Oberlin Alumni Magazine: Summer 2001 Vol.97 No.1
Feature Stories
When Worlds Meet
Visions of Oberlin
Safety Man
[cover story] Caught in the Act
Round Robin Takes Flight
Message from the President
Letters
Around Tappan Square
 




"I come from a small town in northern New Hampshire. It is devoid of both streetlights and mist. When I came to Oberlin, it was the late foggy nights that captured my imagination. Instead of trying to photograph the daily happenings of the College, most of my photographs have been attempts to capture those elusive misty nights, where shadows and streetlights are filtered through the thick air. I found in this shot many challenges; the most difficult was preserving the blackness while using color film. I love the saturated colors that result from the long exposure, but, without the darkness, the picture would be uninteresting. This picture represents a side of Oberlin I feel is rarely represented: the solitude and beauty of the night.

Gabriel Graff is a sophomore from Randolph, New Hampshire. A probable politics major with a film minor, Gabe works as a photographer for the theater and dance department. Gabe has been taking pictures since his grandmother's Pentax Spotmatic was passed down to him from his father three years ago.


"I chose to photograph the front door of the Cox Administration Building and the south side of Mudd Center because of my fascination with spaces on campus that are forgotten or overlooked in the midst of a busy academic schedule. Many locations I photograph are more removed from the beaten path, but Cox and Mudd hold special significance for me because I see them every day, making it easier to become numb to the sight of them. The south side of Mudd, with its lawn and evergreens, seems quiet and remote in the middle of a busy day, somehow set apart from the motion and commotion just yards away. Cox is also centrally located on campus, but manages to stay surprisingly well hidden--a testament to Cass Gilbert's talent for designing buildings that are ornate, yet inconspicuous. In both photos, with significant help from spring weather, I tried to find a fresh way of seeing an everyday sight.


Hans Petersen is a junior from Colfax, Washington, majoring in history and environmental studies. He describes himself as a "very amateur" photographer, using an Asahi Pentax ME with a 50-mm lens (circa 1979) he received as a hand-me-down (circa 1996) from his father. When not taking photos of campus for fun or for The Oberlin Review, he studies architectural history, gets lost in the College Archives, plays trumpet in a band, sings in the Obertones, runs cross country, guides tours for the Admissions Office, and thinks wistfully of pursuing photography with high-quality equipment and unlimited time.

"Both the College and the city of Oberlin have several interesting memorials. I think it is very symbolic that the Memorial Arch occupies such a prominent place on Tappan Square. Students interact with this memorial on a daily basis. It is a reminder of the lives that were lost, but also a symbol of how Oberlin shapes us to be better citizens in this College, our communities, and ultimately, the world.

David Sinden is a sophomore Conservatory student from Houston, Texas. He is majoring in organ performance and studies with professor David Boe. David has been an amateur photographer for several years.

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