This past Sunday, Oberlin’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee held its first-ever athlete social. The event was designed to bring student-athletes together after many months of the pandemic forced teams apart. 

The plan was originally for students to gather in Philips gym for pizza, hot chocolate, and karaoke, but the event ended up being more competitive, with teams coming together to play a variety of games.

Fourth-year baseball player and SAAC Co-chair David Fineman believes the event went well. 

“The athlete social was a great way to bring all the athletes together to be able to bond and have a fun time,” Fineman said. “Especially after the past couple of years with COVID, it was nice to have everyone together for the first time. I think it went very well — a lot more people than we thought showed up and everyone had a lot of fun socializing, playing games, and listening to music.” 

Head Volleyball Coach Erica Rau, the faculty advisor who oversees SAAC, shared similar sentiments to Fineman and said the goal of the event was to create a space for all athletes to come together after a difficult year. 

“We had over 100 athletes in attendance and the vibe in the gym was a lot of fun,” she said. “I look forward to continuing this as part of one of our department traditions and expanding the event next year. It’s a great way to celebrate all of our athletes and the tight-knit community we strive to foster.”