Debbi Walsh and Melissa Ballard
November 16, 2018
With the passing of Issue 11, we have now entrusted the Oberlin School District with a large amount of taxpayer money. We will remember the many promises made throughout their campaign.
The message of Oberlin Concerned Citizens has been to broaden the conversation from a building to the entire context in which this decision is being made. We hope the community fares well, even as the depth of its divide about this project has now been revealed.
It is a basic truth that Oberlin’s resources are not infinite. The financial state of the College and our households will continue to impact the lives of all of us, including the children we educate. Holding the Board of Education accountable for its use of this money will...
Barbara Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Kendal at Oberlin
November 2, 2018
First, I want to extend compliments to the students of Oberlin College who invest their time to provide a weekly newspaper offering important communication for students, faculty and staff, but also the larger community. Kendal at Oberlin is fortunate to have The Oberlin Review delivered each week for residents and staff.
In November, citizens will vote on consolidation of the schools, an important issue that could have lasting impact for generations to come. Yes, it will impact taxes, and citizens must weigh the benefits and personal cost. I applaud all those studying the issue thoroughly before voting. My reason for writing is a quote that was made by a local citizen, stating incorrectly that Kendal at Oberlin is not...
Lisa Kavanaugh, Oberlin Resident
November 2, 2018
As we come closer to the elections, it is with great sorrow we watch as the “corrupt corporate two” censor other viable gubernatorial candidates on the ballot from the debates. Protests against this censorship were held at Dayton University, Marietta College, and Cleveland University. The City Club’s formation of the privately owned Ohio Debate Commission has been petitioned from the onset of their formation to include candidates on the ballot in their debates. Even if the number of people who do not vote decide to go to the polls and vote for a third party, that party can win. When one feels as if they have no choice, it feeds the greed-driven duopoly, and this is exactly what folks who speak of “spoiler”...
John Petersen, Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology
November 2, 2018
There are many ways for Oberlin students to affect positive change in this world, and voting this coming Tuesday, Nov. 6 is an important one of these. I’m a permanent resident of this community; I have lived here for more of my life than anywhere else. I want to strongly agree with a recent opinion piece by College junior Ezra Andres-Tysch (“Students Should Vote in Local Elections,” The Oberlin Review, Oct. 12, 2018). Students who are residents of the City of Oberlin and registered in Ohio have a right and, I would say, a responsibility to participate in local and state as well as national elections. Don’t let anyone tell you that you should not be exercising your rights; people have fought and died for these ...
Laura Slocum, Amy (Pechaitis) Burgess, Chris M. Mason, Jim Walsh, Debbi Walsh, John Elder, Michele Andrews, Robin Diedrick, Judith Poirson, Monica Smith, and Aliza Weidenbaum
November 2, 2018
In Favor
While discussion continues about Issue 11, we must remember that we are part of a strong and diverse committee, including many parents of school-aged children who are tired of commonplace argument and committed to action. In this day and age we know that family, school, and community influences on student achievement are great, and that the environmental quality of schools affects educational performance. Study after study demonstrates that facilities themselves have an impact on things such as student behavior, grades, teacher retention, and community satisfaction. Some may think that retrofitting current buildings for present use is the answer. We have done our homework and find the more prudent invest...
Mary B. McKee, Oberlin Resident
October 12, 2018
After years of study and debate, the local school board, to its credit, has finally put the bond issue on the ballot to start building a single-campus school designed to meet the needs of our small but special district. Despite careful stewardship over the last 50 years, we cannot further extend the health and life of the four school buildings we currently struggle to heat, cool, and maintain — all built at a time when there were about twice as many students, all sitting (often sweating) in rows upon rows of desks trying to hear the teacher, see the chalkboard, and follow along in the textbook.
Times change, and we must adapt. New teaching methods, pathways to learning, modern approaches to architecture, engineering,...
Kevin Weidenbaum, Director of Client Services Emeritus
October 12, 2018
If you are a student registered to vote in Ohio and are living off-campus, you might encounter some difficulty when voting at your precinct’s location if you can’t provide the proper identification. Utility bills, bank statements, paychecks, and government documents are generally valid if they include the current street address where you are living (and registered) and are dated within the past year. If all your mail is directed to your OCMR number, then you have a problem. Please note that out-of-state driver’s licenses, passports, Oberlin College ID cards, leases, and Social Security cards are not adequate to receive a regular ballot. Students living off-campus received an email Sept. 25 from the Dean of Students...
Ezra Andres-Tysch, College Junior
October 12, 2018
I was deeply disturbed by “Oberlin Students Must Evaluate Their Place in Local Elections” by Opinions Editor Jackie Brant (The Oberlin Review, Oct. 5, 2018). She makes the case that students should not vote in Ohio for the midterm elections because — as part-time Ohioans — we cannot possibly understand the stakes or feel the repercussions of our vote.
Brant illustrates her point in great detail using Issue 11, a complex education funding proposal that Oberlin residents and students can vote on this November, as a frame. Brant says Issue 11 is an example of how Oberlin students may overstep in the election, voting on a proposal that will not affect them but could be quite impactful to the full-time resident...
Booker C. Peek, Emeritus Associate Professor of Africana Studies
October 12, 2018
A week ago we celebrated the inauguration of Oberlin College’s 15th president, Carmen Twillie Ambar, the first Black and second female president. She wasted little time in her acceptance speech to remind us that over 180 years ago when it was legal to own slaves, Oberlin College’s founding fathers voted to be the first college to admit both women and Blacks. While today we might think that the vote was an easy unanimous one just for men to do the right thing, President Ambar underscored the fact that the Board of Trustees was actually split, requiring the chairman — Finney at the time — to break the tie. Nevertheless, Oberlin College did do what history commanded, and we can boast of our College’s long and...
Debbi Walsh, Members, Oberlin Concerned Citizens
October 12, 2018
We represent a growing group of residents who believe that the proposed new Oberlin City Schools building (Issue 11) is not in the best interest of the community. We have established a group called Oberlin Concerned Citizens to collectively express our views.
If you are curious about our concerns and interested in alternative options to a new building, please visit oberlinconcernedcitizens.org.
Melissa Ballard
Lorrie Chmura
Debbi Walsh
Joan Webster
Members, Oberlin Concerned Citizens
Linda Slocum, Vice President, Oberlin City Council
October 5, 2018
Starting fresh with new facilities in our public school system offers our community the opportunity to envision something bigger than solely accommodating the needs of our school-age population. Let’s look at the campus as a way to serve all residents! How can we best utilize our structures for more hours of the day for things like music and drama, adult education and exercise, social support services, preschool care, computer literacy, library services, and city recreation programs? If we maximize the potential uses of our facilities, we can also share expenses, lessening the burden on school district taxpayers alone.
A comprehensive plan requires creative thinking, cooperation among many stakeholders, and clear...
John and Linda Gates, Oberlin Residents
October 5, 2018
Our schools reflect what we value. In the upcoming election, Oberlin residents will have the opportunity to vote on Issue 11, the bond issue that will result in the construction of “a state-of-the-art, cost-efficient, centralized educational campus that will be a key investment in the future of Oberlin designed for 21st-century learning practices, safety and security, sustainability, and community use.”
This description is taken directly from the oberlinyes.org website that details the goal, the rationale, the cost savings per year for maintenance and upkeep of the current buildings, the amount of income the bond issue will generate, the timetable, how the project will be financed, and the projected cost per household....
