September 23, 2020
Editor’s note: this article mentions self-harm, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
As college students in a pandemic, times are tough right now. Our community is fractured, our social lives are dead, our extracurriculars are cancelled, and our classes are emotionally-exhausting. I know it’s taken a toll on every one of us, and feelings of anxiety, depression, fear, and grief have overwhelmed us in the last eight months. That’s why discussions around mental health are necessary now...
Rory Callison, Wenling Li, Yuetong Chen, and Latifa Tan
September 11, 2020
The work of the Student Senate is designed to represent and benefit the student body. One way senators do this is by investing in areas suited to their strengths and interests. Below, we describe ongoing Senate committees that seek to directly help students on a day-to-day level — from making a more supportive community in regards to health and happiness to seeking long-term changes to College life, such as making Oberlin more environmentally forward-thinking.
Health and Wellness Committee
One of Senate’s long-term goals is to address issues concerning health on campus — both mental and physical. To that end, Senate has created the Health and Wellness Committee, whose purpose is to brainstorm...
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...
Student Senate
June 22, 2020
The individual members of Student Senate who drafted and approved this document are solely responsible for its content and the views expressed herein. Student government is not authorized to speak on behalf of Oberlin College and Conservatory.
Dear Oberlin College and Conservatory Community,
We write to you today to stand in solidarity with the nationwide protests and uprisings of the past three weeks, calling attention to and condemning white supremacy and anti-Black racism in the United States. The issues that stem from the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and more — such as structural racism and the controversial history of policing — impact us all, both ...
Gigi Ewing, Senior Associate Editor
May 31, 2020
Travel restrictions and visa limitations have prompted many current international students to remain in the U.S. rather than return home for the summer. The College is offering on-campus room and board to international students who wish to remain in the country until the start of fall-semester classes while other students have opted to stay with family members or friends.
For international students considering returning home for the summer, the decision is complicated by uncertainty that they may not be able to travel back to the U.S. if in-person classes resume in the fall. College first-year and member of the Student Senate International Students Working Group Latifa Tan has been grappling with the question of wheth...
Aly Fogel, Associate Editor
May 6, 2020
In an effort to accommodate students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning, the College and Conservatory have announced new grading protocols effective for the rest of the semester. The changes were announced by faculty governance committees and the Arts and Sciences and Conservatory Deans' Offices via emails sent in mid-April.
The new grading protocols shift the optional Pass/No Pass system to an optional Pass/No Entry grading model, but the default grading system for most courses remains letter grades. If a student elects to take a class Pass/No Entry and earns a grade below a C-, the course will not be listed on their official transcript. This is a change from the previous optio...
Mowa Badmos, College second-year, co-chair, ASA, Blessing Bwititi, College third-year, co-chair, ASA, Benjamin Collado, College third-year, co-chair and treasurer, SOCA, Timothy Grant, College second-year, co-chair, ABUSUA, Seyquan Mack, double-degree fourth-year, chair, OCBMG, Deverrick McAllister Jr., College second-year, co-chair and student liaison, SOCA, Lauriel Powell, College second-year, co-chair, BSG, and Mike Sandifer, College third-year, co-chair, The Brotherhood
April 4, 2020
Dear Oberlin College and Conservatory Community Members,
These are difficult and scary times that we are living in. Since being evicted from campus amidst a global pandemic, none amongst us have been able to avoid the fallout of COVID-19. However, this crisis will especially impact Black students’ ability to succeed. As many of us will be deprived of the resources necessary for our success, the move to online classes will create greater disparity on an already uneven playing field. In addition, Black students are more likely to have been thrust into unsafe environments where we may face food and financial insecurity, as well as other circumstances that are beyond our control. All of these variables increase the likel...
