Category Archives: Carolyn Weinstein

So You Just Broke Up With A Connie

By Carolyn Weinstein

I recently ended my second college relationship.  Like most breakups, it sucked, but this one sucked in a uniquely Oberlin way.  As sad as I was when my environmental studies boyfriend dumped me last year, realistically, I wasn’t interested in local grains or sustainability or any of that.  Losing him was awful, losing hours of conversation on spelt was not.  This time, I lost a performance major.  Dating a college musician is so different from anything I’ve done before, so it follows that breaking up with them should be a new experience, too.  As I’m learning, it is.  Here is a little list of what to expect when you end things with a performer who you probably shouldn’t have gotten involved with in the first place.

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What I Would Do Differently: A Retrospective

By Carolyn Weinstein

Right now, I’m just about halfway through my last semester at Oberlin College.  As I’ve mentioned before, this scares me.  Instead of boring you with my fears and anxieties, I’m going to treat you to something even worse: my regrets!  Maybe that’s inaccurate.  This isn’t exactly a list of my regrets; it’s more of a collection of things I would have done… differently.  Underclassmen, take note: I wrote this list for you.  I might be the worst role model ever, but I’d like to think that I’ve done Oberlin right.  Here are a few ways for you to do it even better.

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Westwood Interview: Dennis Cuthbertson, Director of Buildings and Grounds for the City of Oberlin

By Carolyn Weinstein

F+L interviewed Dennis Cuthbertson, Director of Buildings and Grounds for the city of Oberlin, to learn a little more about Westwood Cemetery and how it is used today.  Here’s what he has to say about the challenges of his job, issues with maintaining the cemetery, and bluebirds.

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How to Not Freak Out: Or, Advice from People Who Should Not Be Giving Advice

By Carolyn Weinstein

I’m about to finish the first semester of my senior year.  To rephrase that, I’m halfway done with my last year of college.  This is terrifying.  Like, watching a horror movie alone at night in some weird universe where Mitt Romney won the election and someone is scratching at the door terrifying.  Maybe even scarier than getting snowed in during a blizzard and running out of alcohol.  More on that later.  As with most issues in my life, I have no idea what to do with this fear.  Instead of ignoring this like I usually do, I’m going to write about it. Continue reading

Election Night as a College Senior, or, Getting Drunk for Obama

By Carolyn Weinstein

My night started at approximately 8:30 pm.  This was the point at which I gave up writing my paper on American Graffiti and started craving political drinking games.  I went home, grabbed a six pack of Great Lakes, and headed over to a friend’s house to watch CNN and drink to the pundits and candidates one last time.  I got comfy on the couch and mentally prepared myself for the night’s impending insanity. Continue reading

Why I Voted

By Carolyn Weinstein

According to the Pew Research Center, only 50% of college age citizens are registered to vote.  Of the 50%, only 63% actually cast their ballots on election day.  This means that only 31.5% of college age adults vote.  Even though this number has been rising in the past few elections–some research centers estimate that 62% of college educated young adults voted in 2008–it is still embarrassingly low.
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