Ohio Midterm Election Results

Mikaela Fishman, This Week Editor|November 9, 2018

Mikaela Fishman

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Oberlin City Schools administrators, parents, and community members assembled for the second-ever Superintendent Coffee Chat Thursday evening. The event employed a unique model that uses dialogue and collective brainstorming to discuss potential solutions to problems faced by the district, and was facilitated by volunteers from the College’s Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue.

“We’re bringing in some different people, some fresh ideas in a space where people are really willing to share,” said William Baylis, director of curriculum for the district.

The Coffee Chat addressed specific facets of the district’s educational programming, including college and career readiness, special education, gifted programs, and medical wellness. Attendees split up into small groups based on their primary area of concern and engaged in discussion with administrators including Superintendent David Hall and Oberlin High School Principal Chris Frank. YBCD volunteers mediated the breakout sessions and transcribed discussion points; these notes will help serve as guides for the implementation of new policies and programs in the district.

“Our goal [was] to provide a context for all who attend to be able to contribute ideas, ask questions, to be informed,” Ombudsperson Kimberly Jackson Davidson wrote in an email to the Review. “We trust that such opportunities lead to informed voting and motivation for engagement that will benefit the students who are and who will be educated in Oberlin City Schools.”

Bethany Hobbs, a community member with a son in the district, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to directly interact with high-level district stakeholders.

“I think it is really nice to be able to connect with the administration and feel like we’re being heard as parents and community members,” she said.

Superintendent Coffee Chat Offers Opportunity for Meaningful Discussion

College and double-degree second-years gathered for the second annual Sophomore Opportunities and Academic Resources retreat last weekend. The SOAR program aims to provide students with a space to think intentionally about their personal goals, professional aspirations, and academic pathways.
“As we did last year, we focused on academic and co-curricular planning,” Dana Hamdan, executive director of the Career Development Center and associate dean of students, wrote in an email to the Review. “But, we also talked about the power of storytelling, reflection, and personal narratives as tools for discovering and refining a purpose.”
In addition to break-out sessions, participants of the retreat gathered together to hear Chair of the Board of Trustees Chris Canavan’s presentation on business. Following a unanimous decision by the College Faculty Council on Wednesday, business will become the newest concentration available to students.
“I tried to make the case for learning how business works,” Canavan wrote in an email to the Review. “Anyone interested in working in the private sector should understand how it works. But so should the person who wants to work alongside the private sector and, indeed, those who want to work against private interests.”
This year’s SOAR program boosted attendance to nearly 200 students, an increase of almost 70 as compared to last year. This year's program also offered more variety in academic major clusters to better accommodate student interest and foster community.
“SOAR transformed my Environmental Studies major into a community,” College second-year Havi Carrillo-Klein, who attended the retreat, wrote in a message to the Review. “I walked into classes this semester knowing lots of people in my ENVS classes, which is one of the benefits of cohort-based learning here at Oberlin.”

Second-Years Spread Their Wings at SOAR Retreat

The Oberlin Student Makerspace nestles itself in a nondescript room on Wilder Hall’s third-and-a-half floor. No larger than an office, the space is ergonomic; various workbenches, cabinets, and machinery rest flush to the walls, ringing a small carpeted space which rolling office chairs can cross easily — perhaps to grab a tool or part.

“There was no functional place for students to go and work on maker projects, where the idea is you have access to tools and can make things,” double-degree fourth-year Dirk Roosenburg said when asked about the origin of the space.

Roosenburg, along with College third-years Maeve Greising and Ellis Lane, act as the club’s officers, which costs a one-time fee of just $5 to join.

“The idea here is the makerspace doesn’t actually provide projects,” Roosenburg said. “We hold office hours that are completely open.”

Any student or faculty member can come to the space with an idea, regardless of their knowledge of the variety of tools, and receive guidance. Having a stock of consumable materials and over 200 unique tools on hand overcomes a major hurdle that many aspiring and lone makers face: access to resources.

Partnerships with community artists and makers are also on the horizon. One of these involves refurbishing electronics, such as turntables, for sale in local thrift stores.

Interested students can stop by Wilder 329 or email oc3d@oberlin.edu to pursue their creative desires with the Oberlin Student Makerspace.

Makerspace Cultivates Student Creativity

The Queers and Allies Club of Oberlin High School hosted a bake sale yesterday to raise money for its expanding group. The event brought students from both the local high school and the College together over tasty baked goods, the proceeds of which went toward supporting club initiatives and t-shirts for members.

“We got a decent amount of new members this year,” said Oberlin High School student and club vice president Makayla R. “We want people to be able to join the club and get a shirt for little to no cost because we know that not everyone has money to spend on shirts.”

Money raised in the event will also go toward an LGBTQ+ prom which typically happens in March or April, among other planned events. As the club continues to expand its membership, members hope to broaden their positive impact on the Oberlin community.

“We do community service for the school and for the town,” said Oberlin High School student and club president Erika W. “We do a winter donation bin, and an annual thing where we put sticky notes with positive affirmations on everyone’s lockers, and we participate in the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network annual day of silence.”

Through the combined efforts of the student-run Queers and Allies Club and their College mentors, the community is sure to see their positive impact both on and off campus.

“This year they’re trying to get more into advocacy work around teaching school culture,” College fourth-year and club mentor Emma Williams said. “It’s a priority and interest of theirs that I’m trying to support.”

Queers and Allies Club Hosts Bake Sale on Wilder Bowl

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