Oberlin Alumni Magazine

Thanks to the diligent work of alumni, friends, and Jane Blodgett ’54, lectures and research from the late Geoffrey Blodgett’s popular course on the history of architecture will be available on DVD.

Blodgett ’53, the Danforth Emeritus Professor of History, was a respected Oberlin historian, architecture enthusiast, author, and photographer for more than 40 years. His most popular course, Social History of American Architecture, featured more than 2,000 slides, which are now making their move to DVD.

Those working on the project include Christina Laverentz ’05, who scanned and recorded all the slides; friend and colleague Norman Craig ’53, who duplicated Blodgett’s note cards; and Hans Petersen ’02, a former student of Blodgett’s who first suggested the idea, transcribed them onto DVD. When all is in place, alumnus John Erikson ’61 (who shared another of Blodgett’s passions—Oberlin sports) will create the DVD.

In a similar project, lectures on the architecture explored in Blodgett’s photography are being transcribed as well. Both DVDs are expected to be completed next year.

In the meantime, Jane Blodgett is anticipating the long-awaited release of Oberlin History: Essays and Impressions, a collection of essays and OAM articles written and compiled by her husband before his death in 2001. Kent State University Press will release the book in August, which includes a forward by President Nancy Dye.

One Small Step for Alzheimer’s Research

The Oberlin student contemporary classical music ensemble Reach Fusion took to the road in May for a benefit tour to support the Alzheimer’s Association. One Small Step covered five northern Ohio cities before closing with a concert in Quincy, Illinois. Violist Anne Ristorcelli ’07, pianist SeungKu Lee ’06, percussionist Aaron Williams ’07, and percussionist and tour organizer Michael Lehman ’06 raised just under $5,000 and received partial support from a $1,000 grant from the Nord Family Foundation. Formed last year, Reach Fusion is rapidly making a name for itself through its commitment to social involvement.