Program houses offer a sense of community pride

Some Oberlin students can go home everyday, and they don't even have to leave campus.

These students call one of Oberlin's nine program houses home: student residences where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a culture or language.

"I've lived here forever. This is my home," said senior Zakia Redd, a four-year resident of the Afrikan Heritage House (AHH).

Redd compared living in AHH with living in her hometown of Pittsburgh. Just as she could borrow a pound of sugar or a couple of eggs from neighbors in Pennsylvania, she can solicit advice from neighbors or assistance with homework at AHH. "I feel a sense of community," Redd said.

Redd is quoted in a pamphlet describing AHH: "There is a sense of support here, in that I can comfortably go to anyone who lives here and ask for anything I need. This is the place where I have developed the closest relationships." The friendly character of program houses is their hallmark. Junior Sherry Black, resident of Spanish House, explained what she thought led students to live in Spanish House for several years. "It's really the community that brings back people," she said.

That community can be a support system and enrich residents' Oberlin experience.

First-year and AHH resident Aisha Cousins contended fellow House members were integral in her adjustment to Oberlin life. "It's like everybody here helps you find your way. If you don't have anyone to look out for you, you have to find your own way."

Senior Charles Edwards, a three-year resident of AHH, said he was left feeling unsatisfied with his living experience in East Hall last year, his only year not living in AHH. "There was no cohesive sense of community," he said.

Many of the program houses were found to provide students of a particular culture and entire campus with an enriched cultural awareness, but each has a different focus. Many of the cultural houses began in the late 1960s and early 70s.

Adenike Sharpley, Lecturer-in-Residence at AHH, said AHH was created to promote African culture and to provide a comfortable living setting for students of African descent. "They wanted a safe space from when they had to deal with a majority culture that's different from theirs. They [could] drop their books and say, 'I don't have to prove anything to anybody,'" she said.

Baldwin Women's Collective began as a house with radical political affiliations and an activist, anti-sexism stand. The house is to be a "safe and supportive forum in which to express our ideas, our intellects, our thoughts, and ourselves," according to a pamphlet advertising Baldwin.

Third World House (TWH) describes itself in a pamphlet produced by Residential Life and Services as a "Safe space - a space in which one's political and intellectual growth is supported, challenged, and nurtured - for politicized peoples of color and their white allies in struggle to further grow and develop their political consciousness."

Sophomore Raquel Olivo, a three-semester resident of TWH, said her community gives students of color a place to grow. "You learn lessons on community building. Third World House builds a lot of leaders," she said.

But not all houses were created similarly. Asia House Community Resident Organizer (CRO) sophomore Sonya Fatah stressed the importance of educating residents and educating the Oberlin community about Asian and Asian-American issues. But she said, "[We] don't want it to be a safe space."

Program houses are connected to academic departments that sponsor most of the programming for house activities. Many of the house programs originate from ongoing research in academic departments, and students who live in program houses often major in the related department. This further leads to a closeness between house faculty and students.

Program house residents are not the only ones who recognize the closeness they can develop. First-year Janine McCargo, resident of Burton Hall, also noted that program houses created a "pseudo-family." In talking of AHH residents, she said, "It kind of reminds me of [the television show] A Different World. They all know each other's name. It's kind of cute."

Although non-program house residents acknowledge the close-knit relationships program house members develop, some see them as a dividing force to the greater Oberlin community. First-year Robin Licker, resident of Dascomb Hall said, "People [in program houses] complain from being isolated from campus activities. [But] they do isolate themselves. It separates them from the 'real world of Oberlin.'"

Licker also said this separation of groups can lead to unease between groups on campus. "I hate to turn it into a Jewish-non-Jewish issue or a black-white issue - it's not. But people can see it that way. There's almost a tension between groups on campus and the separation furthers that tension," she said.

The chance for program house residents to separate themselves is not ignored. Senior Joy Williams, Resident Coordinator and Hall Manager of AHH, admits that others may perceive the community as being exclusive. "Each person is part of a family that people may perceive as cliques," she said.

Administration officials also note the clique perception. "I hear that a lot and I pay attention to it. I don't think they have to be divisive," President of the College Nancy Dye said. "They clearly play an important role. They seem to fill an important need for providing cultural homebases. They help students establish strong ties with people - allow them to really bond." Program houses play a role in campus dynamics. The politically active program houses on South campus trace back to when the campus was sex segregated, Dye said.

Residents of program houses insist their houses are open to all, but they also insist they should not be left with the burden of forcing others to experience the culture their houses offer. Dye agreed. "We should not make program houses bear all responsibility for these questions of diversity."

Charles Edwards added that living in AHH just provides him with a family. "They are like big brothers and sisters - a family."

The south campus complex: Program houses on South campus are numerous, such as African American Heritage House, German House, Spanish House, Russian House and others. This group is a benefit to many students looking for a ÒfamilyÓ or community support on campus. (photo by Mike Kabakoff)