The Oberlin Review

Off the Cuff with Dave Covell: A Public Health Perspective on Oberlin’s COVID Response

October 28, 2020

As Health Commissioner for Lorain County Public Health, Dave Covell works closely with Ohio’s Department of Health and Governor Mike DeWine to control and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Oberlin, Lorain, Elyria, Avon, and the rest of Lorain County. Covell worked closely with the College to develop a layered health strategy and is in constant communication with the College’s health team. He oversees Lorain County’s efforts on contact tracing, epidemiology, and distributing inf...

College Reports Six New COVID-19 Cases in One Day

Gigi Ewing and Ella Moxley

October 21, 2020

After three consecutive weeks with zero new COVID-19 cases on campus, six people tested positive for the virus yesterday, including four students, one faculty member, and one staff member. These six positive tests were administered on Friday, and the College received the results yesterday afternoon, according to an email from President Carmen Twillie Ambar. Prior to yesterday’s cases, there were only 13 positive COVID-19 tests out of almost 7,500 administered since campus reopened this August. The six recent cases do not seem to be connected to each other, according to Chief of Staff David Hertz, who oversees the College’s health strategy. “We don't believe there was a super-spreader event,�...

Conservatory second-year Jasper de Boor is a viola and violin performance double major. Similar to many Conservatory students, de Boor now practices primarily in his dorm room in East.

Oberlin Conservatory Students Live, Practice in the Same Space

October 9, 2020

Limited access to traditional practice spaces has created new roadblocks to making music and learning collaboratively for Oberlin Conservatory students. However, even in the face of challenge and change, Conservatory students have mostly retained and adapted their practice habits, even while many are practicing in their dorm rooms. This semester, Conservatory students majoring in easily-transportable instruments were provided chairs and stands in their individual rooms to practice. Most of these...

The Campus Safety Office, which is open 24-hours a day. The Campus Safety department sometimes receives COVID-19 reports of community safety violations to follow up on.

Students Call for Peer-to-Peer Intervention for COVID-19 Safety Violations

October 7, 2020

Students at Oberlin College and nationwide have raised concerns that peer-reports and disciplinary action for breaches of COVID-19 community agreements could disproportionately impact students of color. Students on Oberlin’s campus have called on one another to reflect on potential biases and consider peer intervention prior to calling Campus Safety with concerns related to ObieSafe guidelines. Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo attests that students of color are not disp...

16 Students Asked to Leave Campus For Breaking COVID-19 Community Agreement

September 11, 2020

Sixteen students who were found in violation of the COVID-19 safety practices in the College’s Community Agreement have been asked to leave campus and complete the remainder of the semester remotely. Before returning to campus this fall, all students were required to read and sign a Community Agreement as a part of the College’s ObieSafe guidelines for COVID-19 safety, which stated — among other protocols — that students must remain masked at all times outside of their private bedrooms. ...

Senate Launches ObieReal Project

Lena Golia

September 9, 2020

As coronavirus cases soar in America, and with Oberlin College now in its second week of classes, the safety of our community is on everyone’s mind. These are unprecedented times that demand unique responses, and so the Oberlin Student Senate is launching a project to clearly outline safe, but enjoyable, practices with ObieReal. While maintaining physical health is vital, the mental health of staff and students is also essential. Being trapped in a dorm room 24/7 for the next few months does not sound ideal, so ObieReal aims to detail and explore safe options that promote a sense of normalcy on campus. Student Senate is working in collaboration with the Conservatory Council of Students to release a series of 13 in...

Keeping Faith in Obies

Editorial Board

September 4, 2020

Life right now can feel like a big experiment. Certainly, life on campus does. Whether you’re standing six feet apart in the DeCafé line or sitting on the quad, distanced from your friends — it all seems a little dystopian. It feels like a giant experiment because it is — no one knows what’s going to happen. So far, our version of the experiment is going rather well. At the time of publication, the initial and most recent data shows just 0.23 percent of Oberlin’s campus tested positive for COVID-19. We are grateful that the College has developed a plan that works to prioritize health and safety, and we trust that students are doing their part as well — making sacrifices and readjusting to the new campus...

Senate’s ObieReal campaign gives guidance on student life during COVID-19, including the formation of pods.

ObieReal Seeks to Provide Realistic COVID-19 Guidance for Student Life

September 4, 2020

A new Student Senate campaign, ObieReal, aims to help students living on campus reduce the spread of COVID-19. Earlier this summer, the College introduced the ObieSafe program, which outlines regulations for limiting the spread of COVID-19 among Oberlin students, staff, and faculty. Recognizing that students may not always adhere to the ObieSafe agreements, Senate created ObieReal to offer guidance in areas of student life that the College cannot address. Student Senate will post public health infor...

Patrons order coffee at Slow Train Cafe, which is currently open for socially-distanced walk-through service.

Local Businesses Anticipate Student Patronage After Challenging Summer

September 4, 2020

After downtown businesses suffered a slow summer of canceled events, College programming, and a state-wide stay-at-home order, the arrival of students this past week brings financial hope to some. However, College students’ return also prompts concerns about COVID-19 spread. “It’s a twofold thing,” said Ben Franklin & MindFair Books owner Krista Long. “Clearly our downtown district relies on the College, and the students in particular for sales, so we’re enthusiastic about th...

College Releases Details for Three Semesters of In-Person Classes

July 18, 2020

Information about changes to housing, dining, student activities, and campus social life was sent in an email to students, faculty, and staff last Wednesday, accompanied by a community agreement for on-campus enrollment. This year the College will adopt a three-semester model and enroll a limited student body in the fall, spring, and summer. The goal of this plan is to “de-densify” campus, allowing students to live in single rooms, practice social distancing in classes, and limit the potentia...