To the Editors:

We, the members of the Alumni Leadership Council of the Oberlin Alumni Association, are pained that a number of events have polarized our beloved Oberlin community along racial, religious and cultural lines. These events compel us to confront issues of bias, discrimination and harassment.

First Lady Michelle Obama implored us during her 2015 Commencement address: “Run [to, and not away from,] the noise.” Now is the time for the Oberlin community to do just that and unite around this place we all love.

Our academic training and commitment to respectful dialogue place the Oberlin community in an ideal position to grapple with these sensitive issues. Let it be our shared resolve to be engaged members of this community: constructive, civil and supportive.

Disconnecting is not the answer. Oberlin needs every member of our community — students, faculty, staff, administration and alumni — to work together.

The ALC trusts and expects that the administration and faculty will respond in a timely and thoughtful manner to the various issues before them. We recognize that these processes will require patience from all, as change does not happen overnight.

It is our collective work and responsibility to shape Oberlin and its legacy with compassion and mutual respect.

Run toward the noise.

In Community,

– The Alumni Leadership Council of the Oberlin Alumni Association