Students share concerns with class trustees

Class trustees Mike Murphy , OC'96, and Hannah Richman, OC'95, along with trustee Victor Stone, OC '43 held a open forum with students on Thursday night. The three listened to the concerns of four students and two Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) interns.

In a two hour conversation, the group discussed program houses, women's basketball and athletics, international student recruitment, ethnic and international studies, advising and divisions within the student body.

Sophomore senator Whitney Smith said, "Oberlin students have begun to isolate themselves among racial divides." She said that program houses "can serve as real educational forums, they are something vital but I don't think it's being tapped."

In response, Murphy said that "program houses usually become the target. The question is would division still exist without those houses. Would we see boundaries form anyway? Instead of targeting the houses people really value and treasure, we should deal with the underlying issues."

Senior Joel Whitaker said that one problem with the program house debate is that there is "abysmal common space" for discussions to be held. He proposed a new student union with more space for "just plain coming together and more fun with more people."

MRC intern Narges Kakalia, OC '96, said that "we tokenize safe spaces; everything with diversity is seen as the responsibility of the MRC."

Smith was also concerned about Ann Gilbert, the head women's basketball coach. According to Smith, 11 players have quit the team in protest against the coach. Richman said, "Realistically, trustees can't make the athletic director hire a women's basketball coach."

Kakalia observed that new students seem "richer, wealthier, and more complacent." One example is that "no one said anything" when Women Studies Professor Brinda Rao resigned at the beginning of the school year. She said jokingly that "[former president] Fred Starr was great for the campus because he was the only unifying force in the student body."

Kakalia mentioned that the college of Arts and Sciences has few international students. In response to a question about the numbers of international students, Kakalia mentioned a college report on the issue.

"I supposedly am part of the administration and I am not sure I'd entirely trust a report about what the numbers mean," she said. She noted that two-thirds of Oberlin's international students reside in the northern Pacific Rim and usually very wealthy backgrounds. "When I started here the college expected me to pay $6,500. Now, it's $14,000, very prohibitive." Kakalia said.

Kakalia mentioned that Oberlin has alumni in many countries. She proposed that the college should, "establish alumni networks in recruiting." Whitaker mentioned that we should be "much more proactive" in using alumni networks to recruit prospective students everywhere.

The discussion turned to international studies. Kakalia's proposed that the college "ask that three of the nine cultural diversity credits come from ethnic studies."

Junior Senator Andreas Pape brought up issues dealing with advising. In response to Murphy's suggestion that training be offered for faculty, Pape replied "If the training program is voluntary, then only the good faculty will come. If it is not voluntary, then it will never pass the General Faculty." He added that faculty are acting rationally within a system that does not encourage advising.

The meeting ended with Richman and Murphy welcoming students to future meetings and making plans to increase their accessibility through email.