Historical divisions plague college from town

Center for Service and Learning unites communities

In a pamphlet published by the Oberlin City Council and administration, the community of Oberlin is called a place where no one is left out. The pamphlet lists the places where Oberlin the city meets Oberlin the College - plays, restaurants, sidewalks, city council meetings.

For many people in both the College and town the equation is not so definitively positive, however. Some townspeople say they feel excluded from the College, and some College community members say they feel unwelcome in the town.

When Connie Ponder was growing up in Oberlin she remembers feeling unwelcome by the College. "As a child it's like being shut out. I knew what it was, but I wasn't allowed to go there," Ponder, who is now recreation coordinator for the City of Oberlin, said.

As an adult Ponder doesn't feel very differently. "I'm not more comfortable at Oberlin College now than I was as a kid. I've just learned to deal with it. I understand it."

Sammie Davis-Dyson, special advising coordinator and OC'91, grew up in Elyria but spent a lot of time in Oberlin as a child before moving here in 1977. Davis-Dyson also remembers a time when the College was an alien world to her, but that impression has changed.

"A world of difference has taken place in my heart and mind since moving from the outside to the inside," Davis-Dyson said. "There was a period of time that I felt the connection [between the College and the town] was only with people who were in some way connected to the College. I didn't feel close to it because I looked at students and faculty as so much more privileged and lofty."

The gap townspeople feel between the College and themselves doesn't surprise Mark Blackman, director of the Bonner Scholars Program and OC '89. He has also observed the separation some townspeople feel from the College. "'What type of school is it?' I get that question a lot," Blackman said.

Blackman said he thinks the College doesn't do enough to reach out and integrate into the community. "I love Oberlin College, but in saying that, one problem I have is that there has not been outreach into the Oberlin Community," he said.

Philips Gym is one exception. Townspeople may use the gym by becoming paying members. This arrangement leads to both resentment and gratitude among townspeople.

"They have the athletic club that families pay to be a member of. I have to deal with those that can't afford it," Ponder said about Philips gym and her role as recreation coordinator for the City.

The Economics of it

Economics and perceptions of economic difference were stressed by some as key factors in the relationship between the town and the College.

"The town sees the student body as elitist and wealthy and just very different from them. That creates a class conflict," Benson Tong, visiting assistant professor of History, said. "The town feels the College is this pot of gold and that a lot of students have money." Davis-Dyson agreed that socio-economic differences are key in impacting how townspeople relate to the College. "Affluent blacks in town are more likely to interact with the College community," she said.

Yakubu Saaka, professor of African-American Studies, agreed that the socio-economic gap between the College and the town is a large one at times. "As hard as the College tries, the perception will continue to persist that the College is where privilege is," he said. "Those perceptions will endure."

Ponder downplayed the importance of economic difference. She said that the income of students, and economics in general, were not a big factor in creating the town-gown relationship.

Home Sweet Home?

The town of Oberlin has a large impact on the lives of College-affiliated people as well. Students and faculty report different levels of comfort with the outside community.

Tong has had a more clearly negative experience in the town. "You hear of faculty of color being called all sorts of names. That is not an uncommon occurrence," Tong said. "Several weeks ago one faculty of color was called 'chink' as she walked downtown. It happens just enough to make people think and pause."

"I think it's a very painful issue. There isn't enough support for faculty of color to talk about these issues," Tong said. He also mentioned encountering homophobia in the town and on campus.

The Future's so Bright?

The possibility of improvement of the relationship between the town and the College is not ruled out by most people. "I remain optimistic that it can happen," Ponder said.

Methods for improvement varied from greater involvement from different members of the College community, more top-down community involvement, panel discussion and summits to increased awareness in the town of the diversity within the College and greater support by the College for faculty of color.

Many people felt that the relationship has improved a good deal in the recent past.

"In the past there was no connection with the College," Blackman said.

Saaka has lived in Oberlin for 25 years. "If you asked me [if I felt welcome in the community] 20 or 25 years ago I would have had a different answer," Saaka said. "Compared to the 70s the relationship is much better," he said.

Simmons has also seen improvement, but more recently. "Since [President] Nancy Dye has been here in my opinion she has been very refreshing an a breath of sunshine in this community," Simmons said. "It was a 180 degree turn from what the College was doing before."

Those that commend Dye usually mention the Center for Service and Learning in the same breath. "The Center for Service and Learning has had a great impact on bringing the two entities together," Davis-Dyson said.

"Student are doing things. They are making real inroads," Ponder said. "The Center for Service and Learning has really been an integral part of what's going on," Ponder said. "But they can't do it alone."

For Ponder the key to improving the relationship between the College and the town is inclusion. "If you're not a mover or a shaker, if you don't have a title after your name, you're not included," she said. "There are a lot of people who might not have a formal education who have a lot to offer the College."

Ponder also stressed the importance of individual connections. "I always think it's a shame if a person comes here for four years and doesn't get to know someone outside the College. It's tragic," she said.