Ex-Costa Rican President to Speak

The long search for a new Director of Oberlin's Department of Residential Life and Services has finally come to a conclusion. Kim LaFond, currently the coordinator of Judicial Affairs in New York University's Office of Residential Life,will assume the position in Oberlin around the beginning of July.

Yerworkwha Belachew had been filling in as an interim for the position for two years after the firing of former Director Deb McNish. Referring to the high degree of turnover within the high rank of the office, Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith said, "I think that students and staff are really looking forward to seeing some stability and continuity in the leadership [of the office]."

LaFond cited a multitude of reasons for his excitement on becoming a part of Oberlin's community. "I really enjoyed the campus and meeting with students," he said. "The level of interest students took with the interview process was great." Junior Laurel Paget-Seekins, junior Jane Glynn and senior Sarah Fineberg all served on the eight-person committee.

Moreover, LaFond cited the friendliness of the community and the good academic reputation of the institution as additional attractions. "Everyone I met had a genuine commitment to the College," he said. "Oberlin has such a good reputation, as far as students go. Academically, the Oberlin student is very competitive - it's the type of student I'm used to working with."

LaFond attributed his experience in NYU's Office of Residential Life as essential to providing him with the necessary qualifications for the Oberlin position. "NYU gave me the opportunity to do a lot of hands-on things," he said.

Goldsmith also cited LaFond's extensive background in NYU's Office of Residential Life as key to his receiving the Oberlin job. "He has had an extraordinarily broad range of experiences at NYU in almost all aspects of Residential Life," he said. "On issues of character, personality and experience he was at the top." LaFond worked in NYU's Office of Residential Life for 12 years.

LaFond cited the smaller student population as an additional attraction in his coming to Oberlin. "I wanted to go to a place that had about the same population as Oberlin - it kind of all fit well for me," he said. Although he said he was able to work a significant amount with students at NYU, he expressed excitement at the prospect of working in closer contact with students. "One-on-one contact is so important to establishing a program," he said. "You've got to work with everyone, especially on a smaller campus."

Although the transfer from the vibrant streets of New York City to tiny downtown Oberlin may seem laughable, LaFond put to rest any suspicion that he may be dreading the drastic contrast in scenery. "I don't think of it as 'nowhere,' he said, laughing. "I'm looking forward to it, really." LaFond claimed a familiarity with small-town existence - he grew up in a tiny Michigan town of 500.

LaFond cited the importance of directly working in conjunction with students as essential to successfully filling the job. "I think I've gone into this field because I like working with college students - when issues come up I want to talk to students and see where they're coming from." Clearly unfamiliar with the offerings of campus dining services, LaFond said that he plans to occasionally eat in Oberlin's dining halls.

Goldsmith emphasized that LaFond's personable characteristics impressed the Search Committee. "I heard consistently from the Search Committee that this is a guy who's easy to talk to, listens very well, and has the interest of students very much at heart."

Goldsmith continued to say that LaFond's primary early task will be to "help the campus think still more deliberately about the desirability of increasing housing options on campus. He's acquainted with the work of the Residential Design Initiative and interested in being part of the process."

LaFond confirmed his commitment to improving student life on campus, saying, "I want there to be an environment where students feel comfortable living on campus - they should feel safe and secure and have a sense of belonging in residence halls."