A record-breaking number of incoming first-year students applied to participate in the Social Justice Institute orientation workshop. The two-day annual workshop aims to engage incoming Obies from a diverse range of social, cultural, and political backgrounds in conversations centered around issues of social justice.

“There were 97 applicants this year,” said Kim Jackson Davidson, Oberlin’s second ombudsperson. “Eighty new students confirmed their plans to attend prior to arriving on campus, including 10 student facilitators. [Ultimately,] 78 students participated in the first day of SJI.”

SJI and its sponsor, the Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue, create videos, group discussions, and other facilitated dialogues about power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.

“The discussions on both days were rich and thought-provoking,” Davidson said. “The facilitators for the institute continued to make adjustments to the schedule to make time for following the flow of engaged questioning and thoughtful contributions on the part of new students … It will be exciting to watch the class of 2023 as it makes its journey through Oberlin.”