These are recent case summaries heard by the Honor Committee
Bob Scheren's talents will be missed
As an institution of higher learning, Oberlin should fill gaps
It would be particularly neat if you considered voting for me
As per our charter, we're submitting a list of case summaries of case heard by the Honor Committee in the last few months to be published in the Review. We've also included a list of members of the Honor Committee, all of whom can be contacted with questions or cases.
A senior College student was found guilty of plagiarism on three papers in the German Dept. The student was given a paper and community service as penalty.
A sophomore College student was found guilty of cheating in the Math dept.
This was the student's second violation of the Honor Code and the penalty was suspension for one semester.
A junior College student was found guilty of unacceptable collaboration in the Computer Science Dept. A penalty of community service and a paper was recommended.
A first-year College student was found guilty of unacceptable collaboration in the Computer Science Dept. A penalty of community service and a paper was recommended.
A fifth year Double Degree student was found guilty of plagiarism in the Biology Dept. The student was given community service as a penalty.
Two Conservatory first-years were found innocent of collaboration in a Music Theory course.
Any member of the Honor Committee can be contacted regarding questions, suggestions or cases of Honor Code violation. Or send mail to OCMR Box 22.
The Review's announcement about the departures of Gene Matthews and Bob Scheren from Oberlin is sad news - especially in the case of architect and planner Bob Scheren. In the nature of things, most students are unlikely to be aware of the work of such folks. Over the past 20 years or so, the College has employed several people in sequence to oversee the details of its campus development. In my opinion Bob Scheren has been beyond doubt the finest of them. His outstanding talents will be sorely missed.
Most def. As a black female student in the Art Department, I can definitely affirm that information on people of color is lacking. It's not just black folks, it's Latinos, Asians, Native Americans... everybody non-white that you can think of is underrepresented in the Art Department. If this is an institution that stresses true education, broadening one's horizons regardless of the cultural source of the information, then why is it that Art students don't have to learn about people of color's Art History? African Art History is a full fledged field of study, so is Meso-American Art History. Why is it that there are no courses offered in those areas?
Everyone's always talking about how people of color need to broaden our horizons, step outside ourselves and learn to appreciate all that European culture has to offer, from Classical music to Renaissance art. If all the people of color on campus know who Leonardo da Vinci is, but all of the European-American students don't know who Romare Bearden is or Diego Rivera, then who are the ones with the problem?
As an institution of higher learning, Oberlin has a responsibility to fill in that gap in its students' knowledge. There is an effort to do this in many other departments, but the history section of the Art Department is lagging behind. Yes, money is short and it is hard to hire new teachers, but there are ways to work around that. Lecturers can be brought in, books can be purchased, and there is always the possibility of setting up an exchange program with colleges that do teach classes that are more relevant to people of color. Why is there so much resistance?
Ultimately it's not the Art Department's problem, it's yours. If you leave here without having broadened your horizons, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WILL ENTER THE WORLD WITHOUT A COMPLETE EDUCATION and you will be the one who will have wasted your time and your money. It is up to you to change things, as students we are the ones that the college is here for and we are the ones who have the power. If you want a multi-cultural education and you ask loud enough, you will get it.
In that same vein the College is currently in the process of hiring a new Museum director, one of the candidates, Ramona Austen, is just as qualified as all the others, with one added bonus. She specializes in African and African American Art History. If appointed, she will have the power to bring in exhibits in both of these fields thus educating both the art students and the Oberlin community at large. If you feel that her appointment would be of educational benefit to you please write President Dye and let her know that you're interested in Ms. Austen's coming. Please write soon, your voice counts.
"Spider webs united can tie up a lion." ( West African Proverb)
Number one: It almost doesn't matter who you vote for in this Monday's election for class trustee, as long as you vote. One vote may not make the difference in electing one student over another, but it'd be fantastic if the winner could go to the trustees and carry the clear mandate of a 100% turn-out election. So vote. For somebody. Anybody.
That being said, it would be particularly neat if you would consider voting for me in particular. Here's a couple questions people have been asking me recently: I hope they help you make up your mind.
"Why are you running?" Because student activism was what my life was about before and during my Oberlin experience, and I don't foresee that changing after I leave. I'm going to Washington when I graduate to lobby for increased federal spending for student aid. I'm incorporating a non-profit called Parents And Students For Affordable Education Legislation (PAS-FAEL) and I'm probably going to starve while trying to make it work. I'll be in a great position to advise Oberlin students, trustees, and administrators about the latest developments in student aid and how best to take advantage of them. Class trustee and student lobbyist are complementary jobs: doing both will help me do each one better.
"What qualifies you to serve?" I've been at Oberlin for 6 years. I've served on Student Senate in every semester that I was eligible to. I've served on Student Life Committee twice, Educational Plans and Policies Committee twice, General Faculty Planning Committee twice, and seven other committees once apiece. I was here for two years of President Starr and four of President Dye. I've been a part of three strategic planning processes (SISC, COST, and Oberlin 2020). Blah-blah-blah. I could go on, but sheer repetition of bureaucratic acronyms isn't gonna convince anybody to vote for me. The real point is that it is only now, after 6 years of experience, that I feel like I can go toe-to-toe with a trustee or an administrator as an equal. People in power often think they can get away with shit by waiting for us to graduate: I solved that one by just not graduating.
"What would you focus on if elected?" Certain things need to be made clear to the trustees. The co-ops and program houses are the heart and soul of this place, and a commitment needs to be made to ensure their continued success. People can't thrive when they feel like their communities are in constant jeopardy. We need more space for the arts, particularly student organized programs. I could name twenty other issues that never seemed to be truly understood. My real concern is not any one of them individually: it's that these concerns as a body do not seem to be getting through. Where's the miscommunication? My goal as class trustee would be to establish binding, lasting, and effective lanes of communication between the trustees and the students. How's about this for starters: instead of munching on catered food at the Inn for dinner, they could split up and eat in a dozen different co-ops and dining halls. You learn a lot more by breaking bread with a community then by holding a "forum dialogue" with a stage and microphones.
Once again, please vote. It almost doesn't matter who for. Well, maybe I have a bit of a preference...)
Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 18, March 13, 1998
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