Oberlin Animal Rights protest raises awareness and discussion

OAR and Neuroscience Dept. sponsor forum to discuss animal use in science

Last fall, members of Oberlin Animal Rights (OAR) decided the Neuroscience department had left them hanging long enough, so they went ahead and took matters into their own hands.

On September 30, junior Joshua Raisler-Cohn and senior Kimberly DeFeo went onto the roof of Mudd, hung hammocks over the front side and then sat in them to protest vivisection, experimentation on live animals, in Oberlin's Introductory Neuroscience class. Between them they unfurled a 750-square foot banner proclaiming, "Changing the World Starts Here, Stop Live Animal Experimentation."

In a press release they announced they would remain in the hammocks for 10 hours or until the Neuroscience department agreed to phase out vivisection in the Introductory Neuroscience class within four semesters.

OAR has been protesting the use of this technique in an introductory setting for at least two years. Protesters in both the Fall and Spring semesters last year staged strikes in the hallways in front of the laboratory, lying down to block student entrance through the doors and holding up signs proclaiming "Rats Have Rights" and "Death to Vivisection."

Charges were brought against Raisler-Cohn and DeFeo. "They had to go on the roof to get up there. The roof has lots of problems, there is a potential to cause roof leaks and damage the collection," Director of Libraries Ray English said.

The staunch positions of OAR and the Neuroscience department prompted a forum on animal use which. The Neuroscience and Philosophy departments brought six speakers representing the poles of public sentiment on animal use in science.

Speaking over three days, the panelists examined the ethical, political and scientific considerations of using animals in science.

The lecture series, entitled "Animal Use in Science and Medicine: Ethics and Policy," brought science and humanities majors together to discuss humanity and science.

"They were really interesting. I don't know that they really changed anybody's mind," Neuroscience major senior Alex McCarthy said about the debates.

"I don't think the campus should assume the issue is settled," senior Jonathan Edmonds, a member of OAR, said.

As to the quality of the debates, Edmonds said, "I certainly realized the complexity of the issue for the pro-animal use side."

Hanging out in front of Mudd: An Oberlin Animal Rights activist protests vivisection practices in Neuroscience classes. (photo by Laren Rusin)