By Sara Vaadia
The Student Senate Transportation Working Group, in collaboration with the Office of the Environmental Sustainability, the Office of the Vice President for Finance, and the Oberlin Public Transportation Campaign recently organized a pilot program for a local shuttle around Oberlin.
By Rosie Hertzman
On Thursday, May 9, Journey to the West, directed by Phil Wong, had its premier in a unique performance space: South Bowl. The audience was sprawled out comfortably on their blankets, many wrapped up to protect themselves against the fierce wind. Yet despite the cold, there was something magical about the outside setting that invited the audience to feel connected in its shared experience of this performance.
By Katie Lombardo
Spring in Oberlin has always had a few constant truths. The first is that I’ll have to suffer from horrible allergies for the better part of two months. The second is that everyone around me will be stressed out about finals, summer plans, and whatever else is worthy of stress when the weather is nice. The third, however, is a much happier occurrence. Spring brings with it one of my favorite Oberlin traditions: the annual Big Swap.
By Nina Winterbottom
Production photos by John Seyfried.
Oberlin Dance Company, a group of students and guest artists, had its showcase this Friday and Saturday May 3-4 featuring works by Bobby Wesner, Amy Miller, Alejandro Cerrudo, Samantha Bergman ‘13 and Winona Brown ‘13. Oberlin dance aficionados may be more familiar with the performance space in Warner, with its intimate seating, open performance space, and diffused lighting. Hall Auditorium provided an intriguing change of atmosphere, with more prominent lighting, clear spatial boundaries, and vividly colored backgrounds that highlighted dynamic costumes and stunning physical compositions.
By Hannah Varadi
The Trojan Women, which premiered in Warner Main on Friday May 3, is as much about parental and communal love as it is about romance. This brilliantly executed play speaks of the devastating effects of human cruelty and psychological trauma.
By Madeline Raynor
The Language Archive, which ran in Wilder Main from May 2-5, is a new play by Julia Cho that has the gift of being able to communicate “what oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed,” as Alexander Pope would say. Fittingly, the play is about language and communication: George is a linguist who knows hundreds of dead languages, but is incapable of finding the right words to tell his wife he loves her before their relationship falls apart. This fascinating premise was sprinkled with many beautiful insights into love and life and a quintet of well-developed, realistic characters. The statements of this rich, complex work cohered beautifully under Annie Obermeyer’s confident staging and direction.
By Katie Heiserman
I ended up at The Breeders concert at the ‘Sco on Thursday, May 2 mainly because when the tickets went on sale about a month and a half ago my good friend had just started working for the Student Union Programmer Committee (SUPC). Being a good employee, she convinced me and several other friends to buy tickets. I’m not much of a Breeders fan, and my knowledge of ‘90s rock is pretty pathetic, but I did observe a lot about the idiosyncratic crowd and atmosphere, which was much different than the ‘Sco’s usual fare.
By Kyla van Buren
Supporters at the student-organized rally on March 4. Photo by Taylor Ovca
On Saturday, April 27 Student Senate Liaison Eliza Diop ‘14 sent an email to the Oberlin student body announcing the publication of the “Proposals for Institutional Change Around Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion at Oberlin College.” These proposals were created by the Student Working Group Coalition in response to institutional racism, the acts of hate speech this semester and the events of March 4. The document, which was placed in print form in various places on campus, is the result of over two months of student organizing and activism.
By Madeline Raynor
On Thursday April 25, Wilder Main was transformed into the Weimar-era Kit Kit Klub for Oberlin Musical Theatre Association’s production of Cabaret, but not so transformed as to let the audience escape from reality completely. This production, prudently directed by Hayes Biche, emphasized both the glamour and the danger of escapism and kept the audience on its toes: one moment we were laughing along with the Emcee during the flashy, funny dance routines, and the next we were firmly planted in the real world, wondering where the allegiances of the characters fell in 1931 Germany on the eve of the Nazis’ rise to power.
