Spring Break

From the stories I’ve heard team bonding has been a large part of the Spring Break trip. We started our bonding this year by painting our nails. I personally chose a maroon color to match the crimson and gold colors of Oberlin. We eventually went to the poolside to show off our newly painted toenails and get some sun. The rays were great to soak up, but the temperature of the pool was not so great. Only three of us attempted the plunge into the chilly water behind the hotel. Soon after, we slightly regretted it…

Monday was an extremely exciting day! We ended the day with our first win against Buffalo State! We were able to come together as a team and everyone surely contributed to the win. There was so much excitement on and off the field, during and after the game. I’m so happy to be down here apart of this team and I can’t wait for what awaits the rest of the week.

Cheryl, #16

Fine Arts

The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a 2009 recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given by the United States government to artists and art patrons in recognition of the wealth and depth of their creative expressions.

Other recipients this year include singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, director/actor Clint Eastwood, composer/conductor John Williams, and artist/designer Maya Lin.

Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Green Thumb

In its third annual ranking, Sierra magazine has once again named Oberlin to its Top 10 "Cool Schools" list. Why?

- A third of the food served in our dining halls is produced locally.
- We started the first car-sharing program in Ohio.
- Half of our electricity comes from green sources.
- Our “trayless” system at dining halls discourages food waste.
- All new construction and major renovation projects must meet a minimum LEED Silver standard.
- Commencements are eco-friendly: biodegradable utensils and programs printed on 100% recycled paper are just two examples.


Oberlin College Office of Environmental Sustainability
Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies

Hurts So Good

After writing an article for Playboy about his year-long experience following a bomb squad in Iraq (including an IED specialist who defused the most roadside bombs during the war), journalist and Oberlin grad Mark Boal, '95 turned his eye-opening story into the now award-winning screenplay, The Hurt Locker.

The Hurt Locker was nominated for nine Academy Awards and took home six, including Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow (the first female to win Best Director), and Original Screenplay for Boal. In his speech, Boal dedicated his Oscar to the troops still in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with those who didn't make it home.

Watch the trailer or read Roger Ebert's review.

Tour de France, Part Deux

Sometimes life in Alençon can get boring. We only work about 12-15 hours per week, and while some of our extra time is taken up by making lesson plans, we still have a lot of free time that we need to fill up. I bought a bike and go around town and the surrounding areas, I go to the local swimming pool with two other assistants, we take train trips to Paris every once-in-awhile and we even try to watch French films at the local movie theater (I saw Avatar for my birthday and got the gist of most of it…). BUT, even after factoring in that stuff there’s still quite a bit of down time, so I think I’ll be happy to go back to school next year: I have applied to the Middlebury French School. I love France and I plan on doing grad school in Paris through Middlebury, but my plans can still change.

I love the food (I have yet to try foie gras, though…) and the cheese and the wine and the bread and the pastries and the people. Did you know that France has almost 500 different varieties of cheese? Normandy is pretty much the cheese and milk-product capital of France because of how many cows there are (I would estimate that there are two cows for every person in Normandy!), so I also love that...I don’t love the smell all of the time. All-in-all France is great and my first post-graduate year isn’t going too poorly. But I often find myself missing Oberlin and wishing that I could transplant Oberlin College to France with me!

Michelle Zanni

Related By Blood

Last Wednesday, the Oberlin Softball team got an A+ (or maybe an O-) for their support at one of the college’s monthly blood drives run by the American Red Cross. All team members, including coaches, showed up at the student union to lend either an arm, support, or even homemade cookies (thank you, Coach Davis). While waiting to donate, the team engaged in a variety of activities such as intense crossword puzzles, homework, or a favorite team pastime, eating!

It was great to see the team come together and help out during a time when there is such a critical demand for blood donors. The American Red Cross helps people in emergencies every day. Whether it’s a large-scale disaster, like what Haiti and Chile are facing, or one sick child who needs blood, we all need to find a way to contribute.