Enough Tupperware
by Leslie Lawrence '72



 
 
 
 
 
Letters ...continued  

 

Alum Notes Football Turnaround
On a recent visit to the campus, I saw an Oberlin football game for the first time in 30 years. Oberlin lost decisively. But that isn't what drew my attention. For the first time in years, the team had a full bench, thanks to 25 freshman recruits, many from good football schools in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Oberlin made the kinds of mistakes you would expect from a team top-heavy with freshmen and sophomores. But this team improved, noticeably, with each quarter.
 
Alumni have waited for years for Oberlin's athletic fortunes to turn around. Now it's happening, thanks to a commitment from the top. (Acting President Clayton Koppes was among those in the stands.)
 
Forget the scores for a while; this turnaround will take several years. There will be more losses, some by lopsided scores. But with time and patience, the football program will produce the same level of excellence on the playing field that now is found in the college's labs and classrooms.
 
Doug McInnis '70
Casper, Wyoming
 
A letter to the editor in the Fall issue refers to John Frederick Oberlin (1740-1826), an Alsatian clergyman, as "the founder of the college." Oberlin Collegiate Institute (later called Oberlin College) and the town of Oberlin were founded in 1833 by John Shiperd and Philo Stewart and named in honor of John Frederick Oberlin.
 
Jane Lose Eddy '47
Oberlin, Ohio
 
 
I enjoyed reading about Lawrence Siddall's experiences as a teacher in Poland in the Summer issue. I, too, recently taught English there at a public high school. It was a half-year stint in Warsaw in 1998, sponsored by the Polish-Canadian Congress. Like Dr. Siddall, I had a bit of trouble at first fitting in, and had extra concerns as a Jew, although a secular one. But the openness, friendliness, and energy of my students, plus a few Polish adults who became very dear friends, made it a wonderful experience in a dynamic and surprisingly charming big city.
 
I would recommend some kind of combination volunteer work/overseas travel to any Obies (or their kids over 18). If you aren't able to take a whole year away, then consider a two-week summer volunteer stint from Volunteers for Peace, a Vermont-based organization. Over the last 15 years, I've done seven such workcamps that have involved easy but helpful work, international friendships, extra chances for travel, and immense amounts of fun. I've planted sweet potatoes in Cuba, helped build a Buddhist temple in Massachusetts, worked in a day camp program for kids outside Glasgow, painted a peace centre in Norway, and more.
 
For information, see the Volunteers for Peace website at www.vfp.org, and feel free to contact me at nbrown@stgeorges.qc.ca
 
Nancy K. Brown '75
Montreal, Quebe




The Big Lie of the Internet | Perplexing Politics | Alum Notes Football Turnaround | We Stand Corrected | Help the World While
Having Fun
| Quest for the "Real Finney" | B&N Inspires Regret | Oberlin of 150 Years Ago