Construction Begins on New Residence Hall</h1> <article> <h1>Construction Begins on New Residence Hall</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:15:54 +0000</p> <span>Construction Begins on New Residence Hall</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-09-25T16:15:54-04:00" title="Monday, September 25, 2023 - 16:15">Mon, 09/25/2023 - 16:15</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ has begun construction on a new residence hall that, by the time of its scheduled opening in fall 2025, will house more students than any other building on campus.</p><p>The structure will be located on Woodland Street, across from the <a href="/node/4041">Science Center</a> and south of the <a href="/health-wellness-center">Shanks Health and Wellness Center</a>. It will consist of four floors and 401 beds, which will be configured primarily as climate-controlled four-person suites—the first building on campus to offer suite-style accommodations. Each suite will feature private bedrooms for each resident as well as a shared bathroom, kitchenette, and dining area.</p><figure class="captioned-image obj-right"><p></p><figcaption>The new residence will include numerous spaces for student collaboration and socializing. (image courtesy of The Collaborative)</figcaption></figure><p>A small number of single rooms will be available for resident assistants and to accommodate ADA needs. </p><p>Also in store: ample natural light throughout the building, shared spaces for social gatherings and group study on each floor, a first-floor kitchen and living room for use by all residents, and acoustically optimized practice rooms.</p><p>The new residence hall will be the first on campus to open since <a href="/node/4016">Kahn Hall</a> was christened in 2010. Its accommodations for 400-plus students far outnumber the 257 beds in the next largest residence on campus, <a href="/node/4076">South Hall</a>. It will be available to all but first-year students.</p><p>The new hall represents a key facet of �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to upgrading housing throughout campus. Upon completion, it will allow for other residences to be taken offline for renovation on a rolling basis.</p><p>Site preparation began in July; a ceremonial groundbreaking, featuring �鶹��Ƶ’s board of trustees, President <a href="/node/48561">Carmen Twillie Ambar</a>, and other campus leaders, is scheduled for Friday, September 29.</p><p>“This project clearly signifies our commitment to creating an outstanding living and learning environment for every student on our campus,” says �鶹��Ƶ Vice President and Dean of Students <a href="/node/362451">Karen Goff</a>. “We look forward to welcoming our first residents to the new hall, and also to building on new opportunities to significantly improve our existing housing in ways we otherwise could not imagine.” </p><p>The new hall will be built to LEED Gold standards and will be net-zero ready and tied into �鶹��Ƶ’s <a href="/news/oberlins-sustainable-infrastructure-program-enters-key-phase">Sustainable Infrastructure Program</a> distribution system—a key part of the institution’s ongoing commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2025. It was designed by the Toledo firm The Collaborative and will be built by Gilbane Construction of Cleveland.</p><p>The following images were provided by The Collaborative.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Four-story structure to house 400 students, accommodate campus-wide renovations to other residences.</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="2023-09-26T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/26/2023 - 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=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3896">Strategic Infrastructure Program</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Scheduled to open in fall 2025, �鶹��Ƶ's newest residence hall will be the largest on campus by far.</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">The Collaborative</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-33582" 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-31738" 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-29928" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall1_resized.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29929" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall3_resized.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29930" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall4_resized.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="obj-31739" 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-29931" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall5_resized.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29932" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall6_resized.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29933" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall7_resized_1.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="obj-31740" 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-29934" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall8_resized_0.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29935" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall9_resized_0.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29936" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/new_residence_hall10_resized_0.png" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="800" data-pswp-height="450"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>The new residence hall will consist primarily of four-person suites, with plentiful shared spaces for collaboration and socializing.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </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>This Week in Photos: The Soundtrack of Fall</h1> <p>ygay — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:37:48 +0000</p> <span>This Week in Photos: The Soundtrack of Fall</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-11-27T12:37:48-05:00" title="Friday, November 27, 2020 - 12:37">Fri, 11/27/2020 - 12:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Acoustic guitars, theatrical waves, a stage as a classroom, evening leaves, opera in Wilder Bowl, a Woodland Street bike ride, and the journey home.</p> <hr> <p> </p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The facade of Hall Auditorium seemingly waves in the wind on this fall day. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Faculty creatively turned uncommon places into teaching spaces this fall. Lighting design instructor <a href="/jeremy-benjamin" target="_blank">Jeremy Benjamin</a>’s Lighting Design class took place on Hall Auditorium stage. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>A fall evening view of Finney Chapel and Cox Administration Building. Photo credit: Jack Lichtenstein ’23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>�鶹��Ƶ Opera Theater presented its first-ever virtual opera in Wilder Bowl. Screenings featured Menotti's comedy The Telephone and Poulenc's drama La voix humaine. Photo credit: Vu Nguyen ’21</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>A ride down Woodland Street. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>This past week, students packed their belongings and headed home for the holiday and the rest of the semester. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>This Week in Photos is a selection of images and is not meant to represent a weekly timeline. Images highlight campus, community, people, and events related to �鶹��Ƶ College.</em></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="2020-11-27T12:00:00Z">Fri, 11/27/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A guitar ensemble performance in Kulas Recital Hall featured Suvan Agarwal '23, Aidan Wiley '20, and Craig Slagh '21. The passion demonstrated in their live streamed performance was captured in photos and chosen to be among the images included in this week’s photo series.</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=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</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=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=36306">Classical Guitar</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="/stephen-aron" hreflang="und">Stephen Aron</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jeremy-benjamin" hreflang="und">Jeremy Benjamin</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/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A guitar ensemble concert directed by Stephen Aron, teacher of classical guitar, was live streamed from Kulas Recital 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">Jack Lichtenstein '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>This Week in Photos: Creativity and Strength</h1> <p>ygay — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:29:50 +0000</p> <span>This Week in Photos: Creativity and Strength</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-11-13T14:29:50-05:00" title="Friday, November 13, 2020 - 14:29">Fri, 11/13/2020 - 14:29</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In this week’s photo series we <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmS5zsR7" target="_blank">chalk the walkways</a> of Wilder Bowl, record an audio play in Hall Annex, muster up strength to flip a large tire on Dick Bailey Field, relax with some street jazz in downtown �鶹��Ƶ, escape to the tropics with OSteel, and make leaf angels in Tappan Square.</p> <p> </p> <hr> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Students make <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmS3UAVY" target="_blank">an audio play </a>of The Misanthrope under the direction of Associate Professor of Theater Chris Flaharty. Photo credit: Jack Lichtenstein '23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>President Carmen Twillie Ambar <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmS3Mbrr" target="_blank">flips a tire</a> on Dick Bailey Field 18 times during the Presidential Tire Flip Challenge. Of the 123 contestants, those who recorded the most flips were Connor Hibbard ’21 with 31 flips and Abby Cannon ’24 and Kathryn Beeman ’23 with 22 flips each. Photo by Jack Lichtenstein '23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Jazz students <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmS2e2K2" target="_blank">entertain passers-by</a> with a night of improvisation in downtown �鶹��Ƶ. Photo credit: Dale Preston '83</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>�鶹��Ƶ's student steel drum band gives a livestream <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmS6kD3w" target="_blank">performance</a> in Finney Chapel. Photo credit: Jack Lichtenstein '23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Fallen leaves in Tappan Square. Photo credit: Jack Lichtenstein ’23 </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>This Week in Photos is a selection of images and is not meant to represent a weekly timeline. Images highlight campus, community, people, and events related to �鶹��Ƶ College.</em></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="2020-11-13T12:00:00Z">Fri, 11/13/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Inspirational words and chalk drawn images on the sidewalks of Wilder Bowl greeted those passing by this past week. This chalk walk exercise resulted in several standout images featured in this week’s photo series.</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=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2771">Athletics</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=34691">Jazz Performance</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="/chris-flaharty" hreflang="und">Chris Flaharty</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="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students bring their kuumba to the pathways in Wilder Bowl with a chalk walk day during Kuumba Week. Kuumba is Swahili for creativity.</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">Jack Lichtenstien '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>OC Votes Website Goes Live</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:26:33 +0000</p> <span>OC Votes Website Goes Live</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-09-30T16:26:33-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - 16:26">Wed, 09/30/2020 - 16:26</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/oc-votes">OC Votes</a>—a clearinghouse for all the efforts on campus to promote engagement with the election season—is now live. This nonpartisan education series explores the issues important to understanding the complex election cycle. </p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/oc-votes">OC Votes</a> (www.oberlin.edu/oc-votes) for voter information, resources, and answers to all your questions as Election Day 2020 draws closer. Key initiatives on the website include:</p> <ul> <li>Election issues, perspectives, and histories</li> <li>How to register, engage and volunteer</li> <li>Analysis of results—what does it all mean?</li> <li>Peer groups on campus to join</li> <li>Calendar of events</li> <li>Involvement after the election, and keeping our momentum strong.</li> </ul> <p>While COVID-19 may have curtailed traditional efforts to get out the vote, collaboration across campus on these efforts is at an all-time high this year. From current Voter Friendly Campus Coalition initiatives to register students and staff to vote, to Student Union Program Board events, to academic departments and co-curricular ‘election insights,’ our goal is to—borrowing from OC Athletics—‘Yeo the Vote!’ </p> <p>To share information about an event you are organizing, please contact the Dean of Students office at 440-775-8462 or <a href="mailto:OCVotes@oberlin.edu">OCVotes@oberlin.edu</a>.</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="2020-09-30T12:00:00Z">Wed, 09/30/2020 - 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="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>OC Votes is a non-partisan website that explores the issues important to the 2020 election.</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=3494">OC Votes</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</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-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Dorm Room Design in a Pandemic: Apartment Therapy Founder Maxwell Ryan ’89</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 19:23:08 +0000</p> <span>Dorm Room Design in a Pandemic: Apartment Therapy Founder Maxwell Ryan ’89</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-08-21T15:23:08-04:00" title="Friday, August 21, 2020 - 15:23">Fri, 08/21/2020 - 15:23</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For �鶹��Ƶ students this year, the dorm may play its most important role ever. With capacity limits placed on campus spaces and students assigned single-occupancy rooms to slow the spread of the coronavirus, students will likely spend more time in their dorm room than in the past. While it’s no question there will be challenges, there are also some bright spots—an entire dorm room for one!</p> <p>We asked Maxwell Ryan to revisit the topic of dorm room design and offer more advice on how to make a dorm room the coziest, most welcoming place possible. Read on for Ryan’s tips on dorm design in these new circumstances. </p> <h4>Bring your old home to your new home</h4> <p>In his earlier collaboration with the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Magazine, Ryan offered tips on <a href="/news/apartment-therapist">how to decorate a dorm room</a>. “When we last talked, I said ‘go shopping,’” says Ryan. “This time, I say don’t go shopping—bring your home with you.” Ryan notes that this is not a year to introduce brand new decor. Instead, students should decorate or work with what they have been living with for the last six or seven months to foster a feeling of home. “Bring your comforter from your bedroom,” he says.</p> <p>He suggests that another way to recreate that homey feeling is to bring artwork or other mementos. “It’s vital to bring things that aren’t just functional; make sure to bring meaningful items from home, including art or photos. “If I had to leave my apartment right now, I could lose almost everything and not cry,” he says. “But it’s the artwork—things that my mother painted or that I bought from a friend—that are the most important.” </p> <h4>Create distinct spaces in your room </h4> <p>This year, students will be assigned a dorm room without another roommate. In this arrangement, it’s likely that many rooms will still contain enough furniture for at least two students. Ryan believes this extra room is actually a boon for designing the space. He notes that because students will be spending so much time in their rooms, they’ll want to view their room the way they would an entire home. “Students can program the different parts of the room,” says Ryan. “Create a living room, a dining room, a study area, and a bedroom. Dedicate areas for different functions, and keep them that way. And don’t work in your bed; reserve your bed for the nighttime.” </p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-left"> <figcaption>Maxwell Ryan '89</figcaption> </figure> <p>While some may see this as overly structured, he says it’s important to take this approach to use the entire space. “Moving yourself around the room throughout your day will likely make you a great deal happier,” he says. But if you just can’t bear working anywhere other than your bed, Ryan makes one recommendation: buy a bed table or lap desk. </p> <p>As for how to deal with the extra furniture, Ryan has some suggestions. “Turn the other bed into a couch and use the area as a living room. You can sit there and hangout. When it comes to schoolwork, one desk can be for working—that’s your office—and the other can be a virtual hangout spot with photos and pictures. For the closets, one can house your clothes, and the other can be a mudroom to store things from outside.”</p> <h4>Light it up</h4> <p>Pandemic or not, Ryan says that one of the most important things to consider in a space is the light. “When a person walks into a room, their eye first travels to the points of light. That movement around the room is the movement that you take into your body. It’s the movement that makes you feel the energy of the space,” he says. </p> <p>Unfortunately, the lighting in dorm rooms is typically harsh—particularly the overhead fluorescents. To create a welcoming and cozy space, Ryan recommends leaving the overhead light off and instead adding at least three other points of light. He suggests a clip-on light for the desk, string lights for a warm glow all throughout the room, and a floor lamp in the lounge area. “The more light sources, the less likely you have to turn on your overhead light,” says Ryan. </p> <p>Ryan also recommends arranging your study area so that your desk is near the natural light of the window. “Sleep in the shadow, work in the light,” he says. </p> <h4>Make space for headspace</h4> <p>It’s also important to consider how to support a students’ emotional and mental health through room design. While the weather is nice, students will have opportunities to connect with friends out of doors. But as the weather turns colder, it may prove more difficult to spend time with others. Ryan says that because of this, students should have a dedicated area in their room for quiet reflection and thinking. </p> <p>“Having an altar for meditation or journaling can be useful,” says Ryan. “You’ll want to check in with yourself often and take more care than usual.”</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="2020-08-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 08/21/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The former designer and founder of <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/">Apartment Therapy</a>, a go-to home decor site and media company, talks dorm room design tips for students, paying particular attention to the opportunities and challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presents. This story follows a feature on Ryan in the <a href="http://www2.oberlin.edu/alummag/fall2018/">fall 2018</a> issue of the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Magazine, in which he transformed a room in Barrows Hall. </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=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">An �鶹��Ƶ dorm room decorated by Maxwell Ryan '89.</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</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Journalism Symposium Features Alumni Working in the Field</h1> <p>hhempste — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 21:06:13 +0000</p> <span>Journalism Symposium Features Alumni Working in the Field</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-02-13T16:06:13-05:00" title="Thursday, February 13, 2020 - 16:06">Thu, 02/13/2020 - 16:06</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The journalism symposium, <a href="https://disruptedmedia2020.com/">A Disrupted Media Landscape: Skills, Perspectives, Solutions</a>, will be held from February 24 to March 1 and is open to all members of the community to learn about the current state of media.</p> <p>Organized by six student leaders from the <em>�鶹��Ƶ Review</em> and the<em> Grape</em>, the weeklong event features daily programming that brings together a range of alumni journalists who are achieving in their respective fields. Presenters include Rani Molla ’08 and Aaron Zitner ’84, who will lead a data journalism workshop; Sonia Shah ’90 will speak about her experience as a science journalist and investigative reporter; and Anthony Arnove ’91 will discuss the world of independent publishing. Recent graduates Sophie Kemp ’18 and Lucas Fortney ’18 will share their experiences at <em>Pitchfork</em>, <em>Vogue</em>, and <em>Eater NY</em>. </p> <p>We caught up with the six students responsible for the programming to talk about the symposium and what to expect. </p> <hr> <p><strong>Q: Why did this group want to take on organizing a journalism symposium?</strong></p> <p>A: There are so many �鶹��Ƶ alumni practicing incredible, groundbreaking journalism, and we felt that we had a duty (and an opportunity) to recognize and learn from them. Many of those alumni worked for the <em>Review</em> or the <em>Grape</em> when they were students here, and many, many others had a less than linear journey, or came from an entirely different �鶹��Ƶ scene. By bringing in such a diverse group of <a href="/node/181566">alumni journalists</a>, the symposium hopes to represent a range of backgrounds and experiences, while still presenting a career in journalism as something attainable and broadly impactful—especially as �鶹��Ƶ prepares to launch its first academic <a href="/node/181496">concentration in journalism</a> in fall 2020.</p> <p><strong>Q: What can attendees expect at the symposium?</strong></p> <p>A: Our hope is that the sessions will be engaging and informative even if your previous experience with journalism is just reading a news article on Twitter every once in a while. We’ve also designed the sessions to be as hands-on as possible—we want attendees to walk away with a better understanding of the kinds of skills that will define journalism as we continue to move into the 21st century. The journalism landscape is rapidly changing, especially as attacks against the press continue to be an issue in the U.S. and around the world. We want people to gain a more clear understanding of the current state of journalism, as well as build some insight into where it’s going in the future. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with �鶹��Ƶ alumni who are doing incredible work across a range of media and platforms.</p> <p><strong>Q: Why did staff from the <em>�鶹��Ƶ Review</em> and the <em>Grape</em> band together to produce this?</strong></p> <p>A: When the <em>Review</em> and the <em>Grape</em> decided to become friends this year (after a long history of rivalry, we might add), we knew it was time to do something big. Both publications had dreams of putting on something like this for quite some time, but only after joining forces did the symposium seem like something we might actually be able to pull off. By pooling together our various contacts and areas of interest, we were able to compile a pretty comprehensive and impressive list of alumni journalists and presentation topics. We also felt that there was a need for student journalism to be more widely accessible on campus.</p> <p><strong>Q: How did you land on the mix of alumni who are participating?</strong></p> <p>A: We wanted to make sure that students, regardless of whether or not they are interested in journalism, could find something compelling in our programming. It would have been a shame to bring a plethora of professionals to campus, only to have just the staff members of our two publications attend. And the fact of the matter is: �鶹��Ƶ alumni are working all across the spectrum. In curating the symposium lineup, we intentionally chose journalists whose areas of expertise could appeal to a variety of �鶹��Ƶ students—from STEM majors to visual artists and everyone in between.</p> <p><strong>Q: What do you hope that attendees will take away from the experience?</strong></p> <p>A: We hope attendees will leave the symposium feeling inspired and informed. For those with intentions to pursue a career in journalism, we hope that the symposium will provide useful skills and knowledge for the future. For everyone (journalists and non-journalists alike), we hope the symposium will incentivize more mindful and intentional media consumption—whether that be in regard to the kinds of news outlets you subscribe to, the Twitter accounts you follow, or the ways in which you interact with data. </p> <p><strong>Q: Who should consider attending?</strong></p> <p>A: Everyone. By covering such a large array of topics (current events, arts, politics, foreign affairs), as well as a diversity of media (print, podcast, social media, etc.), we hope to attract a large and eclectic audience. Our goal is to find a way for everyone, regardless of major or personal interests, to engage with the field of journalism. Apart from being comprehensive, we also hope that the symposium will be relevant. It’s a critical time for journalism, after all. If you’ve been keeping up with any of the big media stories—the presidential primaries, the impeachment hearings, the coronavirus, the fires in Australia, the Iran saga—then you have something new to learn by attending this symposium.</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="2020-02-13T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/13/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Alumni journalists from a range of publications will present at “A Disrupted Media Landscape: Skills, Perspectives, Solutions,” February 24 through March 1.</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=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2567">Conference-Symposium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</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=181496">Journalism</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Pictured from left to right: Event organizers Charlie Rinehart-Jones, managing editor of the Grape, Nathan Carpenter, editor-in-chief of the �鶹��Ƶ Review, Ananya Gupta, managing editor of the �鶹��Ƶ Review, P.J. McCormick, editor-in-chief of the Grape, Molly Bryson, editor-in-chief of the Grape, Katherine MacPhail, editor-in-chief of the �鶹��Ƶ Review.</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">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>History at the Museum Examines How Institutions Educate the Public</h1> <p>hhempste — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:43:22 +0000</p> <span>History at the Museum Examines How Institutions Educate the Public</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-01-27T15:43:22-05:00" title="Monday, January 27, 2020 - 15:43">Mon, 01/27/2020 - 15:43</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>History at the Museum, a project jointly taught by Professor of History <a href="/renee-romano" target="_blank">Renee Romano</a> and Professor of Comparative American Studies <a href="/wendy-kozol" target="_blank">Wendy Kozol</a>, offers students the opportunity to learn about how museums educate the public and construct narratives about the past.</p> <p>Studies show that the American public considers museums to be one of the most trustworthy sources of historical information. But, say Romano and Kozol, like any historical representation, the past as presented at museums is mediated and shaped by many factors, including the agenda of curators, the political goals of funders, and available historical materials and resources. The pair explain that studying museums is important because the tools that museums provide their visitors shapes not only how they perceive the past but also how they might grapple with the implications for contemporary and future social worlds.</p> <p>Participants in the project visited a host of institutions, including a local historical center, a presidential home and library, several identity-based museums, and a memorial site. During those trips, they met with curators, directors, and other staff members who offered insights about their museum’s mission and curatorial practices, as well as daily and long-term challenges.</p> <p>First-year Meredith Warden says her interest in the History at the Museum project stemmed from her understanding that museums frame history to create certain narratives, and that these narratives are often taken as truth. “Because museums have often been perceived as arbiters of truth, challenging that assumption is important,” she says. “Museums are not objective, and, like any other history book, class, or TV show, they create narratives of the past that include some facts and omit or obscure others.”</p> <p>Warden explains that one of the most striking things she learned in the project was how museums can serve as vehicles of civic engagement by providing commentary on how the past and the present are fundamentally tied together. “Many movements for social justice in the past are still unfinished today or have parallels to different modern struggles, so this idea that museums can be sites of both education and action—rather than just education—is powerful.”</p> <p>Students who participate in History at the Museum closed their experience with a final project. This year, the students designed part of an exhibit about women alumnae, using the �鶹��Ƶ College Archives as a resource to locate objects to place in display cases.</p> <p>“I hadn’t worked with archival materials before, so to actually page through these old documents was fascinating,” says Warden. “It’s amazing that the college saved so many of these records—and they provide such intriguing glimpses into the history of these particular women and of �鶹��Ƶ itself.”</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="2020-01-27T12:00:00Z">Mon, 01/27/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Winter Term project explores how various museums choose to construct narratives. </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=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</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=25311">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25381">History</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/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Student examines map on wall inside the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.</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">Mike Crupi</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Reflections on 50 Years of Africana Studies and its Program House</h1> <p>hhempste — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 20:10:55 +0000</p> <span>Reflections on 50 Years of Africana Studies and its Program House</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-11-06T15:10:55-05:00" title="Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - 15:10">Wed, 11/06/2019 - 15:10</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>One of Lillie Johnson Edwards’ ’75 most indelible memories of her time in Afrikan Heritage House, at the time called Afro-American House, was the enormous support and camaraderie felt when she and five other women living in the house made a pact during their junior year to support, nurture, and mentor one another. </p> <p>The professor emerita of history and founding director of African American/African Studies at Drew University explains, “During the week, we would all get up at 7 or 8 a.m., have breakfast together, and then go to Carnegie Library when the doors opened to study. Then, in the evening around 10 or 11 p.m, after we each had a few hours of non-stop work, we would slowly emerge from our rooms to have a touchstone of encouragement together—or maybe even do something fun or silly—then we’d go back and see how long we could continue to write papers or do chemistry homework.”</p> <p>Edwards says The House was key in this effort to support one another and foster experiences like hers. It provided a setting for students to develop a sense of community and gave opportunities for meaningful interactions. “This experience was born out of the sensibility of family in Afrikan Heritage House—much more than in dormitories and even much more than if we were just friends,” says Edwards. “We felt an enormous sense of obligation and responsibility to, and for, each other.”</p> <h2>A brief history of the department and house</h2> <p>In November 1968, the General Faculty of �鶹��Ƶ College approved the establishment of an Afro-American Studies Program whose purpose was outlined as: “fostering understanding of the unique ‘Black Experience’ in America; enriching the educational offerings of the college by providing all students with the opportunity for extensive work in this area of study; increasing the relevance of an �鶹��Ƶ education to the Black community and the larger society of which it is a part; heightening the awareness and appreciation of African history and cultures.”</p> <p>In 1969, space in Talcott Hall was allocated for those with an interest in African heritage; just a few years later in 1972, the <a href="/ahh">Lord-Saunders Program House</a> was opened and became what is now known as Afrikan Heritage House.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>�鶹��Ƶ allocated space in Talcott Hall during the 1968-69 academic year to serve as Afro-American House. The house was moved to its current location in Lord-Saunders in 1972. Photo courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ College Archives.</figcaption> </figure> <p>In the 1969-70 academic year, the Afro-American Studies Program was officially launched, and it evolved into what is today’s Africana studies department. While not an academic major at the time, the program drew on the work of numerous departments. It also appointed new staff members to aid in the program’s implementation.</p> <p>According to<em> Constructing Black Education at �鶹��Ƶ College</em>, written by Emeritus College Archivist Roland M. Baumann, there were a few reasons for the program’s beginnings. In 1964 under the direction of President Robert K. Carr, the college undertook vigorous recruitment efforts of Black students. The college introduced a Special Educational Opportunities Program for disadvantaged seventh- and eighth-graders to provide them with additional training on campus for eventual college work. The college also sought and provided increased scholarship support for Black students, funded in part by the Rockefeller Foundation. With the increase in the number of Black students on campus, paired with the turbulent social climate of the late ’60s, it became apparent that additional support was needed.</p> <p>The genesis of both the house and the department was spurred by the �鶹��Ƶ College Alliance for Black Culture (OCABC), a student organization in its nascent stages. The group was formed in 1967 by students taking collective action on their own behalf, during a time of particular challenges for students of African descent, both on campus and in the United States.</p> <p>Those students’ initial priorities included creating conditions for improved academic performance, discerning college policies and intentions, and laying the groundwork for becoming full participating members of the college community. The OCABC was also a major creative influence on campus and was responsible for various cultural activities and programming, including Black Culture Week in February.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>A performance on Lord-Saunders lawn during the 1970s. Photo Courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ College Archives.</figcaption> </figure> <p>A little more than twenty years after the creation of the program and residence, Associate Professor of Theater and Africana Studies Justin Emeka ’95 lived in Afrikan Heritage House. For Emeka, the house served as the center and foundation of his �鶹��Ƶ education. It also taught him the function of education and community.</p> <p>"It is where I learned to embrace and celebrate the complexity of who I am that was reflected in Black students from all over the world,” says Emeka. “We laughed with each other, partied with each other, studied with each other, argued with each other, even fought with each other—but in the end we learned how to love each other and all our beautiful, black imperfections in a way that was truly liberating.”</p> <p>The house serves as a center of Black culture on campus. Through the years, it has been responsible for a broad range of activities designed to advance community-wide knowledge of the Afrikan heritage, including soul sessions, art shows, poetry readings, and the Kuumba festival.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Student participates in a soul session. A tradition since the 1970s, soul sessions provide the opportunity for individuals to express themselves creatively through spoken word, dance, music, poetry, or song. Photo by Michael Hartman.</figcaption> </figure> <p>The soul sessions were particularly moving for Edwards, and she recalls the excitement of students squeezing into Lord Lounge to encircle the performer, along with the mental boost she received from the experience.</p> <p>“I remember thinking, where else in the world would I hang out with people who sing opera? For someone who grew up in the segregated South in Columbus, Georgia, then heading to �鶹��Ƶ, Ohio, I had never been to an opera,” says Edwards. “But there I was, sitting in a soul session, listening to violinists, poets, and opera. I felt the enormity of the talent. I found it magical. It’s the kind of magic that keeps you going when you feel discouraged.”</p> <p>When Edwards left the house for North campus her senior year, she explained the reason for her move: “I felt so secure, so well taken care of, and I had such a strong sense of community that I <em>could</em> move farther outside of the community—it was because of it.”</p> <p><a href="http://go.oberlin.edu/welcome-to-the-house">Browse a photo gallery to see the evolution of Afrikan Heritage House</a>.</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="2019-11-06T12:00:00Z">Wed, 11/06/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This year marks the 50th anniversary of what is now the Africana studies department and the creation of a physical space on campus dedicated to those with an interest in Afrikan heritage. To recognize the occasion, programs, performances, and talks will take place throughout the academic year. <a href="http://go.oberlin.edu/welcome-to-the-house">See the evolution of Afrikan Heritage House</a>.</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=2496">�鶹��Ƶ History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/justin-emeka" hreflang="und">Justin Emeka ’95</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> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students gathered in what is now known as Afrikan Heritage House, in the 1970s.</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">�鶹��Ƶ College Archives</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-28772" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-photo-gallery paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="section--photo-gallery o-flex--photo-gallery"> <p class="header-tag">Photo Gallery</p> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid"> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery--overlay"> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery--overlay__content"> <h2> Africana Studies and Afrikan Heritage House </h2> <button class="btn js-modal" data-modal-prefix-class="fullscreen" data-modal-content-id="28772" data-modal-background-click="disabled"> View photo gallery </button> </div> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> <div class="o-flex--photo-gallery__grid__img-wrapper"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="28772" class="photo-gallery-wrapper"> <div class="photo-gallery"> <div class="photo-gallery__slides"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">A fashion show during Black History Month 2019 celebrates black beauty, black style, and their impact on popular style and culture. The show is also meant to be an inclusive space, rejecting the norms/traditions of the fashion industry. </span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki '22.</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Visiting Chef Vel Scott stands in Lord-Saunders dining hall after cooking the traditional soul food she’s known for making.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: John Seyfried</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">As part of Black History Month 2019, students and staff gathered for a sing-along to celebrate Moses G. Hogan '79 (1957-2003), a key figure in the choral renaissance of the American spiritual.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Dale Preston '83</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">A student participates in a soul session in Afrikan Heritage House.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Michael Hartman</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__navbar"> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Apartment Therapist Is In</h1> <p>hhempste — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:39:37 +0000</p> <span>The Apartment Therapist Is In</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-08-23T11:39:37-04:00" title="Thursday, August 23, 2018 - 11:39">Thu, 08/23/2018 - 11:39</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Maxwell Ryan ’89, founder of Apartment Therapy, returns to campus to transform his old dorm room.</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="2019-08-13T12:00:00Z">Tue, 08/13/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</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=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2354">Campus Life</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Maxwell Ryan ’89, founder of Apartment Therapy</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">Mathias Reed</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-27513" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Maxwell Ryan stands in the middle of room 127 in Barrows Hall, a dormitory built in 1956 that boasts the boxy charm that’s so common in mid-century brick buildings, surveying the nearly empty 10-by-15 foot space. Its rough cinder block walls are painted a glossy white, the vinyl-tiled floor is an oversized checkerboard of tan and brown, and dark oak built-in closets and desks present what some might kindly describe as an aesthetic challenge.</p> <p>“Part of what you want to do in a dorm room is cover up the dorm as much as possible,” explains Ryan, a former designer who founded <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/">Apartment Therapy</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span>, a blog that exploded into a go-to home decor site and media company that today has millions of video views and a social media following exceeding four million.</p> <p>In his quest to deliver on this counsel and transform the 62-year-old space, Ryan will construct, revise, and re-construct the headboard of the dorm room bed numerous times, first attempting to assemble a canopy using dowels and twine from Watson’s hardware store, and fabric procured from the Ben Franklin store in town. He plays with a number of other configurations, straightening and arranging fabric, re-hanging the structure in a cascade of textiles reminiscent of a shower curtain, until he is satisfied.</p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id class="o-flex--video-embed"> <div class="video-embed-field-provider-vimeo video-embed-field-responsive-video"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27514" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Read more about Ryan’s �鶹��Ƶ dorm room makeover in the <a href="http://www2.oberlin.edu/alummag/fall2018/">fall 2018 issue</a> of the <em>�鶹��Ƶ Alumni Magazine</em>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex Opens</h1> <p>hhempste — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 20:22:52 +0000</p> <span>Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex Opens</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-12-12T15:22:52-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 12, 2018 - 15:22">Wed, 12/12/2018 - 15:22</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When Professor of Theater <a href="/matthew-wright">Matthew Wright</a> describes the genesis of the new Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex, he likes to emphasize that it’s not simply a story of the construction of a brand new building; it’s actually a story about multiple buildings that led the campus to erect this fresh performing arts structure.</p> <h5>A Brief History of Theater at �鶹��Ƶ</h5> <p>Built in 1953, Hall Auditorium is where the story of theater begins. Originally employed as a multi-use auditorium, it was home to recitals, orchestral concerts, and the occasional student-produced play. When the building was constructed, there was no �鶹��Ƶ College theater department—the department didn’t come along until the 1970s. The cavernous auditorium was large and limiting from a production standpoint, and it was never intended to be exclusively a theatrical venue.</p> <p>In 1960, Hall Annex was built in order to expand the performance space on campus and remove some of the burden imposed on Hall Auditorium. The Annex included spaces that allowed for fuller productions, including a shop space and costume area. It also offered space for more intimate productions, unlike what was possible in Hall Auditorium. But according to Wright, it almost immediately had problems, including leaks in the roof, heating system issues, and the occasional water pipe explosion.</p> <p>When the Department of Theater was formed in the 1970s, it shared a home with the Department of Dance inside Warner Center. The dance studio was located on the third floor, and theater classes were held below, which caused some distractions. Wright notes that theater classes often require a quiet environment for proper concentration and to give space to weighty theatrical moments.</p> <p>Wright’s favorite anecdote that illustrates the challenges of being located in Warner is when a mother of a prospective student from California was visiting his office on the second floor, while a dance class was taking place above them. “When the dancers took a leap and landed on the floor above, it shook the entire building,” says Wright. “Being from California, the mother immediately ran to take shelter in the doorway of my office—the building shook so much that she actually thought we were having an earthquake!”</p> <h5>New Facilities: Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex and Hall Annex</h5> <p>Now, in the newly constructed Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex, there are no fears of a shaking building or leaky pipes. The 45,000-square foot performing arts annex is part of a multi-phased renovation and addition project that includes the newly completed Irene & Alan Wurtzel Theater, a highly adaptable space that accommodates between 200 and 300 seats. Nestled alongside Hall Auditorium, the venue serves as a multiform home for �鶹��Ƶ’s theater, dance, and vocal studies departments. The project was made possible by a generous donation from the Eric & Jane Nord Family Fund, Irene and Alan Wurtzel ’55, and other charitable donors.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The Irene & Alan Wurtzel Theater is an adaptable space that places the audience around the performers on three sides. Here, the set is constructed for a performance of Cabaret. Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97<br> </figcaption> </figure> <p>The building project was completed in phases, beginning in 2016 with a renovation of Hall Annex. Thanks to a donation from musical composer John Kander ’51, this update allowed the theater department to relocate to Hall Annex from Warner Center. A highlight of Hall Annex is the Kander Theater, a black box theater used for student productions. Upgrades to the theater include a raised ceiling and improved acoustics. A colorful renovated lobby space outside the theater also includes an accessible elevator. </p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Renovations took place inside the Kander Theater and the lobby outside was updated. Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex also features an expansive lobby, scene shop, costume shop with climate-controlled storage and laundry, secure dressing area with a shower, renovated and accessible restrooms, green room, staging area with sprung wooden floors and state-of-the-art technology, as well as other necessary spaces.</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The new costume shop includes a large workspace, climate-controlled costume storage, and an attached laundry facility. Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</figcaption> </figure> <p>The building’s main entrance and lobby space is sweeping, with an open area that’s gallery-esque. Modular seating, along with tables and chairs, creates an inviting campus meeting or study spot.</p> <p><a href="/eric-steggall">Eric Steggall</a>, managing director for theater, dance, and opera, invites the campus to use the lobby space in the new Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex. “This is a welcoming, open space that will be made available for use. I see students up here for classes, doing classes, homework, and having meetings. We want people to come in and see what’s going on.”</p> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption><br> The lobby of the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex includes first and second-floor spaces for meetings, studying, and sitting. The Central Ticket Office will be relocated from Hall Auditorium to the new lobby. Photo by Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> <h5>Expanded Performance Opportunities and Career Training</h5> <p>Along with upgraded facilities and workspaces, the space also broadens the performance opportunities for faculty and students by expanding the types of productions the theater, dance, and opera departments can offer. Before the addition, the theater and dance departments would host their 15 to 18 yearly performances in either the 550-seat Hall Auditorium or the Little Theatre, which has an 80-seat audience capacity.</p> <p>Theater major and second-year Alex Howell hopes that the new space will contribute to excitement around theater in the �鶹��Ƶ community. As a stage manager, he is also looking forward to seeing how the space can be reconfigured for each new production. “Having an adaptable space allows us to put up shows in many new and creative ways, which challenges all members of the production to try new techniques and approaches to their craft,” says Howell.</p> <p>Some see the new performing art annex as a way to generate additional excitement about the theater department, while others view it as an investment in students’ future careers.</p> <p>Third-year Maya Wolf believes students will benefit from the expanded spaces. “The new space and the resources that accompany it will provide more students with chances for practical experience toward their future careers,” says Wolf.</p> <p>A theater major, Wolf notes that the department is growing, and many students are vying for chances to work in similar positions. “Having this space will demonstrate to others that the college is committed to providing its students with what they need to train and learn in their future field.”</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/sets/72157674196224887" target="_blank">View a photo gallery of the entire project, from groundbreaking to completion</a>.</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="2018-12-13T12:00:00Z">Thu, 12/13/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Hillary Hempstead</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=2354">Campus Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2561">Buildings</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=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> <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="/matthew-wright" hreflang="und">Matthew Wright</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/caroline-jackson-smith" hreflang="und">Caroline Jackson Smith</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/eric-steggall" hreflang="und">Eric Steggall</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/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="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The exterior of the new Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex.</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> </main></body></html>