On Saturday, The Oberlin Review celebrated its 150th anniversary with panels featuring current staff and notable alumni, and networking events for students to make connections with and receive advice from alumni in the field of journalism. The events were attended by around 50 alumni, current Review staff, and students interested in journalism. 

The morning panel, moderated by former Editor-in-Chief Kushagra Kar, OC ’23, featured members of the current Review staff and College fourth-year Hazel Feldstein, who serves as the student Journalism Integrative Concentration representative. Current staff shared their experiences working at the Review. There was then an opportunity for alumni to ask questions.

The afternoon panel, moderated by Oberlin Alumni Magazine editor Annie Zaleski, consisted of Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times Peter Baker, who attended Oberlin from 1984–86; freelance science journalist and author Sonia Shah, OC ’90; and Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic Emily Nussbaum, OC ’88, were featured on the journalism career panel. The speakers talked about their careers and gave advice to students interested in journalism. Both Baker and Shah worked at the Review during their time at Oberlin and talked about how their experiences working for the publication influenced their career paths. 

“They’re all extremely accomplished, but the fact that they’ve all covered different areas, different niches within journalism and writing, I think made for definitely a better panel,” Zaleski said. “It also made for … a panel that was also really interesting because you could see sort of where their experiences diverge, but then you could also see the … commonalities.”

College first-year  Sloane DiBari said that she found the panel inspiring.

“It was really inspiring to hear about each of their career paths,” DiBari said. “Talking to all these people and hearing about their experiences made me feel more confident that I can pursue a career in journalism.”

Between the two panels, a career networking lunch was held. The Journalism Integrative Concentration provided food from Lorenzo’s Pizzeria, while students could meet alumni, receive career advice, and make connections.

“I was pretty nervous about it at first,” DiBari said. “Especially with the networking stuff, because I really [have] never done anything like that, but it was really rewarding. I got in contact with a lot of people.”

Feldstein similarly saw the networking lunch as a success. 

“I enjoyed the networking lunch,” Feldstein said. “I got to talk to some people. I actually connected with someone who was Editor-in-Chief in 2016 who works at NPR, and I’m interning at NPR. And so I was able to make a meaningful connection there.”

John C. Reid Associate Professor of Writing and Communication and English Jan Cooper, who also serves as Journalism Integrative Concentration Chair and Review faculty sponsor, described the events as a success.  

“I know a number of my students both from this semester and last semester were able to talk to alumni and make connections in person,” she said.

Oberlin Director of Media Relations Andrea Simakis wrote in an email to the Review that she felt the event succeeded in showcasing the talent that the Review has produced.

“The 150th Anniversary celebration and alumni reunion was an impressive, well-curated event that captured the importance of the Review — not simply as a vital source of news and opinion for campus and the greater Oberlin community but as an incubator of talent,” Simakis wrote. “Returning Review alums have achieved some of journalism’s highest honors, but more importantly, their work has helped us better understand ourselves, our country, and our world.”

Cooper said that she similarly felt the event was an apt way to appreciate the longevity of the Review.

“Last week, weather-wise, was kind of miserable, but the two days that the sun came out were the eclipse and the anniversary celebration on Saturday,” Cooper said. “That seemed really fitting to me. They were both very enjoyable and I’m really proud of the Review for having lasted so long and [having] created so many good journalists and writers for the world.”

Zaleski also shared her thoughts.

“I left feeling really, really positive and just really inspired about the future,” Zaleski said. “The future of journalism is in good hands.”