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Alumni Notes
 Celebrating
Adoption
Connie Springer '70 isn't your stereotypical activist. But then
again, stereotypes are just what she's fighting. Springer is an
advocate for non-conventional, adoptive families. Her main tool
of activism? Photography.
Springer began taking pictures during her Oberlin
years and today photographs adoptive families of all sorts, including
multicultural families, families with same-sex parents, and single-parent
families.
"I hope to help viewers develop an appreciation
for differences," she told The Cincinnati Enquirer this year.
"Children, as well as adults, need to see that there are many
possible combinations for forming a family."
Her latest project is a 2002 daily planner called "Our Families:
A Celebration of Adoption," which features quotes and photos
of adoptive families and a list of adoption resources. Photos of
Springer's own adopted family--husband Steve Kosztala and children
Renny, Jackson, and Zoe (left)--appear as well. Although she runs
her own consulting firm that organizes photo collections for other
companies, Springer always finds time for her campaign. "This
is my brand of activism, to create an artistic product that fosters
an air of tolerance," she told the Inquirer. She plans to publish
a second "Our Families" planner next year.
--Peter Meredith '02
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