Skip to Main Content
Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Open Letters to Oberlin College on Title IX Mismanagement
December 6, 2024

Dear President Ambar, Vice President Lahey, and the Board of Trustees, Every day, survivors at Oberlin face a serious threat to an equitable education: the Office for Institutional Equity.  After experiencing sexual harm, we are forced to sit in the same classrooms as our perpetrators, avoid dining...

Students gather to rally in support of Palestine.
SFP Rallies Against Board of Trustees
Zoe Goldstein, Emma Kellstein, Rafael Rio Hart, and Pelham Curtis December 6, 2024

This speech was originally delivered for the Dec. 3 demonstration outside of the Cox Administration Building. Students gathered to protest for divestment in preparation for the Board of Trustees’ arrival and to confront admin.  This speech was edited for length and clarity. One year! That is how...

TWC Crucial in Fostering Solidarity Among Students of Color
Gabrielle Barnett, Columnist • December 6, 2024

The Third World justice movement is a collective effort by individuals and organizations from countries historically considered “Third World” to advocate for social and legal justice. The movement focuses on dismantling systemic inequalities stemming from colonialism and global power imbalances,...

I Don’t Want to Fight a Culture War; Conservatives Don’t Care
Zane Badawi, Columnist • December 6, 2024

I’m from East Tennessee. As you can imagine, watching this year’s election cycle play out from one of the most conservative areas of an overwhelmingly conservative state has been interesting, to say the least. The sea of signs, flags, shirts, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia plastered with...

Students walk down College Street.
Students Need to Make an Effort to Further Connect with Community
Pelham Curtis, Columnist • December 6, 2024

One of the reasons I picked Oberlin as the college I wanted to attend was that it is located in a small, seemingly tight-knit town. I liked the idea of being in a place where the members of the community cared for one another, and the college and town, due to their proximity and shared histories, were...

How Spoon Theory Describes the Struggles of Students with Disabilities
August Butler December 6, 2024

Oberlin is certainly feeling the effects of the fall semester finals period, an agony characterised by stress, nausea, and that virus we’ve all somehow had since late October, but the disabled students on campus are a special kind of damned. Earlier this year, Oberlin’s Division of Student Affairs...

Omar choir and orchestra rehearse for performances Friday and Sunday.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Opera Omar Reaches Oberlin, Cleveland Stages
Calvin Ray Shawler and Kash Radocha December 6, 2024

Tonight, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Finney Chapel, is the sold-out concert production of Rhiannon Giddens, OC ’00, and Michael Abels’ Pulitzer...

Moving Pictures: A Concert Exhibition by Oberlin Artists and Composers
Kash Radocha, Senior Staff Writer • November 22, 2024

On Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m., a group of student composers, conductors, and musicians held a showcase in David H. Stull Recital Hall. The production,...

Oberlin students perform in Massenet’s Cendrillon in Hall Auditorium.
Cendrillon Stuns Oberlin Opera Audiences
Travis O'Daniel, Managing Editor • November 15, 2024

Oberlin Opera Theater presented Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon last Thursday–Sunday in Hall Auditorium, corresponding with Oberlin Parents and...

Memorial Concert Honors Joseph Schwartz’s Legacy
Calvin Ray Shawler, Conservatory Editor • November 8, 2024

CORRECTION In the article “Memorial Concert Honors Joseph Schwartz” (The Oberlin Review, Nov. 7, 2024), the Review misattributed a quote...

President and CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra André Gremillet gives a talk to the Oberlin community.
CEO of Cleveland Orchestra Gives Career Talk at Oberlin
Kash Radocha, Senior Staff Writer • November 2, 2024

This past weekend, President and CEO of the Cleveland Orchestra André Gremillet visited Oberlin to serve as a member of the 2024–25 Senior...

Students File Complaints Against Oberlin Office for Institutional Equity
Delaney Fox, Nikki Keating, and Travis O'Daniel December 6, 2024

Editors’ Note: This article contains mention of Title IX procedures that concern reported sexual misconduct. In November, College third-years Sydney Epstein and Mary Ann Montgomery filed a slew of complaints against Oberlin College and its Office for Institutional Equity, formerly known as the Office...

Protestors fill the stairwell in The Hotel at Oberlin during the Board of Trustees Investment Committee meeting.
Pro-Palestinian Protest Toward Board of Trustees Ends With Police Response
Yasu Shinozaki, News Editor • December 6, 2024

Around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, over 50 students entered the lobby of The Hotel at Oberlin, banging pots, pans, and drums, and chanting to call for divestment from Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. The protesters filled the stairwell up to the point where administrators and campus safety officers stood...

Oberlin-In-Paris Study Abroad Program to Launch in Fall 2025
Walker Prince, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

Oberlin will introduce Oberlin-in-Paris, the College’s second semester-long study abroad program, in fall 2025. Designed to follow the success of the long-standing Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program, which celebrates its 50th year this fall, Oberlin-in-Paris will provide students with an immersive...

City Council Update for Dec. 2
Gregory Amenta, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

Council Approves 2025 Budget on First Reading   Council approved a motion to appropriate a budget nearing $51 million for the City of Oberlin for the fiscal year of 2025. Council waived the rule requiring three readings prior to approval. Councilmember Joe Waltzer felt that the Oberlin public should...

Students Attend New Orleans Black Students Leadership Conference
Avishi Khar, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

On Nov. 22, six students and two faculty members attended Black Students Lead, a conference in New Orleans. Black Students Lead works on bringing together Black students through a series of workshops, keynote sessions, and round table discussions. Over the span of three days, students attended the conference...

World Headlines
Cole Mirman, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

South Korean President Declares, Lifts Martial Law On Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a televised address, a measure he claimed was necessary to combat “anti-state” forces. Protests erupted across the capital, Seoul. One hundred ninety members of the nation’s...

Students protest changes to the College bylaws in fall 2022.
General Faculty Vote to Change Protest Guidelines, Modify Student Bill of Rights
Karthik Ranganadhan, Contributing News Editor • November 22, 2024

On Wednesday, the General Faculty passed amendments to the Student Bill of Rights and guidelines surrounding student expression, which covers protests and demonstrations. The changes, according to the College, are meant to update the documents to reflect existing policy, but have drawn scrutiny from...

Spanish in the Elementary Schools Continues Community Impact
Jonah Barber, At Large Senior Staff Writer
Latest Episode
This week's show is a special episode about Juneteenth, made up of segments by The Weekly team: Nina Auslander-Padgham, Eric Schank, and Casey Troost. First, Nina and Eric present a segment on the Oberlin Juneteenth festival, how it is different this year, and address potential town and gown tensions as more students participate in the parade. Afterwards, Nina Auslander-Padgham interviews Annessa Wyman, an Administrative Assistant at the College, about her personal involvement in planning Juneteenth festivities for the last decade. Finally, Casey Troost's segment is on the history and meaning of Juneteenth with interviews with African American locals: Ms. Margaret Christian, honoary Juneteenth board member and local historian; featured poet LaTonya Fenderson Warren; Valerie Lawson, chairperson of the Juneteenth executive board; Adenike Sharpley, professor of Dance at Oberlin; and Shelley Shepard. This episode originally aired on WOBC Oberlin, 91.5 FM, Oberlin College and Community radio at 3:00 pm EST on August 2nd, 2021.
Students of Brendan Fernandes perform in the Allen.
Art, Activism are Inseparable in “The Body, The Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity” Symposium
Sadie Howard and Sydney Collinger
Oberlin Review 11/1/24 Editorial Comic
Molly Chapin, Layout Manager and Illustrator
Cynthia Eviro and Ariana Grande stun as Elphaba and Galinda in Wicked.
Defying Gravity, Expectations: Two Takes on Wicked
Nikki Keating and Travis O'Daniel December 6, 2024

Two brave souls, Managing Editor Travis O’Daniel and Editor-in-Chief Nikki Keating, ventured into the enchanting, twisted world of Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu. Armed with a shared love for musicals, green-and-pink ensembles, and the promise of Lupitas Mexican Restaurant afterward, they set out to...

Dracula opened last night in the Irene and Allen Wurtzel Theater
Dracula Is Beautiful, Must-See Production
Grace Connell, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

The Theater department will be staging Dracula this weekend, directed by Costume Designer and Associate Professor of Theater Chris Flaharty, as a part of the Theater Mainstage Series.  This production dramatizes Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel, which tells the story of Lucy, who has developed a...

Graphic novelist Line Hoven is this semester's Max Kade German Writer in Residence.
53rd Max Kade German Writer in Residence Line Hoven Inspires Students
Sydney Collinger, Senior Staff Writer, Layout Editor • December 6, 2024

Every Monday night for the past six weeks I sketched a self-portrait on a sticky note in a classroom in Peters Hall. To record our attendance, Line Hoven, Oberlin’s 53rd Max Kade Foundation’s German writer-in-residence, required 11 students, including myself, to complete this one-minute assignment...

Mad Cow closes its doors in December.
Mad Cow Curiosity Shop To Close in December
Jonah Barber, At Large Senior Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

The Mad Cow Curiosity Shop, after opening its doors in April 2018, is set to close by the end of the month. Over its nearly seven-year span in Oberlin, Mad Cow attracted students and community members to its retro collectibles and second hand items, ranging from a 1970s stapler gun to a copy of Lego...

Red Reminds Me... screened at the Apollo Theater for Visual AIDS' Day With(out) Art 2024.
Red Reminds Me… Screening Powerfully Shows What it Means to Have HIV/AIDS in 2024
Sadie Howard, Arts & Culture Editor • December 6, 2024

Last Wednesday night, the Allen Memorial Art Museum hosted a screening of Red Reminds Me… at the Apollo Theatre for Visual AIDS’ Day With(out) Art 2024. The screening was done as a part of the AMAM’s exhibit, “The Body, The Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity,” which already boasts a wide variety...

Moana 2 broke box office records.
Moana 2 Shows Concerning Future For Disney Animation
Noah Cawich December 6, 2024

Moana 2 is a significant box office hit, for better or worse. The sequel has now broken records such as the highest global opening weekend for an animated movie. With $439.7 million made against a $150 million budget, the film is projected to make more money than its predecessor. However, the production...

Speak, Mnemosyne
Sy Noel December 6, 2024

Nabokov, when too young I read your Signs and Symbols the world folded and hummed and etched out one great unending shriek, Fluoxetine Nabokov, who now half-waking I imagine walking me hulking and real, my Virgil, through the pulpy center of the Earth, strewn about in such a way that would wet our...

Connecting through Bilingualism, Artistic Journal Making
Ariel Papas, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

For the past month, Oberlin artist Sarah Cruz has been teaching workshops about connecting to others through bilingualism and artistic journal making, open to anyone third grade and up. Cruz was an elementary school Spanish and ESL teacher who now spends her time tutoring students and conducting workshops...

Students of Brendan Fernandes perform in the Allen.
Art, Activism are Inseparable in “The Body, The Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity” Symposium
Sadie Howard and Sydney Collinger November 22, 2024

“The Body, the Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity” is a landmark exhibit at the Allen Memorial Art Museum celebrating works by artists that draw on Christian narratives and imagery in response to the AIDS epidemic. To uplift and celebrate this exhibition, Sam Adams, Ellen Johnson ’33 curator of modern...

Haley Henderickx played The ‘Sco last night.
Haley Heynderickx, Star of Northeast Ohio
Sadie Howard, Arts & Culture Editor • November 22, 2024

Last night, indie-pop darling Haley Heynderickx made her long-awaited return to Oberlin with her performance at The ’Sco. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to her ’Sco performance, but I was lucky enough to see her two weeks prior at The Roxy at Mahall’s in Lakewood. Anyone familiar with...

Juwayria Zahurullah
Juwayria Zahurullah: Student Activist and Organizer
Layla Wallerstein, News Editor • December 6, 2024

College third-year Juwayria Zahurullah is a co-chair of Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine, and has helped organize numerous events with the organization over the last few years. Zahurullah also acts as Racial Equity Committee Chair for Student Senate and is a co-chair for Oberlin’s Muslim Student...

Jennifer Morgan
Jennifer Morgan, OC ’86: Silver Professor of History at NYU, MacArthur Fellow
Karthik Ranganadhan, Contributing News Editor • November 22, 2024

Jennifer L. Morgan is the Silver Professor of History at New York University. Her work focuses on early slavery and the experiences of enslaved Black women. She received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship this fall, which is commonly known as the “Genius Grant,” for her work. Her prior books have...

Caroline Wood Newhall
Caroline Wood Newhall: Assistant Professor Of History
Karthik Ranganadhan, Contributing News Editor • November 15, 2024

Caroline Wood Newhall is an assistant professor of History whose work focuses on 19th-century U.S. history. Her first book is on the experiences of African-American POWs during the Civil War. For Veterans Day, she was invited by the Oberlin Heritage Center to give a talk about her research at Kendal...

Maria Elli Petridou
In the Practice Room with Maria Elli Petridou: Philadelphia International Music Festival Winner, Cellist
Delaney Fox, Editor-in-Chief • November 22, 2024

Maria Elli Petridou is a second-year cellist from Thessaloniki, Greece. On Nov. 13, she was awarded first prize in the Philadelphia International Music Festival’s Virtual Concerto Competition. Petridou performed Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major. One of three musical siblings, Petridou began...

John Kennedy
John Kennedy, OC ’82: Guest Conductor
Kash Radocha, Senior Staff Writer • November 8, 2024

Taking the stage Dec. 10 with Chamber Orchestra is Guest Conductor John Kennedy, OC ’82, a percussionist, composer, and conductor who graduated from Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. Kennedy’s work has taken him across the country to New York City; Charleston, SC; Santa Fe, NM; San...

David Byrd-Marrow
David Byrd-Marrow: Associate Professor of Horn
Calvin Ray Shawler, Conservatory Editor • November 2, 2024

David Byrd-Marrow has distinguished himself as a classical horn player, performing with the International Contemporary Ensemble, The Knights, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, the New York Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra, among many others, and his experience extends to the genres of Broadway...

Tiffany Calvert
Tiffany Calvert, OC ’98
Junwoo Oh, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

Artist Tiffany Calvert, OC ’98, blends traditional and modern techniques to create stunning pieces in her own distinct style. Utilizing a diverse arsenal of methods, including fresco painting, digital painting, digital modeling, and artificial intelligence, Calvert’s approach to art is refreshing,...

DeeDee Ngozi Chamblee.
DeeDee Ngozi Chamblee
Nikki Keating, Editor-in-Chief • November 22, 2024

DeeDee Ngozi Chamblee is the founder and executive director of La Gender Inc., a non-profit organization led by Black transgender women that uplifts and empowers transgender women of color in the metro Atlanta area. Recently, she was the keynote speaker for the exhibition “The Body, the Host: HIV/AIDS...

Andrew Macomber
On the Record with Andrew Macomber: Zombification, Medieval Japan
Sydney Collinger, Senior Staff Writer, Layout Editor • November 8, 2024

Assistant Professor of East Asian Religions Andrew Macomber presented a talk Oct. 23 at the 2024 Zombie Apocalypse Medicine meeting in Eureka Springs, AR. The title of his talk was “A Nascent Zombie Affliction in Medieval Japan: The Buddhist Ritual Response to ‘Corpse-vector Disease,’” which...

Meaghan Kramer poses at media day.
In the Locker Room with Meaghan Kramer
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • October 11, 2024

Second-year Meaghan Kramer is a forward/midfielder on the field hockey team. An international student from the Netherlands, she is planning on double majoring in Biology and Neuroscience and minoring in Chemistry. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How were you introduced to field...

Yuuki Okubo spins basketball on finger at media day.
In the Locker Room With Yuuki Okubo
Chris Stoneman, Sports Editor • October 4, 2024

Fourth-year Yuuki Okubo is a guard for the Oberlin men’s basketball team. Originally from Los Angeles, Okubo was an internet sensation who went viral multiple times before coming to compete on the court for the Yeomen. Off the court, he is a Psychology major with a minor in Anthropology.  This interview...

Ethan Price standing at media day.
In the Locker Room with Ethan Price
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • September 27, 2024

Fourth-year Ethan Price is an assistant defensive line coach for the football team. He played football his first two years at the College, but transitioned into a coaching position after injuries forced him to step away from the game. He is on the pre-medicine track, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor...

Chahine Saïd was recently proclaimed the NCAC Swimmer of the Week.
Swim Team Performs Well at Malone Invitational
Amelia Ocampo, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

The men’s and women’s swim and dive teams put out a strong performance at the Malone Invitational, both squads securing second place finishes at the three-day competition in Canton. With standout individual performances and record-breaking relay swims, the Yeomen and Yeowomen demonstrated their competitive...

Packers QB Jordan Love and RB Josh Jacobs celebrate their 30-17 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Miami Dolphins.
It Wouldn’t Be Thanksgiving Without Football
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • December 6, 2024

For fans of the NFL, Thanksgiving Day is as much about football as it is about sitting around the table and enjoying a turkey feast with the family. Watching the Detroit Lions start off the day at Ford Field, followed by the Dallas Cowboys hosting a game in the afternoon slot, capped of by a primetime...

Second-year forward/center Krystal Montas guards Wooster’s Ella Dean.
Women’s Basketball Wins Conference Opener
Chris Stoneman, Sports Editor • December 6, 2024

This past Wednesday, the women’s basketball team traveled to Wooster, Ohio to tip off in conference play against The College of Wooster Fighting Scots.  The Yeowomen were extremely effective, bringing home a 64–52 victory. After receiving well-deserved NCAC Athlete of the Week honors for her stellar...

Gabe Powers and Kenneth Grant brawl after Michigan upsets Ohio State.
Michigan vs Ohio State: When Does the Rivalry Go too Far?
Gregory Lane, Staff Writer • December 6, 2024

The storied rivalry between the Ohio State Buckeyes and University of Michigan Wolverines ended wildly this past week, culminating not only in a shocking 13–10 upset victory for Michigan, but also in a heated postgame brawl that magnified the intense emotions surrounding the game of football. While...

Thank You: A Letter from the Editor
Chris Stoneman, Sports Editor • December 6, 2024

Writing and journalism have almost always been a part of my life. My mother was a journalist and instilled in me the importance of the written word from an early age. I remember being a kid and loving Superman and Spiderman — not because of their superpowers but because they worked for newspapers. I...

Kansas City Chiefs run out of the tunnel ahead of a game.
How Andy Reid Led Decline of the Running Back
JT Schoessel  December 6, 2024

When Andy Reid’s tenure was over in Philadelphia, the head coach’s time was widely regarded as an utter and complete failure. Despite guiding the Eagles to a 130–93–1 record in 14 seasons, the relationship between the offensive play-calling wizard and the city known for being incredibly hard...

The football team celebrates after defeating Hiram College on Senior Day to earn their first win of the season.
Football Secures Thrilling Victory Against Hiram
Jonas Jarecki November 22, 2024

This past Saturday, Nov. 16, Oberlin football faced off and won against Hiram College at home. The contest was of high importance, as it marked the team’s first conference win of the year. It was also senior day and the last game of the College’s 134th football season.  Hiram won the coin toss...

Fourth-year forward Camille Zinaich dribbles up the court in a scrimmage against Case Western University.
Oberlin Basketball Continues Hot Start
Jonah Barber, At Large Senior Staff Writer • November 22, 2024

To get a brief glimpse of the athletic symphony that is Oberlin men’s basketball right now, go to the 14th minute of the first half in their recent win over Allegheny College. Fourth-year point guard Yuuki Okubo, as per usual, takes the ball down the court. He skips in the air and launches a one-hand...

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes throws a pitch.
Rookie of The Year Caps Off Paul Skenes Historic Season
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • November 22, 2024

A triple-digits fastball, a mid-90s “splinker” — a combination of a splitter and a sinker many pitchers are trying to replicate today — a 6’6” frame, and a presence on the mound that lets the hitter know “I’m better than you are”: Paul Skenes had all the tools to be one of the best...

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul: A New Era of Boxing or A Mockery of The Past?
Gregory Lane, Sports Writer • November 22, 2024

The Nov. 15 boxing showdown between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will go down in history as the most-streamed sporting event of all time. Broadcast live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the fight drew a staggering 108 million global viewers,...

Activate Search