research is involved.

LS: I hope people get the idea too that museums aren’t just stalled in time. We’re always doing this research, always trying new things and meeting new people. In order to be a good museum, you have to be trying new things and seeing what else you need to be doing now, with that long-term view of what will be needed in the future.

GA: Liz has given us the opportunity to exhibit in a way we didn’t even think about. Hopefully this will encourage other museums that are house-museums to say, “Hey, they did that over there in Oberlin. We can do that over here, in our town.” We’re hoping for that.

That’s what we’re hoping to get out of this [collaboration], besides educating the people … that are going to come in here.

Courtnie Brings Welcome Warmth to Cat Ananya Gupta Arts and Culture Editor

Courtnie, a neo-soul R&B artist currently based in Brooklyn, NY, showcased her alluring, sensational vocals Sunday evening. Performing onstage at the Cat in the Cream, Courtnie sang about love — not just love for a partner or a friend, but also the “love experienced in passion and simply loving life.” While she treated the audience to a few numbers from her upcoming album I Feel Like Color, scheduled to be released later this month, the audience was particularly delighted with some of her more well-known songs like “Try,” an optimistic take on how liberating it can be to let your guard down; she sings, “Are you really alive if you don’t take the time, baby, to explore?”

The performance, which was the first of the semester at the Cat in the Cream, was bound to receive an enthusiastic reception from new and returning R&B singer Courtnie opened the Cat in the Cream’s fall performance schedule Saturday students who were drawn to Courtnie’s night with warm, ethereal vocals and uplifting lyrics.

Photo by Bryan Rubin, Photo Editor show, including fans of the genre. “I’m definitely a fan of R&B,” said Jude a clear message that she wants to convey your breath/ And just show you what’s Fernandez, a sophomore college student. to the audience: “Be passionate about the deal.” Courtnie’s talent, charm, and “My favorite artists are Prince and Stevie what you do and … just live life,” Courtnie ethereal style kept Davis — and now Oberlin — coming back for more.

Wonder, and contemporary artists such as said.

“It was amazing,” said College junior Courtnie’s musical journey has taken NAO and SZA.” Sky Davis, who was involved in organizing a surprising path. When she was 7, her Singing to a nearly full house, Courtnie the event.

“I was nervous about how it grandmother told her, “Girl, you cannot won hearts easily. The audience gravitated would turn out, considering we never sing, stop.”

But she joined a gospel toward her not only for her raw, sultry know how many people will turn up or choir when she attended University of voice and hip beats, but for the physical whether they’ll like it, but it turned out Southern California, and has been singing and emotional passion she conveyed in much better than I expected.” ever since. her music and the vibrant energy that Davis discovered Courtnie’s music “I don’t do it full time yet as I work she created in the room. She exhibited through her debut video “Heart’s Desire.” for Black Entertainment Television, but the freedom of body and spirit that many The song features a “cool, kind of ’70s” music is slowly becoming more and more Obies aspire to, and her enticing dance aesthetic, according to Davis, and lyrics a full-time thing and central to my life,” moves only heightened the remarkable like “The way I really wanna capture Courtnie said. vibe in the room. When she sings, she has

Courtnie is active on SoundCloud, where her songs like “Nebula” and “Mr. Sensei” are gaining steady popularity, with tens of thousands of listens on the tracks that she has posted. Still, “[Courtnie] is not overtly well-known, so the focus [of her performance] would remain on her energy and positivity,” Davis said.

He added that Oberlin is an ideal venue for Courtnie’s music. “I think it’s important for people to feel positive energy, and I knew Courtnie could turn even the most reluctant listener into the mood she so desired,” Davis said. Judging by the cheers, sing-alongs, and swaying bodies, it seems the crowd resonated with Davis’ review. Courtnie certainly knew how to command a room. “My favorite moment was when she made the audience sing with her and have this call and response dynamic that everybody partook in,” said Daniel Firebanks, a second year College student.

Courtnie’s upcoming album surrounds “diversity and religion,” she said, drawing inspiration from worldwide, iconic artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, and Solange.

In times when we are swept away with social media presence, stardom, and gimmicks, Courtnie brought a humble charm that encouraged understanding with listeners, framing her poetic lyrics with textures and harmonies that gave them extraordinary depth. “It was important for Oberlin students to know that — as if a reminder was needed — Black artists can be successful in the industry.

[And] to be fair and serious, she’s also quite an example to follow for simultaneously working a corporate job while following her artist dream,” Firebanks said.

The Big Sick Surpasses Expectations, Moves Audiences Continued from page 11

which [they] end up together.” Kumail is at a loss, and Emily, understandably upset, storms off.

Then Emily gets sick.

Besides demonstrating lovers’ quarrels and cultural differences, what The Big Sick achieves after Emily falls ill is nothing short of magnificent. While Emily is in a medically-induced coma, Kumail is forced to be a better boyfriend than he ever was when she was well.

He deftly navigates all of the customary relationship hurdles, bonding with Emily’s family and reassuring his, but in his own deadpan, comedic way.

The Big Sick maintains a delicate balance between drama and comedy. Through the laughter and the tears, the film never pulls punches. It engages with some of the toughest situations in life — familial discord and the grave illness of a loved one — but it does so

tastefully and, at times, humorously. This balance is what sustains the film. For instance, when Emily’s father (played by Ray Romano) asks a bewildered Kumail, “What’s your stance [on 9/11]?” Kumail spins his response into arguably the most memorable quip of the film. I say without hesitation that before The Big Sick, I’d never seen a film and left with such a bittersweet feeling of sadness mixed with joy.

The Big Sick’s other major strength is its encapsulation of the real Kumail and his relationship with his now-wife Emily Gordon. Since Kumail cowrote the script for the film with Gordon, the finished product comes across as uniquely authentic. There are no instances in which a white writer is attempting to grasp at the thoughts of a Pakistani immigrant or his family, because it is Kumail who tells the story in his

own voice, his own way.

This film delivers clean, honest fun and romance without overdoing it, which has been exceedingly rare in the years since The Hangover and The 40-Year-OldVirgin. From the hilarious quips to the brutally honest stand-up routine that Kumail performs during Emily’s illness, a more avant-garde rom-com just doesn’t exist.

Whether you are seeking a bone-shaking laugh or a cathartic cry, The Big Sick is the relatable, flat-out charming movie you’ve been looking for. There are any number of reasons to see The Big Sick, but what it boils down to is that the writing, acting, and story are so damn good you’re going to wish that you’d brought your whole family. And when you realize you left them at home, you can go back to the theater and see it again.

It’s that good.

THE UNFORTUNATE OWL: POPPED

PADDY MCCABE

The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

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Sp ort s IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Women’s Cross Country This week the Review sat down with juniors Rosie Kerwin and Abby Bellows and sophomores Joy Castro-Wehr and Julia Denlinger, members of the Yeowomen cross country leadership council, the team’s newly developed alternative to captains. They discussed the role the council plays in addition to the team’s expectations emerging from a historic 2016–2017 season for women’s track and field, during which they took home their first outright North Coast Athletic Conference indoor and first ever outdoor title.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Alex McNicoll and Julie Schreiber Sports Editors

For the first time, you guys have a “leadership council” this year instead of team captains.

What prompted this change in leadership?

Rosie Kerwin: Creating the council was a decision that was mostly a response to the way the team was led last year. The people who weren’t satisfied with last year’s leadership wanted to change it. We really wanted to get more people involved in the decisionmaking process of the team this year.

Joy Castro-Wehr: The council was definitely an effort to make a team environment that really focuses on team cohesiveness. We want to be a team that goes through things together, and our decisionmaking should be a process with consensus and input by everybody, not just selected seniors.

What has the leadership council brought to the team so far that’s different from last year?

RK: Definitely more voices and opinions are heard this year. Also, we’ve been way more productive early on because there are more council members than there were

captains in the past, and there are definitely more people invested in the team bonding that takes place during down time.

JCW: One new idea that emerged from the leadership council was this new “support buddy” system, where each of us has a teammate that we check in with daily about running, schoolwork, and life in general. It helps unify our large team and makes the team less of a hierarchical system.

We’ve heard you guys mention how much fun you all had during preseason camp in Cuyahoga Valley. What made your preseason camp so enjoyable this year?

RK: Well, camp is about running, but it’s really more about team bonding. As the leadership council, we decided that we wanted to use camp to focus on positivity. We really carried that spirit through the whole time.

Abby Bellows: No one really even had to put in a conscious effort to make the team dynamic positive or fun during camp. It kinda just happened on its own.

Everyone was just working really hard at running and working really well together automatically. It was great.

The 2017 season was a historic one for women’s track and field, capturing both the indoor and outdoor NCAC titles. How will cross country use that momentum going into this season?

RK: We had two great track seasons, and we really want to carry the energy from last year into our cross country season. We’re really focusing on positivity right now and carrying the spirit and energy from winning together last year.

JCW: We all still feel really excited by the championships. It’s super fun to be a part of a team that has a lot of success and momentum behind it, and we especially want to communicate those feelings to the first–years and demonstrate to them that the successes of the team really come from team bonding and building a team culture.

What are you expecting from the new freshman class? How are they assimilating to the team?

JCW: They’re awesome!

Julia Denlinger: We have seven on the women’s team and four on the men’s team, and they’re all fabulous. Not only are they seamlessly blending into the team culture, but they’re also contributing so much to it and bringing lots of new elements to the team, too.

What is one change you are hoping to see from last season into this season?

RK: We definitely want a more cohesive group this year. We run in workout groups during practice, so it’s easy to just section off into our

ITLR – From left to right: Joy Castro-Wehr, Abby Bellows, Julia Denlinger, Rosie Kerwin Photo by Alex McNicoll, Sports Editor

groups all the time. We really want to change that this year.

JD: We also want to be more thoughtful about inclusivity and mental health. We want to be constantly checking in with each other and making sure everyone’s on the same page and feeling that their voices are heard.

What are the most crucial races this year? Which events are you most looking forward to or training the hardest for?

JCW: Usually we have one home meet, the rumble, but this year our conference meet will also be at home.

JD: Put it in the article that everyone should come to the conference meet.

AB: The rumble is Oct. 14, and conference is Oct. 29.

RK: We hosted conference for indoor last year, but I don’t know if we’ve ever hosted conference for cross country before. If we have, it must’ve been years ago.

AB: The energy the whole weekend when we won indoor conference last winter was so fun, and we really want to capture that again more than anything. The

rumble is a really big deal because everyone competes, but at conference we only get to take our top 12.

We really want to do well at both, and we want everyone to win at both races.

RK: We have a really young team too. We only graduated two people from our top eight, so we feel really optimistic about the way things can go this season.

What are your goals for conference play this year?

All: To win!

RK: Right now, I think we’re in a good place, if all goes well.

JCW: But also, we really want everyone to have fun. We’d love to win, but at the end of the day, we really care about the camaraderie and the love that our teammates have for the sport and for each other.

RK: We’re really focused on our team dynamic this year and working really well together, and all the success rolls off of that. Really, that’s the best way to prepare for a winning season.

NFL Ethically Progresses With Suspension of Elliott Editorial: James Cato Contributing Writer

Editor’s Note: This article contains mentions of intimate partner violence.

The NFL took a step in the right direction with its six-game suspension of sensational second-year running back Ezekiel Elliott. As a league fraught with player discipline controversy, the NFL needed to make a statement when its brightest young star, and arguably the best running back in the league, broke the new personal conduct policy.

Elliott plays for the Dallas Cowboys, dubbed “America’s team,” with its rich history of five Super Bowls, countless Hall of Fame talents, and maverick owner Jerry Jones. Elliott is a money-making machine. The NFL headed into last season with several controversies, such as “Deflategate” and growing concerns over Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy — a cognitive disorder caused by years of concussions and head trauma — which has been discovered in numerous former players and led to a decrease in ratings and questions of the legitimacy of the NFL. Also, this is the same league that had possession of the infamous videotape of Ray Rice beating his fiancée, and issued a two-game suspension in response, only to turn it into an indefinite suspension once TMZ released its own copy of the video. In a court of law, Ray Rice could have been sentenced to five years in prison, and the NFL’s use of double jeopardy and alleged indifference to domestic assault tested its once loyal fan base.

The introduction of rookies Dak Prescott and Elliott took the Cowboy’s crumbling team to a stellar 13–3 record, reaffirming the NFL’s

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status as the powerhouse of American sports.

The Cowboys, the world’s most valuable sports franchise, are worth $4.2 billion, and their reaffirmation as a top team was a huge step for the NFL in eliminating doubts.

Elliott, however, proved problematic immediately after his fourth overall draft pick by the Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott was seen visiting a marijuana dispensary in Seattle, and NFL players — even ones living or playing in states where marijuana is legal — face immediate suspension for failing a drug test. As the face of what might be the most important franchise in the NFL, Elliott quickly dropped the ball.

The Cowboys, who were previously successful in erasing their star wide receiver Dez Bryant’s early off-field concerns, were confident they could fix the image of their new franchise centerpiece. Elliott, who posted an elite 1,631 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, and all on a jaw-dropping 5.1 yards per carry, took no time at all to reach superstar status. However, this offseason, he couldn’t seem to follow in Bryant’s footsteps in brushing up his reputation The first transgression was in a video leaked

by TMZ, which featured Elliott aggressively ripping a woman’s shirt off and exposing her to a crowd of people at a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Elliott’s friends tried to refute claims of physical force, saying the two knew each other well.

But Elliott cannot deny the shocking and public tapes. Elliott blundered again in another publically documented incident when he punched a DJ in the face at a Dallas bar, breaking the man’s nose and sending him to the hospital. No charges were pressed, but the rest of the league’s owners became uneasy at the sight of a Dallas star acting recklessly getting away with it.

The league could not ignore the issue this past July, when a woman claiming to be Elliott’s girlfriend reported five claims of domestic abuse to the Dallas police. In her statements, she describes Elliott lashing out at her face in anger and choking her for about 30 seconds. These disturbing accounts are joined by other descriptions of strikes and even a jarring attack that “busted the side of [her] jaw” against the wall. Roger Goodell, who in 2014 issued a new personal conduct policy to ensure that a Rice-like incident would never happen again, called for an investigation of Elliott.

This investigation included speaking with and going through the phones of all parties involved, as well as close friends and family members of both Elliott and the accuser. Afterward, they concluded that Elliott broke the personal conduct policy, consequently suspending him for six games.

Many outside factors led to the suspension as well. Goodell faced pressure from several owners who do not want stars to act so recklessly. Regardless, the NFL needed to send a message to players that they are role models who represent something much bigger than themselves and that they need to handle themselves as such.

Elliott’s story is still developing. In the coming weeks, we will likely see an appeal to the suspension, which has already been issued

by Elliott. All suspensions are subject to appeal per the NFL Players Association. Based on how the NFL has handled the situation so far, both the league and its players will have taken a step toward a safer and better NFL regardless of the outcome.

Boxing

Continued from page 16

Mayweather recorded a technical knockout on McGregor in the 10th round. McGregor will at least quadruple his net worth, as his $34 million UFC career earnings are dwarfed by the reported $70 million paycheck he will receive for his match against Mayweather.

Additionally, no one benefitted more than the UFC itself, which was able to catapult itself and its biggest star into the limelight. While I didn’t pay to watch the match, I, along with many others, now know who McGregor is and am eagerly waiting to see what he does next.

Mayweather, on the other hand, remains undefeated and can enjoy the reported $234 million paycheck he received just to fight one last time. In the end, Mayweather won, but it seems everyone got the check they wanted, and that is the unfortunate direction in which professional fighting is headed.

Football Looks to Bounce Back in New Season Allen, this includes spontaneous bonding activities, as well as traditional practice.

“We’re looking to make big turnarounds from past years, and we’re done waiting,” Allen said. “All the different position groups are hanging out and the team feels really bonded this year.”

One encouraging sign for the team is that it capped off its preseason camp with a 21–0 victory over the Quakers of Earlham College last Saturday. The competition between the two programs –––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“They bring fresh legs and a desire to make an immediate impact and bring versatility to Oberlin football.”

Melvin Briggs Sophomore Running Back ––––––––––––––––––––––

Senior wide receiver Corey Fussinger gets set in a matchup against the College of Wooster Fighting Scots in 2016.

Photo courtesy of OC Athletics Julie Schreiber Sports Editor

After a season in which Yeomen football failed to record a single win, the 53 members of the team have put everything else aside to focus on their sport. Nearly every morning from Aug. 11 to the start of classes, the sizable squad has been obsessed. During preseason hey woke up each morning for team practices, weightlifts, position meetings, coaching meetings, and film sessions, only breaking for meals. Each

evening, they went to sleep only to do it all again the next morning.

“From 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day, it was all football,” sophomore running back Melvin Briggs said. “As a team, we really embraced our saying of ‘No BCD’ — no blaming, no complaining, no defending — and just attacked every challenge in front of us.”

As the team eagerly awaits their first game, they do everything they can to sharpen themselves physically and mentally. According to senior team captain and defensive lineman Tony

included a scrimmage and a series of scripted game-like simulations, all of which the Yeomen won “quite easily, and performed up to expectations,” according to Robbie Matey, Oberlin’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

“We showed lots of strength both mentally and physically on Saturday, and it was a really promising way to end preseason and transition into regular-season competition,” Matey said.

“We’re really excited to see where they can take the team this year.”

However, according to Briggs, there is still much more work to be done. He thinks there is still always room for improvement, especially in such a crucial season.

“There were many small details that we needed to pay more attention to, like limiting penalties,” Briggs said.

“But we also demonstrated lots of consistency running the ball, gaining yards and holding down the defense.”

The challenge now will be to use the Earlham scrimmage as momentum for the season. A disheartening 2016 season was softened by the knowledge that many of this year’s returning players will try to build on the progress they did make last season amid the losses.

One of the keys to making this happen will be the presence of returnee Zach Taylor, a sophomore quarterback and a co-captain. He is coming off a near record-breaking freshman season in which he threw for 1,866 yards and 12 passes.

“We’re really excited for Zach to grow as a leader on the field and within the team, and to put his teammates in positions to make plays,” Matey said.

Other featured returnees include junior wide receiver Robby Reinheimer, who finished the 2016 season with 462 yards and 3 touchdowns; senior defensive back Bennett Jackson, who finished 2016 with 74 stops and 3 interceptions; and senior offensive lineman Avery McThompson, who begins his third consecutive year as a co-captain.

According to Briggs, the team also anticipates major contributions from the Yeomen first-years.

“They bring fresh legs and a desire to make an immediate impact and bring versatility to Oberlin football,” he said.

Now all the Yeomen have to do is tie it all together and win some games.

The first test comes this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bailey Field, when Oberlin will look to beat Kalamazoo College, who bested them 36–29 on the road early last season. While Matey has been excited by everything he has seen so far, a win is the only real payoff this Yeomen team can get.

“We not only want to, but we expect to see great, relentless effort across the board in all phases of the game,” Matey said.

Philips Gym Renovation Continues Throughout School Year Alex McNicoll Sports Editor

As Philips gym renovations continue, members of the Athletics Department are confident that the project’s disruptions will ultimately be a worthwhile investment for the campus. The $13 million project, according to Delta Lodge Director of Athletics Natalie Winkelfoos, will benefit both sports teams and nonathletes. “[It’s going to be a space] where people can start to build more community,” Winkelfoos said. “There’s going to be a lounge where people can [convene] in really cool ways and have face-to-face conversations, and it’s really a focus on the overall physical wellness, which then connects to the overall emotional wellness of everybody.”

The rebuild, which includes an upgraded cardio and fitness room, a lounge, and a long-overdue renovation to the Carr pool, follows an $8 million construction of the Knowlton Athletics Complex. Winkelfoos projects the doors to the gym will reopen in August 2018.

The gym took over the land of two Village Housing Units on The Oberlin Review | September 1, 2017

Woodland Street. Oberlin aims to keep up with other North Coast Athletic Conference colleges, like Kenyon College, that use new and more costly facilities to attract students and act as a community space.

“A lot of our students are coming from a place where they have way better facilities than we do,” Winkelfoos said. “This is allowing us to increase our recruitment efforts, and not just for athletics.”

The changes come with immediate costs beyond the financial for students, who will have to withstand cramped facilities and construction sounds for most of the school year as construction workers race to stay on schedule. Most affected by the renovations will be the swimming and diving team, which will practice in the Splash Zone Aquatic Center, a facility one and a half miles away from campus.

Swimming and diving Head Coach Andrew Brabson, who’s entering his fifth season with the team, is not deterred by the long-awaited changes and hopes that the long-term benefits will outweigh the challenges his team will face in the coming season.

“With Splash Zone … just two minutes from campus, it’s really just a small hindrance for a larger vision where we will have a functional facility that will be beneficial for the team and the campus,” Brabson said. “The mood right now is that even though it’s going to be a little chaotic not having a pool on campus, everyone is excited for the future.”

The swimming and diving team — which will already be facing an uphill battle after losing record-breaking Maddie Prangley, OC ’17, who holds nearly all Yeowomen swimming records — will have to rely on a younger core of athletes as the team recovers. But the financial benefits for the swim team will come in many ways. According to Winkelfoos, the college will no longer have to worry about pouring money into short-term resolutions to the Carr pool.

Oberlin students will have to brace for change as construction continues to interfere with everyday life. Meanwhile, the Athletics Department will have to work to ensure that the changes are recognized as a worthwhile investment to all Oberlin students who use the athletic facilities by brainstorming new ways

The swimming and diving team eagerly awaits the renovation of Carr Pool, as Philips gym construction continues into the 2017 fall semester.

The $13 million project is set for completion in August 2018.

Photo courtesy of OC Athletics

to use the space.

“The key is going to be for us to build some really dynamic programming, which is going to be attractive to your typical Oberlin College student,” Winkelfoos said. “I know that not everybody wants to do power-

lifting, and I know that not everybody is interested in having washboard abs, but everybody should be interested in taking care of themselves physically.

That should be a priority on a college campus, and that’s the major benefit of this facility.”

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SPORTS September 1, 2017

established 1874

Volume 146, Number 1

Money Comes Out On Top Alex McNicoll Sports Editor

Junior midfielder Trenton Bulucea winds up for a corner kick during the Yeomen’s scrimmage against the Capital University Crusaders. The Yeomen will begin their season today against Anderson University in Anderson, IN. Photo courtesy of OC Athletics

Yeomen Soccer Set to Score Again Jane Agler

As Yeomen soccer prepares for its upcoming season, the sting of last year’s championship loss still lingers. After graduating eight seniors in one of the most decorated Yeomen classes ever, the team will rely on a combination of seasoned veterans and fresh blood to fill the big shoes of their predecessors. However, Head Coach Blake New is determined to keep a winning mentality alive in the depleted locker room.

“As a team, our goals don’t change from year to year,” New, who earned the North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in his career in 2016, said in an email to the Review. “The goal every year is to win the conference. Last year’s team was fantastic and we have a lot to live up to, but that is the great thing about college sports: every year is a new team.”

Last year’s run broke multiple records in what was one of the most successful seasons for Yeomen soccer in recent memory. The team smashed numerous school records, most notably landing 15 wins in a single season.

Other statistical accomplishments included a recordbreaking 41 assists and record-tie of 48 goals in one season.

The 2016 squad’s standing as number two in the NCAC was not only an accomplishment within conference standings, but a feat in the context of Oberlin’s greater athletic history: the Yeomen’s season-ending loss was their first appearance in a conference final in the program’s lifetime.

Nick Wertman, OC ’17, left the Yeomen with the most impressive soccer career in Oberlin history. The midfielder’s sensational run was capped off by both qualifying for the Division III All-America Third Team and receiving the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Other recent Oberlin graduates include Adam ChazinGray and Galen Brennan, OC ‘17, who were both named to the NCAC All-Tournament team. The three seniors played a crucial role in the Yeomen’s first championship run.

Despite the losses, the team will take the field with lofty expectations and plenty of new faces. 10 players —

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nine first-years and one walk-on — will join the team and help the rebuilding effort.

Junior midfielder Trenton Bulucea has liked what he’s seen so far from the rookies. “The first-year class has impressed during preseason,” Bulucea wrote in an email to the Review. “Adding 10 new members to a team so predicated on chemistry is a bit daunting, but so far they have fit right in.”

The new additions will be competing for the first time in various positions all over the field. Between goalkeepers Fiachra McDonagh and Max Buri and midfielder and forward Michael Candelori, there will be a lot of ground to cover for the new Yeomen.

Junior Noah Binford, number 25 and the sole walk-on for the Yeomen this year, took preseason as time to integrate with the new Division III athletes as well as the veterans. What he lacks in collegiate experience, he hopes to make up for in good chemistry with his new teammates.

“As a walk-on, college-level soccer is something new to me,” Binford wrote in an email to the Review. “The rest of the guys have made getting into things much easier. And after an intense preseason, I now feel connected to my team and ready to play.”

As for the veterans, senior captain Timothy Williams is primed to assume a larger role after a 2016 season in which he notched six goals and five assists and earned All-NCAC Second Team honors. Meanwhile, sophomore midfielder and Oberlin native Jack McMillin proved to be a powerful offensive asset with 20 match appearances, three goals, and three assists as just a first-year.

“I believe with the squad we have today, we are more than capable of reaching those same goals we set out to achieve last year and go beyond,” Bulucea said in an email to the Review.

The Oberlin men’s soccer season opener will be today at 5 p.m. against Anderson University in Anderson, IN. After losing 9–0 in a preseason game against the NCAA Division I University of Evansville back in August, Anderson University will likely show up with a fiery spirit and strong desire to win during their face-off with the Yeomen.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Conor McGregor’s celebrity showdown was the peak of a rapidly-changing boxing culture that is selling the sweet science for as much cash as it can. With a pay-per-view cost of $99.95, the fight, which could hardly be called a boxing match, pulled in over $400 million on TV revenue alone.

Boxing has always earned the most money from the most outspoken and polarizing athletes in the sports world.

From Muhammad Ali’s biting poems to Mike Tyson’s vicious bite of Evander Holyfield’s ear in the ring, no fan ever really knows what to expect when they pay to watch a fight, and that might just be the reason they pay so much. However, in all of boxing, no one has embraced the money as much as Mayweather has.

Mayweather’s career earnings, which top $1 billion, support his lavish lifestyle, which includes never wearing the same underwear or socks twice. In boxing, the biggest personalities always seem to match their play with their mouths.

In the fighting world, Mayweather is hailed as a defensive genius and arguably the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. He has a flawless 50–0 (27 KOs) record over a career of more than 20 years. His strategy is unbeatable, as he tires his opponents out with his defensive prowess in the opening rounds, eventually finishing them off with brutal punches at the end.

Then came Conor McGregor. As the face of Ultimate Fight Club, he terrorizes opponents with a combination of elbows and kicks. Most notably, he needed just 13 seconds to finish off Jose Aldo in a title match. Additionally, like all the great fighters before him, McGregor matches his fighting with his silver tongue, which is potent, humiliating and, for better or for worse, can revive careers from retirement.

After months of taunting 40-year-old Mayweather to come out of retirement and face him in the ring, 29-year-old McGregor was finally successful when he promised the one thing “Money” can never seem to resist: a nine-figure check.

As soon as the fight was announced, many argued that it was more of a celebrity stunt than a real boxing match.

Despite an 11-year age advantage on Mayweather, McGregor was facing off against one of the greatest to ever box while having never done so himself. McGregor’s skinny frame and inexperience in the ring were too much of a deterrent for boxing connoisseurs, such as legend Oscar De La Hoya, to take the match seriously.

“I thought it was a fraud,” De La Hoya said on ESPN’s First Take. “Only Mayweather knows why it lasted 10 rounds.”

McGregor challenging Mayweather to a fight is somewhat like Michael Phelps challenging Usain Bolt to a race, but unlike racing, boxing and its promoters have always benefited most from sensational stories. Few could resist the two biggest names in professional fighting taking each other on in an unprecedented event.

See Editorial, page 14