Community Responds to College’s Demolition of Village Housing
Ella Moxley, Senior Staff Writer
February 28, 2020
Last month’s demolition of seven Village Houses has sparked conversation over whether the College should have been more intentional in consulting the surrounding community before making the decision to tear the houses down. The College currently has no plans to build on the vacant lots, and some resi...
Administrators Address Potential Impact of COVID-19
Carson Li, Staff Writer
February 28, 2020
As the newest iteration of coronavirus, known as COVID-19, continues to spread around the world, Oberlin — like other colleges and universities across the country — is preparing to address challenges that the virus may inflict on campus life. Administrators are taking steps to support current and p...
Rapid Response Team Debuts at UAW-Related Protests
Alexa Stevens, Production Editor
February 28, 2020
President Carmen Twillie Ambar’s Feb. 18 announcement that the College is formally considering outsourcing 108 dining and custodial jobs currently held by United Automobile Worker union members incited a campus-wide conversation and student-led protests and demonstrations. As activism in support of...
Ginko Gallery and Studio Owner Reports Break-In of Store
Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief
February 28, 2020
Ginko Gallery, a downtown business known for its art supplies and its resident kittens, suffered a break-in robbery earlier this week. Oberlin Police Department officers were called shortly after 9:00 a.m. last Friday, Feb. 21 in response to a broken window at the gallery, which is located at 19 South M...
Office of Undergraduate Research Provides Unique Opportunities for Students
Ella Moxley, Senior Staff Writer
February 28, 2020
The cornerstone of many students’ undergraduate careers is the opportunity to pursue independent research while guided by faculty members who are experts in their fields. The Office of Undergraduate Research offers a variety of programs and events that support faculty-assisted student research, and...
Security Notebook
February 28, 2020
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 7:25 p.m. Campus Safety officers and the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at Asia House. Smoke from burnt cheese had activated the alarm. The area was cleared, and the alarm was reset. Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 7:02 a.m. A Campus Dining supervisor reported damag...
OTC: Aaron Zitner, OC ’84, News Editor, The Wall Street Journal
Anisa Curry Vietze, News Editor
February 28, 2020
Aaron Zitner, OC ’84, is a news editor at the Wall Street Journal whose work focuses on using data to tell stories about politics and trends in America. He uses mediums such as video and interactive graphics to translate quantitative data into engaging and accessible stories. While at Oberlin, Zitne...
College “Considering” Outsourcing Dining, Custodial Services
Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief
February 21, 2020
Employees in Oberlin’s chapter of the United Automobile Workers union are reeling after a Tuesday afternoon email from President Carmen Twillie Ambar to the campus community announced that the College is “formally considering” contracting with outside vendors to provide campus custodial and dining se...
#VotingIsSexy Initiative Hopes to Engage Students
Gigi Ewing, Production Editor
February 21, 2020
In light of a perceived lack of voter participation among Oberlin students, College fourth-year Eli Kirshner and others saw Ohio’s upcoming presidential primary on March 17 as an opportunity to start a #VotingIsSexy initiative on Oberlin’s campus. The #VotingIsSexy campaign started in fall 2018 a...
Rani Molla, OC ’08, Vox and Recode Data Journalist
Nathan Carpenter and Gigi Ewing
February 21, 2020
Rani Molla, OC ’08, is senior data reporter for Vox and Recode. Her work involves using data, charts, and figures to explain complex tech stories in simple terms. Next week, Molla will visit campus as part of “A Disrupted Media Landscape: Skills, Perspectives, Solutions,” a journalism and media symposium c...
Superintendent Coffee Chat Offers Opportunity for Meaningful Discussion
![Oberlin City Schools administrators, parents, and community members assembled for the second-ever Superintendent Coffee Chat Thursday evening. The event employed a unique model that uses dialogue and collective brainstorming to discuss potential solutions to problems faced by the district, and was facilitated by volunteers from the College’s Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue.
“We’re bringing in some different people, some fresh ideas in a space where people are really willing to share,” said William Baylis, director of curriculum for the district.
The Coffee Chat addressed specific facets of the district’s educational programming, including college and career readiness, special education, gifted programs, and medical wellness. Attendees split up into small groups based on their primary area of concern and engaged in discussion with administrators including Superintendent David Hall and Oberlin High School Principal Chris Frank. YBCD volunteers mediated the breakout sessions and transcribed discussion points; these notes will help serve as guides for the implementation of new policies and programs in the district.
“Our goal [was] to provide a context for all who attend to be able to contribute ideas, ask questions, to be informed,” Ombudsperson Kimberly Jackson Davidson wrote in an email to the Review. “We trust that such opportunities lead to informed voting and motivation for engagement that will benefit the students who are and who will be educated in Oberlin City Schools.”
Bethany Hobbs, a community member with a son in the district, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to directly interact with high-level district stakeholders.
“I think it is really nice to be able to connect with the administration and feel like we’re being heard as parents and community members,” she said.](https://oberlinreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SuperintendentsCoffeeChat_MallikaPandey_WEB-475x317.jpg)
Lauren O’Hear
February 21, 2020
Security Report
February 21, 2020
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 1:15 p.m. A student reported the theft of several items from their jacket pocket while at The ’Sco on Feb. 12. The jacket was left on a bench inside The ’Sco. Lost items included miscellaneous keys and wireless headphones. 10:04 p.m. A student reported that the stove in the ...
Athina Apazidis, Staff Cartoonist