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Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Established 1874.

The Oberlin Review

Student Uses mobile order.
Phones Impact Students’ Mental Health, Should Be More Options
Maia Hochheiser and Naci Konar-Steenberg September 6, 2024

Two years ago, campus dining looked a little different. Instead of alphabetically organized orders lining the counter of Azariah’s Café and a table in front of the Rathskeller, long lines extending into the library or down the hallway were a common sight. Now, these winding queues are obsolete, replaced...

Oberlin Campus has 120 acres of turf grass.
Increase in Biodiversity on Campus Would Increase Student Wellbeing
Rhys Hals, Columnist • September 6, 2024

Oberlin College has pledged itself to sustainability. In its efforts to be carbon neutral by 2025 it has made great environmental progress, having on-campus emissions since the first greenhouse gas inventory in 2007, according to the College’s website. The Sustainable Infrastructure Program, designed...

Democratic ‘Weird’ Strategy Harmful for All, Especially Progressives
Zane Badawi, Columnist • September 6, 2024

Minnesota Governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz made waves in the American political world by deploying a new — and, by many metrics, effective — tactic against Kamala Harris’ opponents.  “I see Donald Trump talking about the wonderful Hannibal Lecter or whatever weird thing he...

Dr. Martin Luther King speaks before the Oberlin Student body.
Progressives Should Compromise on Kamala Harris as President
Isaiah Johnson, Opinions Editor • September 6, 2024

Since Israel’s assault on Gaza began in response to Hamas’ attack on Southern Israel in October, at least 40,738 Palestinians have been killed, including almost 17,000 children. The international community writ large has recognized Israel’s unambiguous assault on Palestinians since Oct. 7 as an...

Rejected Divestment Right Call
Haze Doleys September 6, 2024

On Aug. 14, 2024, the Oberlin Board of Trustees rejected Students for a Free Palestine’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions-based proposal to divest from Israel and shared a response explaining why. I knew a bit about how the endowment worked beforehand, so I wasn’t surprised by the Board’s decision. ...

ODA Needs Reality Check
Emma Ledger May 10, 2024

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Unfortunately, the Office for Disability and Access has demonstrated that they do not see Celiac as a serious condition that warrants housing and dining accommodations.   My doctor diagnosed me with Celiac during my first year at Oberlin. I am now a graduating...

Conservatory Adds New Music Theater Major
Calvin Ray Shawler, Conservatory Editor • September 6, 2024

Fall 2025 will usher in a new program at the Conservatory: Music Theater. Faculty from Baldwin Wallace University’s  Conservatory of Performing...

Meera Bhatia
ConPal Racial and Social Justice Training Undergoes Update
Delaney Fox, Editor-in-Chief • September 6, 2024

Last Saturday, ConPALs facilitated a new update to the Racial and Social Justice in Music training for incoming first-year Conservatory students....

From left to right:  Gracie McFalls, Mark Kliesen, and Solomon Leonard.
Viola Students First Ever to Conquer Hindemith Sonatas
Travis O'Daniel, Managing Editor • April 26, 2024

On Tuesday, Professor of Viola Peter Slowik’s third-year students performed all seven of Paul Hindemith’s viola sonatas. The studio recital,...

Members of the Silkroad Ensemble gave a talk in Stull Recital Hall.
Artist Recital Series Features Silkroad Ensemble
Nicolas Stebbins, Senior Staff Writer • April 26, 2024

On Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Finney Chapel, the Silkroad Ensemble will perform their new program: Uplifted Voices. Rhiannon Giddens, OC ’00, the...

Secondary Lesson Student Teachers Demand Higher Wages
Lyric Anderson April 19, 2024

Editor’s note: This letter refers only to student teachers in the Secondary Private Lessons program who are paid directly by the College. Dear...

The Board voted to replace 100-year-old Langston Middle School with a new building in the Spring of 2027.
Oberlin School Board To Build New Middle School
Karthik Ranganadhan, Contributing News Editor • September 6, 2024

At its board meeting May 28, the Oberlin School Board voted to construct a new middle school to replace the more than 100-year-old Langston Middle School by August 2027. According to District Director of Communications Melissa Linebrink, the decision came in response to the increasing number of repairs...

Price House, which previously served as a residence hall for first-year-students, is closed this school year.
Start of Year Campus Updates: Price Dorm Closed, Physical ID Cards On the Way Out, and SIP Almost Complete
Layla Wallerstein and Eva Crikelair September 6, 2024

Price House Mothballed Price House, which was one of Oberlin College’s five first-year residence halls, did not reopen this semester. The dorm has instead been set as a potential location for renovation.  According to Assistant Vice President and Dean of Residence Life and Auxiliary Services Mark...

Oberlin College Announces Minimum Wage Increase for Student Workers
Walker Prince September 6, 2024

Oberlin College recently announced an increase in the student minimum wage to $12 per hour, effective from the start of this fall semester. This new rate surpasses Ohio’s current minimum wage of $10.45. Many students on campus have welcomed the wage increase, seeing it as a necessary adjustment to...

Oberlin City Council Update for September 3
Gregory Amenta September 6, 2024

Parknav Presents About Possibility of Parking App Director of software company Parknav John Leney spoke to City Council about the features of their parking app. Leney explained that Parknav provides information about the availability of parking spaces and local restrictions on parking spaces. Additionally,...

World Headlines
Yasu Shinozaki and Karthik Ranganadhan September 6, 2024

Nicolás Maduro Decrees Venezuelan Christmas Will Be Oct. 1; Issues Arrest Warrant For Rival Political Leader Nicolás Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela, decreed that Christmas will be celebrated on Oct. 1 as he cracks down on dissent following the controversial presidential elections in July. Maduro...

The E-bus travels Oberlin on a fixed route, providing free transportation to 
students and community members.
City of Oberlin Launches Free Electric Bus Service
Cole Mirman September 6, 2024

The City of Oberlin recently launched a new transportation initiative, the EBus, which began running Aug. 16. The EBus is an electric bus that travels around Oberlin and surrounding areas on a fixed route from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, completing a loop approximately every 45–60 minutes. It is...

The People’s College for the Liberation of Palestine is occupying part of Wilder Bowl.
Students Continue Holding Programming for Palestine, Halt Commencement Celebrations Tent
Andrea Nguyen, Sports Editor • May 10, 2024

The People’s College for the Liberation of Palestine has continued its presence in Wilder Bowl into a second week. It is now comprised of two structures housing the “People’s Library” and a bake sale fundraiser, as well as several large canopies, all of which are used for daily programming from...

BSAG, ABUSUA Block Party Connects College, Community
BSAG, ABUSUA Block Party Connects College, Community
Sydney Collinger, Senior Staff Writer, Layout Editor
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.
Oberlin Review Comic 4/5/2024
Oberlin Review Comic 4/5/2024
Molly Chapin, Layout Manager and Illustrator
Oberlin Review Comic 3/15/2024
Oberlin Review Comic 3/15/2024
Molly Chapin, Layout Manager and Illustrator
A pair of moccasins
Allen Memorial Art Museum Undergoes Repatriation Process
Eloise Rich, Arts & Culture Editor • September 6, 2024

On April 7, 2023, The Oberlin Review published an article titled “College Ethnographic Collection Demands Increased Awareness, Reckoning with Our Colonial History.” This story centered around Associate Professor of Anthropology Amy Margaris, OC ’96, and an ethnographic collection of approximately...

Unsung America by Nick Lee
FAVA Exhibit Makes Space for Artists of Color in Northeast Ohio Area
Sydney Collinger, Senior Staff Writer, Layout Editor • September 6, 2024

“Elevate: Body & Mind” is an exhibit centering Northeast Ohio artists of color. It invokes emotion in its viewers by looking into human psyche through portraiture in order to understand the inner workings of identity and its effects on artists of color. From the shining, reflective style of Brandon...

Molly Grace and her band pose with the audience after the show.
Rising Pop-Funk Star Launches Oberlin Concert Season With High Energy Show
Grace Connell, Staff Writer • September 6, 2024

Pop-funk artist Molly Grace kicked off the ’Sco season for the Oberlin community with one of the first concerts of the 2024–2025 year. Her music is fun and upbeat with a ’70s flair, bringing together an enthusiastic crowd. Grace entered the stage in a sparkly tassel bodysuit and a bouncy blowout....

The Oberlin White Squirrel
Local Shops Support Oberlin Artists After Ginko Gallery & Studio Closing
Ariel Papas, Staff Writer • September 6, 2024

The visual art scene at Oberlin continues to evolve, even with the recent closing of Ginko Gallery & Studio. This raises the question of what has happened to the local galleries, art suppliers, and artists that had found a home at Ginko Gallery for more than 25 years. Randall James is one of many...

Allen Memorial Art Museum
Allen Reopens With New Exhibitions, Upgrades to Galleries
Chloe Ko, Arts & Culture Editor • September 6, 2024

After the doors of Allen Memorial Art Museum closed on Memorial Day for updates related to the Sustainable Infrastructure Program, museum staff took initiative to rethink the galleries and offices. Closing day was also Commencement Day for the class of 2024, marking an ending and a beginning for both...

Celebration // Degradation / Affirmation // Denial
Ella Bezkorovainy September 6, 2024

Eight to sixteen, and in-between Without warning or consistency.   The sea flows through the valley  Land erodes, unable to handle the current.   Shame or pride barely describes The sensation of abjecting —   Pulling the plug, letting the bathwater drain. Neverending streams...

Zendaya poses at the Met Gala.
“The Garden of Time” Met Gala Theme Results in Manifold Interpretations
Eloise Rich, Arts & Culture Editor • May 10, 2024

This year’s Met Gala proved to be a bit of a doozy: for some, looks were interpreted within the theme of this year’s exhibit, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” vague in and of itself. For others, the theme of the Gala, “The Garden of Time,” became the main point of reference. Anna...

Challengers features actors Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist.
Challengers Actors Showcase Incredible Chemistry, Intense Scenes
Jasper Swartz, Production Editor • May 10, 2024

Luca Guadagnino gave us queer coming-of-age in Call Me By Your Name. He gave us lonesome cannibals and the great American rural expanse in Bones and All. Now, he picks up from his usual tempo of slow yearning amid breath-taking scenery and turns his attention to the fast-paced world of professional tennis...

Love Letter to Arts Journalism: Farewell from Arts Editor
Lucy Curtis, Arts & Culture Editor • May 10, 2024

Oh, how beautiful it is to have something to miss.  First and foremost, I wanted to say thank you to anyone who has ever read any of my stories in the Review and enjoyed them. If you’re reading this now, you are one of the reasons why I write. If you’re just now getting acquainted with me through...

Poets gather to honor the Underground Railroad.
Poetry Reading Calls Upon the History of Activism, Abolition in Oberlin
Chloe Boccara, Staff Writer • May 10, 2024

On Saturday, an audience gathered underneath the Oberlin Gasholder Building’s dome to participate in the Ohio Underground Railroad Whistle-Stop Poetry Tour. With passionate voices, area poets Atlas, Jeremy Jusek, Raja Belle Freeman, and Associate Professor and Chair of Creative Writing Chanda Feldman...

Valerie Hotchkiss
Nikki Keating, Editor-in-Chief • September 6, 2024

Oberlin College Libraries recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Mary Church Terrell Main Library  in Mudd Center and plans on continuing celebrations throughout the year. Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries and Professor of English and Book Studies Valerie Hotchkiss spoke with the Review...

Les Leopold
Les Leopold: Author and Labor Advocate
Layla Wallerstein, News Editor • May 10, 2024

Les Leopold, OC ’69, is an author and the executive director of the Labor Institute and is on the steering committee for the Alumni for Oberlin Values. His recent book, Wall Street’s War on Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Are Destroying the Working Class and What to Do About It was inspired by...

Justin Nobel
Justin Nobel: Environmental Journalist, Author of Petroleum-238
Delaney Fox, Editor-in-Chief • May 3, 2024

Justin Nobel is an award-winning journalist who reports on issues of environmental justice. His book Petroleum-238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It was published this month. Nobel lectured today in Wilder Hall on his decade of research for the book. The book talk was...

Malcolm Bamba: Consent in the Conservatory
Malcolm Bamba: Consent in the Conservatory
Nicolas Stebbins, Senior Staff Writer • April 19, 2024

Every April, the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion collaborates with the Peer Support Center and Survivors of Sexual Harm and Allies to offer resources and education aimed at promoting consent and preventing sexual harm. Consent Month consists of a series of workshops and lectures, covering...

Hathaway, left, and Telin, right, give students a lecture on their work.
Mike Telin, OC '87, and Daniel Hathaway: Cleveland Classical Founders, Professors of Music Journalism
Travis O'Daniel, Managing Editor • March 1, 2024

Mike Telin, OC ’87, and Daniel Hathaway are visiting teachers of Music Journalism who have been reporting on the classical music scene in northeast Ohio since 2008. Their website, Cleveland Classical, has become one of the most respected digital publications in the region. They began teaching in 2011...

Davin Youngs, OC '03: Sound Healing Artist, Singer and Voice Coach
Nicolas Stebbins, Senior Staff Writer • February 23, 2024

Could you share a bit about your background as a singer and a voice coach? I’m a graduate of the [Oberlin] Conservatory, 2003, just over 20 years ago, which is crazy. I grew up in a small town in Michigan, and at a young age I happened across a teacher who introduced me to classical singing. I studied...

On the Record with Matthew Rarey: Novelist, Curator, Professor
On the Record with Matthew Rarey: Novelist, Curator, Professor
Sadie Howard, Staff Writer • September 6, 2024

Matthew Rarey is an associate professor of African and Black Atlantic Art History, as well as the chair of the Art History department. His book, Insignificant Things: Amulets and the Art of Survival in the Early Black Atlantic recently won the 2024 Charles Rufus Morey Book Award from the College Art...

Holly Handman-Lopez
On the Record with Holly Handman-Lopez: Professor, Choreographer
Chloe Boccara, Staff Writer • April 26, 2024

Holly Handman-Lopez is an assistant professor of Dance at Oberlin College and has choreographed numerous works, including her three most recent engagements: Ancestra, L’Orfeo, and Oberlin Dance Company. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Recently, you choreographed three mainstage...

Tali Hinkis discusses the importance of sound in her art.
Tali Hinkis: Experimental Video, Sound Artist, LoVid Member
Sadie Howard, Staff Writer • April 19, 2024

Tali Hinkis is a member of the artist duo LoVid. On Wednesday, she came to the Clarence Ward Art Library to give an Artist Talk on her unconventional practice. This article has been edited for length and clarity.  Sound and engaging with one’s sense of hearing is a major component in many of your...

In the Locker Room with Lauren Mills
Andrea Nguyen, Sports Editor • April 5, 2024

Lauren Mills is a third-year midfielder on the women’s lacrosse team. A double major in Neuroscience and Biology on the pre-medical track, she is constantly on the run. When Mills isn’t on the field, she can be seen working at the gym desks or preparing samples for other Biology class labs in the...

In the Locker Room with Abby Cannon
In the Locker Room with Abby Cannon
Rodrigo Llaguno, Senior Staff Writer • March 15, 2024

For student-athletes, finding a space that can support both their academic and athletic goals is hard enough. But the student-athlete experience is at its best when they are supported equally. College fourth-year and Bloomington, Indiana native Abby Cannon found that in Oberlin, a school that could support...

In the Locker Room with Colvin Iorio and Neva Tayler
In the Locker Room with Colvin Iorio and Neva Tayler
James Foster, Sports Editor • March 8, 2024

For graduating seniors who play sports in high school, a major factor in their college decision can center around sports. Whether someone is looking to play a varsity sport in college or keep their passion for their sport alive with club or intramural sports, having their sport offered can be the difference...

The Oberlin football team poses for a photo.
Oberlin Football Prepares for 134th Season
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • September 6, 2024

Headlined by new coaching staff additions and four core values, the Yeomen prepare for year two of the ‘Pont era.’ This Saturday, September 7, the Oberlin College football team kicks off their season at Calvin University. Head Coach John Pont is returning to the helm and is set to take the field...

Kids in Motion is an ExCo.
Kids in Motion Continues to Choreograph Movement, Growth, Connection within Oberlin
Jonah Barber, At Large Senior Staff Writer • September 6, 2024

At the end of every semester in Oberlin, the Cat in the Cream holds an event that radically departs from the usual concert, Conservatory recital, or trivia night. The metamorphosis is subtle yet striking; excited parents, siblings, and grandparents from the Oberlin community fill the seats to face a...

Noah Lyles holds up the American flag.
Top Performers From Paris: An Olympic Overview
Micah Rodriguez, Sports Editor • September 6, 2024

Ilona Maher Shines Light on Women’s Rugby Ilona Maher entered the spotlight three years ago at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where she used social media to show what the Olympics look like for athletes behind the scenes. This year, at the age of 27, Maher represented the United States in her second Olympic...

Fourth-year Johnny Ragsdale on his way to a third-place finish.
Oberlin Shines at Wooster Invitational
Micah Rodriguez and Chris Stoneman September 6, 2024

Last Saturday, the cross country team competed at the Wooster Invitational.  Following their great performance last year at the NCAA Regional Championships, the tenured  Ray Appenheimer transitioned from his role as head coach to associate director of athletics. This created many questions surrounding...

The Guardian Cap protects against brain injuries in tackle football.
Guardian Caps Bring New Look to Football
Gregory Lane Jr. , Senior Staff Writer • September 6, 2024

As we enter the 2024–2025 NFL season, fans of the sport may notice an unfamiliar accessory on the helmets of certain players. Created in 2010, the Guardian Cap is a soft shell exterior attached to helmets to reduce the impact of potentially concussive blows. These additions were officially introduced...

Weekly Updates: Week of 5/10
Weekly Updates: Week of 5/10
Rodrigo Llaguno, Senior Staff Writer • May 10, 2024

Champions League Final  The final of the Champions League, which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, is now set. Borussia Dortmund will face Real Madrid. Dortmund managed to beat Paris Saint Germain in Paris after winning the first leg 1–0. The second leg saw Dortmund win 1–0 again...

Another Winless Year for Miami GP Pole-Sitter, Another Cursed Circuit in Formula 1?
Erin Koo, Photo Editor and Layout Manager • May 10, 2024

Formula 1 held the first of its three Grand Prix in the United States this season last Sunday, May 5, at the Miami International Autodrome. The circuit was added to the Formula 1 calendar in 2022 and received criticism for being yet another race in the U.S., which is the country to host the most Grand...

Senior Celebrations, Last Competitions for Baseball, Softball, Track
Amelia Ocampo, Staff Writer • May 10, 2024

This past weekend, Oberlin’s baseball and softball teams finished their seasons with Senior Day festivities, reflecting on the hard work and resilience their graduating seniors brought to the teams. Both displays of appreciation were filled with emotion as teammates celebrated both personal and teamwide...

Sports Editor Advises Everything One Last Time
Andrea Nguyen, Sports Editor • May 10, 2024

Ever since I was little, I’ve always been told communication is the most important skill to have. As someone who didn’t start learning till I was five years old, and now only mediocrely know three languages, communication has always been one of the things I’ve struggled with the most.  My second...

Travis O'Daniel at the Derby.
Review Editor Revisits Kentucky Derby Roots
Travis O'Daniel, Managing Editor • May 10, 2024

The sports journalist Hunter S. Thompson once described the Kentucky Derby as “decadent and depraved,” and any native Louisvillian will tell you that the sentiment absolutely still rings true. Since 1875, the Derby has been bringing in crowds from far and wide to Louisville, KY, all eager to see...

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