First One Town Meeting Heavily Attended
February 15, 2013
The One Town Campaign, an organization formed by students, alumni and community members in response to the No Trespass policy and other town-gown divides, met for its first meeting Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Oberlin Public Library. By three minutes past its official start time of 6:30 p.m., the room was at capacity and students were asked to give up their seats to community members and fill up the floor space.
Oberlin alumni, students and two community members facilitated the meeting, which was heavily attended, notably by Chief of the Oberlin Police Department Tom Miller, Director of Safety and Security Marjorie Burton and Dean of Students Eric Estes.
The meeting’s primary focus was to re-evaluate the College’s No Trespass list, which the Campaign’s leaders say maintains a disciplinary double standard for students and community members, encourages racial profiling, shields itself from public accountability, hoards resources, contributes to negative perceptions of community members and limits community members’ full use of the town.
Organizers of the Campaign said they are planning their next community dialogue, which they expect to take place this coming Wednesday.
