Harper

Mmm well, I could definitely write a novel in this category, and I am a freshman. But for lack of time, energy, and concentration I will answer the "big picture" question in small parts. The best thing about this school is you can truly be Whoever and Whatever you want to be. Define your life, yourself, your goals, your dreams and you can make it work here. Not only that but you will be both appreciated and encouraged to be that individual here. If I had to change one thing it would be my freshman dorm room. Obviously, this is a given. But it's small and I want the lap of luxury, hey, I dream big and freshman get screwed in the housing lottery. I spend most of my time on campus in one of three places (it's pretty evenly divided). Numero uno - my room. Numero dos - my classes. And numero tres - the gym. The town is such a blessing in disguise. Upon first glance the town of Oberlin, which is basically puzzle pieced right into the school, seems small and unexciting. But it truly has everything I need/want/have time to enjoy. In terms of food there are like, 6 pizza places, 4 Chinese places, and various other culturally diverse and mainstream dining options. There are Great shops to by interesting gifts, books, art supplies, pet kittens, find vintage clothes, get your nails done, hair cut, and find that purple lip gloss you've always wanted. There is the cutest old-fashioned theater which plays a new and popular movie every week (alcohol is easily smuggled in and usually consumed here) where students enjoy a little taste of life outside the bubble. And if you get sick of the small town atmosphere Cleveland is easily accessible and there you're heart will be content. Oberlin also has a few drug marts and a grocery store if you need them. The administration: well, I haven't had my fair share of experience with everyone yet but I have good things to say thus far. Everyone is incredibly intelligent, helpful and willing to help you succeed in life. What more could you ask for. The new president is a great guy who has made a point of becoming Super involved in the short time that we've known him and is also very open to listening to what students want and need. Administrative members are accessible and easy going. They have their days but they seem to love it here and that definitely shows. The biggest recent controversy on campus dealt with the treatment of students, school policy enforcement, by campus security. A few students were apprehended after a party in a manner which was seen by some as harsh, even unethical, and this caused a big stir across the campus. School pride almost goes unspoken here. We know that we're from a well respected school, that we've helped mold that respect and earn a good reputation so we are proud to say we go to Oberlin. There is definitely a wide array of excellent Oberlin parifinelia and not a day goes by without a number of your friends sporting some great Oberlin sweatshirts. As far as unusual things about Oberlin, that list can get pretty extensive. But the unusual things are definitely positive. We have co-op living, tgif (the best way to spend your friday), gender-neutral bathrooms, self-designed majors, no (class specific) 1st year curriculum requirements, really crazy-cool and very nice people who will teach you more than your wildest dreams could reveal, and professors who make legitimate analogies between ferris buellers day off and your subject matter. From my Freshman year I will always remember going to my first organ pump concert at 12am and laying on the stage of Finney chapel with a hundred or so other students in darkness and silence, feeling the vibrations of a gigantic organ through the floor beneath me. It's unreal. As for complaints, I mean, No One wants to write that 10 page midterm or miss dinner to practice Bach for 5 hours.

Professors will or will not know your name based on your desire to have them know or not know your name. I mean, you will always exist on that sheet of paper and they will definitely know you by facial recognition as the kid who either participates enthusiastically or sits in silence at the back of their class. Oberlin classes are very personal and interactive, which is wonderful for student-teacher relations. But you have to want it, you have to get to know your professor for them to get to know you. I know many students who not only talk with all their professors on a first name basis but have meals with them, babysit their children, and share opinions on why Blood Diamond is worth paying 3$ or not to see at Apollo on the weekend. My favorite class is "Language and the Body", a linguistics anthropology/psychology class taught by a young visiting professor who is engaged with us, enthusiastic, brilliant and interesting. I just recently completed a project where I had to find a "master the mysteries of body language" video on you tube and test out the suggestions and record/analyze and hypothesize about my findings. It was a blast and I learned a lot. My least favorite class was Musical Acoustics, not because it was a bad class but because I let myself down by not preparing enough, missing classes, and procrastinating myself to a bad grade. More or less one of those "can I have a redo?" moments. Students study on a regular basis. Academics here is a very self-motivated system. You can have help in class-outside of class, from students, your professor, your friends, other staff but it ultimately comes down to applying yourself at the end of the day. And students know the importance of that here. You get the most back when you put in the most effort. Students and professors love class discussion, and conversation flows easily in class between professor-student student-student student-professor. Being engaged with the material and asking questions, voicing opinions, and listening are all factors that contribute to the class atmosphere. That goes to say also that students who chose to just observe or are shy exist and do very well here too. It's a great environment for beginning to find yourself and open up more than you have in the past. Intellectual conversation is...everywhere. In the shower, on the toilet, at 7am, noon, and midnight, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in line for the vending machine, or on a treadmill you will likely hear someone discussing gender-politics, the theory of relativity, dante's inferno, or the injustice of napkin dispensers? People here like to talk. They like to learn, they like to hear what other people have to say, and they like to know why they think what they think. However, we also like the Office, and if you want to know what I think about Lindsay Lohans nude photo shoot, we can talk about that too.

Competitiveness is one thing, dedication and commitment is another. We don't compete against one another as much as we compete against ourselves. We came here to learn to be the best we can be at what we want to do and we will draw off each others resources to get there. We work together to reach our goals, not climb on top of each other to get there. The most unique class I have taken is Archeology. It was grreat. I don't really have a major/department per say because I'm undecided. I want to be a self-designed graphic arts major and therefore I'm working in a lot of different departments at once. Everyone's just dandy though. I don't spend a lot of time with professors outside of class. Partially because this just isn't my style and also partially because I'm a freshman. I spend a lot of time with my Track/XC coaches though. They're my favorite people. Oberlin's academic requirements are definitely one of the best parts of getting an education here. They don't really "require" so much as "encourage" you to explore diverse fields of knowledge. You have to take at least 9 credit hours in the departments of Humanities, Sciences, and Cultural Diversity. You have a Lot of freedom in what you want to do and where you want to go (the sky is the limit) and it's a lot of work but it's definitely manageable and you have an adviser and other great resources to help you out. The education system here is not geared towards getting a job unless you want it to be. They will help you get wherever you want to go, but the percentage of students who go off to grad school is one of the highest in the nation. I know tons of students who have done and will do incredible things in the workforce, the arts, sciences, abroad, for the environment and for humanity because of what they learned and who they met at Oberlin.

Oberlin is a very accepting/diverse campus in terms of race, religion, gender identity, economic status, and other groups. There are program houses if you wish to experience a support group and these living arrangements have campus wide programing, special events, and great resources at your service. People here don't judge you by what you are classified as in terms of religion, economic status, gender, race but they consider your talents, your strengths, your personality, your knowledge, your capacity to share that knowledge, and to make a difference in the lives of others at Oberlin and in the world while becoming a stronger person yourself, whoever that may be. Students will be supported with their needs and their beliefs in many ways and other students always reach out and help. There are many groups and if the one you want doesn't exist, start it and chances are you'll quickly have others joining in with you. A student that is very close-minded, materialistic, and unmotivated would probably not fit in here. But the thing about Oberlin is, everyone fits in...when you add your own strokes to the painting and the overall picture is even more interesting than it was before. Students where what they feel like wearing. In class you could see someone dressed as a clown next to someone wearing a business suit, next to someone who didn't want to get out of their pj's, who's across from someone dressed head to toe in Abercrombie and Fitch. It just doesn't matter what's on your head, it's what is in it that we care about. And not necessarily in class, but nakedness is OK here too. The four tables question. Hmmm. Alright. Table 1 - International students (You're sitting in the next table with your friend from Hong Kong who is translating what they are saying for you so you both can laugh) Table 2 - Conservatory voice majors (Singing between bites. Obviously) Table 3 - The Cross Country team (usually discussing robots or indiana jones, possibly spring break plans or a super awesome dance party in the making) and Table 4 - Freshman Crazies. (Tightly bonded groups of freshman who like to play with their food, make loud animal noises, do spontaneous performance art pieces, and sometimes discuss the implications of spatial awkwardness created by the layout of the mailroom. Again generalization (there are SO many exceptions) But Oberlin students are generally from bigger cities in New York, Chicago, California. Most students come from middle class-upper middle class families whose parents are college graduates and hold good jobs. This campus is one of the most politically aware and active in the country, historically and presently. It's a good reputation to have. Stuents for the most part are quite left-wing but there are also many exceptions to this rule. And it goes without saying that all views are accepted, sometimes questioned, but definitely accepted. I mean, talking about your future job/pay doesn't really dominate conversation here. We're more of a live-in-the-moment type crowd.

I'm getting too tired to write much more. Basically to sum up the social scene. If you're involved in things you're hot, if you're like me, cross country running makes you a fine (hard to catch) catch. Your door is open if you remember/find your doorstop otherwise, knock and you shall be received. There are so many things to go to, take advantage of as many musical, theater, art, athletic, and club events as you can and you will be happy as a clam. We have world renown speakers and musicians all the time. That's not something to pass up. The music is HOT. The people are HOTTER. Your friends are the people you meet down the hall who own the xbox, the people you meet who like to watch corny youtube videos with you, the people you meet in class who like to complain about the assignment due friday with you, the people you admire, the people you play sports with, the people who you jam with on the weekends. You can meet your closest friends anywhere. At 2 am you are either - at a party with your friends listening to techno and watching your friends act Crazy, at the dance club dressed in matching outfits with your best friend trying to figure out a way to get the lead singer to make out with you after the show, snuggling with your significant other, watching really lame yet hilarious youtube videos of gerbils eating broccoli or being a diligent student and finishing that paper in the 24hr study lounge with your music, cold pizza and/or cupcakes and the other kids in your class who need to finish that same paper. If you're not drinking you could be, sledding, urban climbing, tightrope walking, movie screening, running, playing video games, studying, at a movie, out to Cleveland, baking, making dorm mischief, dance party!, at a play/concert, schmoozing with your crush, ping-pong, tea party, water gun wars, taking a great shower, making your own hottub, writing a novel, life drawing club, learning something etc. etc. Off campus...go to the city. Bring some spending money and take your pick.

We are fearless. That we are the black sheep of colleges. Kids who are Liberal, generally come from high-brow families with a strong intellectual backgrounds but who choose to rebel against their parents and social norms by experimenting with mind altering substances. Oberlin students are presumably outcasts, anti-social (socially incompetent), sexually frustrated, and highly pessimistic while still being incredibly high achievers in both academic and musical circles. Oberlin students may be classified as eco-warriors and ninjas. Also in laymens terms we are sometimes nerds, hippies, stoners, and hipsters. Oberlin is stereotyped as a non-varsity sport friendly environment where ultimate Frisbee and women's rugby replace the more traditional roles of football and baseball.

Unfortunately, like everyone else, we are sometimes scared shitless. Oberlin is actually an extraordinary melting pot of personalities, talents, opinions and backgrounds. The students do generally come from intellectually rick backgrounds, from wealthy parts of the US, but there are many exceptions to this as well as all other generalizations. The presence of drugs and alcohol is in no way overwhelming but the carefree spirit of the student body and willingness to explore definitely becomes apparent in many freshman dorms and at parties on the weekends. Students balance academics with social activities well but take their studies very seriously. Especially the musicians on the campus, they are known to hole up and practice and can be expected to warrant a missing persons poster if you don't fully understand their habits. Some students do seem a little on the sexually frustrated side and the comments "there are no good male/female prospects" frequently show up on the oberlinconfessional website. But this problem seems to be more talk than anything and you can encounter both awkward and chivalrous wherever you go. Athletics at Oberlin was surprisingly more enriched than I had assumed and if you give it a change you will see that while we don't always have the best football team, students are actively involved in athletics, it's a growing program that is beginning to take an even fuller shape in the scheme of things and that there are unique athletic opportunities at Oberlin that exist in very few other places. To sum it up, Oberlin may be stereotyped as many things, and you may see some cases where those prove accurate, but out of any school you could think of Oberlin is probably one of the hardest to truly find a label for. There are so many positive experiences, people, and opportunities here that you can only define the awesomeness of the place by experiencing it yourself, not by what anyone else has to say.

We have womb chairs in the library. They're LEGENDARY, you should come find out why. Also, what other school could you possibly go to where you could experience the daily joy that is observing the albino-squirrel population that inhabits Tappan Square. Experimental College Classes are a dream come true. If you've always wanted to learn how to defend yourself from zombie attacks, watch the greatest plays in football history during class, or make your own rockin' websites (the list goes on) ExCo classes will be your best friend. WINTER TERM!!! 6 weeks of, learning whatever you want wherever you want. Have fun. Safer Sex Night and Drag Ball. The whole campus will be dressed to the nines (i.e. almost nude or as the opposite gender) for these incredible and unforgettable nights. DeCafe smoothies with make you wilt in edible ecstasy. The sauna in the gym is great. Things are not taboo. If you want to say it, say it. If you want to do it, DO IT.