Khalid McCalla, Sports Editor
April 16, 2021
Be Heard. Be Strong. Be Proud. With those six words, Lemonade Mouth became immortalized in the pantheon of Disney’s greatest creations. Other films, like the iconic High School Musical, Halloweentown, and The Cheetah Girls may have been better. They may have left a larger imprint on children’s entertainment. But there is something undeniably special about Lemonade Mouth. The film features a group of misfits who form the titular band one afternoon in detention. Soon, Lemonade Mouth and...
Khalid McCalla, Sports Editor
April 14, 2021
When the credits finished rolling at the end of my first watch of Ricky Staub’s new film Concrete Cowboy, I was sitting in bed, struggling to choke back tears. Immediately, I sent my family a text that read: “Concrete Cowboy. Must watch. I haven’t cried so hard in so long.” Then, I told a friend, “Concrete Cowboy isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s a perfect movie for me.” Now, having seen the film a total of three and a half times, I can confidently say that none of those initial reactions...
April 7, 2021
Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of suicidal ideation in children. Eden Wurmfeld, OC ’91, and Margaret Munzer Loeb’s new documentary Chasing Childhood explores modern childhood and the ways that overparenting can damage children’s mental health. Interviewing teachers, child development experts, families, and plenty of children, Wurmfeld and Loeb provide a gritty look at the reality for today’s kids. The film presents the unfiltered reality of “helicopter parenting,”...
Anna Farber, Arts & Culture Editor
April 7, 2021
Over the last year, many of us picked up new skills or hobbies. For College fourth-year Luke Volkert, his practice writing music for film during the pandemic quickly grew into more than just a way to kill time. After scoring a three-minute short film, Volkert collaborated with Boston University student Jake Zaoutis on a new project: writing the score for Waiting for Waves, a documentary about veteran surfers in New England. The film won first place at Boston University’s Redstone Film Festival,...
Fires in the Mirror Challenges Both Actors and Audience to Find Empathy in Unfamiliar Characters
April 2, 2021
moCa’s “Monday, Day 3753” Offers COVID Catharsis
March 17, 2021
Daniel Fleischer, Staff Writer
February 26, 2021
TikTok, once the height of cringe, has become the hottest place for Gen Z to express themselves online. Obies are well known for their creativity, and so naturally, our campus is populated with a myriad of TikTok creators. College second-year Lila Templin has been on the app since before it became popular, and they watched TikTok go from embarrassing to trendy in less than a year. “When I was in high school using it, everyone who had it was like, ‘This is 100 percent a joke,’” Templin...
L. Joshua Jackson, Arts & Culture Editor
February 24, 2021
The Black History Month Artist Spotlight series seeks to honor Black creatives in the very moments of their first works. Afrikan American and Diasporic people have built, and been the building blocks of, the United States both economically and culturally. Even so, their work is often intentionally overshadowed by their white and white male counterparts. For instance, Shirley Graham Du Bois, OC ’35, wrote and composed the groundbreaking opera Tom Tom: An Epic of Music and the Negro, among other...
Kate Fishman, Managing Editor
February 17, 2021
Oberlin’s Dance department recently announced the schedule for Moving Bodies and Social Justice, a new phase in the collaboration between five Ohio liberal arts schools. Professors from these schools reimagined their yearly conference, expanding what is usually a single day of events to a months-long series. The new symposium will take place over the spring semester, featuring talks, workshops, and pedagogical analysis from dancers whose work is concerned with social justice. The Ohio 5 Dance...
Olive Hwang, Production Editor
November 20, 2020
Three nights a week the booms of Japanese drums shake the halls of First United Methodist Church, as eight members of Oberlin College Taiko perform in remarkable synchronicity. Striking their drums with determination and confidence, they build up a rhythm sure to invigorate any audience, virtual or live. In North America, taiko refers to the art of Japanese ensemble drumming. Taiko drummers use large wooden sticks called bachi to hit their taiko, which means drum in Japanese. This style of...
November 18, 2020
Every Saturday, the sounds of West Afrikan drumming and dancing feet reverberate from St. Paul’s Community Church in Cleveland. Organized by the Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, the classes hosted here bring together people of all ages and backgrounds through traditional Afrikan Diasporic dance and music. In addition to leading these community classes, Djapo also has a professional dance company, runs a “Rite of Passage'' educational program for young Cleveland residents, travels all over the world,...
L. Joshua Jackson, Arts and Culture Editor
November 11, 2020
Galvanized by a summer marked by nationwide protests and conversations about racism, many in Oberlin have sought to create more inclusive spaces for Black students across the campus community. Talise Campbell, visiting assistant professor of Africana Studies and Dance, has made a life out of creating art as a means of social justice work. This semester, she was inspired to organize a series of Dance Dialogues, with the goal of reflecting on the accessibility of the Dance Department. “As a...
April 14, 2021
For Conservatory fourth- and fifth-years, strict restrictions on in-person gatherings led them to believe they might not have another chance to perform live at Oberlin. But thanks to improving weather and robust nation- and statewide vaccination rollouts, the Conservatory has announced plans to begin live outdoor performances. In response to easing restrictions, a flood of excited Conservatory students and faculty quickly arranged new live shows or reworked previously scheduled virtual performances...
The Beats Were Sick, The Floors Would Stick: Obies Miss the ’Sco
April 9, 2021
“Black Renaissance” Continues The Celebration of Black Creatives
March 19, 2021
Conservatory Alumni Reflect on One Year of Pandemic Pedagogy and Music-Making
March 10, 2021
L. Joshua Jackson, Arts & Culture Editor
March 3, 2021
Quarantine Couture: The Black History Month Fashion Show concluded February’s celebrations with flair, as models served us looks inspired by bedroom Zoom sessions, pandemic protections, and Michelle Obama’s slay at the recent inauguration. The fashion show committee, a subcommittee of the Black History Month Committee, consisted of Director and Faculty in Residence of Afrikan Heritage House Dr. Candice Raynor, College fourth-year Jasmine Mitchell, and College second-year Jillian Sanford,...
Casey Troost, Staff Writer
November 6, 2020
The Art Department brings over a dozen artists to campus every year for its Artist Talk series. Last Tuesday, internationally renowned artist Derli Romero gave a lecture called “Forced Displacement and Corporality” over Zoom. The Art Department hopes that this series will expose students to new work and help them build professional networks. Romero’s lecture featured both his previous work and his most recent series: Rostros Migrantes: Colección de 100 Microhistorias (Migrant Faces: Collection...
September 9, 2020
Even in the face of a global pandemic, the classic Oberlin tradition of Art Rental will continue this Saturday — but with some significant changes. The Oberlin Art Rental was founded in 1940, 80 years ago, by Professor of Modern Art Ellen Johnson, OC ’33. The program provides Obies with the opportunity to bring original art from the museum into their dorm rooms and is a major selling point for prospective students. “It was one of the main reasons I chose to come to Oberlin in the...
September 4, 2020
This year, the Allen Memorial Art Museum has restricted access to Oberlin College ID-holders. However, some of the changes brought on by COVID-19 have given the AMAM’s staff the time to work on virtual initiatives and programs which increase museum accessibility beyond the College. Since students were sent home in March, AMAM curators and leadership pivoted to online outreach and worked to innovate the museum’s role in a socially-distant world. This past June, the AMAM created a Spotify...
May 5, 2020
May 3, 2020
Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic, OCSA Program Seeks to Promote Open Dialogue
March 13, 2020
Casey Troost, Senior Staff Writer
April 2, 2021
Victor Lau graduated from Oberlin College in 2017 with a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies — as well as a dawning realization that a postgraduate STEM degree wasn’t for him. Three years later, he found himself trapped indoors with an ankle injury amidst a global pandemic. He threw himself into founding He, Him, His, a magazine designed to push the boundaries of modern masculinity that he hopes to grow into a culture-changing business. This interview has been edited for length and...
Kate Fishman, Managing Editor
March 19, 2021
When you first land on The Updraft: New Takes on Music webpage, you become quickly aware that you’ve stumbled on a resource for a wide range of music journalism. Scrolling down, you can expect to see an album review of Rina Sawayama’s latest project, an article on TikTok-famous artist Blu DeTiger, or a concert review of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Soaring Strings performance. You might not realize at first, though, that this dynamic publication is actually a class project for the ten students...
Robin Beth Schaer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing
March 12, 2021
College, Public Libraries Reimagine Sharing Knowledge
February 26, 2021
October 30, 2020
Away Journal Lets Students Explore in Place
September 25, 2020
Poetry Event “Afterwords” Reflects on Allen Exhibition
March 6, 2020
Oberlin Remembers Author and Artist Toni Morrison
February 21, 2020
Daniel Fleischer, Staff Writer
March 17, 2021
College fourth-year Matthew Sato started his journey through Oberlin’s Experimental College as a student in ToadsCo. Sato has been a ToadsCo instructor for the three years...
Kate Fishman, Managing Editor
February 12, 2021
In a Zoom conversation punctuated by laughs, co-op knocks, and vigorous nods, College fourth-years Evelyn Morrison, Anna Aubry, and Lauren Elwood gathered to speak on their...
Casey Troost, Senior Staff Writer
February 5, 2021
Samuel George, OC ’07, is a self-taught documentary filmmaker who, since picking up the craft, has made 15 films and won several awards. His latest project — recent winner...
Anna Farber, Arts and Culture Editor
November 13, 2020
Last spring, he shepherded over 100 students who were studying abroad home from their host countries. Now, with the suspension of Oberlin’s Study Away program this semester,...
October 21, 2020
The pandemic has been a particularly challenging time for practicing musicians. Professor of Piano Peter Takács is an expert on Beethoven and has performed and recorded his...
Kate Fishman, Managing Editor
September 18, 2020
Editors note: This interview contains discussion of rape and sexual violence Alumna Anne Reeder Heck’s book, A Fierce Belief in Miracles: My Journey of Healing, is being...
Jacey Davidson, Creator of Oberlin Overheard
September 11, 2020