Environmental Studies Interns Needed

To the Editors:

We write to appeal to the Administration of Oberlin College to retain the intern position of the environmental studies program. This position is vital to the functioning of the program and without it the environmental studies program could not continue to offer students as comprehensive or enriching an experience. The environmental studies intern fills an essential niche within the program and the major, providing research and outreach opportunities that would otherwise not be possible. Where professors are able to advise and offer guidance, the intern provides opportunities and oversight of the student’s work that would otherwise be impossible. The duties of the intern cover a variety of essential tasks related to student research on the Living Machine, building monitoring and building education. The large numbers of students involved in independent or group research projects would not be possible without the additional guidance and support beyond professors the intern provides. The intern trains and organizes the activity of twelve Living Machine operators and eight independent research projects on the Living Machine.
The Adam Joseph Lewis Center is being monitored for performance in real-time, and this requires constant supervision and adjustments of building systems and sensing equipment. Neither professors nor students would be able to provide the constant and long-term attention that is required for improvement in building performance and further understanding of green building function.
All of these roles are important to the experience of the environmental studies major as well the to Oberlin College and the public. If this position were terminated, the students involved in research would be fewer and information about the building would be less readily available to students and the public. Terminating this position would deny students critical opportunities that they now enjoy. The Oberlin College environmental studies program is known as one of the best in the nation, and retention of the intern position is crucial in maintaining this status and attracting future students. We adamantly urge the Administration to reconsider any decision to terminate the environmental studies intern position.

–Gabriel Giles
College junior
–James McConaghie
College junior
–Alexander Maly
College senior
–Bree McConnell
double degree senior
–Caroline Turner
College junior
–Christopher Baker
College first-year
–Jessica Martucci
College junior
–Juliette Beale
College junior
–Jyoti Bhatt
College first-year
–Laura Kepner-Adney
College sophomore
–Margaret Douglas
College sophomore
–Matthew McEttrick
College first-year
–Meagan Forney
College junior
–Mira Inbar
College junior
–Nicole Casper
College senior
–Rachel Cohn
College first-year
–Rebecca French
College sophomore
–Rhodes Yepsen
College first-year
–Stephen Merrett
College first-year