The first weekend back on campus, my friends and I celebrated our reunion by taking a dip in Chance Creek. We took two cars to get there; my friend’s new whip and a little Chevrolet Bolt rented through Oberlin’s EV CarShare program. I’ve often felt trapped in the bubble of the Oberlin College campus, but making a point to explore has opened up my world to rural Ohio, a world foreign to my Philly suburb roots. As I have gotten out more, I have realized just how small my Oberlin world is. Despite living here for eight months out of the year, there is a wide disconnect between our lives on campus and the lives of those around us. We come to the area, spend our time on campus, and do little to learn about the place we are inhabiting or the people who call Lorain County home.
Surrounded by people of the same age and, more often than not, from a similar background with similar beliefs, it is easy to slip into a bubble of comfort and familiarity, rarely leaving campus and downtown Oberlin. But it’s important to be engaged and invested in the communities that neighbor us. This type of investment begins with knowing the area — both the physical landscape and the people and communities within it.
Coming to Oberlin from Swarthmore, PA, I was excited to experience small college-town life from the college side. I have always valued the connections and familiarity of living in a tight-knit community, and while that is definitely something I feel within the Oberlin student body, I wish it extended to the residents of the City of Oberlin and beyond.
One of my favorite parts of every week is the Oberlin Farmers Market, both for the fresh produce and treats I acquire there, but also for the conversations I have and connections I forge. I love meeting new people and learning about experiences that differ so vastly from my own, something I often lack on campus by living with peers who do not typically come from drastically different worlds than I.
But the Oberlin Farmers Market is just a start. Exploration of the Oberlin area should go beyond City limits.
When I tell people I go to school in rural Ohio, I often am immediately put on the defensive: “No, I promise it’s great, there’s so much to do.” It took a bit for me to not feel like I was lying to myself and others, but since I started being more open-minded and willing to explore beyond campus, this has proven true. Lorain County has so many fascinating places to offer past Oberlin City proper that are worth visiting. The rural landscape is a beautiful one, and the flat freeways that have visibility for miles dotted with small antique shops make for a fun afternoon drive or even a walk.
Last weekend, I went roller skating at Country Skateland, a ways down South Main Street. The place was decked out in country-themed decor and a Blue Lives Matter flag, an obvious departure from sights around campus. It felt worlds away from anywhere I’m familiar with. But to the families there, enjoying their Saturday, it was a usual recreation spot. We made some friends and had a lovely time, but upon returning to campus, it felt like I was waking up from a fever dream. The stark difference between campus and the surrounding communities is jarring.
Downtown Oberlin, especially the campus, is a bubble within the wider Lorain County. According to The New York Times, the median family income of an Oberlin student in 2017 was $178,000. In contrast, according to the U.S. Census, the median household income of Lorain County residents in 2023 was $75,461. Oberlin is no doubt very left-leaning, while Lorain County is much more politically diverse. It is important to recognize these differences and be willing to break through the Oberlin bubble and meet people of varying ages, backgrounds, and political beliefs, while seeing new scenery.
Widening your worldview is a crucial part of growth, and meeting people from all walks of life is important for building empathy and a better understanding of the world around you. It is very easy to get caught up in our own worlds, intellectualizing community differences and our privileges and place within the world, but it is another thing to get out and experience those differences and be in places we would otherwise not exist in.
There needs to be more initiative from both the College and individual students to bridge the gap between campus life and town life. I want to feel less like a tourist and more like I have actual connections to this place, and I think it’s important for all students to strive for the same. Meeting new people who differ from those in your hometown is so important to having a well-rounded perspective and worldview. This is, of course, not to say that you should tolerate disrespect from those holding beliefs directly harmful to you, or put yourself in situations where you feel unsafe. However, being more open-minded and willing to step outside your comfort zone in the places you go and with people you meet will lead to some great experiences and pop the bubble that’s so easy to get trapped in.
