Suggestions to make Oberlin better; for reflection and action

Oberlin, often because of its faults but even more frequently because of its strengths, has taught me much in my four years here. It would be a mistake, however, to leave the school that has defined so much of who I am without identifying and addressing a few of those faults. After all, Oberlin will soon embark on a critical long-range planning process, and this is the right time to suggest changes. With this in mind, I offer five recommendations to those of you who will carry on the struggle to make this, the best of all institutions, much better. Though by no means comprehensive, these recommendations come from someone who cares deeply for this institution and has worked hard to improve it. I hope they provide a legitimate jumping-off point for reflection and, of course, action:

1. Don't forget the COST document

In early 1994, in the midst of S. Fred Starr's grandiose and unfortunate long-range planning farce ("SISC"), a group of dedicated students forged an alternate, well-thought through plan for the future of Oberlin, entitled Defining Oberlin. Students overwhelmingly supported the plan in a Senate referendum that spring, and many of its recommendations were discussed and implemented. Since then, however, as the urgency of defeating Starr's draconian suggestions has lessened, talk about Defining Oberlin and its principles has died down. As Oberlin embarks on a new, potentially disastrous long-range planning process, it is time to speak again of student-generated ideas for long-range planning. I urge Oberlin to remember Defining Oberlin and its recommendations.

2. Take Action

At Oberlin there is too much Radical and not enough Liberal; too much hypocrisy and not enough consistency; too big a discrepancy between thought, speech, and action. The fact that Oberlin students often try to make a difference makes us a cut above everyone else, but being better than everyone else doesn't mean we've done all we can do. To believe is to care; to care is to act. At Oberlin, we have always believed, and always cared. The final step must be taken if we are ever to justify four years removed from the world at the expense of society - a society that has sent us here with the hope that we will recognize our social responsibility. Oberlin cannot be Fantasyland; it is society's hope. We cannot afford for us to spend all of our time talking action rather than taking action. After all, if we don't take action, who will?

3. Form a Committee on Academic Innovation

The academic world, along with the real world, is changing. Our current committee for keeping up-to-date, the Educational Plans and Policies Committee (EPPC), is not innovative. A separate committee - in constant conversation with the EPPC, to be sure - on educational innovation needs to be formed if we can ever hope to address the vast number of incredible educational ventures we are capable of undertaking. As the French revolutionary Danton might have said, "boldness, more boldness, and always boldness, and Oberlin is saved." Asian-American Studies, LGB Studies, first-year Meaning of Life courses and the Center for Interdisciplinary Special Projects (CISP) are all bold ideas that will save Oberlin from academic mediocrity and which merit much more discussion. Forming a new committee is a simple step that will produce fantastic results.

4. Give Athletics the support it deserves:

One of the biggest secrets about Oberlin is just how incredible the people in our athletic program are. At Oberlin, we have broken out of the stereotypical jock imagery. Athletes here are not only dedicated team members but also excellent students and exceptional people. The reason all this is a secret, however, is that Oberlin athletes have neither the student nor administrative support they deserve. No one likes to root for a team that consistently loses and has no hope of winning because of a lack of funding, poor coaching (I am careful to note the exceptions to this rule here), and newspaper coverage that is often inaccurate and overly negative. Whether we like to admit it or not, physical activity and competition can and should be a critical part of every student's life - of all the things I have done at Oberlin, I have received the greatest satisfaction and learned the most from my experience on the Men's Basketball team - and we should act on this philosophy.

Oberlin has the chance to be a leader at "doing sports right" - at showing that athletes don't have to fit the stereotype to be successful - but we need the financial support to hire more great coaches and attract quality student-athletes if we ever hope to have a level playing field.

5. Leave time for introspection

Ferris Bueller, in his infinite wisdom, once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it." We all need to stop and look around every once in a while. Few of us do, and as a result, we are a school of passionately liberal hypocrites. Our cigarette butts strangle the earth we shout so hard to protect. We revel through the night at Keep parties while Langston Middle School, desperate for help, watches tragically from across the street. Administrators ignore and snap at the very students without whom they would not be employed. This is why so few people in the real world take us seriously. Why are you at Oberlin? Where did you come from? Where are you going? Introspection clears our minds, makes us consistent and fills us with passion. More than anything, it is what Oberlin needs.

To those who will claim the present once my fellow seniors and I are graduated falls perhaps the hardest task of all. To you falls the responsibility of balancing Oberlin's well-respected past with its potentially heroic future. To you falls the responsibility of creating and following through on a vision. Don't sacrifice innovation at the altar of conservatism; don't not do the right thing because it also happens to be difficult. The great educator Horace Mann once told graduating college students, "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." This philosophy is especially appropriate for those of us at Oberlin. Thank you.