Anisa Curry Vietze – The Oberlin Review

OTC: Jad Abumrad, OC ’95, Creator of Radiolab, Dolly Parton’s America

December 13, 2019

Jad Abumrad, OC ’95, is the creator and producer of some of the most popular public radio programs and podcasts, including Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton’s America. Abumrad’s show Radiolab — previously co-hosted by Robert Krulwich, OC ’69 — airs on over 500 stations in the United States and is downloaded over 9 million times a month as a podcast. Radiolab was awarded a Peabody Award in 2011 and 2015, and Abumrad was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2011. While at Oberlin, Abumrad st...

College Strengthens Mental Health Resources

Anisa Curry Vietze and Drew Dansby

November 22, 2019

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of substance abuse and suicide. Following unusually long wait-times for student appointments this semester, the Counseling Center has hired two part-time interim staff members. During the second week of the fall semester, a Counseling Center employee left and their position remained vacant while the College searched for a qualified candidate. Broader conversations regarding mental health at Oberlin are framed by the College’s first comprehensive mental health survey which was conducted last semester. “We are certainly backed up more than we would like to be at this point,” said John Harshbarger, director of Student Health and Counseling Services. “One way I ...

Title IX Policy Undergoes Significant Revisions

Anisa Curry Vietze and Rachel Fang

November 15, 2019

Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of sexual harassment and assault. After a two year review process by the Title IX Policy Committee, the updated version of Oberlin’s Sexual Misconduct Policy was approved via a vote by the General Faculty Council on Oct. 16. The edits include changes to how the College holds live hearings and additional options for mediation and restorative justice when parties do not want to go through a formal hearing, among other things. The committee also edited the policy to clarify language and remove repetitions — making the 70-page document more readable. The Sexual Misconduct Policy is reviewed every year but not necessarily edited every year. The edits that just went into effect la...

Residents Respond to Construction of Pyle South Amherst Road Roundabouts

November 8, 2019

After almost a year of planning and discussion between residents and city officials, four roundabouts on Pyle South Amherst Road were completed last Friday. The roundabouts were part of a larger repavement project that also included cement stabilization, resurfacing, the addition of pavement markings, new signage, a golf cart crossing. The project began after Public Works Director Jeff Bauman applied for and received an Ohio Public Works Commission grant to repave the 20-year-old pavement. This ...

Unknown Substance Causes Emergency at Walmart, Mercy ER

November 1, 2019

An unknown substance originating in the Oberlin Walmart parking lot left seven people sick or unresponsive on Tuesday. Some of the exposures occurred in Mercy Allen Hospital and resulted in the hospital employing its emergency management plan and temporarily evacuating its emergency room. Chemical testing is still ongoing, but Chief of Police Ryan Warfield says he suspects the substance was fentanyl. The exposures began when police responded to a call reporting a suspicious individual walking i...

Gibson’s Bakery Files Cross-Appeal

November 1, 2019

Gibson’s Bakery has filed a cross-appeal in the ongoing lawsuit that the bakery’s owners brought against Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. This cross-appeal comes after the College’s Oct. 8 decision to appeal the June jury verdict finding the College and Raimondo responsible for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress related to a series of 2016 student protests against the bakery. The jury initially awarded the Gibsons $11 million in compens...

Gibson’s Verdict Appeal Filed

Anisa Curry Vietze, News Editor

October 11, 2019

On Tuesday, Oberlin College announced it would appeal the June jury verdict that sided with Gibson’s Bakery and against the College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. The appeal comes after the College was denied a retrial at the county level last month. The College currently faces a $25 million judgment after a Lorain County jury found the College and Raimondo responsible for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress following a student-led protest against the bakery in November 2016. To represent them at the appellate level, the College has hired a legal team that includes Washington, D.C. First Amendment attorneys Lee Levine and Seth Berlin, as well as Cleveland appellate a...

Despite Zoning Challenges, Lorain Street Food Truck Opens

October 4, 2019

After over a year of searching, Steel Magnolia — the only food truck currently located in Oberlin — has found a home on 408 E. Lorain St., near IGA. The truck serves a mix of soul food and traditional Caribbean cuisine and was opened by Oberlin native Shontae Jackson who runs it with her mom, Sarah Jackson, and 17-year-old daughter, Tanzania. Sarah says that seeing her daughter succeed has been incredibly fulfilling. “Ever since she was a little girl, it’s been her dream,” Sarah said...

City Council Candidates Engage With Voters

Rachel Serna-Brown and Anisa Curry Vietze

October 4, 2019

Eleven local candidates running for Oberlin City Council met with voters at The First Church in Oberlin for Tuesday’s Community Candidates Night. The event was organized by Oberlin’s chapter of the League of Women Voters with the goal of giving voters the opportunity to ask the candidates questions about local issues. In previous years, Community Candidates Night has showcased candidates for other offices in addition to City Council, such as Ohio State Senate, the county auditor’s office, and local judicial spots. College Science Librarian Alison Ricker — who is a member of Oberlin’s LWV and helped organize the event — explained why this year’s event only focused on council. “The only candidates who spoke were ...

Students Relax at Presidential Carnival

September 13, 2019

Students enjoyed an afternoon of local cuisine, a dunk tank, and a sudden hailstorm at the President’s Welcome Carnival this past Wednesday. Stretching from the Science Center atrium to the nearby quad, the event invited students of all class years to sample food from community vendors, including the Slow Train Cafe and Dave’s Cosmic Subs. Students tried their hand at ring toss and challenged peers to friendly races through an inflatable obstacle course. “The Taste of Oberlin was an inventi...

Searches Launch for Next College, Conservatory Deans

September 6, 2019

In a time of unprecedented institutional change following the recommendations of the Academic and Administrative Program Review, both the College and Conservatory have launched active searches for new deans. The AAPR, which concluded this past spring, was chaired by Acting Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences David Kamitsuka and vice-chaired by Acting Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen. Both Kamitsuka and Quillen are currently filling their positions on an interim basis. Kamitsuka ass...

Jury Rules For Gibson’s, Assigns $44 Million in Damages

June 14, 2019

Editor's note: Due to the scope of national media attention, the Review took the extraordinary step of covering the Gibson's verdict outside of normal publication dates. Because of limited staff capacity, the Review does not moderate comments during the summer, and letters to the editors in response to any article will be reviewed for publication in the fall. Please direct any questions to [email protected] The Lorain County jury overseeing the trial between Gibson’s Bakery and Ob...