�鶹��Ƶ Joins Park Arts, Bringing World-Class Programs to Historic Synagogue</h1> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Joins Park Arts, Bringing World-Class Programs to Historic Synagogue</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:34:19 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Joins Park Arts, Bringing World-Class Programs to Historic Synagogue</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-10T12:34:19-04:00" title="Thursday, April 10, 2025 - 12:34">Thu, 04/10/2025 - 12:34</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Since the Park Synagogue congregation departed its historic Cleveland Heights campus several years ago, there has been a remarkable effort underway to restore and repurpose this important site into a center for creative arts and humanities. </p><p>�鶹��Ƶ is proud to bring its unique combination of outstanding academics and world-class music and arts education to the dynamic community that is planned for the Park Synagogue. Called “Park Arts,” this collaboration is a milestone in one of the most ambitious and historically significant reclamation projects within the nation’s Jewish community.</p><p>Developed by Sustainable Community Associates (SCA), a Cleveland-based team of �鶹��Ƶ alumni, and the nonprofit Friends of Mendelsohn, Park Arts honors architect Erich Mendelsohn’s legacy while designing an intergenerational center for artistic creation and humanities education. �鶹��Ƶ will add its newly established Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Arts (BA+BFA) to this creative hub. Launching in fall 2025, the combined degree program can be completed in five years: the first four on �鶹��Ƶ’s bucolic campus, followed by a fifth year set amid the rich professional arts community at Park Arts. With the first BA+BFA students scheduled to arrive at Park Arts in June 2027, this program will provide hands-on opportunities for students in Northeast Ohio’s vibrant arts scene.</p><p>“We are thrilled to forge this connection between �鶹��Ƶ and the greater Cleveland community,” says �鶹��Ƶ President Carmen Twillie Ambar. “This partnership allows us to honor one of Cleveland’s historic Jewish synagogues while our students interact with the region’s cultural institutions. Our students will gain real-world experience and contribute their talents to a city known for artistic excellence. It bridges �鶹��Ƶ’s close-knit campus with the creative energy of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights.” </p><p>�鶹��Ƶ’s BA+BFA in Integrated Arts dual degree program eventually will bring up to 50 fifth-year students to Park Arts for an immersive arts year. Students will have 24-hour access to private studios, rehearsal spaces, theaters, and production facilities, culminating in a substantial, public-facing project—a performance, exhibition, or installation—determined in collaboration with their �鶹��Ƶ faculty mentors. The program is designed with collaboration in mind: Students will work with renowned visiting artists and with Cleveland’s arts organizations through internships, commissioned works, and public programming.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Partnership will yield host site for new BA+BFA combined degree program.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-04-09T12:00:00Z">Wed, 04/09/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4290">BA/BFA</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25436">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25281">Musical Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25256">Cinema and Media</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/julia-christensen" hreflang="und">Julia Christensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies" hreflang="und">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Built in 1950, Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights will be redeveloped as Park Arts. Fifth-year �鶹��Ƶ students in the new BA/BFA program will pursue their studies at the transformed space beginning in 2027.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of SCA</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40692" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>For artists, community connections are invaluable. Collaborating with Cleveland’s arts organizations, securing internships, and being immersed in a thriving cultural district will be transformative.” <em>—Julia Christensen, BA+BFA Program Director</em></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40399" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>The partnership with Park Arts also presents a pathway for �鶹��Ƶ to expand Jewish Studies—drawing on the congregation’s archives as well as pursuing course-based research opportunities focused on the history of Park Synagogue—and the potential for community concerts and other musical outreach. </p><p>In addition to �鶹��Ƶ, Park Arts will house a diverse collection of nonprofit and educational programs, expanding access to creative programming for the broader Cleveland community. Overall, the 28-acre Park Arts campus will contain intergenerational housing, an expanded neighborhood preschool, public walking trails and green space, and the preservation of the Mendelsohn-designed building—an applicant for National Landmark status—while simultaneously integrating sustainability initiatives such as geothermal heating and cooling.</p><p>According to Susan Ratner, former President of Park Synagogue, the donation of Park to SCA was a continuation of the congregation’s legacy. “Our goal has always been to honor Park’s history while ensuring it remains an inspiring part of Greater Cleveland’s cultural landscape. The larger vision for the restoration and �鶹��Ƶ’s presence will bring new energy, creativity, and scholarship, making Park Arts a truly unique center for artistic innovation and education. We are thrilled to be a part of it and to return each year for high holidays.”</p><p>Park Arts places �鶹��Ƶ students near some of the region’s most distinguished cultural institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland, and Dobama Theatre, as well as Cleveland’s renowned performance venues and galleries.</p><p>“This move provides an essential bridge from student life to professional careers in the arts,” says Julia Christensen, Program Director and �鶹��Ƶ’s Eva & John Young-Hunter Professor of Integrated Media. “Park Arts offers students the opportunity to engage with the Cleveland arts community while honing their creative practice in an academic setting.”</p><p>“For artists, community connections are invaluable,” Christensen adds. “Collaborating with Cleveland’s arts organizations, securing internships, and being immersed in a thriving cultural district will be transformative. At the same time, these emerging artists will bring fresh perspectives and energy to the broader Cleveland arts scene. It’s an exciting exchange.”</p><hr><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/ba-bfa-dual-degree-integrated-arts"><em><strong>Learn more about �鶹��Ƶ’s BA+BFA program at �鶹��Ƶ.edu.</strong></em></a></p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Launches Combined BA+BFA in Integrated Arts</h1> <p>eburnett — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:02:25 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Launches Combined BA+BFA in Integrated Arts</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-21T16:02:25-05:00" title="Friday, February 21, 2025 - 16:02">Fri, 02/21/2025 - 16:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For generations, �鶹��Ƶ graduates have gone on to become groundbreaking creative forces in artistic settings all over the world. </p><p>Now a new pairing of �鶹��Ƶ degree programs enables undergraduate students to establish their own paths toward interdisciplinary careers across the arts.</p><p>Beginning in fall 2025, students may pursue a combined dual degree that culminates in a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/ba-bfa-dual-degree-integrated-arts">Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Arts</a>. The two degrees can be completed in five years: the first four on �鶹��Ƶ’s bucolic campus, followed by a fifth year set amid the vibrant professional arts community of nearby Cleveland.</p><p>“What is most inspiring about this new BA+BFA pathway is that it emerged organically,” says <a href="/node/4921">David Kamitsuka</a>, Dean of �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Arts and Sciences. “It developed through an extraordinary, collaborative commitment among our arts faculty to design a program that is attuned to the future of the art world and attentive to the aspirations of our endlessly creative and thoughtful students.” </p><p>Students in the program complete courses in their chosen BA major, <a href="/arts-and-sciences/areas-of-study">selecting from more than 50 areas of study</a> offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. They also take 10 additional courses in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/practicing-arts">practicing arts</a>, which may include cinema and media, creative writing, dance, musical studies, studio art, and theater.</p><p>In year five, students live and work in Cleveland, with 24-hour access to private studios, rehearsal spaces, theaters, and production facilities. This immersive arts year is dedicated to completing a substantial, public-facing project—a performance, exhibition, or installation, for example—determined in collaboration with their �鶹��Ƶ faculty mentors.</p><p>Unlike traditional BFA programs, which require selection of a single area of study, �鶹��Ƶ’s BFA in Integrated Arts invites students to shape their own path by incorporating other disciplines into their individual artistic practice. In this way, painting could be paired with politics, theater with environmental studies, creative writing with neuroscience—or any number of other combinations.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Five-year path toward two degrees includes focused work in the thriving arts world of nearby Cleveland.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-02-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 02/21/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2556">Admissions</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4290">BA/BFA</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25436">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25256">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25281">Musical Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/julia-christensen" hreflang="und">Julia Christensen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/david-kamitsuka" hreflang="und">David Kamitsuka</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies" hreflang="und">Cinema and Media</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students in �鶹��Ƶ’s BA+BFA dual-degree program devote their first four years to studies on campus, followed by a fifth year of immersive arts study in Cleveland.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-37735" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>Our students don’t just learn to be artists; they learn to be thinkers who engage deeply with the world around them.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-37109" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>The program creates an ideal bridge between students’ academic journey and their chosen professional path—and a launching pad for a new generation of increasingly vital “thinking artists.”</p><p>“This program is built on the idea that artists thrive when they have a broad intellectual foundation,” says Program Director <a href="/node/5041">Julia Christensen</a>, �鶹��Ƶ’s Eva & John Young-Hunter Professor of Integrated Media. “It’s about bridging the gap between creativity and academic exploration.</p><p>“Artists don’t usually see themselves as just a painter or just a sculptor,” Christensen says. “They draw from all kinds of disciplines and backgrounds. That’s the kind of artistry we want to foster here: Our students don’t just learn to be artists; they learn to be thinkers who engage deeply with the world around them, using their creative problem-solving skills to address complex, real-world challenges.”</p><p>Current students in their first or second year of studies in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to participate in the BA+BFA in Integrated Arts program, with the first year of immersive art studies in Cleveland slated for 2027-28. Current �鶹��Ƶ students interested in the program must apply by their junior year and be on track to finish the required credits and submit a portfolio for review. </p><p>New students applying for enrollment in fall 2026 will have the option to apply to the BA+BFA program as part of the first-year application process.</p><hr><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/ba-bfa-dual-degree-integrated-arts"><strong>Learn more about the BA+BFA in Integrated Arts at oberlin.edu. </strong></a></p><p><strong>Thinking about �鶹��Ƶ? </strong><a href="mailto:college.admissions@oberlin.edu?subject=�鶹��Ƶ's%20BA%2FBFA%20program"><strong>Connect with us at college.admissions@oberlin.edu.</strong></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>From �鶹��Ƶ College to Goldman Sachs</h1> <p>ygay — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:37:29 +0000</p> <span>From �鶹��Ƶ College to Goldman Sachs</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-16T15:37:29-04:00" title="Thursday, May 16, 2024 - 15:37">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 15:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anna Silverman ’22 has made a remarkable leap, from �鶹��Ƶ to the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. A political science major with an integrative concentration in education studies, Silverman applies the critical thinking and problem-solving skills she honed at �鶹��Ƶ to her work as a global markets senior analyst. She recently shared how her background in political theory shaped her career path in finance and contributed to her early success in a competitive field.</p> <p><strong>How has your political science degree contributed to your work at Goldman Sachs?</strong></p> <p>Although my role at Goldman Sachs differs from my political science major, my education from �鶹��Ƶ has been invaluable. The diverse curriculum, extending beyond politics to the core subjects, taught me to efficiently learn and adapt to new challenges. This skill set has been crucial at Goldman, where I regularly encounter unfamiliar problems. Unrelated to my politics degree, my experience dissecting a rat in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology">Biology</a> 101 prepared me not to fear any challenge—even in the finance world.</p> <p><strong>Can you share how your extracurricular activities at �鶹��Ƶ impacted your professional development?</strong></p> <p>My time in Harkness co-op was instrumental in preparing me for Goldman Sachs. As a head cook for two years, I developed skills in multitasking, working under pressure, and leading a team. The culture of debate in the co-op’s governance taught me to confidently advocate for my ideas. I am truly grateful for this experience, as it significantly contributed to my career success.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give �鶹��Ƶ students looking to enter competitive fields?</strong></p> <p>Make sure you leverage �鶹��Ƶ’s unique qualities, such as its passionate professors and <a href="/life-at-oberlin/clubs-organizations">quirky clubs</a>, to make your job applications stand out. Building relationships with professors in your major is key. Take their classes, participate in the classroom, and go to office hours. �鶹��Ƶ’s small community allows for these meaningful connections, which can be pivotal in obtaining strong references and recommendations. Also, don't hesitate to reach out to alumni in your desired field. Most are more than willing to help with the application process.</p> <p><strong>Were there any mentors at �鶹��Ƶ who were crucial to your professional growth?</strong></p> <p><a href="/eve-sandberg">Eve Sandberg</a>, my foreign policy professor, gave really great insights in her class as to what the expectations and realities are of working in fast-paced, high-stakes foreign policy fields. I found her advice to be transferable to my career now. My professor <a href="/joshua-freedman">Joshua Freedman</a> helped me build confidence in my abilities when I was in his seminar and worked as his research assistant. There are too many others to name, but all my professors have had an impact on my growth in one way or another.</p> <p><strong>What is your fondest memory from your time at �鶹��Ƶ?</strong></p> <p>My fondest memory is of taking a samba class during a summer semester. When the weather was nice, we went out to dance in Tappan Square! It was not just a class, but a place where I formed lasting friendships and also gained an appreciation for �鶹��Ƶ’s beauty in the summer. It’s a memory I’ll always cherish.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Global Market Senior Analyst Anna Silverman ’22 Shares How �鶹��Ƶ Helped Shape Her Career Path</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-05-16T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After �鶹��Ƶ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4063">Co-op</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2355">Student Organizations</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468171">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/joshua-freedman" hreflang="und">Joshua Freedman</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Anna Silverman</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Silverman</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Musicians Collaborate at California’s Hidden Valley Institute</h1> <p>jstrauss — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:09:26 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Musicians Collaborate at California’s Hidden Valley Institute</span> <span><span>jstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-02-01T12:09:26-05:00" title="Thursday, February 1, 2024 - 12:09">Thu, 02/01/2024 - 12:09</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ students and their faculty mentors devoted Winter Term to a pair of immersive musical projects at <a href="https://www.hiddenvalleymusic.org/">Hidden Valley</a>, an institute of the arts located in Carmel Valley, California.</p> <p>The projects—a TIMARA/dance collaboration and a chamber music intensive—culminated in a <a href="/events/series/oberlin-hidden-valley">series of five public performances</a> at Hidden Valley in January.</p> <p>The bucolic locale also played into the Winter Term itinerary of the �鶹��Ƶ Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble, which performed at the Hidden Valley Theater in addition to an engagement at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium in San Francisco.</p> <p>Since its founding in 1963, Hidden Valley has fostered artistic excellence through a diverse array of music education programs for youth, emerging artists, and adults.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Winter Term projects culminate in performances involving TIMARA, dance, chamber music, and jazz.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-02-01T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/01/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/aurie-hsu" hreflang="und">Aurie Hsu ’96</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/edwin-huizinga-06" hreflang="und">Edwin Huizinga ’06</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" hreflang="und">Dmitry Kouzov</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/yulia-fedoseeva" hreflang="und">Yulia Fedoseeva</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Hidden Valley, a California institute dedicated to supporting the development of young artists, played host to a trio of �鶹��Ƶ performances over Winter Term.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pull-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Gallery Style)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Sherman Chu</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-33587" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31752" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-30017" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-17.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30018" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-16.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30019" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-13.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="obj-31753" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-30020" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-08.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30021" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-01.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30022" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-07.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="obj-31754" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-30023" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-10.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1366" data-pswp-height="2048"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30024" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-09.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1366" data-pswp-height="2048"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30025" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-23.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1366" data-pswp-height="2048"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Sherman Chu Photographer </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-33588" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31755" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="2"> <div id="obj-30032" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/hiddenvalleycompressed-21_0.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="2048" data-pswp-height="1366"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-30033" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/oberlin_283_large.jpeg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1280" data-pswp-height="854"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Sherman Chu Photographer </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Survivor Mentality</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 16 May 2023 18:37:39 +0000</p> <span>Survivor Mentality</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-16T14:37:39-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - 14:37">Tue, 05/16/2023 - 14:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Emma Hart '23 was raised by two mothers in rural Decatur, Indiana. Growing up, the other kids often reminded her “You can’t have two moms.”</p><p>Today, Hart credits the experience with inspiring her to pursue the cause of sexual justice. She formed �鶹��Ƶ’s <a href="https://www.ocmhresources.com/students-of-sexual-harm--allies-sosha.html">Survivors of Sexual Harm and Allies</a> (SOSHA), a student-led organization that advocates for and empowers those who have experienced sexual violence.</p><p>Beginning in August, Hart will approach the issue in a new way: by devoting a year to observing programs in South Africa, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand that create dialogues among boys in middle and high schools, raising awareness and curbing the incidence of sexual violence.</p><p>The opportunity was made possible by a <a href="https://watson.foundation/fellowships/tj">Thomas J. Watson Fellowship</a>, a highly competitive honor that enables recipients to pursue original, independent projects outside the U.S. and receive a $40,000 stipend and a year’s worth of college loan payments.</p><p>Named for the longtime head of IBM, Watson Fellowships have been awarded to 42 graduating college seniors from 20 states and four countries this year. Two of those fellows are from �鶹��Ƶ: Hart and fellow senior <a href="/news/toiling-margins">Alli Roshni</a>, who will work with patients, practitioners, researchers, and grassroots organizations to prevent and treat pediatric HIV and AIDS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia.</p><p>Hart calls her project “Violence Intervention: Inviting Boys to the Conversation.” In a post on the Watson website, she writes: “Spaces that invite open conversation and encourage vulnerability in boys are key to reducing gender-based violence. Learning from organizations that empower boys to participate in these spaces, I will learn how different modes of violence-prevention stop harm before it happens.”</p><p>For Hart, the year ahead represents a global extension of the work she began at �鶹��Ƶ. She will graduate with majors in dance and psychology, with a minor in law and society and an integrative concentration in education. For her senior project in dance, she directed and performed in a documentary film called Healing Bodies, which quotes survivors of sexual abuse. For an honors project in psychology, she presented research on “vicarious dissonance,” a sensation that happens when seeing close friends or family act contrary to their stated beliefs.</p><p>This semester, she took part in a seminar on the psychology of social conflict, taught by Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies <a href="/node/6296">Cindy Frantz</a>. Hart says it helped her advocate more persuasively for justice for survivors of sexual violence. It’s a skill that has served her well in her work with SOSHA.</p><p>Numbering more than 100 student members, SOSHA supports survivors of sexual violence through confidential listening sessions facilitated by the Nord Center, a local mental-health and crisis intervention agency; through social events that support stress relief and healing; and through open forums.</p><figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><p></p><figcaption>Hart learned to mentor student writers through Writing Center director Laurie McMillin (left). Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</figcaption></figure><p>SOSHA is credited with reviving �鶹��Ƶ’s participation in Take Back the Night, an annual initiative on college campuses intended to empower survivors of sexual violence. It has also forged coalitions with athletic teams and other organizations aimed at preventive measures—initiatives similar to those Hart will experience overseas.</p><p>“Instead of creating division, we ended up having those dialogues,” she says. (Learn more about SOSHA <a href="/blogs/student-org-series-sosha">on the �鶹��Ƶ blogs</a>.)</p><figure class="captioned-image obj-left"><p></p><figcaption>Hart in competition for the �鶹��Ƶ track team. (photo by Thomas Hill '24)</figcaption></figure><p>Hart’s campus involvement has extended in numerous other directions as well: She served as a <a href="/node/47086">Peer Advising Leader</a> to first-year students and worked with student writers as an associate in the <a href="/node/41931">Writing Center</a>, where she works with the center’s director, <a href="/node/6421">Laurie McMillin</a>, a professor of writing and communications. Hart also performed on silks and trapeze with the student-run <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oberlincircus/?hl=en">OCircus</a> and pole-vaulted for the <a href="https://goyeo.com/sports/womens-track-and-field">�鶹��Ƶ track team</a>. She credits her coach, <a href="https://goyeo.com/staff-directory/ray-harris/84">Ray Harris</a>, for helping keep her balance on and off the field and emphasizing the importance of clear focus in order to compete safely.</p><p>“You have to have your head over your feet,” he’d say.</p><p>Down the road, Hart might pursue a law degree or a master’s in public policy. Either way, she will continue her pursuit of justice, and she hopes her Watson experience will help her determine the best way to do that.</p><p>“Advocacy work can be emotionally taxing,” she says. “I want to be sure that I’ll be able to sustain it.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Emma Hart '23 traverses the globe to stem the tide of gender-based violence.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-05-16T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/16/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Grant Segall</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2418">Student-Athlete</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/cindy-frantz" hreflang="und">Cynthia (Cindy) Frantz</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/laurie-mcmillin" hreflang="und">Laurie Hovell McMillin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Vera Grace Menafee Receives Ping Student Service Award</h1> <p>anagy — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 18:47:58 +0000</p> <span>Vera Grace Menafee Receives Ping Student Service Award</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-07-12T14:47:58-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - 14:47">Tue, 07/12/2022 - 14:47</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Rising third-year Vera Grace Menafee discovered a passion for community organizing, gardening, and environmental and racial justice through their ongoing work with Vel’s Purple Oasis, a community-based urban farm in Cleveland. Since January 2021, Menafee has worked on a variety of projects for <a href="https://www.velscott.com/purpleoasis">Vel’s Purple Oasis</a>, from creating curriculum and educational materials, writing grants, and conducting oral history interviews, to learning the inner workings of urban gardening under the mentorship of community activist Vel Scott. </p> <p>Menafee has been recognized for their leadership and contributions to service learning as a recipient of the 2022 <a href="https://ohiocampuscompact.org/awards/student-awards/">Charles J. Ping Award</a> from Ohio Campus Compact. </p> <p>“I have learned so much from Ms. Vel about being a leader in your community, what it takes to organize a garden, and what it means to eat healthy, nutritious food,” Menafee says. “I truly look up to her as a role model for how I want to carry myself in the world, and I am so thankful for her mentorship.”</p> <p>The Charles J. Ping Student Service Award, sponsored by Ohio Campus Compact, is designed to recognize and honor undergraduate students for their outstanding leadership and contributions to community service or service-learning on their campus and within their community. This recognition is granted annually to undergraduates at Ohio Campus Compact member institutions.</p> <p>Menafee is a <a href="/bcsl/programs/bonner-scholars">Bonner Scholar</a>, a four-year community service scholarship program offered by �鶹��Ƶ College in collaboration with the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation. An Africana studies major with minors in environmental studies and dance, as well as a concentration in education studies, Menafee was connected to Vel Scott through the <a href="/bcsl">Bonner Center</a>.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>Menafee meets with Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Jay Fiskio, left.</figcaption> </figure> <p>“Coming into college, I never imagined I’d be able to pursue something so important and valuable to me after my first year, but now I can truly see myself pursuing a career in gardening, community organizing, and research, especially projects that are community-based like the one I’ve created,” says Menafee, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and now resides in Columbus, Ohio. “My work with Vel's Purple Oasis has truly helped me realize just how committed I am to connecting both environmental and racial justice around the world, and how central these two frameworks will be in my future career path.”</p> <p>Menafee has been selected by the <a href="https://www.mmuf.org/">Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship</a> to expand on their community-based research with Vel’s Purple Oasis, and they plan to continue that work through graduation.</p> <p>In addition to doing community-based research with Vel Scott, Menafee has been working as an America Reads reading tutor for grades K-5 in �鶹��Ƶ Elementary School, helping to empower young students in their literacy abilities. Menafee has also become a regular volunteer with the food pantry at �鶹��Ƶ Community Services. </p> <p>“I am also incredibly passionate about creative writing, and I volunteer as a workshop facilitator for Writers In Residence, an organization that leads creative writing workshops for incarcerated youth at juvenile detention centers throughout Ohio.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The award honors undergraduate students for their outstanding leadership and contributions to community service or service-learning.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-07-12T12:00:00Z">Tue, 07/12/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25226">Education Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Vera Grace Menafee has been recognized for her leadership and service-learning work with an urban farm in Cleveland, Ohio.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Dance, Creative Writing Faculty Members Receive Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 18:03:04 +0000</p> <span>Dance, Creative Writing Faculty Members Receive Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-03-11T13:03:04-05:00" title="Friday, March 11, 2022 - 13:03">Fri, 03/11/2022 - 13:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Assistant Professor of Creative Writing <a href="/chanda-feldman">Chanda Feldman</a>, Assistant Professor of Dance <a href="/holly-handman-lopez">Holly Handman-Lopez</a>, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Dance <a href="/talise-campbell">Talise Campbell</a> are among 75 Ohio artists who each received $5,000 in grant funding from the Ohio Arts Council’s <a href="https://oac.ohio.gov/News-Events/ArtsOhio-Blog/ohio-artists-receive-individual-excellence-awards-for-work-in-literary-arts-choreography-and-music-composition">Individual Excellence Awards</a> program in February.</p> <p>Individual Excellence Awards are peer recognition of an artist’s body of work that exemplifies their specific discipline and advances the larger artistic community. These awards support artists' growth and development and recognize their work in Ohio and beyond.</p> <p>During the fiscal year 2022 funding cycle, applications were accepted in the disciplines of choreography, criticism, fiction, music composition, nonfiction, playwriting, and poetry.</p> <p>Individual Excellence Award funding is awarded through an anonymous, open panel review process focused on the basis of exceptional merit of an artist’s past body of work.</p> <p>This is the first Ohio Arts Council award for Feldman, who was also selected for an artist residency at Loghaven Artist Residency this year. She is working on a full-length poetry collection.</p> <p>“One of the genres I’m using in the book is ekphrasis—that is, writing that describes and engages works of art. In my case, that means poems that respond to visual art. I’m particularly focused on work by Black visual artists and photographers,” Feldman says. “I plan to use the grant for extended visits to collections and museums. There are so many wonderful treasures close by such as the Taft Museum of Art, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.”</p> <p>Feldman says she is grateful for the tangible support that makes it possible to take time away from other obligations to follow creative hunches and ideas. “It’s also gratifying to know that fellow artists are excited by my participation in the literary conversation.” </p> <p>Handman-Lopez was awarded her second Individual Excellence prize for work that was created and performed by �鶹��Ƶ students early in the pandemic. </p> <p>“When everything closed down in 2020, I thought, ‘I’ll sit it out. I’ll wait until we can partner and tangle and breathe on each other.’ But then I thought of my students, not wanting them to lose an entire year of creating and performing,” she says. When an opportunity came along to teach a class on site-specific dance, it seemed like the perfect solution. In the Space Between Walking and Running is a site-specific piece set along Plum Creek in �鶹��Ƶ, created in collaboration with Chanda Feldman and the dance and poetry students in the <a href="/oberlin-center-convergence/learning-communities/fieldwork-place-dance">StudiOC cluster</a>, Fieldwork: The Art of Place Through Poetry and Dance.</p> <p>“We were exploring our relationship to water, the land, and historical events that have taken place at these sites. We chose the two parks because the monuments and memorials helped situate our history within a larger national historical context, and because of the creek that runs through them. The waterway called us with its peaceful flow and reminded us of the environmental crises we confront. This collaborative work of dancers, poets, and musicians acknowledges difficult history while highlighting hope for the future.”</p> <p>She also collaborated with Associate Professor of Computer Music and Digital Arts <a href="/tom-lopez">Tom Lopez</a> to add a dance component to a new composition for a film. </p> <p>“Tempus Ouroboros was created for an orchestra forced to rehearse in very unusual ways, in a variety of spaces so they could remain physically distant,” she explains. “This film was streamed, as live performances were still not possible. The piece plays with time, overlapping realities, retrogrades, and the splintering of paths, which presented some delightful challenges for me as the choreographer.”</p> <p>The site-specific work was also made possible with support from a grant for <a href="https://mellon.org/grants/grants-database/grants/oberlin-college/21600603/">StudiOC learning communities</a> from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.</p> <p>“That season, which I imagined would be so quiet, became a whirlwind of explorations and a time of shattering perceived limitations,” Handman-Lopez says. “Letting go of trying to control everything was eye-opening. I’m so grateful to have made this work, and to be honored for it is deeply heartening.”</p> <p>Campbell was awarded for choreography work titled <em>Mendiani</em> (My sweet young child), stemming from the Malinke people of Guinea and Mali West Africa. The folkloric work is about a girl’s rite of passage. It was produced and presented at Playhouse Squares's Ohio Theater for Djapo Cultural Arts Institute's 9th annual Juneteenth Concert. </p> <p>Campbell is the executive founding artistic director and choreographer of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, where her mission is to preserve traditional music, art, dance, and history through her international travel and community engagement programs. She creates multi-disciplinary and socially engaging dance for theater, screen, stage and the public space. Her work is continuously focused around research, musicality, authenticity and the African-American experience. She comes from a family of artisans—including her great grandmother, acclaimed actress Minnie Gentry; and her cousin, actor and producer Terrence Howard.</p> <p>At �鶹��Ƶ, Campbell teaches courses in West African dance, folkloric foundations, dances of the diaspora, choreography in cultural traditions, and social justice in dance. This is her first Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. </p> <p>“This award also allows me to keep bringing folkloric works to the forefront while having financial support for further research,” she says.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-03-14T12:00:00Z">Mon, 03/14/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2372">Performing Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/chanda-feldman" hreflang="und">Chanda Feldman</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/holly-handman-lopez" hreflang="und">Holly Handman-Lopez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Warner Concert Hall.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Chanda Feldman</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Eric and Jane Nord Associate Professor of Creative Writing</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/chanda-feldman">View Chanda Feldman’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Holly Handman-Lopez</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Assistant Professor of Dance</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/holly-handman-lopez">View Holly Handman-Lopez’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Dance Department Celebrates 50 Years of Contact Improv</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 17:26:41 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Dance Department Celebrates 50 Years of Contact Improv</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-03-09T12:26:41-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - 12:26">Wed, 03/09/2022 - 12:26</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This summer, �鶹��Ƶ College will host practitioners of Contact Improvisation—a form of partner dance centered around weight-sharing and physical contact—during a five-day festival of events from July 7 through July 11. </p> <p><a href="https://sites.google.com/oberlin.edu/criticalmassci50/home?authuser=0">Critical Mass: CI@50</a> celebrates 50 years of the dance form, as well as <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance/contact-improvisation">�鶹��Ƶ’s historic importance</a> as one of the longest-running academic programs for the study, practice, and development of Contact Improvisation (CI). The five-day festival will include jams, workshops, panel discussions, performances, and a display of archival material. Registration opens March 22 at 9 a.m. </p> <p>Event organizers invite participants to engage in rigorous dialogue detailing histories and experiences within communities practicing CI in the past, present, and future. </p> <p>Like traditional improv, there is no script or choreography in CI—dancers instead find and follow the points of contact between them, the floor, and each other. By definition, Contact Improvisation is the opposite of social distancing, but event organizer and Professor of Dance <a href="/ann-cooper-albright">Ann Cooper Albright</a> says it’s important for people to get back in touch (literally) after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. </p> <p>“It is a form that is based on physical contact and the sharing of weight with a partner,” Albright explains. “By attuning to the sensations of that movement connection, two (or more) partners navigate the play of momentum across bodily surfaces and through space.”</p> <h6>Related events</h6> <ul> <li>Leading up to the summer festival, the dance department hosted a Winter Term project and performance showcase with students and guest artist <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/albums/72177720296886978">Jurij Konjar</a> on reconstruction of the seminal CI piece <em>Magnesium</em>, with funding in part from a grant from the John P. Murphy Foundation (Cleveland, Ohio). <br> </li> <li>A tribute to the life and work of �鶹��Ƶ Nancy Stark Smith ’74, a pioneer in CI, will be on display at the Mary Church Terrell Main Library from May 6 through July 31. Stark Smith was one of the most pivotal voices, educators, and improvisers in the world of Contact Improvisation, coediting the publication <em>Contact Quarterly: a vehicle for moving ideas</em> for 45 years.<br> </li> <li>At the college’s Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM), an exhibition traces the 50-year history of Contact Improvisation. <a href="https://amam.oberlin.edu/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/2022/01/18/collective-gestures-the-impact-of-experimental-performance-at-oberlin-in-the-1970s">Collective Gestures: The Impact of Experimental Performance at �鶹��Ƶ in the 1970s</a> juxtaposes archival material with works from the AMAM collection to highlight the importance of embodied practice for visual artists as well as dancers. The exhibition features paintings and drawings by Yoko Ono, Theresa Antonellis, John Cage, Robert Motherwell, Judit Reigl, Athena Tacha, and other artists. The show is on display through July 17 in the Ripin Gallery. </li> </ul> <p>This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment of the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit <a href="http://www.arts.gov">www.arts.gov</a>.</p> <p class="obj-center"></p> <p>Additional support for Critical Mass events and programming is provided by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, �鶹��Ƶ College, and the John P. Murphy Foundation, as well as the generosity of an anonymous donor and an Ohio-based family foundation focused on arts and education. The dance department extends special gratitude to the Office of the President for funding a series of travel grants. Visit <a href="https://advance.oberlin.edu/campaigns/oberlin-college-endowment-for-dance">�鶹��Ƶ College Endowment for Dance</a> to learn more about supporting dance at �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p>Contact <a href="mailto:criticalmassci50@gmail.com">criticalmassci50@gmail.com</a> to join the email list and receive more updates.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-03-09T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/09/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2372">Performing Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/ann-cooper-albright" hreflang="und">Ann Cooper Albright</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Guest artist Jurij Konjar leads a Winter Term workshop on "Dancing the History of Contact Improvisation" in February 2022.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Clarissa Heart '20</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Second-Year Emma Hart Coauthors COVID-19 Vaccine Issue Brief</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 03 May 2021 18:09:05 +0000</p> <span>Second-Year Emma Hart Coauthors COVID-19 Vaccine Issue Brief</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-03T14:09:05-04:00" title="Monday, May 3, 2021 - 14:09">Mon, 05/03/2021 - 14:09</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As part of �鶹��Ƶ’s three-semester plan for 2020-2021, second-year students participated in a monthlong winter term <a href="/career/set/soar">SOAR</a> retreat and had the opportunity to pursue micro-internships or research projects during their spring semester, much like the juniors during the <a href="/career/set/junior-practicum-program">Junior Practicum program</a> during the fall semester. The SOAR retreat included major planning workshops, panels, and guest speakers, while the <a href="/career">Career Development Center</a> matched students with parents, faculty, and alumni who sponsored micro-internships and research opportunities.</p> <p>Hart, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology">psychology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance">dance</a> double major with a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics">math</a> minor, says that the internship’s prestige surprised her, but she was eager to take on whatever work was required. </p> <p>“People I knew were talking about things on the news, and it felt surprising to get to be a part of that,” says Hart, who was encouraged to “drive her experience” by her sponsor Steven Bloom ‘84, assistant vice president, government relations for the American Council on Education.</p> <p>“They made it very clear that I could drive the experience and do as much or little as I wanted, and when I heard my sponsor [Steven Bloom] say that, I thought, ‘Well, I would rather do more,’” she adds.</p> <p>Though she is not a politics major, Hart is interested in law school after �鶹��Ƶ and considers the American Council in Education (ACE), a non-partisan lobbying agency, as a similar work environment to what her post-�鶹��Ƶ life could look like.</p> <p>“I was interested in lobbying and to an extent I still am,” Hart says. “Even being at �鶹��Ƶ, there’s such an atmosphere of social justice that goes hand in hand with what people call politics.”</p> <p>While she thought the internship was initially somewhat intimidating, Hart says that the welcoming atmosphere and friendly people made the experience worthwhile. Being able to tackle politics head-on boosted her confidence, and she remarks that the people there even thought she was a fourth-year due to the polished work she turned in.</p> <p>“I was definitely intimidated because [McDonough] was also the general counsel at Princeton for at least a decade,” Hart explains. “But after meeting with him one-on-one, he was so friendly and welcoming. None of the people on the public affairs team ever acted like I was unprepared or like I was lacking in any type of knowledge. They really wanted it to be a learning experience for me.”</p> <p>When explaining the <a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Issue-Brief-COVID-Vaccines-March-2021.pdf">issue brief</a>, Hart describes it as “food for thought,” rather than direct legal advice to colleges and universities. Because some schools do not have the resources to have an attorney in-residence, they reach out to organizations such as ACE for their advice.</p> <p>Through research, drafting, and revision, Hart and McDonough transformed the issue brief from just a vague idea into a distributable document that has now been promoted by organizations such as <em>Politico</em> and <em>Inside Higher Ed</em>.</p> <p>Hart says that one of the greatest challenges was attempting to write about a subject that was still so new, uncertain, and constantly changing. In their research, they focused on CDC guidelines and employment law, which were changing regularly.</p> <p>“I feel like in researching for a paper that you're going to write for a class—all the information is already out there and maybe even the exact idea that you're trying to communicate— but with [the brief], we [were] putting pieces of a puzzle together and trying to put them in one place to help advise people and institutions,” Hart states. “Peter [kept] sending me new things he was seeing… and it was important within the brief to cite that this was written in March of 2021, [because] it might not be relevant within two or three months.”</p> <p>Another example of rapidly changing information was when Rutgers University announced on March 25 that it was making the vaccine mandatory for all students. Hart and McDonough could adjust their language and focus more on whether a college “should” require it.</p> <p>Furthermore, Hart made sure to include notes that were important to her, such as adding a bullet point that some schools might choose not to require vaccines because “Marginalized groups and individuals may be distrustful of the vaccine due to a history of medical racism and discrimination.”</p> <p>“[Under-represented] communities were an important piece that I wanted to add,” Hart says. “There has been a huge history of medical racism and I felt that was important to include in the brief because that to me is fair, more so than maybe people who don't believe that COVID-19 is real.”</p> <p>As the issue brief begins to gain traction, Hart hopes that it will provide some clarity for schools, particularly for presidents of institutions.</p> <p>“A large majority of ACE members are the presidents of of institutions, and I would like [the brief] to provide them some clarity, just in general as far as COVID-19 goes, because I think that this past year and a month now has been incredibly chaotic and has left a lot of questions unanswered for people and there's been a lot of confusion and fear,” Hart explains. </p> <p>Outside of class, Hart is most passionate about co-leading Survivors of Sexual Harm and Allies (SOSHA), a nonchartered club at �鶹��Ƶ. For April, or <a href="/equity-diversity-inclusion/campus-initiatives/consent-month">Consent Month/Sexual Harm Awareness Month</a>, SOSHA is partnering with the <a href="/equity-diversity-inclusion">Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</a>, <a href="/equity-diversity-inclusion/training-education-and-outreach/prsm">Preventing and Responding to Sexual Misconduct</a> (PRSM), and the Peer Support Center to offer a wide range of programming to raise awareness about sexual violence.</p> <p>In particular, her interest in Title IX and justice for victims of sexual violence was also a significant factor in the internship she was matched with.</p> <p>“It’s so ingrained in my identity and informs all of my interests and what led me to ACE,” she says.</p> <p>Besides law school, Hart is newly motivated to potentially work in D.C. in a lobbying group or even run for office someday.</p> <p>“That would be a space where hopefully those changes could get made,” she says.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hart worked with general counsel Peter McDonough to co-author an issue brief on considerations regarding whether to require COVID-19 vaccination for students in fall 2021.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-05-03T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/03/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jaimie Yue '22</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This spring, second-year Emma Hart coauthored an issue brief about the COVID-19 vaccine requirement considerations in higher education institutions with General Counsel Peter McDonough through her Sophomore Opportunities and Academic Resources (SOAR) internship at the American Council on Education’s Department of Government and Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration & Development</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25401">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Second-year Emma Hart completed a micro-internship with the American Council on Education’s Department of Government and Public Affairs.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Emma Hart</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Moving Bodies and Social Justice</h1> <p>swargo — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 16:04:37 +0000</p> <span>Moving Bodies and Social Justice</span> <span><span>swargo</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-02-16T11:04:37-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 16, 2021 - 11:04">Tue, 02/16/2021 - 11:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ College and the Five Colleges of Ohio present “Moving Bodies and Social Justice,” a series of virtual presentations and workshops developed to explore new curricula and pedagogical approaches that will engage all bodies who want to move within dance communities.</p> <p>With a focus on Kinethics, Body Positivity: Radical Self Love and Social Transformation, and Queer Kinethics, the aim of the program is to redesign curriculum that is intentionally anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-ablist across disciplines and departments within the Five Colleges of Ohio.</p> <p>“This grant has given us the opportunity to shift our annual in-person dance festival into a format that allows us to engage with important artists/scholars from across the country,” says <a href="/ann-cooper-albright">Ann Cooper Albright</a>, professor and chair of dance. “ Like �鶹��Ƶ, the other Ohio-five dance programs are committed to a vision of dance as a form of cultural literacy—one that is not simply about training for different movement techniques, but also about tracing their embodied ideas.”</p> <p>In addition to the featured presentations, there will be faculty discussions about pedagogy and curriculum with each of the guest artists/scholars, as well as student-curated movement and making workshops.</p> <p>“Moving Bodies and Social Justice” is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.ohio5.org">Ohio Five Collaborative Grants Program</a> in conjunction with the dance departments of �鶹��Ƶ College, The College of Wooster, Kenyon College, Denison University, and Ohio Wesleyan University, with assistance from Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Title IX programs at �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p> </p> <p>Upcoming Events:</p> <p>• 7 p.m. February 18 — Naomi Macalalad Bragin will present Black Power of Hip Hop Dance: On Kinethic Politics.</p> <p>• 7 p.m. February 25 — mayfield brooks will present A discourse for de-composing dance and choreographing breath.</p> <p>• 7 p.m.March 18 — A roundtable discussion on Body Positivity: Radical Self-Love and Social Transformation with Sydnie L. Mosley and Sharon Udoh.</p> <p>• 7 p.m. April 15 — Thomas F. DeFrantz will present Making*Queering*Dancing.</p> <p>• 7 p.m. April 22 — Jaamil Olawale Kosoko will present The Transgressive Body Workshop.</p> <p>All events are free and open to the public.</p> <p>For more information, including Zoom links for events see: <a href="https://sites.google.com/oberlin.edu/moving-bodies-social-justice">Moving Bodies and Social Justice</a>.</p> <p><br> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">A New Initiative of the Five Colleges of Ohio</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-02-16T12:00:00Z">Tue, 02/16/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Scott Wargo</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3515">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/ann-cooper-albright" hreflang="und">Ann Cooper Albright</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">John Seyfried</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>