Jackie Brant, Opinions Editor

December 7, 2018

During this time of financial crisis at Oberlin, students understandably feel an urgent need to defend their interests against potential budget cuts. Everyone wants to save programs from being cut, and everyone has programs and classes they want to be added to the Oberlin experience. A frequent complaint from Oberlin students is about the lack of diverse foreign language options. Problems cited include a drastically underfunded Arabic language program and a lack of any African language or Hindi language programs. Overall, I agree with the general arguments in favor...

Kameron Dunbar, Columnist

November 30, 2018

The first time I realized I was voluntouring, my group had just left a monastery and orphanage in Yangon, Myanmar, after spending about an hour surveying the grounds. Just before we left, we bestowed “ceremonial gifts” of pencils and school supplies through a dramatized exchange that was perfectly staged for the iPhone videos fellow Americans took. We left feeling good about ourselves, but the kids there barely benefited at all. This type of travel experience is not uncommon, and the issues noted here are not unique. The story of the Christian missionary who recently...

Ilana Foggle, Columnist

November 30, 2018

The time has come for politicians all over the country to decide whether or not they will be running for president in 2020. The process is starting now, before candidates officially declare their candidacy, so they can put together presidential exploratory committees, build campaign teams, and start hitting the campaign trail. People like Senators Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren, as well as former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, have already begun the process of declaring their candidacy. However, there is one person who is missing...

Ananya Gupta, Managing Editor

November 16, 2018

Despite the availability of an annual Winter Term project, two Shansi opportunities for graduates, and two study abroad programs in India, the languages of Hindi and Urdu are left out of the Oberlin academic scene. Over half a billion people speak Hindi globally, second only to Mandarin Chinese. While this number is largely concentrated within the Indian subcontinent, it is also spoken in countries such as Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Nepal, and among immigrants in the U.S., U.K., and Australia — to name only a few. This figure...

Nathan Carpenter and Jackie Brant

November 16, 2018

In recent weeks, footage of the fires currently raging through the state of California has appeared in the news and on social media. We have seen houses destroyed, communities devastated, and families left without clear options. As of Nov. 11, more than 1.5 million acres had burned — the most ever recorded in a single fire season — which has caused nearly $3 billion in damages and control operations and has killed more than 50 people and left more than 130 people missing. Even as firefighters across the state are working overtime to get the blazes under control,...

Ilana Foggle, Columnist

November 9, 2018

After more than a year of local and state politicians campaigning around the country, the midterm elections are finally over and the results are in. The much-discussed “blue wave” dominated in states like Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan, but failed to reach key races in Florida, Texas, Georgia — and Ohio. Regardless of whether or not you are pleased with Tuesday’s outcome, now is not the time to rest. The midterm election results show us a couple of things. First, there are many voters in key states who are discontent with the Republican Party and have mobilized...

Suzan Piskur, Community Manager, American Cancer Society – North Region

December 7, 2018

To the Editors:   The American Cancer Society is now accepting nominations for the Dr. Alex & Maria Zolli Living Angel Award.   The recipient of this award is an individual in the community who has direct involvement in the field of cancer — either through personal experience or by working with cancer patients.   The nominee may be a cancer patient, nurse, volunteer, researcher, social worker, and/or physician, etc. Letters specifying the accomplishments of the nominee must be received by Friday, Jan. 11. Please include your name,...

Ray English, Director of Libraries Emeritus

December 7, 2018

I read with appreciation Yan Jin’s fine article in last week’s Review about the Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s efforts to address the risks posed by climate change (“CCL Fights For Climate Change Policies” Nov. 30, 2018). The recent U.S. National Climate Assessment and the October report of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscore the urgent need for government action that deals effectively with this major challenge facing humanity. As noted in the article, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividends Act of 2018 — the bipartisan legislation...

John Sabin, Assistant Ohio Coordinator, Citizens’ Climate Lobby

December 7, 2018

Thank you to Yan Jin for the excellent article on Citizens’ Climate Lobby in the Review last week (“CCL Fights for Climate Change Policies,” Nov. 30, 2018). As noted in the article, CCL’s long-time legislative proposal was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is sponsored by three Democrats — Ted Deutch, John Delaney, and Charlie Crist — and two Republicans — Brian Fitzpatrick and Francis Rooney. It will put a steadily rising fee on carbon emissions (paid by fossil fuel companies) and...

American Association of University Professors, Milton Wyman, Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees, and Oberlin Student Labor Action Coalition

December 7, 2018

This resolution is the product of wide-ranging conversations among the various employee groups on campus. It identifies a set of principles and concrete demands to ensure the fair and humane treatment of all employees, consistent with our values as a college community. Since the time of its founding, Oberlin College has stood for a commitment to equality and social justice, and identified as a place organized around the principles of learning and labor. These values must be equally applicable to the treatment of its employees and to its educational mission. Oberlin’s...

David Hall, Superintendent, Oberlin City Schools

November 30, 2018

Oberlin City Schools would like to thank all of our parents, staff, students, and community members for supporting Issue 11. It has been a long journey. The district has been engaged in exploring and researching new school facilities for over 10 years. The vision for the district is to design and create a new state-of-the-art facility for our students and community. This will provide the district with future cost savings, security enhancements, and advanced technology. With the passing of Issue 11, the vision has become a reality. I would like to thank our Bond...